"I can't figure out what I did wrong, and I don't know who else to ask, so I can only ask you. Uncle, I want to hear your opinion." Sophie continued, "I've never had a boyfriend before and don't really understand men. Sometimes the things I care about and insist on might hurt a man's pride because I reject them too directly." She said this clearly and straightforwardly to Matthew.
"You… have a boyfriend now?" Matthew asked with some difficulty.
Sophie nodded.
"Is… is it the General Manager? Chairman Harrington's son?"
"Yes, exactly!" Sophie answered clearly. The moment she decided to face it, she would no longer run away.
Matthew stared at her, unable to speak for a long time.
"I never told you before because I hadn't figured things out myself. I'm sorry, Uncle," Sophie said guiltily.
"I… I really am too shocked!" Matthew stared at the tabletop, his brows deeply furrowed.
Lowering her eyes, Sophie said, "I know you're shocked—because even I never imagined I would end up with the General Manager."
Matthew stopped talking. It wasn't until Sophie called out loudly, "Uncle," that he passively lifted his gaze.
"You don't approve of me being with Ned either, do you? The General Manager is Ned," Sophie asked softly.
After a long pause, Matthew finally replied, "I don't know how to answer you." He murmured, "Let me think about it properly. Go back to work for now. I'm going to the hospital later to visit Sarah. I'll come find you again next week."
Sophie looked straight at her uncle. He had neither expressed disapproval nor shown any joy or given her his blessing. His reaction was cold, stunned, and in the end almost evasive, making Sophie feel as if she were fighting this battle all alone. A tight ache gripped her heart.
Having received no real response from her uncle, Sophie slowly stood up and silently left the restaurant by herself.
…
As soon as Sophie arrived at C&C and before she could enter the elevator, she spotted Ned about to leave.
"Are you leaving?" she called out to stop him. Seeing the briefcase in his hand, she knew he probably wouldn't be returning to the office today.
Ned stopped. "Yes," he answered coldly.
"Are you angry with me?" Sophie walked over to him.
"Angry? What do you mean?" His gaze finally settled on her.
"Because that night… I didn't agree to that thing. Are you mad at me because of it?"
The light in his eyes dimmed. "I don't even remember what happened that night anymore."
"But your attitude has been strange. You've suddenly become so cold and distant, as if you're deliberately keeping away from me! I don't understand why."
"You're being too sensitive," Ned said, his tone still indifferent, as if they had returned to the time when they were complete strangers.
"Is that really it? Is that truly the case?" she asked earnestly.
"If you feel I've been cold, that's my fault. What do you want me to do?" he asked in return.
"Maybe I really am being too sensitive," Sophie murmured. "I don't even know how to put it… I don't know why I feel this way."
He looked at her but said nothing.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" she asked.
"What do you want me to say?"
"You keep coming closer one moment and pulling away the next. I feel like I don't understand you at all." Sophie's eyes gradually reddened. "I feel more and more alone! I want to understand you better, I want to spend more time with you, but every time I try, you retreat further and further, deliberately keeping your distance from me."
Ned's face remained expressionless.
Sophie continued, "Do you even know how I feel? I don't understand why this is happening. I'm in so much pain, yet I don't even know what I'm suffering for. The feelings between us are like a castle in the air, swaying unsteadily. One careless step and we'll fall right through."
Ned stared at her, his expression blank.
Looking at him, Sophie felt a sharp ache in her heart. She didn't know why it hurt, but just looking at him caused her pain, because she had no idea what he was thinking right now. It felt as if a thick wall stood between them, one she could never cross.
"I have to go out now," he finally said. "I'll call you tonight." That was all he offered her.
Sophie walked numbly into the elevator and leaned against the wall, feeling utterly drained, as if she might collapse at any moment…
Ned, meanwhile, had already strode quickly away down the corridor, paying no attention to her pain or exhaustion.
A little after midnight, Sophie's phone began to vibrate.
"Hello?" Still reviewing at her desk, Sophie grabbed the phone and immediately answered.
"Are you asleep?" Ned's voice was low and husky.
Through the phone came noisy background sounds. Sophie glanced at the clock. "I was just about to sleep. Are you still out?" It was already past midnight.
"Yeah." His deep voice carried the haze of alcohol.
"Go home soon and drink less. Doing this every day isn't good for your health…"
"Come here now. I've had too much to drink and can't walk straight… Come pick me up and take me home," he said.
"What…" Sophie froze, staring blankly at her philosophy textbook.
"Say something!" Ned's slightly drunken tone sounded impatient. "I just sent you my location. Come find me right now—immediately!" He hung up.
Holding the phone, Sophie sat stunned for a long, long time…
After about an hour's taxi ride, Sophie finally arrived at the location he'd sent. It was a restaurant, but one that served strong liquor and, naturally, had hostesses to keep the guests company.
When Sophie arrived, it was already 1:30 a.m. The place was packed and buzzing with noise—men and women everywhere, yet not a single woman dressed as plainly as she was.
Sophie wandered around the restaurant for a full circle before finally spotting Ned in a half-enclosed sofa booth. Of course, Archibald was there too. Both of them had one arm wrapped around a woman and the other hand holding a glass, laughing and carrying on, completely oblivious to her presence.
Sophie stood frozen at the edge of the aisle, staring blankly at Ned as he drank and held the woman close. Her mind went empty. Her feet felt nailed to the floor—she couldn't move forward, couldn't turn and leave. The only sensation growing clearer by the second was the sharp, twisting pain in her chest…
It wasn't until Archibald tilted his head back and noticed her standing there like a statue that he hurriedly nudged Ned. When Ned didn't react, Archibald slapped his shoulder hard and jerked his chin in Sophie's direction.
"What the hell?" Ned sounded irritated.
"Is that the person you called?"
"What person? Who'd you call this time?" the woman in Ned's arms giggled coquettishly.
Ned couldn't even be bothered to respond. Archibald had no choice but to haul him up by the arm.
"Hey—hey, stop pulling! What are you doing?" the woman draped over Ned complained loudly.
Archibald ignored her completely. "Ned, are you wasted or what? Why did you call her here? Look—look properly!" He yanked Ned's arm.
At Archibald's dead-serious tone, Ned lifted his eyes indifferently. Finally, he saw Sophie standing motionless in the aisle.
"You're here? What took you so long?" He smirked as if nothing had happened, sat back down, let the woman snuggle up against him again, and casually draped his arm around her. "Come sit!"
Sophie gazed at him deeply. She didn't question him, didn't show anger—just spoke very calmly, very gently: "You asked me to come pick you up. I'm here now."
Archibald's jaw nearly hit the floor. He stared at Sophie, terrified she might faint on the spot from the shock. Her face was terrifyingly pale…
Yet to his astonishment, Sophie said nothing more. She simply walked straight over.
When she reached the booth, Archibald immediately slid aside to make room and moved to the opposite seat.
Sophie silently sat down beside Ned, lowered her eyes to her knees, and quietly stayed by his side. Despite her pallor, her expression remained perfectly composed.
Ned acted as though nothing unusual had happened at all. He kept flirting and laughing with the woman beside him, completely ignoring Sophie. Far from toning it down, he grew even rowdier—playing drinking games, downing shots, carrying on louder than before.
Archibald stared at Sophie in stunned disbelief. Sure, he'd broken plenty of women's hearts before, but he had never done anything this outrageous—summoning a woman here just to watch him cuddle and fool around with someone else!
He anxiously fixed his eyes on Sophie's deathly pale face and the way she stayed silent, enduring it all without a word… He was practically losing his mind!
Ned had to be insane!