The garden filled with blooming roses had a particularly romantic atmosphere. Lisa, considerate and full of admiration and support for him, said, “Tom, since neither of us plans to get engaged, this should be easy.”
But Tom Fritz did not think it was easy at all. He turned his gaze to her and asked, “Even if it goes against the wishes of those involved, we still need to reassure Grandma. This won’t be simple.”
“An engagement is possible; we could fake it,” the girl blurted out, blinking her innocent eyes. “After all, Grandma came back to the country for this reason, and she’s getting old.”
Hearing this suggestion, the man furrowed his brows slightly. This girl called Grandma quite smoothly. Lisa continued with her idea, “We could have a contractual engagement to reassure Grandma first and then cancel it privately later.”
Tom Fritz stopped walking again and looked at her. The girl said, “The main thing is to keep Grandma calm so you can return to the lab smoothly. I’m willing to make a small sacrifice.”
Tom Fritz stared at her with an expressionless face. The girl’s eyes were beautiful and filled with a smile, but he had no interest in delving into what she was really thinking. However, her proposal gave Tom Fritz a breakthrough.
Seeing that he did not immediately refute her, Lisa worried he might misunderstand and explained, “I’m considering your position too; please don’t misunderstand.”
“Lisa,” Tom Fritz said gently, “there’s something I must be honest with you about.”
“What is it?” The girl was curious.
Tom Fritz replied, “I have a fiancee.”
The girl’s face stiffened, her heart sank, but then she smiled brightly again. “How could that be? Grandma said you were single.”
The smart girl smiled as she looked him over. “You don’t look like someone who has a girlfriend.”
“Whether you believe it or not,” the man said to her, “I won’t fake an engagement with you.”
Lisa was deeply saddened inside, though she still wore a smile. She had truly fallen for this excellent chemistry professor. The more distant and cold he was, the more fascinated she became.
Facing his gaze, she dared to assert that he didn’t have a girlfriend. If he did, how could his family not know? He just didn’t want to get engaged to her but might find another woman to take her place because only an engagement could reassure Grandma.
“You better not make Grandma sick,” the girl said in the gentlest tone but with firm words. “If you get engaged to me, this matter can be resolved; if you get engaged to someone else, things might spiral out of your control.”
“What do you mean?” Tom Fritz actually understood but wanted to hear her say it.
Lisa was very clear-headed and confessed, “Because I like you. I will consider your feelings and won’t annoy you. I will give you enough freedom and time; I will wait patiently. Do you understand?”
Tom Fritz saw through her ambition; she looked like a little rabbit but had very clear goals. Because he was wary of this woman, Tom Fritz could not possibly fake an engagement with her; he feared it would be hard to resolve later and might complicate things further.
Tom Fritz was also very clear-headed himself.
Images of his interactions with Agnes flashed through Tom Fritz’s mind; she was pure and kind-hearted without any scheming thoughts. Although asking for her help was indeed quite despicable, he had no better candidate at the moment.