Lily knew Aria was nervous about seeing Alistair. Normally composed, Aria lost her cool whenever he was involved.
"Okay, don't drive. I'll come pick you up."
After hanging up, Lily glanced at her empty suitcase and sent Edmond a message.
Lily: [Are you busy?]
A minute later, Edmond called her directly. "Have you packed?"
Lily hadn't mentioned Aria coming along yet. She asked first, "Will Alistair be there tonight?"
Edmond replied, "Yes, why?"
Lily chose her words carefully. "I want to ask you something... I'm a bit shy, and meeting your friends makes me nervous. Can I bring Aria?"
Edmond immediately understood her intention. "Because of Alistair?"
Lily didn't hide it. "Aria hasn't seen him for a long time. He's been avoiding her."
Edmond didn't hold back the truth. "If Aria comes, Alistair might not show up."
Alistair was indeed avoiding Aria and had even asked Edmond not to reveal his whereabouts to Lily. He hadn't deliberately concealed it; Lily just hadn't asked.
"Edmond," Lily called his name softly, pleading. "Can you arrange for Alistair to meet her, at least for a bit? Aria has something to tell him. She's been losing weight over this. Please?"
Her soft, pleading tone tugged at Edmond's heart. "Okay, I'll arrange it so they can meet."
As expected, he couldn't refuse her when she begged. Apologies to Alistair.
Lily thanked him and then brought up moving.
"I'm going shopping with Aria this afternoon, so I won't have time to pack. Can we move tomorrow?"
Edmond sighed internally. "The bridal suite has everything you need. Just bring a change of clothes. We can stay there tonight, and I'll help you pack tomorrow. Okay?"
He had prepared a surprise for her at the bridal suite, and it would be a shame if she didn't see it tonight. "Lily, can we go there tonight?"
Lily didn't respond for a while. She was overthinking it. It was just a day's delay, but why was he insistent on tonight? Did he plan on sleeping with her tonight? No, Aria said Edmond would act like a gentleman and wait for a few days. He wouldn't be in a hurry.
Seeing her hesitation, Edmond tried a different approach. "How about after dinner, you come with me, and then I'll take you back?"
Lily hesitated again. "Probably… not."
Aria had a fifty percent chance of crying tonight, and Lily needed to be there for her.
Edmond negotiated further. "How about just half an hour? I'll take you back right after."
Lily's thoughts became even more skewed. Oh no, Edmond definitely wanted to sleep with her tonight.
She stayed silent, and Edmond made a final offer. "Ten minutes? Five minutes? No less. I'll finish quickly and take you back, I promise."
At least let her see the gift he prepared and know his feelings.
Lily: "..."
Five minutes? Oh my, such a high-quality man, only five minutes? So... quick? It turned out you couldn't judge a man by his appearance.
Unaware that he had been misunderstood and disliked, Edmond hung up and called Alistair.
"Aria is coming tonight."
Alistair was busy picking out a gift for Lily, his eyes occasionally glancing at the counter. "Why did you invite her? If she's coming, I'm not. I'm busy buying a gift for your wife. Gotta go."
Edmond usually didn't interfere, but for Lily's sake, he had to this time. "Even if you don't like Aria, you're engaged. You have to take responsibility. If you're sure you won't marry her, tell her now and end it early. Dragging it out is pointless."
"Aria is Lily's friend. Handle this well. If your situation with Aria affects my relationship with Lily, I'll be very upset."
The dinner venue was recommended by Alistair. It was a newly opened riverside restaurant in the south of the city, known for its great ambiance and authentic cuisine. It was popular and hard to get a reservation. Alistair was friends with the owner, so getting a private room was easy.
Edmond saw the menu, noticed several dishes Lily liked, and asked Alistair to book it. Alistair secured the best viewing room.
The restaurant, situated by the moat, was elegantly decorated in a traditional style. The lake shimmered with the reflections of the evening light, mirroring the stirred emotions.
A server led the way, while Aria walked arm in arm with Lily, a faint smile on her face.
At 4 PM, Edmond called Lily. "Alistair said to take Aria directly to the restaurant."
When Lily asked if she wanted to go, Aria definitely wanted to. She had things to say to Alistair.
But she didn't expect Alistair's agreement to her coming was not a concession, but a setup to trample her dignity.
Three of them reached a corner where a server opened a carved wooden door, smiling politely at Lily and Aria, gesturing them inside.
After they entered, the server closed the door and left.
Aria, who had been eager and joyful on the way, felt nervous now. She clung to Lily's arm, falling a step behind.
Inside, two ink paintings hung on the wall. Lily led Aria around a screen to the inner part of the room.
Behind the screen, eight people were playing cards—four men and four women.
Hearing the noise, they looked up, surprised to see Lily and Aria.
Someone reacted first, tossing their cards aside and greeting them warmly.
"Hey! Both sisters-in-law are here, come sit over here—"
Neither Edmond nor Alistair was in the room. Edmond had stepped out to take a call during the game, while Alistair hadn't arrived yet, citing traffic delays.
The others invited Lily and Aria to sit, pushing fruits and snacks toward them. Just as they began introductions, Edmond returned.
He had timed his return to when Lily would arrive. Seeing her looking tense, he placed his hand gently on hers.
"These are my college friends," he said, introducing the men from left to right. "This is Yu Cheng, talkative and witty, the GM of Jingxiu Sales Company. That's…"
Lily didn't recognize any of them. Edmond's mother was the third wife of Old Master Zhou. Edmond's parents divorced when he was one, and he grew up abroad with his mother until she passed away when he was fourteen. He then moved back to the Zhou family.
He only had one close childhood friend in China, Alistair, because their mothers were best friends. Alistair often stayed with Edmond's family when visiting abroad.
In the room were four of Edmond and Alistair's college friends, all from the same dormitory, along with their partners. Two couples were married, and two were dating. Since tonight's dinner was for Edmond to introduce his wife, they brought their partners too.
Edmond had stayed in the dorms during college when Lily was still in middle school, so they hadn't interacted much. Even later, their paths rarely crossed. Among Edmond's friends, she only knew Alistair.
On the way, she had asked Aria, but Aria didn't know them either. Aria knew Alistair through family connections and business ties, having visited the Qin family a few times as a child. She stayed in Jiangyu for school and often visited Alistair's family on weekends.