By the end of the meal, Karina was nearly on the brink of a heart attack.
Lily, on the other hand, left feeling both physically and mentally refreshed. When they left, she took Edmond's car, leaving her own at the family home for the driver to pick up the next day.
At the entrance of their apartment, Edmond had the driver step out. Expecting him to have something to say, Lily waited quietly.
Instead, she got a kiss.
Edmond leaned in, pressing his hot lips against hers. Despite the air conditioning in the car, she was still in her qipao. Edmond wanted to deepen the kiss but held back, fearing he'd lose control. After a brief taste, he pulled away.
"Lily, you look stunning in a qipao," he said.
Lily blushed, feeling incredibly shy. She stammered out a thank you.
Seeing her bashful expression, Edmond's internal fire surged. He carefully tested the waters. "Can I pick you up tomorrow?"
Lily was momentarily confused. "Huh? Where to?"
Edmond hinted, "The marital home is ready."
After dinner, when Edmond and Lily left, the old man retired to his room, marking the end of the Zhou family's Lantern Festival. The evening was still young, and the elders, maintaining a semblance of harmony, stayed a bit longer while most of the younger generation scattered.
Franklin, having plans with friends at a club, was about to leave when someone opened the passenger door.
"Little Lu, impressive! This car was highly sought after when it came out, everyone in the group said they couldn't get one."
Royce climbed in, glancing around the car. Franklin was driving the sports car Uncle Edmond had given him. He thought, I'm not impressive, I didn't get it, but I have the privilege of driving it.
Thinking Royce wanted a ride home, Franklin craned his neck to look outside. "Where's your wife? My car doesn't allow Nadia or dogs. If she wants in, you get out."
Slap! A hand smacked his head. Franklin rubbed the spot and glared at Royce. "What's your problem!"
Royce, with a stern face, said, "Regardless of your feelings, Nadia is my wife now. You owe her basic respect."
Franklin's face was filled with scorn, his tone harsh. "Respect? What's there to respect about her? She was bullied in high school and would have been dead if not for Lily. Her family made her drop out to work and support her brother. It was Lily who paid her tuition and fed her for a semester. And how did she repay Lily? She's a heartless ingrate!"
"Franklin!"
Royce was tired of hearing about the past. "That's all in the past. Why keep bringing it up?"
"Why not?" Franklin sneered. "She did those things and now expects people to forget? I'm not lying about her."
Whenever they discussed this, it ended in a fight. Royce, exhausted both physically and mentally, didn't want to argue. "Let's just go to your place for a drink."
His mother and aunts were playing mahjong, needing a fourth player. They called Nadia, and despite wanting to leave, she said it wouldn't look good to leave and joined them. Knowing they could play for hours, Royce went outside to smoke and saw Franklin. Planning to go out for a few drinks and then come back to get Nadia, he shifted the conversation.
Franklin, sensing a truce, buckled up without mentioning Nadia again, and they sped off.
On the way, Royce asked Franklin a question. "Have you noticed that Lily has changed?"
Franklin remembered his cousin drunkenly saying the same thing on New Year's Eve. Knowing what Royce wanted to hear, he deliberately avoided it. "You and Lily—what went wrong is on you. Stop making excuses. Admit it, you envy Uncle Edmond and resent Lily for saving him. It's your hypocrisy that made you abandon her."
He continued, touching on the current situation. "Regardless, it's how things are now. You got your wish and married Nadia. Lily ended up with Uncle Edmond. I don't know what your future holds, but I'm sure Lily will be better off."
Though Franklin had barely spoken to Uncle Edmond growing up, he knew Edmond could make Lily happy. Observing Edmond all evening, Franklin saw how he never took his eyes off Lily once she appeared in her qipao, even when talking to others.
At the dinner table, Edmond constantly attended to her, refilling her drink, serving her soup, and handing her napkins. When everyone was speechless at her flaunting, Edmond even played along, "I'm not lying. Next time, I'll take you to bid."
Lily said Edmond only felt grateful for her saving him. Franklin thought, perhaps not.
Though the car's air conditioning wasn't high, Royce felt stifled. He opened the window slightly, letting the wind blow in. "She'll be better off?" Royce scoffed at Franklin's conclusion. "Look at her tonight, acting so arrogant and unruly. How can anyone stand her over time?"
Franklin didn't bother to argue with this fool. People often let their complex emotions blind them to many things.