As soon as I stepped out of the underground parking lot, my phone rang.
I checked and saw it was Scarlett calling.
I instantly felt relieved. Thank goodness it rang now and not when I was in the parking lot. If Vivian's husband had heard it, he would have known I was eavesdropping on his and Jessica's conversations. That would have been so embarrassing.
I answered the phone with a gentle voice. "Scarlett, what's up?"
Scarlett complained, "What else could it be? Weren't you supposed to come back for dinner? Look at the time now, your brother is already back."
"Sorry, I got so busy that I forgot the time. I just left the office, I'll be back soon." I replied with a tone of regret.
I wanted Scarlett to think I was genuinely caught up with work and forgot, even though deep down, I didn't want to be too busy.
Scarlett sighed helplessly, "It's okay, having a strong work ethic is good. Hurry back."
"Got it," I replied.
After hanging up, I immediately hailed a cab towards the direction of the villa.
I decided to let go of comforting Jessica for now.
No matter what, Scarlett was the most important person to me.
After about fifteen minutes, the car stopped steadily in front of the villa.
As soon as I got out, I bumped into Sophia and her husband who had just returned from work.
Her husband greeted me first, "Hey, David, coming back for dinner today?"
"Oh, yeah, it's been a while since I last came back. I need to come back to reassure them, or they might be worried." I was still a bit slow to react after being called.
Seeing Sophia and her husband made me feel a bit awkward, especially because, to me, I was the one who had caused trouble in their relationship.
Anyway, I felt a bit guilty.
"You did nothing wrong. Come on, your brother and the others must be getting impatient," Sophia said softly.
In front of her husband, she always maintained a caring and understanding demeanor.
"Got it, you guys should head back for dinner soon too. Have a pleasant evening," I waved and said.
With that, I walked straight into Scarlett's villa.
As soon as I entered, I caught a whiff of delicious food.
It emitted a homely aroma, which couldn't be smelled in any restaurant.
"Wow! It smells amazing!" I exclaimed.
"Doesn't it?" Ryan beamed proudly at me. "My wife made it. Go wash up in the bathroom and get ready for dinner. Scarlett just needs to bring out the cream cheese soup, and then we can eat."
"Alright," I nodded.
I always tried to maintain a good image in front of Ryan, just to ensure that he wouldn't suspect anything when Scarlett and I were together.
I washed up in the bathroom, and by the time I got to the dining room, Scarlett had already served the soup.
She saw me and instructed, "Have a seat, drink some soup."
"Got it," I obediently nodded and finished the soup under Scarlett and Ryan's loving gazes.
After that, the dinner officially began.
"Ryan, did you know David is in a relationship now?" Scarlett brought up the topic.
Incredulously, Ryan's eyes constantly shifted on Scarlett and me.
Ryan retorted, "How is that possible? David hasn't been home for so many days, and we never heard about him having a girlfriend. Now he comes back, and suddenly he has a girlfriend? You must be joking."
Not just Ryan, even I was surprised by Scarlett's sudden revelation.
Why did she suddenly bring up my relationship status without even discussing it with me first?
Scarlett said firmly, "It's true! I bumped into David at the cafeteria, and I saw a news report about him being a hero and dressing up as a couple with a woman."
Ryan turned his gaze towards me, trying to find answers from my expression.
Since Scarlett had already spilled the beans, I couldn't deny it. After all, our relationship was still under suspicion and misunderstanding by everyone, so having a girlfriend could help dispel the rumors between us.
"Yeah, I did have a girl. I didn't come back last weekend because I went abroad to find her," I explained.
"When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?" Ryan asked.
"Ugh... at that time, our relationship wasn't stable yet. I was afraid that if I brought her back too soon, we might break up before you even met her. That would have been awkward," I hesitated and said.
"So, your relationship is stable now?" Ryan asked.
"Yeah, we've been together for about a month, but she's currently overseas on a business trip, so she hasn't had the chance to come back and meet you guys," I answered truthfully.
I had been with many women, but in my heart, Catherine was the best choice, both in terms of physical and family background.
"It seems like your girlfriend is quite successful in her career. But you're in your twenties now, so dating is perfectly normal. When she comes back, why not introduce her to us? Further, if you really love each other, you can take her to visit Mom and Dad. Then, if possible, you can plan your wedding."
So soon? I was a bit taken aback that I was at a loss for my words.
"Getting married so quickly? Isn't it too soon? We've only been together for a month," I asked.
"Scarlett and I got married after just a month of being together. When you find your destined partner, it's best to get married quickly. Otherwise, you'll regret it if she is robbed by someone else."
"Alright, I'll talk to her about it. If she's okay with it, then that's the deal," I nodded.
Ryan smiled, "Good, we'll discuss it later, and then we can arrange for our parents to meet."
"Got it," I nodded and decided not to bring up any more topics, focusing on eating dinner instead.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Scarlett.
She didn't say anything, but her expression seemed off, and she appeared a bit angry.
Was it because of my girlfriend, or was it because Ryan was rushing us into marriage?
After dinner, Ryan went to the study to work, while Scarlett stayed in the kitchen to wash the dishes.
I followed her, feeling concerned, and found her washing the dishes with a stern expression.
I walked up behind her, hugged her, and nuzzled her cheek with mine, asking gently, "What's wrong, baby? Are you mad?"
Scarlett said expressionlessly, "Why would I be mad? There's nothing between us to be mad about."