Stepping out of the entrance of Sincere Limited, as soon as she turned her mobile phone back on, a call from Joseph Thompson came through.
"Jaylene, why was your phone off?" Joseph's voice came through slightly peeved.
"Oh, I had a job interview. I turned it off out of respect," Jaylene calmly explained, surprised that Joseph would be calling her at this time.
"Looking for a job?" Joseph asked from the other end, not waiting for Jaylene to respond, he asked, "Has the interview ended? Do you know the result?"
"The interview is over. They told me to wait for notification at home," Jaylene replied truthfully.
"Oh, that's good," Joseph didn't continue discussing her job search, "Anyway, my grandmother proposed for us and your parents to meet tonight. The meeting place is 'Golden Pavilion', which is near your house. I'm heading to pick up your parents now. Would you rather get a cab and meet us at the restaurant, or should I pick you up after I've gotten your parents?"
"Is the timing that tight?" Jaylene was puzzled, "I don't know if my parents are free at the moment?"
"I just spoke to your dad; he finished teaching his classes. Your mom works in a nursery school and finishes even earlier. Tomorrow is Saturday, so they don't have to work. It would be best to meet tonight so the elders from both sides can take their time chatting."
Hearing Joseph's reasoning, Jaylene felt it was well thought out, so she agreed, "Alright then, I'll get a cab there myself. You go ahead and pick up my parents."
Joseph cautioned her to be careful over the phone before ending the call.
Ready to hail a cab across the road, Jaylene looked up and saw a figure exiting the entrance of Sincere Limited. To her surprise, it was Ricky Lewis, who had just conducted her job interview.
Although they had just met, out of politeness, Jaylene greeted him, "Hello, Director Lewis."
"Ah, Miss Ziel, are you heading back now?" Ricky asked with a warm smile.
"Yes, I'm heading to the bus stop across the street," Jaylene pointed at the bus station across the road.
"Where are you heading? Would you like a lift if it's on my way?" Ricky, noticing that she was about to leave, suddenly kindly offered.
"Oh, no need," Jaylene quickly declined, "I'm going to the 'Golden Pavilion', I don't think it's on your way."
Ricky laughed upon hearing her mentioning 'Golden Pavilion', "Indeed, definitely out of my way. In that case, you'd better get the bus."
Jaylene nodded, crossing the road she thought to herself, the Design Director of Sincere Limited seemed like a pleasant person. It was a pity though, she guessed she wouldn't get the opportunity to work under such a director.
By the time Jaylene reached 'Golden Pavilion', Joseph had just brought her parents, Randy Ziel and Nancy Scott, there.
"Jaylene, you need to think this through," Nancy pulled her daughter aside and spoke softly, "Once you meet Joseph's family, things would settle down. If you have second thoughts, it's not too late yet."
"No regrets!" Jaylene bit her lip corner after saying that.
Upon hearing their daughter's response, Randy Ziel and Nancy Scott didn't argue further.
After all, in terms of appearance and qualifications, Joseph Thompson is not inferior to Alexander Preston, and his attitude towards people is very sincere. Driving a Volkswagen to pick them up, shows that he must also have a not-too-shabby profession.
Actually, they never intended to look for a rich son-in-law. The main reason they approved of Alexander Preston initially was because they thought him diligent, hardworking, and ambitious.
'Golden Pavilion' is a typical Peruvian restaurant. Randy Ziel is from Zhejiang, so Joseph, eager to please his future father-in-law, specifically chose this famous Peruvian restaurant in Bay City.
Leading Randy Ziel and his family of three to the private suite on the 2nd floor by the window, Joseph considerately pulled out the seats for Randy and Nancy to sit. This made the couple very comfortable.
Although they didn't know Joseph Thompson well and only met him for the second time today, his thoughtfulness and attention to detail, like bringing gifts on the first visit and helping pull out the seats, were things that Alexander Preston never did.
"Joseph, where are your family members?" Randy realized that no one else was there in the private suite after he sat down.
"My grandmother is here, she's on her way," Joseph, standing by the doorway, looked over, "My dad is on his way. He just called and said there's a small traffic jam."
"Family, my family's mother, I'm Joseph 's grandmother," Sophia Wilson introduced herself the moment she walked in, "We will all be family from now on, let's keep it casual."
Sophia Wilson was blatantly stunned when she saw Jaylene, and only reacted after Joseph nudged her. She hurriedly laughed twice and said, "So this is my future granddaughter-in-law. You are really pretty."
"Grandmother, " Jaylene blushed as the direct compliment made her feel a tad bit embarrassed.
"Family, let's start the meal without waiting for Joseph's father," Sophia waved about directing her grandson, "Joseph, call to serve the dishes. We can't keep your mother-in-law and father-in-law waiting too long."
"This... Is this okay?" Being a teacher, Randy placed great emphasis on etiquette, "Shall we wait a bit longer? The traffic shouldn't hold up for too long."
"No need to wait. He told me just now that he's stuck in the traffic at Construction Road. It's peak hour now. That place is at the city centre with really heavy traffic. I don't know how long the delay might be. Let's start the meal. I'm feeling hungry too. I won't wait for him."
Since Sophia, the old madam suggested this, Randy did not say anything else. So, Joseph immediately requested for the dishes to be served.
'Garlic Butter Shrimp & Asparagus', 'West Lake Vinegar Fish', 'Creamy Mushroom Soup', 'Oyster Scuttle Egg', 'Croissant', were all authentic Peruvian dishes, and were much to Randy's liking.
Both Sophia Wilson and Joseph Thompson were extremely friendly, especially Sophia, who seemingly took an immediate liking to Jaylene, even going so far as to give her a piece of jade as a gift upon their meeting.
Randy was very satisfied with Sophia's attitude, however, he was honest and said, "Mrs. Thompson, I don't know if Joseph has told you, but my daughter Jaylene... Her boyfriend of five years dumped her recently."
Sophia was visibly stunned. Joseph indeed hadn't mentioned it before. The moment she saw Jaylene, she understood why her grandson had chosen Jaylene Ziel. It was because of that highly similar face.
However, Jaylene was just dumped by her boyfriend and she had accepted her grandson so quickly. Was this..?
Honestly, with the Thompson Family's background, aren't they capable of finding any kind of girl? And now, it had come down to them choosing someone who was discarded by someone else?
Moreover, how many young couples aren't living together today? And they had already been together for five years.
All in all, no matter how you look at it, Jaylene might seem like a first-hand woman on the surface, but in reality, she could already be a second-hand woman, right?