Chapter 200: A Romantic Kiss

Chapter 200: Chapter 200: A Romantic Kiss

Joy awkwardly agreed, stating that when she had the chance, she would definitely give Sylvia a good talking to. She promised to persuade her sister to stop being so stubborn and end her hostility toward Vivian.

Vivian, however, shook her head. As the saying went, a leopard couldn’t change its spots. Sylvia was already in her twenties and still had this terrible temper. Vivian thought that unless Sylvia experienced some massive upheaval or devastating blow, it would be extremely difficult for her personality to change. Moreover, Sylvia was a deeply jealous person. She was envious not only of Vivian but also of Joy. Any attempt Joy made to reason with her would have little to no effect.

Since Joy needed to rest, Vivian and the others didn’t want to disturb her. Hazel Drake called a waitress in to keep Joy company and attend to whatever she might need. With that, Vivian and her group left the room.

The evening banquet wasn’t over yet. Vivian had heard that representatives from a few jewelry brands were attending tonight, so she figured she could take the opportunity to discuss some potential collaborations.

Once outside the lounge, Eleanor Rhodes finally got the chance to come over and link arms with Vivian. "Vivian, I was worried sick! Thank goodness you’re okay. That Sylvia is seriously unhinged! Who knows, maybe she was the one who put that needle in there!" Eleanor puffed out her cheeks, clearly indignant.

Vivian froze. She had almost forgotten about that. Back in the room, everyone’s attention had been entirely focused on Sylvia because her egregious behavior had infuriated everyone present. As a result, they had completely forgotten about the needle.

Thinking back on it now, Vivian was absolutely certain she had inspected the dress Joy handed her. It had been perfectly fine; there was no needle hidden inside.

She wondered, "Then where did the needle come from?"

From the moment Joy changed her clothes to the moment she went on stage to play the piano, Vivian had been right by her side the entire time. She could say with absolute certainty that Joy hadn’t come into contact with anyone else. That meant it could only have been Joy herself. Although there was a minuscule chance that Vivian simply hadn’t checked thoroughly enough, she trusted her own judgment and initial instincts far more.

"Why would Joy do this?" Vivian thought. "To frame Sylvia? But how could she have predicted that Sylvia would definitely run out to cause a scene afterward? And how did she calculate that Julian would rush to the lounge out of concern for me? Did she orchestrate this entire performance for everyone to see, just to brand her rival, Sylvia, with a reputation for being ’brainless’ and ’impulsive’?"

Vivian felt it was entirely possible. The Drake family was a massive, sprawling enterprise. If Joy could secure a stronger voice within it, it would undoubtedly benefit her future.

"As expected of a major aristocratic family," Vivian couldn’t help but sigh at the endless scheming and backstabbing hidden beneath the surface. She figured that if she had to live in a family like that, she would definitely find it exhausting.

While she was lost in thought, Eleanor had somehow procured a slice of red velvet cake. Handing it to Vivian, she chirped, "Vivian, let’s have some cake! With all the unpleasant things that just happened, eating some sweets will help our brains secrete more dopamine. It’ll cheer us up!"

Vivian looked at the red velvet cake Eleanor offered her. It looked incredibly appetizing and gave off a faint, sweet aroma of fresh cream. It was exactly the type she liked.

"Sure," Vivian happily agreed. Seeing Eleanor smiling at her, she understood her friend was just trying to cheer her up. "With my dear Eleanor around, my dopamine levels are always high!"

Eleanor blinked and giggled along with Vivian.

Beside them, Julian Faulkner had been quietly accompanying the two girls the whole time. Watching the best friends with their heads practically glued together, he couldn’t help but curl his lip.

The red velvet cake didn’t even look that delicious anyway. Julian thought he could easily bake a cake like that, too.

The banquet lasted until a little past nine o’clock before drawing to a close. Vivian had exchanged contact information with several brand representatives, making the night a fruitful endeavor. The representatives were incredibly enthusiastic. They even praised Vivian’s piano performance on stage, exclaiming that it was so beautiful she could be considered a maestro!

Vivian felt that was a bit of an exaggeration. She played well, but only by an ordinary person’s standards. Compared to a true maestro, she still fell a bit short. She humbly waved her hand, stating she still had room for improvement. After chatting with the brand representatives for a little while longer, Julian came over to find her.

"President Faulkner is here. It looks like it’s getting late, and he’s come to take Miss Lowell home, so we won’t intrude any further. After you, President Faulkner," one of the representatives said.

Vivian smiled at the teasing and glanced back at Julian. He was already looking at her with absolute tenderness. When their eyes met, their smiles grew even softer, brimming with a gentle, romantic affection.

"Let’s go. Time to head home," Julian said, stepping forward to take Vivian’s hand.

On the way home, Vivian talked to Julian about going to Eleanor’s Pet Hospital the next day to bring the little white kitten home.

"I’ve already agreed on it with Eleanor. Leaving the kitten at the pet hospital just takes up their cage space. Let’s go adopt it and bring it home tomorrow, okay? What time do you get off work tomorrow? Should we go together?" Vivian asked.

Julian thought for a moment before replying, "I have a dinner engagement tomorrow night, so I probably won’t have time. It won’t end until past nine. If you want to bring the cat home earlier, you can go adopt it yourself. I can have Vance Wyatt help buy a cat tree, some cat litter, and other supplies, and deliver them to your car so you can take everything back together."

Julian couldn’t accompany Vivian to adopt the kitten, but he still wanted to make things easier for her. That meant he had no choice but to put Vance to work! Besides, Julian had already noticed it. For some unknown reason, that assistant of his had recently become extremely enthusiastic about anything involving Vivian, acting as if he were fired up on pure adrenaline. Since asking Vance for help would make him happy anyway, Julian didn’t have to feel guilty about ordering him around.

"Mhm, okay!" Vivian didn’t mind at all. In fact, it was perfect that Julian wouldn’t be there. She could invite Eleanor out for dinner! The two girls could hang out and talk about topics that could only be discussed when their boyfriends weren’t around.

The conversation paused for a moment. Julian turned the steering wheel, pulling the car onto a side street. Suddenly remembering something, he said, "By the way, that Joy Drake doesn’t seem like a good person to me. If she ever approaches you for anything in the future, refuse her if you can. If it’s something you can’t refuse, remember to tell me immediately, got it?"

Julian’s tone had become extremely serious. He even turned his head to look at Vivian intently.

Joy.

Vivian’s heart skipped a beat. Blinking at Julian, she realized he must have also questioned where the needle had come from. Sure enough, Julian had reached the exact same conclusion she had. That needle had likely been hidden in the dress by Joy herself as part of a scheme she orchestrated tonight. It was just that Sylvia’s outrageous behavior had been far too conspicuous, drawing everyone’s attention and making Vivian feel quite concerned for Joy at the time. Thinking back on it, most people would only remember Sylvia’s hateful face and the poor, innocent Joy.

"You noticed," Vivian said, pursing her lips into a smile. She leaned back against her seat cushion and clicked her tongue. "The Drake family is just too chaotic. Don’t worry, if Joy ever seeks me out, I’ll definitely tell you right away!"

They shared a tacit understanding. It seemed Joy’s little secrets had been completely seen through by both of them. Julian’s expression finally eased into relief as he refocused on driving.

By the time they got home, it was already ten past ten. Grandma Faulkner had gone to bed. Ms. Shaw was sitting quietly in the living room wearing headphones, watching a video on the laptop placed in front of her.

Seeing Vivian and Julian return, Ms. Shaw immediately took off her headphones and came over to ask, "Young Madam and Young Master are back? Are you going to rest now? If you’d like a late-night snack, just let me know."

"No need. There was plenty of food at the banquet tonight, so I’m full." Vivian knew Ms. Shaw was just worried they hadn’t eaten enough at the event. Many banquets served food that was more flashy than filling. Furthermore, with all the socializing and networking, guests rarely had the time to sit down and eat properly, making it easy to end up hungry!

Julian wasn’t hungry either. However, something came to mind, and he asked Ms. Shaw, "Do we still have flour and yeast at home? What about fresh cream? If we’re out, please buy some for me."

Ms. Shaw thought for a moment before replying, "We still have flour and yeast, but I think we used up the fresh cream a while ago. Young Master, would it be alright if I drive to the supermarket to buy some tomorrow morning?"

Julian nodded. Having no other instructions, he said, "It’s late. You should get some rest too, Ms. Shaw."

"Yes, Young Master." Ms. Shaw nodded and watched as Vivian and Julian headed upstairs together.

Back in their bedroom, Vivian was a bit curious. Flour and yeast... weren’t those used to make steamed buns? Combined with cream, did Julian want to make a cake?

"Why do you suddenly want to bake a cake?" Vivian asked, feeling puzzled. Julian clearly wasn’t someone with a sweet tooth!

Hearing her question, Julian turned to look at her, his gaze suddenly turning much more earnest. "Because you like it. And I know how to bake cakes. They’re no worse than the ones sold in those boutique bakeries. Even the cake at the banquet tonight can’t compare to mine. I can make pudding, too. Whether you want caramel pudding or milk pudding, I know how to make them all. You just have to name it."

Honestly, even if Vivian named a dish he didn’t know how to make, Julian could just go and learn it. His culinary skills were already excellent; he was just too busy normally and rarely had the chance to show them off. But if Vivian wanted to eat something, he would definitely make time.

A man would never say he had "no time" for the woman he loved. He wasn’t actually so busy that he had zero personal time. If he wanted to squeeze out a little free time, he certainly could. If a man constantly told a woman he didn’t have time, it simply meant he didn’t like her enough to sacrifice his personal time for her. He had other things he would rather do, and those things didn’t involve her. Girls in relationships needed to realize this sooner rather than later.

Vivian felt incredibly touched. Julian truly treated her well. He had even remembered such a minor detail as how happily she and Eleanor had eaten cake that night, and he had taken the initiative to offer to bake one for her.

"Alright," Vivian replied. She leaned in close to Julian, affectionately pressing herself against him. "Actually, I’m not that picky. Hmm... the only thing I don’t like is matcha. Black Forest cake, mango crepe cake—I love them both. Of course... Julian, I think as long as you’re the one making it, it’ll be delicious. I’ll love whatever you make."

"Mhm." Julian agreed softly, his tone incredibly light and cheerful. He leaned forward a little as well. Sensing Vivian’s desire to be close to him, he reached out and pulled her into a warm embrace.

Suddenly engulfed in his arms, Vivian once again caught the faint scent of Julian’s cologne. His chest was warm, and as his arms encircled her waist, Vivian felt a slight flutter in her heart. She loved being held by him like this.

"Julian," Vivian murmured. She nuzzled her head against his chest, then looked up at him with a smile.

"Is this the moment we can... kiss?" she wondered.

Julian also lowered his head to look at Vivian. His gaze was incredibly fervent, as if he wanted to meld her entirely into his own body.

"Vivian," Julian called her name in a low, husky voice, sounding as though he were desperately suppressing his urges. Finally, he leaned down and captured her lips.

The kiss started off as light as a dragonfly skimming the water’s surface, but it gradually deepened. Vivian felt a warm wetness against her lips. Her heartbeat instantly accelerated, and she completely surrendered herself to him.

A moment later, just as Vivian felt she could barely breathe, Julian finally let her go. Both of their faces were flushed. Vivian could feel the lingering scent of Julian’s cologne on her own skin. It was faint, smelled wonderful, and made her feel incredibly secure.

"Umm..." Vivian suddenly grew nervous. Under normal circumstances, wasn’t this the part where they would...

"Hmm?" A hint of amusement flashed in Julian’s eyes. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Vivian shook her head and made a show of gently pushing Julian, trying to extricate herself from his embrace. "I’m tired. I want to go take a shower first, is that okay?"

"Okay," Julian agreed.

Vivian breathed a sigh of relief. She turned and headed toward the bathroom.

But after taking only a few steps, Vivian realized that Julian was following right behind her.

Vivian looked back at him in utter bewilderment, completely failing to understand why he was tailing her.

Julian saw through her confusion. Maintaining his smile, he said, "I’ll help you."

Help her? She was going to take a shower. What was there for him to help with?

Vivian’s face instantly turned beetroot red. But this time, Julian didn’t give her a chance to protest. He slowly walked up to her, scooped her up into his arms without another word, and carried her straight toward the bathroom.

As he walked, Julian looked down at the flustered Vivian in his arms and chuckled. "The bathroom works just fine, too."