Part 15 Close Relationship and Uninvited Guest

                                    

                                          

Emma rolled her eyes and let out a laugh, "What, am I supposed to help you wash your pants now?" The moment the words slipped out, she felt they carried an unintended meaning. To her surprise, Owen responded earnestly, "You can cover the dry cleaning costs."
"I don't accept cash."
"Ha!" Emma fished out some change from the car's coin compartment, shoving it into his hands. "Only hard currency!"
Reluctantly, he accepted it.
The ride continued in silence; one was focused on driving while the other dealt with emails on her phone. Neither bothered to engage the other, which made for a quiet journey. However, as they approached a particular neighborhood, Owen finally finished with his work and looked around, sensing something was off.
This wasn't a shopping mall or a restaurant; it felt more like a residential area.
Indeed, it was a residential area—Rose lived here.
Though Emma seldom visited, her license plate was already in the community's system, allowing her car access. It wasn't until she parked that Owen casually asked, "Where are we?"
Emma undid her seatbelt, considering her words carefully. "My mom knows you're back and wanted to extend some hospitality."
Owen stared at her for a few seconds, his deep-set eyes revealing nothing, before he asked, "So, you asked me out multiple times because of your mom?"
Emma frowned, ready to refute. "No."
But Owen's expression relaxed for only a moment before she added, "Including today, it's only been twice."
Where did the "multiple times" come from?
Rolling her eyes was all she could do!
Although she was indeed being somewhat deceptive, the number of times mattered, and clarifications were necessary. Noticing that Owen was still unmoving, and not wanting to dwell on the topic any longer, her phone suddenly buzzed.
"Let's get out; my mom just texted to hurry us up."
As she finished speaking, Emma opened the door and got out, oblivious to the slight curve of Owen's mouth. His eyesight was sharp; he had just seen a promotional alert from a shopping website.
Ha! She hadn't changed a bit, so skilled at spinning tales!
They parked right in front of a posh villa in a purely residential neighborhood. Emma didn't even check whether Owen would follow her, making her way to the front door and ringing the bell.
The housekeeper quickly opened the door, immediately turning to get Emma a pair of slippers.
Just then, Rose appeared from upstairs, casually asking, "Didn't I give you the passcode?"
As Emma bent down to change her shoes, she mumbled, "Forgot it."
A screen partition blocked Rose's view of the foyer, so she inquired, "Where's Owen?"
Emma glanced back and saw Owen had already stepped to the door. "Looking for you."
It was obvious who was searching for him.
After changing into slippers, Owen entered, greeting Rose politely, "Auntie, I came so hastily that I didn't even bring a gift."
Rose was known for her seriousness; she was strict at work and maintained a stern demeanor with Emma as well. But now, she smiled, "No need to be so polite; it's just a meal."
Both Rose and Owen were skilled in the art of official pleasantries; their polite exchanges seemed almost rehearsed, as if they had a mental thesaurus.
Emma had never been like that; she was more wild and had only slightly tempered her temperament as she grew up. The most formal thing she had ever said in her life was that "您" (formal "you") to Owen.