The moment the call connected, an exuberant voice chirped through the phone:
"Elena, sweetheart, the weather's perfect today. Want to come out and play?"
Elena Shen didn't answer right away. She glanced at the time displayed on her phone, then tilted her head toward Ethan Jiang, who was adjusting his tie.
"Ethan, are you staying home today?"
The bedroom was quiet, and though Annie Gu's voice wasn't faint, only a few muffled syllables reached Ethan. Still, even without hearing clearly, he could easily guess what her call was about—this was the age when girls loved to go out and enjoy their weekends.
"There's something at the office. I need to go in," he said, turning back to the girl lying on the bed, her bright eyes watching him intently.
Elena arched her brow and nodded. Into the phone, she said, "Sure. Where shall we meet?"
Annie gave her the name of a mall.
Elena noted it down, and after agreeing on a time, ended the call.
She was still groggy when she first woke, but the drowsiness had mostly worn off by now. She quickly got up, grabbed her clothes, and began to get ready.
Just as she was about to leave the room, Ethan, who had been sitting on the sofa watching his tablet, called out to her, "Elena."
She turned, obediently answering, "Yes, Ethan?"
He walked over, pulling a black card from the drawer and handing it to her.
"Buy whatever you like. I might not make it back for lunch. If you feel like coming home, eat here. If not, dine out with your friend. Have fun—I'll pick you up in the evening."
Elena looked at the card but didn't take it.
"No need. You already gave me one before the auction."
Besides, she had plenty of her own money. More than enough to live comfortably.
But Ethan didn't take the card back. Instead, he gently pressed it into her hand.
"All the black cards in this house are for you. Don't worry about which one it is."
At 10 a.m., Elena met Annie at a downtown mall.
As they browsed the boutique stores, Annie, recalling how her friend had asked about Ethan's plans before going out, linked arms with her, raising an eyebrow in amusement.
"Elena, you and your Mr. Jiang are moving fast these days."
Elena was about to enter a luxury shop but paused, slightly stunned. "?"
Annie beamed. "See? Nothing strengthens a relationship like proximity."
She glanced around furtively, then leaned in with a mischievous smile.
"Elena, did that second birthday gift do the trick? If it worked, I can send you a dozen more. Might as well weld that bond tight."
"…!"
Elena's eye twitched. She had half a mind to gag her overly enthusiastic friend before someone thought they were crazy.
Looking both ways, she motioned zipping her lips and warned, "Seriously, Annie. Chill. What bond strengthening?"
As an outsider, Annie sometimes saw things more clearly than Elena herself—like the way her interactions with Ethan had shifted lately.
"No? Really?" Annie countered, raising an eyebrow. "Since that fluffy little dumpling came along, haven't you two gotten closer?"
"Also, come on. You used to flee from Ethan like he was the plague. Couldn't even be in the same room. But now? You're heading out and the first thing you ask is whether your husband will be home."
Her tone was feigned jealousy mixed with teasing, followed by a theatrical sigh.
"Soon, I won't be able to get you out of the house if he's home."
Elena's mouth twitched at the exaggeration. She wanted to explain that Ethan had been staying home because he was worried about her emotional state, and she hadn't dared cancel plans without checking with him first.
But Annie waved off her silence with a knowing look that said, *I get it. No need to explain.*
"But tell me," Annie leaned in again, whispering gleefully, "Did those *movies* work or not? If they did, I can dig up a hundred more for you—mmph!"
Elena quickly clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her into a boutique.
"Pick something to buy. Stop talking."
With everything going on lately—school drama and personal stress—Annie had brought her out to unwind and lift her spirits.
They spent the whole day together, shopping until evening. When their arms were full of bags, they handed them to the discreet bodyguards trailing them.
Annie was just about to suggest a café break when Ethan's call came through.
Seeing his name flash on the screen, she wisely held her tongue.
Elena glanced at her and answered the call.
Ethan's voice was calm and low:
"Elena, done shopping?"
"My parents called. Said it's been over a week since they saw us. Asked if we'd come to the old house for dinner tonight."
Elena hesitated, about to reply, when Annie pulled out her phone and typed rapidly:
[You two go. Skip the coffee. Text me later.]
Holding the screen up for Elena to see, Annie gave her a wink and waved as she headed toward her car.
Ten minutes later, Ethan's car pulled up outside the mall.
Elena slipped her phone away and got into the back seat.
Ethan had just left a meeting. Eric Chen was still driving.
When she got in, Ethan tucked his documents into the console and handed her a small cake from the city's famous Lao Zhai Ji bakery.
Elena was surprised but accepted it with a delighted smile.
He leaned over and pulled down the tray table for her.
As she unboxed the cake, she asked with a smile, "Another convenient detour?"
Ethan's gaze lingered on her cheerful face as she took a bite.
"Not at all. I went out of the way to get it early."
By the time they arrived at the old house, the sky was streaked with fiery hues of sunset.
Eric parked the car and opened the door.
Ethan's parents were already waiting in the main hall. As they approached, his mother came forward, taking Elena's hand warmly and playfully scolding:
"You two used to come back every day when your grandfather was here. Now that he's gone abroad, I barely see you!"
Ethan's gaze shifted to Elena, knowing his mother was only half-serious. He took the blame nonetheless:
"Work's been busy. We'll come back more often."
His father was more direct. "Are you going to the office tomorrow?"
Ethan: "No need."
His father grinned and told the housekeeper to fetch wine. "Then have a drink with me."
Dinner was warm and relaxed. The housekeeper and staff left them in peace after serving.
Ethan drank with his father while continuing to serve Elena food.
She had filled up on the cake earlier, so she didn't eat much, sipping her juice and chatting with Mrs. Lin instead.
Ethan noticed this and leaned slightly toward her, speaking softly:
"You don't need to skip meals. If you're worried, I'll take you for more exercise."
Elena looked up, their eyes meeting.
"I'm not dieting," she murmured. "Just ate too much cake. I'm stuffed."
Dinner stretched on.
Adrian Jiang had long fled the country again after dealing with the situation involving Grace Su.
With the old house quiet and the parents missing their visits, both Ethan and Elena stayed longer than usual.
After dinner, Mrs. Lin called the staff to clear the dishes. The family moved to the sitting area.
Around 8 p.m., Mrs. Lin took a call and stepped out.
Elena quietly ate from the fruit platter. She glanced out at the dark sky, then checked the clock. Scooting a little closer to Ethan, she waited until there was a lull in his conversation with his father.
Then she leaned in and whispered almost inaudibly:
"Are we going home tonight?"