Chapter 167 Jerk Leopold Could Get Lost
"Doris?" Darren called her again.
"What is it?"
"Were you just talking to a realtor about renting a place?"
She felt panicked and didn't want Darren to ask more questions, so she snapped, "Why do you need to know so much? It's none of your business!"
Darren felt a bit hurt but didn't show it on his face. "I'm your boyfriend, of course I care about you."
"A boyfriend, not a dad."
"If you think I'm too naggy, I'll talk less from now on." Darren spoke cautiously, afraid of upsetting her again.
Seeing that Darren didn't press further about the rental, Doris subtly sighed in relief and softened her tone.
"Give it to me!" She reached out her hand.
"What?"
"The coffee in your hand, weren't you bringing it to me?"
"Oh, right! I almost forgot." Darren smiled.
After spending another week in the lab, two sets of data were finally ready.
The progress wasn't as rushed anymore.
On Saturday, Camilla gave herself a day off.
"Ms. Learmond, long time no see. Do you still recognize me?" Juniper pulled up beside her in a convertible Ferrari.
She rested her hand on the window, took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of beautiful, lively eyes.
The wind tousled her voluminous curls, and she looked trendy and cool in a black utility jumpsuit paired with a belt.
Camilla opened the passenger door, got in, and while fastening her seatbelt, said, "You are the last one I'm going to forget"
Juniper pinched her soft, dewy cheek. "Haven't seen you in two weeks, have you been eating honey? Your words are so sweet."
"I don't need to eat honey; I'm naturally sweet."
"Yes, yes! You're sweet. Buckle up, I'm taking you to eat something delicious!"
"Sure!"
"Camilla. If I were a man, I'd marry you right away!"
And jerk Leopold could get lost.
The car arrived at a newly popular restaurant.
It had been a staple in the city for years, but recently went viral after a social media influencer visited, causing a surge of new customers and making it hard for regulars to get a reservation.
Juniper had booked it half a month in advance.
Their roast chicken was the signature dish. Camilla ordered some appetizers first, and by the time they finished, the roast chicken was served.
The skin was crispy and not greasy, with juices bursting out at every bite, tender and elastic.
No wonder it was their signature dish.
"This restaurant has been in the city for over twenty years, known only among those with a refined taste for food. Recently, an influencer visited, recorded a video, and it went viral. Now this hidden gem can't stay hidden anymore."
Juniper first came here with her dad.
"How's the taste? Pretty good, right?"
Camilla nodded. "Mm-hmm, delicious!"
The cooking was just right, the juices were plentiful, and the skin had a smoky flavor from the fruitwood charcoal.
Camilla even started thinking about how to make this roast chicken herself. If she had time, she might give it a try.
In the past, she cooked and experimented with various recipes mainly for Leopold.
After their breakup, Camilla slowly realized that cooking a good meal for herself or sharing it with friends was a joyful experience in itself.
Not to please anyone, not to take care of anyone, not to impress anyone.
As long as she liked it, whether cooking or doing anything else, it would be enjoyable.
"Camilla, thanks for last time. My brother told me I even got drunk and acted crazy, didn't I?" Juniper felt a bit embarrassed as she mentioned getting drunk last time.
"It's all my mom's fault, making me attend some youth party, which was actually a matchmaking event."
Young men and women were like goods on display, waiting to be picked.
Cynthia was great in every way, except she worried too much.
She'd say things like mismatched social status would never lead to happiness, and that experience showed love ultimately depended on financial stability, and so on.
Juniper was fed up.
After returning home last time, Juniper made a deal with Cynthia: she could accept a match of equal status, but she had to choose the person herself.
In exchange, Cynthia couldn't arrange any more matchmaking events or parties for her.
Camilla asked, "Choose yourself?"
"Yes, as long as the family background is decent, my mom will accept it. So, I'll just pick from our circle!"
"Are you really going to pick?" Camilla blinked.
Juniper liked young, handsome guys. There were plenty of young, handsome men in their circle, but finding one who would pamper her and treat her like a princess was almost impossible.
Coming from a privileged background naturally made one more arrogant. They were all from wealthy families, so why should a man lower himself to pamper her?
Juniper cleared her throat and lowered her voice. "Of course, I have to pick one. If I don't, I can't explain it to my mom. But I'm not picking a partner, I'm picking a collaborator."
"A collaborator?"
"Yes, there are many men and women in our circle being pressured to marry. Since none of us want to follow our family's arrangements, we can collaborate."
"How does that work?"
"We put on a show in public, act the part, and do our own thing in private!"
This way, they could appease their families, avoid constant nagging, and still enjoy their freedom outside. It was a win-win.
Camilla advised her to think it through and not overdo it.
Juniper said, "Don't worry, I know my limits."
When they were almost done eating, Camilla took the opportunity to pay the bill while Juniper was in the restroom.
As they walked out, Juniper pouted. "I said I was treating, why did you pay the bill?"
Camilla replied, "I can't let you pay every time. It's not like I'm broke."
"Right, you're a little rich lady."
Saying this, she reached out to pinch Camilla's cheek.
"Don't, it hurts! We're in public, keep your hands to yourself, it's not a good look."
The two girls laughed and chatted as they walked through the hall and out the door.
"Sebastian, wait."
This successfully made them stop and look in the direction of the voice.
A group of people emerged from a private room upstairs, mostly middle-aged, with a few having graying hair. Almost all of them were dressed in polo shirts and casual slacks.
Sebastian, in the center, stood out.
He was tall and handsome.
Among the balding, overweight middle-aged men, he was particularly striking.
"Sebastian, I'll need your support for my new project."
"I also need help with the lab supplies I'm ordering."
"Our lab's project application needs your approval too."
A group of people surrounded Sebastian, shaking hands and making requests.
Sebastian responded to each one, but a hint of impatience crept into his expression. Suddenly, his gaze swept across the hall below and landed on the two girls.
The next second, his frown relaxed.
"Sorry, everyone, my cousin is here, just downstairs, so I need to leave now. Goodbye."
With that, amidst a chorus of farewells, he strode towards Camilla and Juniper.
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