Chapter 124: Are Foreign Landscapes Really That Spectacular?
After Sophia finished talking with Lucas, they each went their separate ways to continue their dates.
Elodie held Lucas's hand, noticing he seemed even happier than before. She couldn't help but wonder what he and Sophia had discussed. "Does Sophia approve of you dating?"
"Sophia's the best." Lucas released her hand and draped his arm around her shoulders instead, turning to look at her. "She even reminded me to take you out for nice meals and make sure I walk you safely to your door tonight!"
Elodie nodded vaguely, still processing. She'd always wished for an older brother or sister. Unfortunately, she only had a younger sister, and her parents constantly told her to accommodate her sibling.
The chicken leg went to her sister. The boneless fish fillet went to her sister. If her sister wanted Elodie's toys, she had to hand them over. If her sister hit her, she couldn't fight back. Whenever her sister cried, it was automatically Elodie's fault.
She didn't just lack the affection of older siblings—even her parents' love seemed scarcer than what other children received.
Maybe that's why she'd fallen for Lucas. When she was with him, all her feelings mattered. All her thoughts were valued.
She could relax and be herself without sacrificing her needs for anyone else.
"I want to ride the drop tower!" She pointed at the ride in the distance.
Lucas nodded. "Alright. Wait here in the shade so you don't get sunburned. I'll go buy tickets."
"Okay." Elodie watched the boy jog away, warmth spreading through her chest.
See? No matter what she wanted, he always made it happen. He always put her feelings first.
……
Michael and Sophia didn't stay long at the amusement park. They headed to a nearby shopping district to browse for a while.
That evening, they met Bruce for dinner at Celestial Peak Hotel.
The moment he arrived, the entire private dining room erupted into chaos.
"Hey! Long time no see, you two! You're seriously lousy friends, you know that? You didn't invite me out when you started dating, and now you're both CEOs and still haven't called me to celebrate. If I hadn't reached out first, would you have forgotten I existed? Let me tell you—friends who treat people this badly end up with no friends at all!"
Bruce dropped into an empty seat and immediately launched into his grievances.
Did they have any idea how lonely these past few years had been for him?
He didn't have a single friend he could call up to hang out with. His colleagues all had ulterior motives, and the old guard at his company caused trouble for him daily.
He'd suffered in silence, nursing his wounds alone at night, while these so-called friends gallivanted around in pairs or groups!
They'd abandoned him in some desolate corner!
Sophia shook her head, torn between exasperation and amusement. She stood and poured him a cup of coffee. "That's not fair. Your name's internationally famous now. When you didn't contact us, we figured you were too busy for us."
Bruce frowned and eyed Sophia suspiciously. "Sophia, what have you been through these past few years? Since when do you say things like that?"
Sophia's smile vanished, replaced by a displeased look.
Bruce's face immediately relaxed. "Okay, that's the Sophia I know!"
Sophia felt a bead of sweat form. This guy was still the same shameless character as ever. Years had passed, and nothing had changed.
Once the food arrived, the three of them began catching up.
"When did you get back?" Michael asked.
Silverlight City was the fashion capital—clothing design, jewelry design, home décor, interior design—most of it centered there.
Bruce was a local from Emerald City, but considering resource consolidation, he'd relocated to Silverlight City when he first established his studio.
Not that he'd truly settled down. He constantly flew around the globe taking on projects, though he spent most of his time in Silverlight City. Unless it was an important holiday or anniversary, he rarely stayed long in Emerald City.
Bruce took a sip of coffee, irritation crossing his features. "My mom's been forcing me to go on blind dates. She says if I don't, I'm not allowed to leave Emerald City."
Bruce came from a military family—everyone had served in combat. They were a well-known household in the area.
Yet Bruce hadn't become a soldier. He'd gone into design instead, and now his mother was anxious because he showed no signs of settling down.
More importantly, Bruce was 26 years old. He'd passed the age of youthful passion and raging hormones, yet he'd never even had a girlfriend. His mother worried he might not be into women at all.
At the mention of this topic, inspiration struck Bruce. He looked at them hopefully. "Do you two know any beautiful girls with nice personalities? Hook me up!"
"I don't!" Michael immediately distanced himself, pulling Sophia closer by the waist. "I don't have any women in my life. My executive assistant is male. Everyone in my entire secretary pool is male. No girls to introduce."
Hearing this, Bruce barely restrained himself from cursing out loud.
Seriously?!
He shifted his gaze to Sophia. "I remember Evelyn's about three years older than me, right? Does she have a boyfriend?"
"Evelyn?" Sophia raised an eyebrow, pausing thoughtfully before taking a sip of water. "I don't think so. But she's gorgeous, and her workplace has a skewed gender ratio—lots of guys pursue her. Are you interested?"
"Not necessarily for real. If she's not interested in those suitors, maybe she'd be willing to cooperate with me. I could deal with my mom, and after a while, we could just claim we broke up."
He had zero interest in dating right now. He certainly didn't want to marry someone emotionally detached through blind dating, weighing pros and cons like a business transaction. That wouldn't be fair to him or the woman.
Better to find someone willing to put on an act together. That would placate his mother for a while.
Besides, he'd seen Evelyn's interior design portfolios before and was curious about her. They'd never had a chance to meet.
Maybe they'd have common ground to talk about, making the charade less awkward.
"You'll have to discuss that with Evelyn directly. I can't make decisions for her. But she really admires you, so you need to consider whether it's fair to her if she agrees."
"What?"
Bruce froze. He'd thought Evelyn's design style resembled his, but Sophia had never mentioned that Evelyn actually admired him!
If that was true, then his proposal really wasn't fair to Evelyn. It would be like exploiting her feelings.
"Either way, I should meet her in person. It's my first time learning I have a fan."
"Alright." Sophia sent Evelyn's contact information to Bruce and left Evelyn a message, giving her a heads-up that Bruce wanted to meet.
They continued discussing interior design, though the conversation gradually veered off course. Bruce began venting frantically about bizarre clients he'd encountered in Silverlight City.
With this chatterbox present, the private room buzzed with energy despite there being only three of them.
As they prepared to leave, Bruce seemed to suddenly remember something. "Oh, by the way—where are Amelia and Wayne? Haven't they come back yet?"
They'd gone abroad to study. Shouldn't they have graduated and returned by now?
"They said they'd travel for a while before coming back." Sophia wasn't entirely sure herself. Amelia had called when she first graduated, but now she'd been traveling for nearly a year with no sign of returning.
Were foreign landscapes really that spectacular?