During dinner, Dale barely spoke, quietly eating her meal.
While everyone else chatted, Dale simply smiled and listened.
Julian King sat across from Dale. Whenever he looked up, he saw that the once sunny, cheerful girl had transformed into an elegant and charming woman.
Dale seemed to sense Julian King's gaze and instinctively looked up to meet his eyes. She quickly looked away, her ears flushing red for no apparent reason.
She was three years younger than Julian King and was about to turn thirty this year.
Time seemed to have left no trace on her; Dale was still as delicate and beautiful as ever.
After dinner, Leon King hurriedly excused himself. He was determined to stay single, so he left his uncle to handle things on his own!
Seeing that Dale had a chance, Mrs. King politely sent the other girls away, leaving only Dale to speak with her.
"Mrs. King, thank you for helping me," Dale said. "If you hadn't sent your personal doctor, my grandfather might have gone to meet God by now."
"Good child," Mrs. King said with satisfaction, patting Dale's hand. "You're very sensible! I saved your grandfather—how do you plan to repay me?"
Dale's ears turned even redder, a hint of shyness in her voice as she said, "But Julian King is already married."
"That's not a problem. I only want a child, and if you want to visit the child in the future, I'll allow you to come anytime. You've been studying in France for years, and the French are romantic by nature. I don't think you're old-fashioned, right?" Mrs. King added, "Besides, your grandfather's health still needs ongoing care. You know that his public healthcare isn't enough. For a full recovery, he needs better treatment."
Dale's face instantly went pale. "I understand what you mean. I'll do as you ask."
"That's right. You can see that my Julian never gives other women the time of day, but he treats you differently! Stay tonight and work on your relationship. As long as you give me a grandson, I'll cure your grandfather and give you enough money for you and your grandfather to live comfortably forever." Mrs. King grew more and more satisfied as she spoke.
Dale subconsciously clenched her fists.
This was her only chance.
She didn't want to give up.
She was tired of the days of helplessness and having nowhere to turn for help.
"Yes, I'll do what I need to do," Dale replied softly.
"Alright, go ahead. Don't worry, Sophie Mo won't be here during this period, so no one will disturb you two," Mrs. King said, thoroughly satisfied.
"Yes." Dale quietly stood up, anxious, and knocked on Jingrong's door.
Jingrong had just showered and opened the door, still damp.
When he saw Dale standing outside, he immediately said, "Oh, sorry, I didn’t know it was you. Let me change my clothes first."
"No need," Dale quickly replied. "Ah, I mean, I just came by to see you, nothing else."
Jingrong smiled, knowing why Dale had come.
He knew Dale was a good girl, so he planned to clear things up today. Without further ado, he stepped aside and said, "Come in, let's talk."
"Okay." Dale walked in, still uneasy.
"Have a seat." Jingrong tossed his towel to a servant and sat across from Dale, getting straight to the point: "Dale, it’s been years since we last met, hasn’t it? How have you been all these years?"
Hearing Jingrong mention the past, Dale’s eyes grew dim. She answered, "After you got into college, I transferred schools, then went to university in France. You know, I’ve always depended on my grandfather—we had no parents or relatives, just each other. In France, I worked part-time as a model, hoping to earn enough for us to live. But five years ago, my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer. I spent all my savings on his treatment."
"I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me?" Jingrong asked.
Dale shook her head. "You're already married."
"Dale, you were my best friend in high school. Even if I’m married, my wife would understand." Jingrong said seriously, "I'll help however I can. You don’t have to sell yourself for money."
Dale’s eyes grew red. "I know. In this world, no one understands me, but you do."
Jingrong reached out and patted Dale’s head. "To me, you’ll always be that little girl from high school."
But Dale suddenly looked up at Jingrong, something new in her eyes.
Back in high school, Dale was the younger girl in the senior class, while Jingrong was the school’s male idol—countless girls secretly had a crush on him.
Because Dale came from a poor background, she was bullied at school.
Jingrong happened to pass by and helped Dale out, declaring to everyone that Dale was under his protection and no one could bully her.
Grateful for Jingrong’s help, Dale often gave him small gifts.
Jingrong liked this well-behaved, thoughtful younger girl. Compared to all the other girls, he paid Dale much more attention.
Soon, rumors spread that Dale and Jingrong were together.
Back then, Jingrong was young and proud, always caring about his reputation. Dale was beautiful, standing out among the girls.
For whatever reason, Jingrong didn’t clarify that he and Dale were just friends.
Seeing Jingrong accept the rumors, Dale didn’t argue either—instead, she grew closer to him.
With Jingrong’s protection, Dale’s days in high school really improved.
No one bullied Dale anymore, so she could focus on her studies and eventually got an offer from a university in France.
Actually, back then, Dale secretly liked Jingrong.
[Irrelevant system message skipped.]
But Dale knew she didn’t deserve to stand by Jingrong’s side.
The school’s male idol was only meant to be with a goddess.
But Dale was just an ugly duckling.
Dale always quietly followed Jingrong’s life. When she heard he was going to marry the eldest Miss Mo, she got drunk and buried her unspoken feelings deep in her heart.
Dale thought she’d never have any connection with Jingrong again, but after all these twists and turns, she met him once more—under such strange circumstances.
At first, she was very resistant to the old Mrs. Jing’s suggestion.
But the moment she saw Jingrong, she wavered.
Even if she couldn’t be with Jingrong, just one night would be enough for her.
If she was lucky enough to give Jingrong a child, she’d be satisfied.
So she obediently followed the old Mrs. Jing’s advice, accepted her help, and came to Jingrong, hoping for at least one passionate encounter.
But Jingrong had no idea what Dale was thinking. He just thought she was being forced by his mother, so he still saw her as the innocent high school girl.
"My mom gets these crazy ideas—don’t mind her," Jingrong said to Dale. "I love my wife and we have kids. I’d never do anything to betray her. So don’t worry, accept my mom’s help, and I won’t make things difficult for you."
Dale wanted to say, no, this isn’t making things difficult—this is one of her wishes too.
"By the way, I’ll be going back to my home country soon," Jingrong said. "For the next few days, just help me act. I’m really tired of my mom setting me up for dinners with other people. Since we know each other, let’s pretend like we did in high school—act like we’re together so my mom thinks we’re dating. Later, when I go back, I’ll find an excuse and tell my mom we didn’t work out. That way, she won’t blame you."
Dale forced a smile. "Alright, whatever you say, I’ll go along with it."
"You really are a good girl." Jingrong smiled, rubbing Dale’s head. "All these years, you haven’t met anyone you like?"
Dale shook her head.
Actually, she had—she just couldn’t have him.
"It’s alright, you can’t force feelings. Maybe you’ll meet someone when you least expect it." Jingrong checked the time and said, "Alright, it’s getting late. You should head back."
"Okay." Dale reluctantly stood up. At the door, she suddenly turned back and said to Jingrong, "If you ever need me, for anything at all, I’ll do it for you."
Even if it means having a child for you, I’d do it!
Jingrong didn’t think much of it, just smiled and nodded. "Alright."
Dale went downstairs and immediately saw the old Mrs. Jing’s expectant gaze.
Dale put on a shy expression and said, "Jingrong and I talked a lot about the past, so it took a while."
The old Mrs. Jing grinned from ear to ear. "It’s good to talk for a long time! That’s how feelings grow! Dale, I mean what I say—if you give me a grandson, I’ll make sure you’re well taken care of."
"Yes, madam," Dale replied obediently.
The old Mrs. Jing’s matchmaking efforts soon reached the ears of Jing Family’s eldest, second, and third masters—they all laughed.
"The old lady’s digging her own grave—let’s just watch the show!" said the eldest master.
"She used to be sharp, but even she’s lost her touch! Just for a few more grandkids, she’s forcing her son into this mess. If the Mo Family finds out, they’ll never forgive her! Without their support, we’ll get a bigger share of the inheritance!" said the second master.
"Let her do whatever she wants—it’s not our problem! If Jingrong wants to fight with his mom, let them! I’m actually curious—if Jingrong really ends up with an illegitimate child, how will he explain it to Mo Zixuan? Hahaha!" said the third master.
Now, in the Jing Family, except for the old Mrs. Jing, everyone was just waiting to see Jingrong make a fool of himself.
Stuck in the eye of the storm, Jingrong was exhausted, both physically and mentally.