Erica Anthony’s gaze immediately fell on Leo, and she deliberately asked, “Madame Godwin, who is this handsome guy by your side?”
Madame Godwin first introduced Erica to Leo, saying, “Leo, this is Erica, my high school classmate and best friend.”
Then she introduced the teenager who looked like a high school student, “This is my cousin, Joshua.”
Joshua glanced at Leo and casually remarked, “Cousin, your boyfriend is passable, but compared to Blair, he’s still lacking.”
Madame Godwin scolded Joshua with a stern look, saying, “Don’t talk nonsense!”
Joshua seemed a bit afraid of Madame Godwin; he instinctively shrunk his neck and fell silent.
Madame Godwin finally wanted to introduce the handsome young man, but he stood up proactively, staring at Leo, and said, “Hello, I’m Blair Jones, pursuing a dual PhD in medical biology at HF University in the United States.”
Although Blair’s gaze and expression appeared normal, there was a subtle hostility flickering in the depths of his pupils. He extended his right hand with a hint of arrogance towards Leo.
The handshake lasted only a moment, and Leo found it somewhat amusing. They had just met, and this guy already considered him a rival. On top of that, Blair proudly announced his dual PhD title.
Since Blair saw him as a rival, Leo didn’t mind playing the part. After a friendly smile at Blair, he habitually reached out and embraced Madame Godwin’s slender waist.
This action made Madame Godwin’s body noticeably stiff for a moment. However, she didn’t show displeasure on her face and didn’t push away Leo’s hands.
“Blair, I’m Amelia’s boyfriend, Leo,” Leo said, emphasizing the term “boyfriend,” enough to overshadow even ten PhDs, as anticipated.
As Leo predicted, Blair’s facial muscles twitched a bit. Leo’s words had sparked anger within Blair, though he had to maintain a gentlemanly demeanor in front of Madame Godwin.
“Now that everyone knows each other, let’s sit down, order some food, and eat,” Madame Godwin suggested, calmly pushing away Leo’s not-so-honest hand.
Blair called the waiter and began ordering. “Let’s have the Five-Spice Duck; Amelia, it’s your favorite. I still remember the first time you tried it as a child; your whole mouth was covered in sauce. And the Golden Duck Roll, another of your favorites.” Blair smiled as he spoke.
Then, intentionally or not, Blair’s gaze shifted towards Leo, emphasizing their close relationship.
“Blair, I want foie gras,” Joshua said.
“Alright, one Red Berry Foie Gras and one Pan-Seared Foie Gras,” Blair politely said, “Erica, what about you?”
“I’ll have Bamboo Shoot Duck Breast, something light,” Erica said with a smile.
“Mr. Bloomer, what about you?” Blair looked at Leo, presenting himself as the host.
He wanted to make Leo understand the difference in status and influence and thus surrender.
“The dishes on the menu all look good. Instead of going through them one by one, let’s just order all the dishes,” Leo said with a smile, displaying an air of affluence.
Blair’s mouth twitched. This country bumpkin hadn’t seen the world; there were dozens of hot dishes on the menu. Ordering them all, wasn’t he afraid of overeating? Amelia didn’t like wasteful people.
“In recent years, the issue of waste cannot be ignored. In the United States, people rarely leave food behind; everyone eats what they order,” Blair said, glancing at Leo.
Implicit in his words was the expectation that Leo should finish every dish he ordered.
Madame Godwin glanced at Leo. “Leo, isn’t it a bit too much?”
“Amelia, I can eat a lot. Last time at the village inn, I devoured several baskets of dumplings,” Leo said with a hint of a smile.
Since Madame Godwin wanted to put an end to Blair’s intentions, Leo thought he might as well be ruthless, especially when he found Blair displeasing.
Leo’s words widened Erica’s eyes, as if she had heard something unbelievable. “Amelia, what’s the deal with the village inn?” she quickly asked.
Joshua wore an incredulous expression, glancing at Leo and then at Madame Godwin. “Cousin, you’re not involved with this guy, are you?”
“If you dare talk nonsense again, believe me, I’ll throw you out of the window,” Madame Godwin threatened Joshua with a stern gaze.
Joshua awkwardly laughed, quickly saying, “Cousin, calm down, I’m just kidding.”
Blair’s face completely darkened. Joshua might fear Madame Godwin, but Erica wasn’t afraid. She grabbed Madame Godwin’s arm, shaking it, and with a gossipy look, said, “Madame Godwin, we’re good friends; you have to tell me about such a significant matter.”
Madame Godwin had to explain, “Don’t get it wrong. It’s nothing, really. When I was injured during a mission, unable to make it to the hospital in time, Leo took me to an inn in a village to heal.”
“Inn, healing…” Though Erica knew Madame Godwin wouldn’t lie, this explanation was still a bit hard for her to accept. Normally, a village inn wasn’t a place for healing.
“Cousin, I don’t…” Joshua’s words halted abruptly as he felt the murderous gaze from Madame Godwin.
Seeing their skeptical expressions, Madame Godwin couldn’t help but shoot Leo a disdainful look, thinking about how Leo had led her to such an unusual place as a village inn.
Leo cleared his throat and said, “Don’t jump to conclusions. I took Amelia to the inn solely for treatment.”
Leo’s explanation gave Erica and the others a feeling that something was fishy. To them, it sounded like covering up. Their suspicions only deepened.
Joshua sighed deeply, “It seems I can’t refuse to acknowledge you as my cousin-in-law. Oh well!”
Madame Godwin gave Joshua’s head a gentle slap. “I trust Amelia,” Blair suddenly interjected, wearing a mild and tolerant expression.
Erica and Joshua were surprised by Blair’s statement, turning to look at him. Even Madame Godwin found it unexpected.
“No need to stare at me like that. I absolutely trust Amelia.”
Blair’s words weren’t insincere. Coming back from the open-minded U. S., he was no stranger to matters of love and had a keen sense of Madame Godwin’s feelings. Despite her usual tomboyish appearance, Madame Godwin was conservative in matters of romance, making Blair genuinely interested in her.
Blair thought he was the only one who could see through Madame Godwin’s heart, and if it weren’t for her, a typical woman might have succumbed to Blair’s charm long ago.