Loreen chuckled and replied, “Alright, alright, since you insist, I won’t argue. I’ll send you my passport numberter.”


    She nced at the clock and added, “It’s gettingte. I don’t want to keep you two apart any longer. Charlie Wade, once you’ve booked the ne ticket, let me know the time. We can meet directly at the airport.”<fncf9d> Discover more novels at find?novel</fncf9d>


    ire quickly interjected, “Do you want me to give you a ride home?”


    Loreen shook her head and said, “No, it’s fine. My cousin is waiting at themunity gate. He’s been driving me aroundtely, and he’s very reliable.”


    As she spoke, she couldn’t help but sneak a nce at Charlie Wade.<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">


    Her cousin, Sam, had been given a rather unusual task by Charlie Wade, who had asked him to cycle all the way from Eastcliff to Aurous Hill as a form of punishment. Now, having him drive Loreen around Aurous Hill was part of that same punishment.


    Charlie Wade suspected that Loreen was mentioning this to create a favorable impression of Sam in his eyes, so he casually remarked, “Make sure your cousin drives you safely and doesn’t head back to Eastcliff too soon.”


    Loreen quickly replied, “No, no! We can’t keep him here all the time. He should return when the time is right.”


    In a hurry, Loreen added, “Oh, I don’t want to interrupt you two. I’ll see you the day after tomorrow. Bye!”


    ire said, “Let me walk you out.”


    Seeing his wife escorting Loreen, Charlie Wade followed her to the door.


    Just then, his father-inw Jacob drove into the yard in the Cullinan, with his mother-inw ine sitting in the passenger seat.


    Charlie Wade felt a flicker of curiosity. It was unusual for this pair of adversaries to be out together, so it piqued his interest to see them returning side by side.


    As the Cullinan rolled to a stop, Loreen eximed, “Uncle and Aunt are back! I should go say hello.”


    The car came to a halt, and Jacob and ine stepped out. Loreen greeted them with a smile, “Hello, Uncle and Aunt!”


    Seeing it was Loreen, ine beamed and asked, “When did you arrive, Loreen?”


    Loreen replied, “I’ve been here for a little while, just chatting with ire. I’m heading back now.”


    Jacob said, “Why rush off? Come in for some tea before you leave.”


    Loreen insisted, “No, Uncle Jacob, I really must go. I have other matters to attend to.”


    With that, she bid them farewell, saying, “Goodbye, Uncle. Goodbye, Aunt.”


    Jacob and ine politely returned her farewell, and at that moment, they noticed Charlie Wade standing by the door. ine eximed, “Oh, my wonderful son-inw is back after striking it rich!”


    ire shook her head at her mother’s words, saying, “Mom… can we not talk about money every time?”


    ine pouted and responded, “What’s wrong with that? My son-inw is out there earning a fortune, should I not mention it?”


    She then cast a pointed nce at the vi next door, where Old Lady Willson and Christopher’s family lived, and raised her voice slightly, saying, “I, ine, am lucky to have such a sessful son-inw. Unlike some people whose children and grandchildren are just not dependable!”


    Jacob nudged her lightly and muttered, “Alright, alright, let’s get back inside. It’s chilly out here; why shout?”


    Taking the opportunity to change the subject, Charlie Wade asked, “Dad, what were you and Mom up to while you were out?”


    Jacob chuckled, “Oh! It’s that old fox, President Pei. He’s been trying to butter me up in every way possible. Today, he insisted on inviting your mother and me over for dinner at his ce. He was as eager as a puppy.”


    With a pat on Charlie Wade’s shoulder, he continued, “You’ve been away in the northwest for so long; I’m sure it was tough. Don’t take on any Feng Shui jobs for now. Rest up at home. With the New Year approaching, you should stay in.”


    ine chimed in, “Exactly! Our wonderful son-inw has earned so much; we can’t let him just work without enjoying it. I think we should find a warm ce to celebrate the New Year. How about Yazhou? It’s nice and warm there in winter. People from the Northeast love heading there during the New Year.”


    Jacob replied, “Emma, what level are we at? Competing with them in Yazhou? Southeast Asia, the Maldives, Tahiti—aren’t they all warmer than Yazhou?”


    ine nodded in agreement, “You’re right! Our family has billions in assets; going to Yazhou seems a bit underwhelming. But we could consider the Maldives!”


    ire rolled her eyes and said, “Mom, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Charlie Wade, Loreen and I are heading to Tokyo the day after tomorrow. I have work to handle when I return in a few days. Time is tight before the Chinese New Year. If I wait until then to go out, it’ll be peak season, and everywhere will be crowded. It’s better to just stay home.”


    Upon hearing about the trip to Tokyo, ine quickly asked, “ire, what’s the n in Tokyo? Shopping? Can Mom join you?”