Lysander shrugged, his eyes lingering on her outfit with apparent interest, and said pointedly: "It seems like there's more than one person reluctant to be here for this blind date." Eloise immediately understood—he was the stand-in that the real Anthony had hired to cover for him. She couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "How much did he pay you?"
"Money?" Lysander picked up a cherry tomato from the plate, threw it into his mouth, chewed it up, and swallowed before speaking. "Do I look that shallow? What I want isn't money, it's connections."
He squinted slightly. "One of your blind date's classmates abroad is the son of the mayor of the South. The city's amusement park was completed recently and is set to open soon. The mayor is going to meet with the biggest investor behind it in about two weeks, and that person…"
He gave a deep smile. "I'd really like to meet him. The reward for playing the part of Anthony's stand-in for the blind date is an invitation to the banquet."
The complex web of relationships made Eloise dizzy. She wasn't interested in any of that. Her eyes, like glass marbles, shifted mischievously as she asked: "Lysander, doesn't this count as a coincidence situation? Now, we should be able to let bygones be bygones, right?"
Lysander raised an eyebrow, noncommittal, curious to see what she meant. Eloise's request was simple: she didn't want her days in the South to be filled with endless blind dates. She hoped Lysander would cooperate by saying they liked each other, thus ending the torment.
She clasped her hands together, her brows arching in a playful plea as she begged: "You don't have to cooperate for long. After all, I'll only be in the South until... until I've stayed long enough for someone to forget I ever existed."
Lysander propped his elbows on the table, sizing her up for a moment. He found the little girl quite interesting. Since it wasn't an unreasonable request—nothing like going the depth of hell —he readily nodded in agreement.
Eloise happily squinted her eyes, "To avoid any slip-ups, I'll definitely be 'dating' you often. So, for the rest of my days in the South, I'll just tag along with you!"
Lysander was very loyal, going all out with the act, and not only did he play along but he did it enthusiastically. Ever since he and Eloise "clicked," he showed up promptly every morning at Mrs. Brown's door to pick her up.
Mrs. Brown stood by the window on the second floor, watching Eloise skip joyfully toward the car like a carefree little bird. She couldn't quite find the words to describe how she felt. For the first time, she didn't feel joy from successfully playing matchmaker.
The days Eloise spent with Lysander were indeed a hundred times more interesting than before. Officially, he was a lawyer, but he was always receiving bizarre requests from eccentric clients. Eloise played the role of his assistant, trailing after him like a little tail, attending all sorts of strange events.
Thanks to him, she entered a large-scale prostitution den for the first time, witnessing the scene of dozens of beautiful women sprawled in various compromising positions, and she even managed to snap a photo of a well-dressed client's husband in a compromising situation with multiple others.
Thanks to him, she had once infiltrated a gang organization and had witnessed a fierce gunfight between two factions. Despite everything, Eloise still had the playful heart of a young girl, and in just two short weeks, so many new and exciting experiences had thrilled her to no end.
During their time together, she became more and more familiar with Lysander, and his tolerant personality made her feel like he was both an older brother and a close friend. Lysander also enjoyed bringing this cute little lady along wherever he went. On the day of the mayor's banquet, he even came to ask her if she wanted to join him.
Eloise had no interest in socializing, but she didn't want to stay in the house, exchanging glares with Mrs. Brown. So, with the thought of enjoying some delicious food, she dressed up a little and attended as Lysander's companion.
She had never been part of the high society circle in the South. Upon entering the banquet room, she found a large round table with a circle of unfamiliar faces seated around it. Looking at the empty seat next to the mayor, Eloise leaned close to Lysander's arm and whispered, "That investor is so arrogant. Even the mayor is here, but he hasn't arrived yet."
Lysander shrugged nonchalantly. "The one who pays, of course, gets to be the boss."
After a while, a noise came from the door, and everyone turned to look. Eloise also raised her head, peering through the gaps in the window's intricate design. She saw someone, and in an instant, her face turned pale with shock.
As the esteemed investor took his seat, the others around the table followed suit. Lysander was surprised to find that, in the blink of an eye, the seat beside him had emptied. Eloise was nowhere to be seen. He looked under the table with suspicion—still no sign of her.
What the hell! Though he was full of doubt, it wasn't the right moment to make a scene and search for her.
Over on that side, after exchanging pleasantries with the investor, the mayor stood up, offering a few words of praise before leaving his seat. He walked over to the curtain, pulled it open, and revealed a large, exquisitely crafted wooden box in the empty space behind it, its beams and carvings ornate and intricate.
"Mr. Kingswell seldom comes to the South, so naturally, he can't return empty-handed. I have prepared a gift for you. The weather is scorching today, but if you place this item on your bed tonight and sleep with it close to you, it will be a refreshing and delightful experience."
The mayor intentionally built suspense. Inside the wooden box was a cooling pillow carved from the South's local specialty, blue jade. It was made from a rare, translucent block of blue jade, inlaid with golden threads and exquisite silk, extremely expensive and unique in the world.
Such a precious gift for a distinguished guest, and the mayor of the South certainly showed his utmost respect.
Though the investor seemed uninterested, he still graciously expressed his anticipation. As a wisp of smoke rose, the wooden box slowly unfolded from all sides. The curious onlookers at the table widened their eyes in shock as they watched.
Because inside the box, not only was there a complete, gleaming piece of blue jade, but also a delicate and adorable girl lying on top of it.
Eloise stood there, completely bewildered, as every eye in the room turned toward her. She had simply wanted to find a place to hide, and when she saw the large wooden box behind the curtain, she had crawled into it without thinking. She never expected to create such a dramatic and dazzling entrance for herself.
The mayor's old face turned red, and in a fit of frustration, he bent down to ask who she was and how she ended up there. Eloise opened her mouth, but before she could answer, she let out a huge sneeze, accidentally blowing the mayor's toupee askew in the process.
She lowered her head, rubbing her nose, mentally grumbling, "Don't blame me, it's your fault for smoking and making my nose itch." Right now, she desperately wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. However, one gaze, sharp and unwavering, seemed to follow her every move.
"Since it's a precious gift from the mayor, then—please, take a seat beside me," the investor said, seeming quite pleased with the gift. His thin lips curled slightly into a smile. Eloise bit her lip in frustration, too afraid to respond to the scorching gaze from Isidore.
