Chapter 26: Rise to the Heavens

Ursula left work with her coworkers, but her mind was elsewhere, oblivious to the crowd outside, where many women had gathered.

Komatsu nudged her, noticing her distraction. "Looks like your boyfriend's here for you." he teased.

Confused, Ursula hummed absentmindedly until she saw Timothy standing out in the throng. His smile was gentle as he approached. "You're off work?"

"Yes, just finished," Ursula replied, her mind still on the day's earlier events. She hadn't contacted Timothy since her trip to Rural Retreat and felt guilty. "I'm sorry, Jianyan, work's been hectic."

"It's okay. Have you eaten? Let's grab dinner," Timothy said, his smile unfazed by the lapse.

"Sure," Ursula agreed, grateful for his understanding.

Matsuzaki joked about being the third wheel, but Timothy invited him to join, and soon, other assistants were tagging along.

Their dinner plans morphed into a group affair. Timothy gave an address, and the crowd set off, leaving Ursula and Timothy some space.

Walking with him, Ursula whispered an apology for the unexpected expense.

"It's just dinner," Timothy assured her with a smile. "I'm actually happy about this."

Her cheeks warmed at his words, but before she could respond, Samuel interrupted, concerned about the cost at the upscale Maple & Clove. Timothy brushed off the concern, saying he'd planned to treat Ursula anyway.
When Dylan and Matthew unexpectedly dropped by, Ursula clenched her fist within her sleeve, masking her tension with a polite smile. "What a surprise, Dylan. What's up?"

"Just checking on you," Dylan said with a smirk. "Couldn't shake the worry, so I dragged Matthew along. Bad timing?"

Matthew's piercing gaze lingered on Ursula, who avoided his eyes. He gave a noncommittal grunt in response, his expression was unreadable.

Dylan playfully warned Timothy, "Careful now, Timothy. Ursula's my girl. Don't stir up trouble, or she'll have to ignore you."

Timothy raised his hands in mock surrender. "You win, Dylan."

Ursula straightened, trying to gauge how much they'd witnessed. "How long have you been here?"

"Just caught the tail end of your cozy moment," Dylan blurted out, causing Ursula's cheeks to burn, not from embarrassment but discomfort.

Dylan teased her further, "Look at you blush!"

"Stop it, Dylan," Ursula protested, her discomfort growing.

Timothy stepped in, "Dylan, as her friend, you shouldn't tease Ursula. She's got a boyfriend now, remember?"

Dylan shot back, "And I have Matthew. Stand up for me, will you?"

Matthew cut the banter short, "We should let Ursula rest."

His words cast a chill in the room, and as they left, Ursula couldn't bring herself together to even look at him. Dylan's chatter faded, replaced by the aroma of Li's Currywurst from the discarded lunchbox.

"Why would someone toss out such good food?" Dylan mused, lamenting the waste of a beloved dish.

Matthew's mood darkened at the mention, but he masked it quickly. "If you want it, we'll go now."

Dylan's spirits lifted, interpreting Matthew's offer as a sign of affection.