Chapter 29 Come Home With Me

Evelyn knew that recently, whenever certain people opened newspapers or checked the news on their phones, they had a serious expression. Every time she saw William like this, her heart jumped with joy.
Adrian believed that it was his great luck to have found Evelyn by going all out. Plus, she brought Vivian along, making her his lucky charm.
Evelyn felt comfortable at Silver Media. She didn't mind being linked with Aron to generate news. She hoped the attention would benefit Morgan's film. She especially hoped it wouldn't just be brought out for admiration later, as she didn't want the director to succumb to box office pressures.
Compared to Evelyn's leisurely life, Vivian was having a tough time.
Vivian had been incredibly busy recently. The two new singers signed by the company were not easy to handle. They frequently got into conflicts, and when things went wrong, they would threaten to sue. The legal department was constantly mediating and issuing explanations.
Previously, when she saw celebrities clarifying something in their press releases, there would be various jokes and teasing. Now that she experienced it firsthand, she realized it wasn't simple at all.
She had been practicing lately, preparing to handle day-to-day affairs in the legal department.
Charlie, in Charlie's eyes, is a man approaching his forties with only one flaw - he tends to be long-winded.
In the afternoon, he went to meet the photographer himself because he was dissatisfied with the results of the shoot and decided to cancel it. Charlie entrusted Vivian with all these problems that could be solved as long as she endured, and after Vivian lectured the other party for thirty minutes, she reluctantly agreed to resolve it privately before she could be relieved.
Adrian happened to pass by the restaurant and saw her inside, looking very distressed. He waited for a while before going in to find her, observing that she was pouring herself cold water with a troubled expression. Adrian took her glass and asked her what was wrong.
"It's nothing, just work. Are you busy here?" Vivian replied.
"Let's talk about some things. Have you eaten? Let's grab something to eat and I'll take you back," Adrian said.
Seeing Charles entering the door, Vivian instantly wanted to hide under the table. She hadn't seen him since the last incident, and now they unexpectedly crossed paths. It's so awkward.
Adrian noticed her crouching on the ground and asked her what was wrong.
"Oh, my shoelace came undone," Vivian crouched under the table, inexplicably making up excuses.
Though Charles saw Vivian inside the restaurant, he couldn't find her after entering. He carefully searched and noticed a familiar clothing corner exposed on the ground. Was it necessary for her to hide from him like this?
Vivian waited until Charles went upstairs before standing up. "I've already eaten. Adrian, you can continue with your business. I'll head back to the company first," she quickly slipped away.
Adrian felt troubled, but Charles was quite happy. He appreciated her reserved nature, not entertaining men with ulterior motives. That's a good trait.
Vivian didn't take the bus on her way back at night. She walked while lost in thought, her headphones plugged in. Charles followed her all the way without her noticing. He watched Vivian walking unusually slowly and said, "Stop the car, you don't need to give me a ride."
"Do you actually fancy this young lady?" the manager asked.
"The way you phrase the question is rather strange and impolite. I don't want to hear it anymore," Charles said, alighting from the car after speaking. The manager, well aware of his temper, had no choice but to leave first.
Leaving some distance behind, Charles was surprised to find that he was practically invisible. He had to approach her himself and take the earphones off her ears. It was an old song playing.
Vivian jumped in fright and took a big step back, nearly falling from the sidewalk. Charles quickly pulled her back and stood on her left side, creating a barrier between her and the traffic.
"You scared me coming out of nowhere like that!" Vivian exclaimed.
Charles, finding her pouting expression amusing, chuckled softly. Even though he had a nice laugh, Vivian still felt like she was being mocked, asking, "Do I look funny?"
"Not bad," Charles answered, evading her question.
Vivian ignored him and continued walking forward. There were quite a few people taking evening strolls on the street, and she could sense more and more people eyeing them. She turned to look at Charles, curious about his intentions.
"Quick, let's go," Vivian said. "It wouldn't be good if someone takes a picture later."
"I don't know where this is," Charles said.
"Then how did you get here?" Vivian looked around and noticed some people pointing and whispering. A younger person was preparing to approach them.
Seeing the situation, Vivian immediately grabbed Charles' hand and started running. There were a lot of people gathered at the entrance of the community, and she wasn't sure what they were doing. Vivian had no choice but to speed through the crowd and finally stopped to catch her breath once they were inside the elevator.
Charles looked at her grasping his hand and tightened his grip slightly. Vivian snapped back to reality and quickly let go as if she had been electrocuted. The elevator stopped on the 9th floor, Charles said, "You can go back home. Did you bring your wallet?"
"You won't let me come in and sit for a while?" Vivian, who had watched too many idol dramas, couldn't help but fantasize.
"Come sit with me. Aren't you afraid I'll eat you?" Vivian said, trying to be intimidating, and pounced at him like a lion. Though in reality, she looked more like a small cat.
Charles leaned against the wall and waited for her to open the door. "Alright," he said.
Vivian found her keys and opened the door. Since she had visited his place before, it seemed appropriate for him to come to her place as well. Charles looked inside and found it surprisingly clean. It was a small one-bedroom apartment, but it was arranged very warmly. Everything was just small and cramped. His tall stature made the room appear even more crowded. "You wanted me to come, so don't blame me," he said.
After saying that, he went straight into the kitchen. Charles noticed Vivian cooking instant noodles again, but this time he didn't say anything. He took off his suit jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and squeezed into the tiny kitchen. Vivian looked at the smiling Charles and couldn't help but think how good-looking he was - her teenage heart fluttered incessantly.
Originally, Charles didn't intend to draw her attention in this manner, but seeing her expression, he realized it was quite effective. He took out some vegetables from the refrigerator and handed them to Vivian. "Wash them."
Vivian obediently took them and washed them before giving them back to him. "Why am I listening to you?"
While saying so, she ended up following all of Charles' instructions. Vivian felt as if she had been brainwashed.
The two of them finished the healthiest instant noodles ever, with mild colors, balanced nutrition, and surprisingly delicious taste.
Vivian asked, "You actually know how to cook?"
"Yeah, a little bit," Charles replied.
Vivian said, "Who taught you?"
"Do you need someone to teach you for this?" Charles squinted at her. After they finished eating, someone had to wash the dishes. Since it was his noodles, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to ask her to wash them.
Vivian stood by the sink, washing the dishes, while Charles silently entered the kitchen, standing behind her, gently wrapping his arms around her. He could feel the person in his embrace completely stiffening. As the ultimate move, he rested his chin on her shoulder, holding her like that.
"What are you doing?" Vivian turned around, her hands full of soap suds, and stared at this strange man.
When Vivian finished speaking, he lowered his head and kissed her. Vivian didn't quite know when she gave up resisting, and when she reacted, she found herself already wrapped around his waist.
In the living room, Charles said, "Well, great, you ruined one of my shirts."
Vivian wanted to shout, "You also stole my first kiss! Last time and this time!" But she knew she should hold back. She was annoyed and didn't know what he was up to.
As Charles left, he thought, "It turns out that those idol dramas I did before were quite useful."
Evelyn had been running around lately and hadn't had a proper meal. Finally, she could enjoy a peaceful dinner at home. William was preparing food in the kitchen, while Evelyn stood not far away, watching him.
When William turned around and saw her standing there, he walked over, picked her up, and sat her on the table. Before leaving, he kissed her lips and said, "Stay here and watch."
The warm lights in the kitchen melted Evelyn's heart. Christmas was just around the corner, so she asked William, "Are you going back to France for Christmas?"
"No, I won't go back. Can I spend it with you?" replied William.
Evelyn noticed that he always liked to ask if it was okay or if it would work, always leaving the choice to her. Even if he was domineering, it was hard for anyone to say no to him. She asked, "Why don't you like staying at home?"
"On one hand, my family doesn't need me, and I don't like being at home. On the other hand, and more importantly, I want to be with you."
"Then celebrate the holidays with me at home," Evelyn said, looking at him. He didn't react for a long time, and just when Evelyn thought she had been rejected, William turned around and rushed over, hugging her tightly. '"No backing out!"
He's really like a child. "Okay," Evelyn said.
Looking at the room full of gifts, Evelyn suddenly regretted her impulse.
She had finished work a week early, so this time she had two weeks of vacation. Evelyn's hometown was a southern town.
Sitting in the car driven by William, heading to her hometown, Evelyn felt a bit dreamy. Sitting in the passenger seat, she doubted whether what she was doing was right or not.
Along the way, the two of them had casual conversations. Evelyn thought it was better to take precautions. "You know about my parents' situation, and there are relatives at my grandparents' house in my hometown. We will visit them, but no one expects you to bring gifts."
William sensed the sadness in her words and couldn't help but reach out and touch her head. 'Is there anything else you want to tell me? Like what your grandparents like or what toys you used to play with when you were little?'
"Sure, my grandma likes knitting sweaters. Even though her eyesight is not good, she still enjoys it. My grandpa likes to talk to others about what he did when he was young, and he tends to exaggerate a lot, so the credibility is about... forty percent? I used to play with Vivian when I was a kid. I liked whatever she liked. Once we went to the river together and tried to catch crabs, but ended up falling into the water..."