Once home, Edward carried Nanci to the bedroom and gently laid her down, then stood by the bed, struggling to help her change into her nightgown.
The drunken Nanci was particularly uncooperative. She waved her fists and shouted, “What are you doing to me? I’m a married woman. Don’t you dare touch me! My husband is the most formidable man in Alderley. I won’t tell you who he is. I’m afraid you’d be scared to death…”
Edward laughed and said, “Oh? What if I could beat him? Would you consider being with me instead? Take a good look at me. I’m good-looking, right?”
Nanci struggled to widen her eyes to look at the face in front of her, then pushed his face away with her hand, saying with disgust, “You’re not as handsome as him, so I won’t be with you. Besides, how could you possibly defeat him? He’s super, super amazing!”
Edward said with amusement, “Nanci, do you really see who I am? You’re so drunk that you want me to fight myself for my own wife!”
Nanci blinked at him a few times, then smiled, “Oh, Edward, you came to pick me up! Just now there was a bad man harassing me, but now I don’t see him anymore…”
Edward looked at her helplessly and said, “The bad man was chased away by me. Let’s change into pajamas and sleep, alright? Tomorrow, we can go play, but only if we’re well-rested.”
Nanci quickly changed her clothes and asked excitedly, “Really? Then I want to go to Linmoor! It’s a beautiful, beautiful place. They say people who go there will be happy for a lifetime!”
“Alright, we’ll go to Linmoor. Now lie down, and I’ll get you some water to clean up, then we can sleep.” Nanci obediently lay on the bed. By the time Edward had taken care of everything for her, it was very late. After tucking her in, he went to take a shower.
The next morning, Edward woke up before dawn. Seeing Nanci still sleeping soundly, he slowly got up, careful not to wake her. After freshening up, he spent a long time quietly packing in the room. Then he looked outside and figured Olivia should be awake by now, so he went downstairs.
Olivia and Adrian were talking. Edward sat down at the dining table and said to them, “I got up so early today because I have something to tell you.”
Olivia looked at him and said, “What could you possibly not feel comfortable telling us? Just say it. If it’s good news, we’ll be happy for you. If it’s not, we can figure out a solution together. Just remember that we’re family! Can you tell us now?”
Adrian nodded and said, “Go ahead. If you’ve encountered difficulties, perhaps I can help you somehow.”
Edward waved his hand and said, “I don’t really have any difficulties. Grandma, your grandson is quite capable. How would I encounter difficulties? Thank you for your offer, Adrian. If I ever face any problems in the future, I’ll definitely come to seek your help. And you can also come to me if you encounter any difficulties!”
Adrian smiled and said, “Hey, that’s what friends are for. So what do you want to tell us? Hurry up!”
Under the gaze of both of them, Edward said, “I’m taking Nanci on our honeymoon today. It was too late last night to tell you, so I came down early this morning to let you know. Nanci drank quite a bit yesterday and will probably sleep for a long time today. When it’s time, I’ll quietly take her onto the plane…”
Olivia clapped her hands and smiled, “That’s wonderful news! It’s good for you young people to travel around. Go and enjoy yourselves. Just be safe. I’ll wait for you to come back home. Don’t worry about me. Jenny is here to keep me company. If you’re concerned, you can give me a call. Have you packed everything? I can go up and pack for you.”
Edward said, “No need. Grandma. I’ve already packed everything. I got up very early today. Don’t worry about us. I’ll take good care of myself and Nanci!”
Olivia asked with concern, “You drank alcohol yesterday too. Are you feeling alright today?”
“I wasn’t even drunk. Let’s eat breakfast now.”
Adrian picked up a piece of bread and started eating, saying, “I’m planning to head back today too. It’s just a pity I can’t say goodbye to Nanci. I wish you a safe journey and a pleasant trip…”
“Why not stay for a few more days? Treat this place as your own home. Are you leaving so early because something isn’t good about our home?”
“How could it not be good? With Olivia and Nanci, I’ve enjoyed my stay here tremendously. But I need to go back and handle some matters. I’ve been here for quite a while, and there’s enough work piled up at the company to keep me up for several nights! I’m a good friend, aren’t I?”
Edward nodded and said, “Indeed! Let me know if you need anything. I won’t be able to see you off today, so be careful on your way back, and send me a message when you arrive.”
“I will.”
Olivia looked at Adrian and said, “Adrian, come visit us often when you have time. You’re always welcome here. Having you around has made our home much livelier.”
“Haha, thank you, Olivia. I’ll definitely come visit you guys. The food you cook is delicious. Will I have the honor of tasting it again when I return?”
“Of course! When you come next time, I will prepare a big feast for you. Why don’t you stay for a few more days? Your sudden departure makes me sad…”
Adrian comforted her, “Don’t think like that, Olivia. It’s not like we won’t see each other again. It’s just that there are matters that I need to take care of right now, so I must return. I can come back when I have time. In my absence, you must stay happy. I’ll miss you.”
“Good child, I will pray to God every night before sleep for your happiness.”
“Thank you, Olivia.”
After finishing breakfast, Edward saw that it was about time and said, “I’ll go and make final preparations. You two keep chatting!” Olivia and Adrian both nodded.
Instead of returning to the bedroom, Edward walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and called Jacob on his phone.
“How’s the task I gave you? How much longer until the plane arrives?”
Jacob answered, “Mr. Clarkson, the plane should arrive in about ten minutes. Are you ready? It might be a bit of a distance from your place to the airport…”
Edward asked, “Are you available now?”
“At your service, sir!”
Edward said with amusement, “Am I that scary? I just want you to drive over and take me to the airport. It might not be convenient for me to drive myself, so I need to trouble you.”
“My pleasure, Mr. Clarkson. Please wait a moment. I’ll be there soon.”
After Edward hung up the phone, Olivia appeared in front of him with a glass of water and said, “Edward, have some water. Remember to be careful on your journey, alright?”
Edward took the water and finished it in one gulp, then said, “I know, Grandma. I didn’t bring you along this time because I want to give Nanci a good honeymoon…”
“No need to explain these things to me. I understand. When your grandfather was still around, he often thought about taking me out too. Seeing you treat Nanci so well makes me happy. If your sister…”
“I never acknowledged her. And after what Elizabeth and she did to Nanci, if it weren’t for Father, I’d have…”
“Alright, alright, let’s not talk about them. You’re going to leave for your honeymoon today! Don’t think about unhappy things.”
Edward nodded and looked at Olivia, saying, “Grandma, I have to leave with Nanci now. Take good care of yourself at home. I’ll call you when we arrive.”
Jacob drove to the door as quickly as possible and soon saw Edward carrying Nanci out. He had wrapped her up tightly and carefully placed her in the car, then went back into the house to get the suitcase and put it in the trunk. After that, he held Nanci in his arms and signaled that Jacob could start driving.
When they reached their destination, the plane was already waiting. Jacob helped carry the suitcase onto the plane. Edward adjusted Nanci into a comfortable position and said to Jacob, “Thank you. While I’m away, I’ll leave the company matters in your hands. I’ll reward you when I return.”
“Don’t worry, President. I’ll work hard and do my best. It’s about time, and I won’t take up any more of your time. Wishing you a wonderful honeymoon.” With that, Jacob watched as the plane took off, flying higher and farther away, then smiled and returned to his car.
Edward rubbed his tired eyes as drowsiness began to set in. Seeing that Nanci was still asleep, he closed his eyes and held her hand, slowly drifting off to sleep.
As time passed, Nanci gradually woke up. She felt the blanket on her body, but after she observed her surroundings carefully, she realized she was on a plane! If she wasn’t mistaken, this was a private jet. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be so quiet.
She turned to look at Edward, who was sleeping soundly, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She knew he must be very tired now, and this must be another surprise he had specially prepared for her.
She looked at her hand still held by Edward, gently pulled it out, and went to the restroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, she was still wearing her nightgown, with no makeup on her face, lacking a bit of her usual spirit. Going out looking like this made her slightly distressed. She sat back in her seat and began pondering their destination.
Meanwhile, Adrian finished packing her luggage and changed back into the dress and high heels she had worn when she first arrived. Olivia insisted on giving her a coat, saying, “Being young doesn’t mean you can neglect your health! You have to learn how to take care of yourself.”
Seeing how insistent Olivia was, Adrian accepted the coat and smiled, “Thank you, Olivia. Take care. I’ll be going now.”
“Alright, remember to come visit me when you have time. Goodbye.”