Taking Edmond Home for Dinner

The result of going with the flow was that... without needing to say a word, his kiss, his gaze, were signals of desire. This understanding had developed over half a month.

Like now.

After his shower, Edmond was in casual shorts and a t-shirt. After one signal kiss, he crossed his arms, grabbed the hem of his shirt, and pulled it off. Lily had already instinctively moved closer...

As for having children, Lily had asked him about it. Edmond said he would respect her decision. Considering his age, she didn't dare to be too reckless and asked for a year.

It wasn't that she didn't want to have a child now—if she got pregnant, she wouldn't mind. She had money and could hire the best nannies, the best postpartum caregivers, and the best nutritionists. She could balance raising a child and working; she could afford it, and she could handle the consequences.

But she felt that a child should be born into a loving family. There was no love between her and Edmond, so she wanted to spend a year building their relationship. Even if it didn't turn into love, a strong bond would be good enough.

In the drawer were the contraceptives Edmond had bought—three boxes at a time, and tonight was the last one from the last box.

As her rationality shattered, Lily thought about going back to the Jian family tomorrow and sleepily grabbed his hand. "Zoya isn't as pretty as me, isn't as obedient as me, and doesn't listen to you like I do. Don't be swayed by her..."

Edmond held her in his arms and kissed her damp forehead. "I only like you."

This girl, who seemed carefree and indifferent, was actually very sensitive. She had always been very concerned about Zoya.

April Fool's Day was a Friday.

Zoya arrived home at two in the afternoon. As soon as she entered, she noticed the difference—the flowers and trees in the yard were freshly trimmed, and water droplets glistened on the clivias. Inside, the servants were diligently cleaning every corner. The floors and windows were sparkling, the fresh flowers in the vases were vibrant, and the fruit plates were filled with fresh, seasonal fruits.

Everything inside and out exuded meticulous care.

In the morning, Zoya had received a call from Layla, knowing that Lily was bringing Edmond home for dinner tonight. It was very ironic—Lily never received this kind of treatment when she came back before. Now that she had married a good husband, her treatment had been upgraded.

So, marrying a good man really mattered. Pairing someone like Edmond with Lily was a waste.

They were supposed to arrive at 5:30 PM, giving her over three hours. Having just gotten off a plane, Zoya was tired. She planned to sleep a bit, take a bath, and then freshen up. When meeting Edmond, she needed to be flawless.

On the second floor, the study door was ajar, and voices could be heard inside. Recognizing Leopold's voice, Zoya stopped.

"Dad, you called me back urgently just to say this nonsense?"

"What nonsense? You must remember what I'm telling you. Edmond rarely visits. You're of similar age and can chat easily. Follow the things I've told you…"

Inside the study, Brooks was instructing Leopold on a multitude of matters.

"Edmond cut several projects from L&S before the new year. I was furious but couldn't say anything then. Now that he's the son-in-law of the Jian family, we have things to discuss."

"Losing those projects isn't the end of the world. Even if we got them, we wouldn't gain much. Now, there's a theme park project in Jingxiu that the municipal government is highly interested in. It's a big deal. If Edmond partners with us, we could recover L&S's losses from last year in one go."

Leopold didn't agree with his father's flattering and ingratiating methods but said nothing, just stood there listening to his nagging. Seeing his father jotting down notes, he seized the opportunity to excuse himself.

"Dad, if you're busy, I'll step out?"

Brooks's pen was out of ink, and he shook it a few times. "I'm not busy. I'm just jotting down your sister's past tricks."

Leopold: "?"

"What are you writing that for?"

Brooks snorted smugly. "That girl is very crafty. I'm afraid she'll trick me again. I'm listing all the tricks she's used before. I'll study them now and be prepared to counter them."

He was still angry about being tricked out of 9% of his shares. That girl's mind worked fast, and her words were full of traps. If she tricked him out of another 9%, he'd really lose it. He needed to be prepared.

Thinking of this, Brooks suddenly looked up at his son. "Last time, that girl set up a shoddy studio and conned me out of a lot. I hear she's setting up a new place now. This time, she might come back as a bandit again."

Leopold sensed that his father's next words wouldn't be good and wanted to escape. Sure enough—

"Considering that Edmond is visiting today, we can't be too stingy. We need to be generous. So, if your sister really wants something, open up your collection room and let her pick."

"You need to think about the bigger picture."

Leopold: "…"

To hell with his father's 'bigger picture'! Last time, because of this 'bigger picture,' he had to give up a Qing Dynasty inkstone and a set of Hetian jade tea sets that Lily took away. The cost wasn't the issue—the key was that he had gone through a lot to get those.

He was still mad about losing the tea set.

"Dad, you can't just throw your son under the bus. Your treasures are treasures, and mine are too."

He offered a reasonable solution. "How about we each take out one item? You pick one, I pick one, and we give them to her as housewarming gifts?"

Brooks: "…"

Ungrateful son! A servant was cleaning the stair railing and coming up the steps. Zoya glanced at the clean, shiny railing, turned around, and went back to her room.

Wasn't it just that Lily was bringing Edmond home? Everyone was being so attentive that it made her sick. Seeing Lily's smug face made her feel even worse. So what if they had gotten married? Many people get divorced.

At 5:30, a black Bentley arrived punctually at the Jian family's old residence. Zoya had taken a bath and changed into a new dress she had bought while attending an exhibition with Layla before the new year. She had bought several styles, and tonight she wore one that exuded femininity. Her makeup was also meticulously feminine.

She had her own agenda.

For years, the women Edmond encountered were all career women, and he had never had an ambiguous relationship with any of them. It might be that he didn't like strong women. She had only speculated before, but now he had married Lily, who was incredibly feminine. Zoya didn't believe he married Lily solely out of gratitude.

The only reason she could accept was that Edmond was attracted to Lily's looks. So, tonight, every part of her appearance had been carefully planned.

She was very satisfied with her look, but when she saw Lily getting out of the car from the second floor, she felt ridiculous.

Today, Lily had a professional, domineering look. Gone was her usual sexy style. The wine-red suit she wore was sharp and tailored, emphasizing her tall, slender figure. Her hair was styled differently too—natural on top, with large curls at the ends.

It was the first time Zoya had seen her in a suit. Despite her bias, she had to admit that Lily had a unique charm, exuding a heroic spirit. Especially since Edmond was also in a tailored suit, they looked very appealing together.

Zoya glanced down at her own dress but ultimately didn't change. Edmond had never seen her in such a feminine style—it would be a shame to change.

He should see that no matter how beautiful Lily was, she was just an empty shell, a vase created by money. Zoya might not have been born with the best circumstances, but now, she bore the Jian name. She was Zoya Jian. She had a good family background, high education, and strong work abilities. She was Edmond's true match.

The last time Lily had seen her father so overjoyed that his eyes disappeared was when she and Royce had set their wedding date. This time, he was even more excited. His smile reached his eyes, and he wore a festive Tang suit, looking like it was New Year's.

He personally welcomed Edmond inside, repeatedly calling him by his name, and even Lily benefited, hearing her parents call her 'Lily' again after many years.

Since they arrived right at dinner time, after a few pleasantries, they went straight to the dining room.

All the dishes tonight were Edmond's favorites, with the flavors adjusted to his taste, as Brooks had asked Lily to list last night.

The atmosphere at the table was very pleasant, everyone laughing and chatting superficially, discussing topics like which dish was good, Leopold's nice cigars, and Brooks's well-aged wine. Later, Zoya interjected now and then, seemingly unintentionally.