CHAPTER 63: CHAPTER 63: CHECKING UP ON ME

Joel Sutton appeared a bit more at ease, "I don’t need romantic luck."

"Why? Are you planning to remain lonely and single for the rest of your life after being wounded in love?" I asked with a smile while eating hot pot.

"No, it’s just that..." Joel seemed to hesitate and finally laughed instead of answering, peeling a few shrimp and putting them in my bowl, "Miss Hathaway, you are too thin, eat more."

I don’t want to be this thin either, but for some reason, my weight-gain plan isn’t going well. Since my rebirth, I’ve only gained about three or four pounds, and occasionally I even lose some.

Maybe it’s because Laura Lawson was dismissed too early; if she had cooked for me longer, I might’ve hit triple digits and joined the ranks of curvaceous figures.

Joel is much younger than me, so as we chatted for a while, I could still feel a tinge of immaturity in him.

For instance, his views on many things tend to be naive, seeing things in black and white. I didn’t contradict him, just went along with his words, and he would beam as if pleased that we shared the same viewpoint.

After finishing our meal, Joel and I left the restaurant. Lane had already driven the car back, so I needed to catch a taxi home today.

"It’s snowing again." I looked at the snowflakes fluttering in the sky, happily reaching out to catch a few, observing their shapes carefully.

"Miss Hathaway, do you like milk tea?" Joel asked, hands in his jacket pockets, white mist puffing from his mouth as he spoke.

He has double eyelids, pretty big eyes, and long eyelashes. Some say college students have a clarity in their eyes tinged with foolishness, which seems to suit him well.

I loved drinking milk tea in college, but after getting married, I gradually drank it less.

A cup of hot milk tea in this kind of weather sounds quite appealing.

I nodded, and Joel immediately ran towards a nearby milk tea shop. The shop was bustling, requiring him to wait in line patiently.

At that moment, my phone vibrated. I rubbed my cold, reddened hands and took out my phone; it was Henry Preston calling.

"Hello?" I answered, sniffing as I spoke.

"Where are you?" Henry’s voice sounded somewhat cold.

"At... the Elmwood Street area, why?" I looked around and questioned back.

"With whom?" Henry was concise.

I was a bit confused. What’s it to him? Even according to his previous agreement, Joel doesn’t count as his friend.

I asked him back, "What about you? Where are you?"

Henry was silent for two seconds, then spoke, "Don’t you already know?"

"With whom?" I pressed.

"With Azure Vaughn, but I’m alone in the hotel now," Henry surprisingly responded quickly, detailing it in just a few words.

This left me speechless, the phone pressed to my ear rendering me momentarily unresponsive.

After a pause, I finally spoke up again, "Did you call just to do a check-up? Why are you suspecting me? You’ve been having fun with your little lover, and I haven’t even questioned you. Henry Preston, you’re turning the tables!"

I learned this online: women don’t have to be reasonable. When at a loss for words, take the offensive instead.

Indeed, Henry was rendered speechless by my retort. He took a deep breath, his breathing clearly heard through the phone, then said, "Helping Ivan Underwood take care of his cat, then taking his cat and Azure’s ex-boyfriend to the pet store. Zoe Hathaway, you really know how to have fun."

"How do you know?" I blurted out. It’s normal for Henry to know that I’m caring for Ivan’s cat since I posted it on WeChat Moments, and he probably knows that cat.

But how did he know I was with Joel?

Just then, a WeChat notification popped up, which I glanced at quickly.

Ivan Underwood: I sent you the video while I was with Henry, and he saw it.

Perfect timing and coincidence!

One word: Perfect!

"Miss Hathaway, your pearl milk tea, it’s original flavor and great!" Joel had already bought the milk tea and ran over, his voice exuberant.

Upon hearing his words, Henry immediately said, "You better wait for me," and hung up.

I wasn’t about to wait for him. I drank the milk tea instead. With Henry’s moody temperament, who knows what he’s upset about now?

"Thank you!" I beamed at Joel appreciatively.

"You’re welcome, Miss Hathaway," Joel’s face reddened, unsure if from the cold or embarrassment, then softly complimented, "You look really beautiful today."

I was pleased. Every woman loves to be praised for her beauty, making the milk tea in my hand taste even sweeter.

Strolling in the snow, sipping milk tea and chatting with a young guy, this was my first time experiencing such a thing. Although many pursued me during my university days, once they realized my ultimate goal was Henry, they all sensibly backed off.

So naturally, romantic things rarely happened to me, and even the romantic gestures I worked hard to create for Henry were all outright ignored by him.

Once we finished our milk tea, I hailed a taxi and brought Joel back to Maplewood Gardens because his chubby tabby was still at my house. He needed to take it back.

"What are you standing there for? Come in!" Faced with Joel’s hesitancy at the doorstep, I urged him. He seemed nervous, like he didn’t dare to enter.

Upon my insistence, he changed into a pair of slippers and walked into the spacious and lavish living room. Never mind the villa’s actual price, but even the decor cost millions. I’m used to it, but Joel isn’t; he clearly felt more uneasy, an awkwardness showing on his face.

Has Azure never felt such embarrassment? This was wealth that didn’t originally belong to her, yet a man directly escorted her to the peak of life.

Of course, I didn’t create this wealth either; I just excelled at choosing my family.

"Meow!" The chubby tabby seeing its owner let out a delighted cry, then clumsily but eagerly charged over, jumping onto Joel’s lap.

Bonnie followed behind it, rubbing against my legs, prompting me to quickly pick her up.

Joel, with his head lowered stroking the chubby tabby, then asked, "Miss Hathaway, are you home alone?"

He probably wanted to know if Henry was home, the scoundrel who took his girlfriend, his powerless rival.

"Yes, he should be... on a business trip with your ex-girlfriend." I answered frankly, Joel knew quite a bit, so there was no need for me to hide it.

Mentioning Azure darkened his expression momentarily, after all, she was a girl he once truly loved.

"Want to stay for dinner?" I opened my mouth to invite Joel for dinner.

Joel shook his head, "No, Miss Hathaway, I have to get back to school."

"Oh." I nodded.

"The winter break is coming soon, next semester I’ll be interning, maybe I’ll have more free time, but it might also be busier than now." Joel told me.

I repeated my usual words, "Okay, when the time comes, if you need help finding an internship, feel free to ask. I’ll help if I can."