The couple was shocked and looked at each other. Arya quickly straightened her back and looked outside the door, astonished.
Thump thump thump!
Sounds of quick footsteps echoed and she frowned. "There's someone outside!"
Xavier had already stood up, his deep eyes shining slightly, but his expression was as calm as ever. He just walked outside and Arya caught up to him when he left the room.
There was a grey figure that disappeared into their bedroom as they just walked out of the study room. Feeling odd, Arya went on to take a look. She stood outside the bedroom and saw an old, bespectacled lady wearing a grey coat scrummaging through their cupboards.
Swoosh!
The old lady opened their wardrobe and rifled through them. She fixed her sharp gaze on Arya's clothes, then she studied the spacious bed. After that, she quickly took a look at the bathroom...
Arya was stunned and was not sure what was happening. The old lady seemed just like a disciplinary teacher. Glancing at the man beside her, she realized that he had already sat down on the sofa.
He turned the television on and was taking out some tea leaves casually as if he did not notice the old lady messing up their bedroom.
She pointed her finger at the bedroom and stammered out of astonishment, "Xavier... She..."
"Sit down. She'll come out after going through the room," Xavier replied as he poured the tea elegantly.
She was stunned for quite a while. Turning to the messy bedroom and then at the calm man, she thought about it before sitting beside him on the sofa.
Arya accepted the tea he handed to her. She sipped on it as she threw him a question, "Is that your grandmother?"
"Who else would be this daring aside from her? Get used to it. They usually won't come to Maple Residence. Probably Father told them."
"Father? The middle-aged man we saw this evening?" She had noticed that the man's facial features seemed similar to Xavier's, and at that time...
Before she could think any further about it, the sounds of swift footsteps closed in. A shadow went past her speedily and before she could even come back to her senses, someone had already sat down beside her.
She raised her head. It was the old lady from just now —
With silver-white hair and a pair of foxy eyes glimmering with light, she looked skinny but seemed energetic. Her face was slightly tensed up and was staring straight at Arya, who was starting to feel embarrassed, so she tugged on the sleeves of the man beside her.
"You rushed over this late at night. You've seen her now, so it's time for you to go back and rest easy." Xavier looked at his grandmother, Bella, and evenly poured her a cup of tea.
Bella stared at him without a change in expression. Her face bloomed into a wide smile and the look in her eyes became gentle as well. She asked kindly,
"You look pretty familiar. What's your name? How old are you? Where do you stay? Who else is in your family? How long have you been together with Xavier? When are you guys getting married?"
A whole bunch of questions was fired and Arya was unable to react.
"I..." Arya felt a chill running down her spine. She turned her head over to Xavier, yet he was not paying attention to her. Instead, he was watching NBA on the television.
"Hi... I'm Arya... We... We..."
"Arya? Why's that name so familiar?" Bella squinted her eyes and stared at Arya's pretty little face. After a while, her eyes were glinting and then she shouted,
"Are you the one the elder said performed very well in Glory World? Director Johns who looks pretty good, Robert Johnson's granddaughter?"
Arya was stunned. The scene of her first meeting with Xavier flashed through her mind.
The blind date!
Arya's cheeks heated up. Suddenly, her face reddened and she nodded.
"Hello. So, you know my grandfather as well?"
"Of course, we were good comrades back then. I heard that old fella mention that he has a treasured granddaughter. He told me about it... Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Grandmother... Xavier is my grandson!"
Bella was running her mouth, but her eyes became sharp when she glared at Xavier.
"If your father and Manager hadn't mentioned it to me, we'd still have no idea about it! How long have you been together?"
Xavier then turned to lock eyes with Bella.
"We're already married. She's now your granddaughter-in-law and we're staying together legally. Arya, greet her formally."
Married!
Granddaughter-in-law!
Staying together legally!
These phrases made the old lady's blood pressure rocket sky-high!
Bella widened her eyes and looked at the young couple before her. In her astoundment, her eyes rolled around before she came back to her senses, locking her gaze onto Arya's pretty little face.
"Xavier mentioned that you guys are married?"
Arya nodded and smiled shyly. She replied politely,
"Hello, Grandmother! I'm sorry I didn't visit you earlier..."
Arya's reply made the usually quick-witted Bella stunned for some time. Her eyes darted between the two of them repeatedly as her body seemed to have frozen.
Not knowing what to say, the sudden news indeed shocked the elder. Moreover, she was the one who had mentioned getting married first. Arya then realized that her rash decision had caused such a big uproar, so she was now worried about her grandpa and her mother's side. Would they...
She looked at Xavier uneasily, her eyes screaming for help. He noticed her intention and then smiled at her before he set his gaze on Bella.
Bella finally came back to her senses. An odd expression appeared on her face as a light flashed through her sharp eyes and she grinned at the two of them. Staring at Xavier squarely in the eyes, she quipped,
"I'm not a very traditional person. I'll accept it since you both are already married. However, since you guys got married in such a hurry, could it be...?"
The old lady's sharp eyes were focused on Arya's stomach as she grinned like a cunning fox.
"Did you guys not take safety precautions and had an accident?"
"Pfft!"
Arya was drinking some tea, but upon hearing the speculation, she started coughing and tea spurted out of her mouth. As a result of her shock, the wound on her shoulder jolted slightly. Xavier reacted quickly by grabbing several tissues for her to avoid the mess from worsening.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Don't you have anything else in your mind?" Xavier frowned at Bella. At the same time, he placed a hand behind Arya's back protectively.
"How are you feeling?"
Arya raised her hand slightly to indicate that she was fine, but her little face was all red. All of a sudden, she felt that it was very hot. She glared at Xavier awkwardly and wanted him to explain!
Bella thought that her assumption was correct when she saw Xavier being so concerned about Arya. After all, otherwise, they would not have gotten married in such a rush.
However, it did not seem right. The timing did not match up. They had just gone on their blind date not too long ago, and Xavier had just returned recently...
What was happening?
The Knight family was very strict with their reputation, especially since they were a prestigious family. Bella was a respectable icon within the military while Xavier's father, Michael Knight, was a top brass in the government sector. His mother, Olivia Knight, sat among the ranks of the Procuratorate management. Therefore, they had to be very careful with everything they did.
Problems related to principles or negative issues were something they should avoid, which made them more sensitive toward matters that might hurt their family's reputation.
Within the upper ranks of society, smart people would never make such silly mistakes, unlike those playboys who would get into trouble everywhere and become victims of the mass media.
Being born under such family circumstances and having studied in a military school, Xavier had extraordinary self-control. He was disciplined, humble, and responsible.
...
Xavier knew exactly what Bella was thinking as she stared at them.
"It's not what you think. Didn't you guys always want me to get married and live a new life? You guys are happy with her, and so am I," Xavier took a pause and glanced at the shiny ring on Arya's finger, then he continued,
"Arya studied in City High School too. I met her many years ago and liked her ever since. A senior marrying his junior... Isn't that pretty good?"
As he finished his sentence, the man glanced at the blushing Arya with an odd smile.
Liked her ever since high school?
A senior marrying his junior?
That was impressive of him. He did not even need to practice lying. However, it seemed to be believable. In fact, they really did study at the same high school and were truly having the relationship between a senior and a junior!
However, their high school phase was over ten years ago and they had no idea who each other was then! Moreover, he was several years older than her. When she enrolled at the school, he had already graduated!
Arya glanced at the man who looked calm as ever and did not show any hint of being nervous. She was impressed by how he could remain so calm.
His performance was able to trick the cunning old fox. Furthermore, the couple's intimate behavior proved that Xavier's words were not a lie, so Bella then truly believed him.
She looked at Arya and smiled. "I see you both knew each other before... Well, that's great! Great, senior and junior, not bad at all! His parents, who are your parents now as well, are from the same school too."
"I hope you don't mind, my child. It's easier now that things are clear. I'm pretty close to your grandpa Robert, your mother Arianna, and his parents are on friendly terms as well. There's nothing wrong with knowing each other. I hope that our family gets to know each other better. Haha, this is fantastic..."
Bella grinned like a cunning fox, her smile even seeming slightly evil.
See now, Robert, back then, my son wasn't able to marry your daughter. However, now your granddaughter has become one of my family members. Suck it up! The fact is that my grandson is really charming!
Arya felt goosebumps when she saw Bella's grin. A cold wind blew behind her and made her shiver.
Why did she feel like she had just fallen into a wolf's den?
Bella quickly erased her smile when she noticed Arya's uneasiness. A kind smile returned to her face once again and she gently patted Arya's hands which were resting on her lap.
"Don't mind me. I'm just overjoyed to have a pretty granddaughter-in-law! You're really quick-handed, aren't you? But that's how a soldier should do it! Attack me when you have the chance. There's nothing wrong with being decisive, is there?"
Bella was really satisfied with Arya. Although she had browsed through Arya's profile before she sent Xavier on the blind date, now that she saw her in person, she thought that she seemed very similar to her mother, Arianna. Even their personalities were similar: quiet, humble, and elegant. Moreover, she was a high achiever. Where else could she look for a granddaughter-in-law like this?
As expected of his impeccable taste, Xavier was spot-on this time!
"Xavier, you're much more charming than your father!" Bella laughed happily as she took a sip from her cup of tea. She exercised restraint when she received a cold warning stare from Xavier. Glancing at the time and realizing that it was pretty late already, she said,
"I don't really mean anything. I just heard your father mention you two, and Manager Xavier gave me a call too, so I was curious and came over..."
"I've already decided to bring her home in a few days. There are quite a lot of things to work on. Isn't my mother coming back in a few days from her inspection trip in City Mexico?" Xavier said indifferently.
"She called your father today. She's coming back tomorrow afternoon." Bella glanced at Xavier secretly.
"Okay, I've got it, I'll go back the day after tomorrow. We'll chat again tomorrow if there's anything else. It's pretty late already. Decide for yourself if you want to go back or stay over for the night."
"I'll go back, I'll go back. Don't worry, I won't interrupt you guys! Okay, it's set then. Come back on the morning of the day after tomorrow. I'll get them prepared. Right, Granddaughter-in-law, what do you like to eat?" Bella seemed pleased. Her smile was really warm and did not feel distant at all.
Arya was stunned for a moment. She then replied with a polite smile,
"I'm not very picky. My taste is pretty close to his."
She dragged Xavier into the conversation shamelessly because she had no idea how to answer her. Moreover, she had had several meals with him before and she noticed they both preferred more light-tasting food.
Bella's smile was growing wider with each word just like a chrysanthemum in full bloom. She nodded and then stood up.
"Alright, then I've got it. I'll go back now. Remember to come by earlier then. I hope I didn't scare you tonight!"
Arya shook her head gently, feeling rather shy under Bella's gentle and passionate stare.
"It's okay. It's my fault for not visiting first. I hope you can forgive me."
Bella nodded vigorously like a chicken pecking grains on the ground.
"I understand! I really understand! I was young and in love once. As long as you guys are in love with each other, you've got the marriage certificate anyway, so you can do whatever you like. Acting on impulse isn't bad. On the other hand, acting irresponsibly on impulse is a bad move. Don't worry. There's nothing wrong with moving in together as a married couple. It isn't a bad move at all. We, elders, are pretty open-minded and can accept it."
She then touched all her pockets, unable to find anything. She smiled at Arya awkwardly.
"I'm sorry, my child. I rushed over here and didn't bring you anything. I even forgot to get you a red packet. My bad."
After some thinking, she took off the green jade bracelet from her hand before she pulled Arya's slender hand and put it on with a smile.
"Alright, take this as a first meeting gift from me. His grandfather gave this jade bracelet to me back then as our token of love. It's pretty troublesome to wear it around although I just felt like putting it on these few days. You look really great with it!"
"Grandmother, I... It's okay..."
Arya wanted to decline and was about to take it off, but the man threw her a glance and then spoke up,
"Bring her a few more next time. I know there's a lot of stuff like this among the dowry Grandfather gave you."
"You cheeky brat, you're just like your grandfather. Devious chap! Do you think I'll treat my granddaughter-in-law poorly? We'll talk again once you come back. It's already late. I'll go back now. You two rested earlier as well! Remember to bring her back! Or you'll face the consequences!"
While Maple Residence was pretty spacious, there was only one bedroom. Bella would not disturb the newlyweds, so she quickly left. After all, there were many more chances in the future to talk and she did not want to ruin the youngsters' fun!
...
Arya slowly drew the curtains in a daze after Bella got into the car hastily. When she came back to her senses, she noticed that the man was already lying on the bed and flipping through one of the books she had bought.
"Aren't you going to tell me something?" Arya went over and sat down on the edge of the bed as she looked at him with her quiet eyes.
"About?" He raised his head and looked at her in doubt. Then, he took his coat off and passed it to her.
Arya frowned, taking the coat and putting it on the chair beside the bed as she said, "I don't know anything about your family. Shouldn't I be prepared if I'm going back with you?"
She suddenly felt a headache as she mentioned it.
Xavier gave her a meaningful look when he saw her eyes glower and he laughed. "Are you nervous?"
"Which part of me looks nervous? I just feel like we didn't consider a bit more before making our decision." Arya seemed troubled.
"Isn't it too late to think about that now?" Xavier looked at her funnily.
"You're the one who said to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau immediately!" Arya could not help but give him a glare.