But his status was so elevated that even though he had said he would be the one to decide his own marriage, she still dared not accept it. She was very aware that a marriage often isn't just about two people, but rather about many, and his family would undoubtedly be like Glades Horne's, constantly present in her marriage. She could endure Mrs. Ruiz's insults and belittlement once, but after too much, she'd lose her temper too.

At that time, conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law would inevitably affect the couple's relationship.

Weren't these kinds of issues quite prevalent in real life?

So annoying.

She had always been an open and generous person, but now she found herself unable to be so magnanimous anymore.

Not getting an answer from her, Julia Bluen sighed deeply and tentatively asked, "Is it about Hansen Ruiz?"

Back when Julia and Glades Horne were on their honeymoon, the couple had already discussed the matter of Rachel Bailey and Hansen Ruiz. She felt that the threshold of the Ruiz Family was too high for Rachel, who would likely struggle to adapt and gain their acceptance. As her friend, she naturally sided with Rachel, not wanting her to get hurt.

But after returning to the country, Rachel seldom mentioned Hansen Ruiz, so Julia thought that their relationship wouldn't develop as she had imagined and stopped worrying about it.

It wasn't until the day she found out that Rachel had been hurt by the Ruiz Family that she realized things were going just as she had feared.

She didn't know if Hansen Ruiz would stand up for Rachel, but the fact that Mrs. Ruiz didn't like Rachel was as solid as iron.

Then she encountered Adele Horne's sabotage and a series of events unfolded, leaving her with neither the heart nor the time to inquire into Rachel and Hansen Ruiz's business. After all, she believed Rachel would handle it well. But she seemed to have overlooked a problem—no matter how open and capable one is, when it comes to love, they become incredibly foolish.

Rachel Bailey nodded.

"How far have you and he... progressed?" Julia asked as she drove towards the seaside. When feeling troubled, she liked to watch the sea.

"There's been no progress."

Rachel finally spoke up, denying her relationship with Hansen Ruiz right off the bat.

"He and I aren't from the same world. I don't want any development with him."

Julia didn't immediately reply, knowing well that even with love, mismatched social standings could tear people apart.

"I'm also unsure whether he's sincere. He's a man who keeps a gentle smile on his face but is actually inscrutable. I'm all too aware of his reputation and standing in the business world, and I could never have dreamt of getting involved with him. Julia, when I used to hear about this man's reputation, I thought he was so impressive, so powerful, he must be doomed to a lonely life because he would never easily fall for a woman, and women wouldn't easily catch his eye. But I didn't expect that he... he proposed to me! He actually asked me to marry him! I hadn't even agreed to date him, and he was already proposing."

Rachel continued, her small face showing her bewilderment.

Hansen Ruiz's proposal had stirred up a tempest in her heart, creating a maelstrom in her peaceful life.

"His mother doesn't like me either. She looks down on me, thinks I'm ugly, a farmer's daughter. She even offered me five million to leave him. It's laughable—I'm not the one clinging to him. Why should I be the one to go? If she's so capable, why doesn't she tell him to stop pestering me? Julia, you see, that's the unfairness between him and me." When Rachel spoke of that day's events, her heart was full of anger. Mrs. Ruiz's behavior and words had deeply wounded her self-esteem.

"In his world, there are plenty of beautiful women, so what am I?" Ultimately, Rachel just didn't believe that Hansen Ruiz could truly fall for her.

If she had looks like Julia Bluen's, maybe even without a notable background, she would believe Hansen Ruiz was interested in her. After all, there are plenty of men in this world who judge by appearances.

Unfortunately, she was as ordinary as the grass by the roadside, while Hansen Ruiz was like an exquisite flower high above, unreachable even if she craned her neck. How could she believe in Hansen Ruiz with such an unbalanced divide?

"So you feel inferior?"

Julia parked the car by the seaside and looked intently at Rachel, pinpointing that Rachel's troubles stemmed from her own insecurities.

"I'm not!" Rachel didn't feel she was being inferior.

"Then let me ask you, do you hate Hansen Ruiz?" Julia stared at Rachel with an outsider's perspective.

Rachel shook her head.

"Since you don't hate him and you don't feel inferior, and Hansen Ruiz is a decent man in life, why not face him openly, give him a chance, and give yourself one too? Rachel, even if you haven't fallen for him yet, he has already made his move, hasn't he? If that's the case, you should accept him, give yourself a chance to get to know him, and give him a chance to get to know you. Isn't that how love works? By giving each other a chance, you can determine whether the other person is right for you."

Julia wasn't taking Hansen Ruiz's side, but she saw things clearly from the middle ground. Seeing how troubled Rachel was, she knew Rachel had good feelings for Hansen Ruiz. Considering there's no dislike and some affection, there was potential for development—why not have an open romance?

As for the issue of social compatibility, Hansen Ruiz would surely handle it—Julia believed Rachel needn't worry about that.

Glades Horne had asked Hansen Ruiz to do so many things that were impossible for others, which showed that Hansen Ruiz was very strong and capable. All Rachel needed to do was trust him, and everything would be solvable. Essentially, it was a matter of trust.

"But what if we're not suitable, wouldn't that just invite heartache?" Rachel voiced her worry.

Julia frowned elegantly, looking at her with a bit of annoyance.

"Pleasant Goat, Beauty Goat... Big Big Wolf, Red Wolf..."

Suddenly, a clear and cute ringtone sounded from inside the car.

Julia immediately gestured to Rachel for a pause and pulled out her phone. Seeing that the call was from Glades Horne, she remembered he had said he was coming to pick her up for dinner. At the moment, she was accompanying Rachel, who was troubled by love, and she felt it wouldn't be right to leave Rachel like this. She, too, felt she was faced with a dilemma.