Tristan approached with the fruit basket, his other hand holding hers, and said, "She's mine."
Cecilia hesitated for a moment, instinctively wanting to withdraw her hand, but Tristan's warm grip tightened. She glanced at Tristan and realized that he was putting on a show for Mr Harrington, so she didn't refuse.
Mr Harrington, seeing their hands held together, was indeed pleased. He chuckled and exclaimed, "I knew this pretty young lady looked familiar! Turns out she's my granddaughter-in-law."
Cecilia knew that Mr Harrington was intentionally trying to make her happy. She smiled and said, "Grandpa, I bought you a gift. Close your eyes first."
Mr Harrington straightened his chest and raised his chin, saying, "Okay, my eyes are closed. What is Cecilia going to give Grandpa?"
Taking the opportunity to let go of Tristan's hand, Cecilia went back to the car and retrieved the large bunch of lilies she had just picked. As she walked, she said, "Grandpa, guess what I have in my hands."
Mr Harrington solemnly replied, "Alright, let Grandpa guess. It's lilies."
Cecilia paused for a moment, "Wow, Grandpa, you're amazing! You guessed right away. It is lilies. Do you like them?"
"I like anything that Cecilia gives me," he replied.
Cecilia handed the lilies to Tristan and said, "I chose the flowers, and Tristan paid for them."
Tristan, listening to her pleasing Mr Harrington while still including him, looked down at her. At that moment, she happened to lift her head and glanced at him, a sweet smile on her face.
Their eyes met, and Cecilia quickly averted her gaze, looking at Mr Harrington. "Grandfather, how did you guess it was a lily flower?"
Mr Harrington looked disdainful. "Do I need to guess?"
Cecilia thought Mr Harrington was going to say he could smell the fragrance of the lilies, but instead, he adjusted his sunglasses and said, "I saw it. I didn't close my eyes just now, did I?"
Cecilia: "..."
Indeed, she couldn't tell if his eyes were closed or not behind the sunglasses. She couldn't have anticipated that he would be so shameless. Cecilia reluctantly held onto Mr Harrington and said, "Grandfather, it's windy here. Let's go inside and talk."
Mr Harrington nodded. "Alright, let's go in first. Lunch is ready. I had Kobayashi prepare beef and lobster, both of which Cecilia loves. Make sure to eat plenty later."
Tristan and Cecilia supported Mr Harrington on either side as they entered the house. A servant came over and took the flowers from Mr Harrington's arms. Mr Harrington specifically instructed them to find the newly acquired enamel glazed bamboo and chrysanthemum vase and place it by his bedside.
The Harrington Family mansion was spacious, with three separate villas in the backyard for each of the three families. Mr Harrington lived alone in the central yard and only gathered the three families together on special occasions. Otherwise, they would take turns accompanying him for meals. Today, only Tristan and Cecilia came, as Mr Harrington didn't invite anyone else.
The dining table was filled with dishes. Cecilia sat by Mr Harrington's side, and Tristan intended to sit on the other side but was pushed to Cecilia's side by Mr Harrington. "Go sit next to Cecilia. It's more convenient for her to serve you food."
Tristan sat on Cecilia's left side, and Mr Harrington looked kindly at Cecilia. "Eat up."
Cecilia picked up a piece of beef and placed it in Mr Harrington's bowl. He happily ate it, then began asking Tristan and Cecilia about their recent work. Cecilia worked as a junior employee in their own subsidiary company, nothing much to mention. Tristan was in charge of NexaGlobal, as the previous head of NexaGlobal, Mr Harrington had stepped down, but his heart had not completely let go.
"Recently, there hasn't been much going on at the company, right? Have your uncles been causing any trouble for you?" Mr. Harrington didn't shy away from discussing family matters with Cecilia. In his mind, Cecilia was already a part of the Harrington Family, and there was no need or way to hide the situation from her.
"Grandfather, don't worry, I can handle the company's affairs."
Mr. Harrington asked about a few of NexaGlobal's latest projects, one of which involved collaboration with the Sterling Family. Cecilia didn't fully understand the details of these projects, so she focused on eating and occasionally used her chopsticks to pick up some food for Mr. Harrington and Tristan.
Once she finished eating and put down her chopsticks, she grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth. Suddenly, she heard Mr. Harrington instruct Tristan, "When you have everything at work sorted out, take Cecilia on a honeymoon for a few days. Now that Cecilia has married you, you mustn't let her down."
Tristan responded with a sound of agreement, and Cecilia quickly chimed in, "Grandfather, Tristan may be busy with work most of the time, but as soon as he's done, he comes home to be with me. Going on a honeymoon would be a waste of time; it's better to stay at home. As long as we're together, anywhere can be our honeymoon."
Mr. Harrington looked at Cecilia with a comforting gaze. Initially, he had worried about the commercial marriage between the two and Tristan's lack of time to spend with Cecilia due to work. He was concerned that Cecilia, being pampered and delicate, might feel uncomfortable. But now, seeing how understanding Cecilia was and how Tristan didn't display the impatience he had at the start of their marriage, with their sweet relationship, he felt reassured.
Mr. Harrington, with a kind face, tentatively asked, "It's been three months since you two got married. When do you plan on having a child? Tristan is usually busy with work and doesn't have much time to be with you. Having a child will liven up the household."
"..."
Cecilia hadn't expected to be faced with the pressure of having a child so soon. She hadn't discussed with Tristan how to deal with this issue yet and was momentarily unsure of how to respond. She turned her head to look at Tristan, who had an expressionless face, seemingly indifferent to the matter.
Feeling the intense gaze from Mr. Harrington, Cecilia's scalp tingled. She propped her feet up under the table and brushed them against Tristan's leg, signaling him with her eyes.
Tristan slightly raised his gaze and said, "Cecilia and I are already trying."
Cecilia choked and stared at Tristan in astonishment.
What do you mean by "already trying"? Mr. Harrington is talking about childbirth! How dare he make such reckless claims.
Tristan Harrington's response made its way into Mr. Harrington's heart as he held Tristan and Cecilia Sterling's hands together. Excitedly, he exclaimed, "Good, both of you are good children. Strive to give me a great-grandchild next year."
Tristan nodded in agreement, while Cecilia reluctantly sat beside them with a faint smile on her lips. After all, it was Tristan who brought up the topic of trying for a child. If Mr. Harrington were to ask again next year, she wondered how he would manage to produce a great-grandchild out of thin air.
Mr. Harrington, being old and ill, couldn't withstand the conversation after dinner and wanted to go to sleep. The servants mentioned that Mr. Harrington had woken up early today, and this afternoon nap would likely last until nightfall. They reassured Tristan and Cecilia that they didn't have to wait for Mr. Harrington to wake up, as he had prepared gifts for them.
Cecilia stood in front of the car, watching as the servants loaded boxes of wolfberries, Five Treasures Tea, ginseng, and antler into the trunk. She raised her hand to cover her forehead, realizing that these were all things used to nourish men's vitality. She glanced at Tristan, who stood beside her with his hands folded, calm and composed.
It seemed that Mr. Harrington truly desired a great-grandchild. Unfortunately, she and Tristan were only pretending to be a married couple. They were destined to disappoint Mr. Harrington.
On their way back, Cecilia couldn't help but say, "We can pretend to be affectionate and appease Mr. Harrington, but let's not deceive him about having a child. We wouldn't want to give Mr. Harrington false hope."
Tristan glanced at her and calmly replied, "Mr. Harrington said we should strive to give him a great-grandchild next year. He didn't say you have to have one now."
Cecilia paused for a moment and said, "I can't possibly have a child next year."
"Let's worry about next year when it comes. Cross the bridge when we get there," Tristan said, speeding up the car with an indifferent expression.
Cecilia wondered what he meant by "cross the bridge when we get there." Could it be that he already had a plan in mind? Perhaps he would appease Mr. Harrington for now, but if things became too difficult, he might actually give Mr. Harrington a grandchild.