I glanced at him, truly... This guy is just too split-minded! I quickly used the skimmer to blanch the shell pieces again, stood up, and put them into Calvin Yance’s bowl. "Thank you, President Miller." Calvin hastily thanked me, looking particularly uneasy before responding to Daniel Carter, "Mr. Carter, rest assured, our coworkers will look after each other." "Don’t worry, I’m not a three-year-old; I can take care of myself." This was to reassure Daniel Carter. If we’re talking about self-sufficiency, I’ve long since mastered it. Daniel Carter deliberately invited people to dinner, and then gave these polite lines, clearly making it difficult for them, openly and implicitly indicating—I belong to him, so don’t covet. There’s no true intention of wanting others to take care of me. With his petty nature, if Calvin Yance really looked out for me, Daniel would turn into Drailmont’s old vinegar. After dinner, on the way home, I couldn’t help but say to Daniel Carter, "You shouldn’t go after President Yance anymore; we’re just coworkers, and you’re making it really awkward for me." He was forthright too, candidly saying, "After this dinner, he probably won’t have any thoughts about you, so let’s spare him for now." "..." I was speechless. Honestly, he overthought it. I’m a divorced woman, dealing with troubles, even if I have some looks, there are plenty of younger and prettier ones than me—how could so many excellent men be interested in me? To this day, I still can’t figure out what exactly Daniel Carter fell for in me. The cabin fell silent, and I gazed out the window, suddenly realizing the road was wrong, so I turned back to ask, "Where are you taking me?" Daniel glanced sideways at me, "Lily, how about staying at my place tonight?" I was stunned, my heart in turmoil. Meet the parents during the day and cross the line at night? "Don’t overthink it. I’ve said I’ll absolutely respect you. It’s just thinking you’ll be on a business trip tomorrow, and we’ll be apart for some days, and I want to spend more time with you." Seeing my nervousness, he promptly explained further. I felt a bit more at ease, but still a bit troubled, "I have to pack tomorrow... and arrange work at the company—" There were still words stuck in my chest, but somehow, I couldn’t say any more. Daniel understood I had compromised, a slight smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he freed a hand to grasp mine. My heart raced, and my cheeks warmed up, so I murmured, "Focus on driving..." "Alright." He smiled gently and returned his hand to the steering wheel. We went to his Lakeshore Villa. After the car stopped, we got out from either side. I followed him towards the main house. The night was cold, yet I felt a blaze in my chest. I slightly lifted my gaze, watching his tall and slender figure, striding steadily with his clothes flowing in the wind, even the back of his head seemed to carry a trace of nobility—I realized I was done, my romantic mind had reached its peak. Once inside, it was instantly much warmer. He explained, "I had the smart system turned on beforehand." I nodded, "No wonder." An awkward silence fell between us; we didn’t even dare to meet each other’s eyes. Daniel took off his coat and draped it over the sofa’s back, then went to pour a glass of water and came back. "Are you not taking off your coat? You’ll sweat after a while." Seeing me standing without moving, he slightly curled his lips, smiled, and reminded me. I pursed my lips, embarrassed, and took off my coat. The pleated apron skirt underneath was waist-fitted, accentuating my figure, and I unconsciously slouched a bit. He glanced at me silently, said nothing, and turned to walk to the elevator, "I’ll go upstairs to prepare the room; you can rest a bit before going up to freshen up." I understood he noticed my nervousness and intentionally gave me space to gradually adapt and adjust. After he got into the elevator, I immediately took a deep breath, forcing myself to relax. Lily Miller, stop overthinking, stop overthinking. He said it, he won’t force or rush, he’ll give plenty of respect. So nothing will happen tonight. This place has many rooms, and we definitely won’t be sleeping in the same bed. I forced myself to calm down, to act more naturally, and then went upstairs. Just after stepping out of the elevator, he emerged from a bedroom, "You came up? You’ll be staying in this room tonight. It’s all set up, and I’ve put change of clothes on the bed." I was surprised, "Change of clothes?" "Yes..." He laughed, the corners of his mouth curling up, paused, then walked toward me to explain, "After bringing you here last time, I prepared some women’s clothing, thinking in case you occasionally come over, it’d be convenient..." My just-settled mind suddenly got messy again. "Did you personally buy them?" I felt a bit dizzy, hard to describe—both happy and uneasy, feeling valued yet like falling into a trap. "What’s wrong?" Seeing me seemingly unable to stand steady, he held my hand and asked with concern. "It’s nothing... just maybe the heating’s too much, it’s a bit stuffy..." I was so flustered I didn’t dare look him in the eye, and my fingers pointlessly gestured around. He swallowed, his gaze firmly locked on me, "You are indeed blushing..." Before he even finished speaking, the back of his fingers lightly brushed my face. I felt a shudder throughout. "Uhm— which room did you say I’ll stay in?" Too panicked, I couldn’t relax, so I changed the subject. He paused, his Adam’s apple bobbing again, turned to point: "This room, come, I’ll show you." He led me into the room and turned on all the lights: "See, it’s a suite, you’ll find it very convenient staying here." I looked around, indeed very satisfied. It’s over twice as big as my rented room. "It’s nice." I nodded, shyly meeting his gaze. "Then go freshen up, the clothes are all here." I watched his back as he left, hesitated on the door handle for quite a while, but didn’t step forward to lock it. I wasn’t sure what I was exactly thinking. Though unable to let go, there was an inexplicable sense of anticipation. At twenty-six, even haven’t experienced it, I understand all about matters between men and women. With water streaming down, I couldn’t help my mind being swept by scenes, all from those years watching films—romance in the clouds and rain, romantic and beautiful, heart-stirring. The rightful source is novel⁂fire.net After bathing, I looked at myself in the mirror, at that undeveloped and still naive body, and the anticipation flared unusually hot. I’m confident, if I can’t ultimately be with Daniel Carter this lifetime, I wouldn’t step into romance again. So I truly want to give all my love, all of myself, to him. Just like I told him today—to love grandly, regardless of the outcome, just for no regrets. I was dazed, my mind ablaze, when the bedroom door suddenly was knocked, "Lily, haven’t you finished washing?" I jolted, realizing what I’d just been thinking, a strong sense of shame swept over me. "I’m done, just going to blow my hair." I opened the bathroom door to stick my head out and replied aloud. "Do you need my help?"