After Josiah entered the house, he took a look around the clinic before sitting down on a chair. Leo signaled Sakura to prepare tea.
Accepting the tea, Josiah took a sip and nodded approvingly. “Good tea.”
Marina and Sandra were somewhat surprised by the sudden change in atmosphere. How did they go from being adversaries to friends in the blink of an eye?
“Dr. Bloomer, I am glad that Marina has a friend like you,” Josiah said with a smile. “But marriage involves many aspects, and it is our family matter. It wouldn’t be appropriate for you to be too involved…”
“Mr. Meredith, I never said that I wanted to interfere in your family matter. My friend is in trouble, and she came to me for help. If she doesn’t want to leave, no one can force her,” Leo calmly replied.
“But you can’t keep her with you forever, can you?” Josiah narrowed his eyes slightly. “However, if you genuinely want to help Marina, there is a way. If you agree to one condition, I can consider temporarily postponing the wedding.”
“Oh? What condition?” Leo asked.
Marina’s face froze, somewhat surprised, as she looked at her father with a puzzled expression.
“Go to the capital.”
“The capital?” Leo frowned. “Is there anything else?”
“No, as long as you agree to go to the capital,” Josiah smiled.
“Is it that simple?” Leo was quite astonished. This condition was hardly a condition at all.
“Yes, but since you’re going anyway, you can’t make the trip for nothing, right? Take the opportunity to find out about your origins,” Josiah’s smile seemed to carry a profound meaning.
After speaking, Josiah stood up and called for Marina to prepare to leave.
“Mr. Meredith, you’re not deceiving me, are you?” Leo was confused, feeling that Josiah’s proposal was merely a ploy to lure Marina back.
“I am the head of the prestigious Meredith family. Would I deceive a young man like you?” Josiah’s face turned stern, and his tone carried a hint of authority.
“Are you saying that if I go to the capital, you won’t force Miss Meredith to marry someone she doesn’t like?” Leo asked.
“I never said I would cancel the wedding. I only said it could be postponed. As for the future, no one can say for certain,” Josiah replied, smiling meaningfully with his hands behind his back.
After Josiah finished speaking, he left the Nameless Clinic with Marina.
“Mr. Meredith, I might not be able to go to the capital in the short term,” Leo hurriedly added.
After all, the matters concerning the Koken family and the werewolves were still unresolved.
“Whether you go or not is up to you. According to the agreement, Marina will get married by the end of the year,” Josiah didn’t turn his head, “but I believe you will go! I’ll be waiting for you in the capital!”
Once they were outside the clinic, Josiah’s face immediately turned grim. A smug and cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and a glint of cunning flashed in his eyes.
“Dad, why do you insist on sending Dr. Bloomer to the capital? Do you also think he is the son of the second master of the Bloomer family?” Marina couldn’t wait and asked as soon as they got in the car.
“Shut up! It’s none of your business. You should worry about yourself. Your grandfather is so worried about you that he’s falling ill. Just wait until I get back, and I’ll settle the score with you!” Josiah reprimanded Marina coldly.
That stubborn girl had been causing the family so much distress these past few days.
Marina didn’t fear any physical harm from her father when they returned home. After all, over the years, her father had always been strict with his words but never truly scolded her. However, when her father was unhappy, she couldn’t ask many questions, and she could only keep them to herself. She had a lingering feeling that her father’s insistence on sending Leo to the capital was not as simple as it appeared on the surface.
After Marina and the others left, Leo was also extremely puzzled. It was apparent that Josiah believed he had a connection with the second master of the Bloomer family, but he refused to be clear about it and insisted on sending him to the capital to investigate.
Leo could sense that Josiah had some kind of purpose, but he couldn’t figure out what it was exactly. Regardless, Leo thought to himself, “Forget about it. I’ll focus on improving my cultivation and dealing with the trouble with the werewolves and the Koken family first.”
In the afternoon, after treating the last patient, just as Leo was about to ask Sakura and Chasel to prepare dinner, Madame arrived.
“Dr. Bloomer, do you have time?” Madame asked directly.
Leo teased, “You know, I’m always busy.”
“Busy?” Madame looked around. “I can’t tell at all.”
“I won’t be polite with you either. Whether you have time or not, come with me.”
“Where are we going?”
“We’re going out to eat. Specifically, I’m treating you to a meal.”
Seeing a hint of hesitation and reluctance on Leo’s face, Madame narrowed her eyes and asked, “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to?”
“A beautiful police officer inviting me to dinner, how could I refuse? Let’s go,” Leo smiled.
Since someone was treating him, it would be a waste not to accept the invitation. Even if he ate, it would be a free meal.
After letting Chasel and the others know that he would prepare his own dinner, Leo got into Madame’s car and left the clinic.
The destination was the Olive Vaults restaurant.
They found a secluded spot and sat facing each other.
It was a restaurant with a tasteful decor, and the soft background music carried a hint of ambiguity.
After the steak was served, both of them looked at each other without moving their knives.
“I’m not a steak, why are you staring at me like that?” Leo jokingly asked.
Madame retorted, “I’m not a steak either, why are you staring at me?”
“I feel like you’ve changed,” Leo replied.
“I feel the same about you,” Madame said.
Leo lifted his wine glass and asked with a smile, “Do you think I’ve become more handsome or more ugly?”
Madame seriously scrutinized him for a while, sighed, and said, “You’ve become slightly uglier, but you’ve gained more masculinity.”
Leo felt delighted and laughed, “I’ve noticed that you’ve become more feminine. Let’s toast to masculinity and femininity!”
As their glasses clinked, the initial awkward atmosphere dissipated into thin air.
As they reached the end of the meal, Madame’s beautiful and expressive eyes darted around as she tentatively asked, “Leo, now that you’ve finished eating, I don’t think you’ll refuse if I ask you for a favor, right?”
“Well… of course not,” Leo knew that a free meal wasn’t so easily obtained.
“In that case…” Madame reached into her pocket and pulled out two tickets, pushing them in front of Leo. “The favor I’m asking is… accompany me to a concert tonight.”
Leo didn’t expect this and was momentarily stunned.
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem? I can see a lot of hesitation on your face,” Madame took on a rare girlish posture.
“There’s no hesitation. I’ll help with this favor!” Leo declared boldly.