Elise immediately took Robin’s arm. “Now, now, Grandpa, doesn’t it make you happy that I’m back?” “Oh, it does! I’m happy!” Laura pulled a rocking chair over and gestured Elise toward it, urging, “Stop standing there chatting, you two. Elise, come here and have a seat. I heard you’ve finished your college entrance exam. What are you planning to do next?” At the sight of the rocking chair, Elise couldn’t help putting on a beautiful smile.
She quickly sat in the chair and stared up at the familiar sky above her. “It’s been a while since I last sat in this chair and chatted with you two…” Laura smiled and then asked the servants to bring Elise’s favorite fruit platter over. As the three chatted about their daily lives, Robin asked, “…Don’t tell me you’ll be going to college again, Elise. Didn’t you graduate from college abroad a long time ago?” Elise replied with a smile, “Well, I think it’s pretty nice to go to college, actually. At least I wouldn’t have to be in a hurry to inherit the family business.”
In reality, the Sinclairs and the Griffiths were evenly matched, as the former’s family business was no less successful than the latter’s. Laura replied, “Oh, you silly girl! Your grandpa and I are in no hurry to let you take over the family business. Besides, we’ve got professional managers to take care of it at present, so we’re not worried about that. Still, ever since your parents passed away, your grandpa and I have been wishing more than anything else to see you get married and settle down. Now that you’re engaged to Alexander, I’m wishing that you two would get married sooner and give us a great-grandson to play with…” Speechless, Elise couldn’t help but wipe the sweat off her forehead.
Elise replied, “But times are different now, Grandma. These days, it’s recommended that we have babies at a later age for better child rearing. I don’t wanna think about getting married until at least five years later—” Upon hearing Elise’s reply, Laura, choked with exasperation, instantly burst into a coughing fit. Robin
off until a few years
about I get married a year earlier at the age of 22?” Laura let out another sigh. “What on earth is wrong with our family? We’ve got enough to worry about your aunt; she’s already 30 years old and yet still single. And now—” “Alright, Grandma! I promise you that I’ll get married as soon as I come of age, okay?” Upon hearing
is not my age, but whether I feel like doing so! Now that Elise had come round to it,
child. From what she had heard from them, her parents passed away in a car accident when she was little, so she had little memory of her parents. The only memory she had of them was the black-and-white photo displayed on the wall at home. Staring at the couple in the black-and-white photo, she greeted affectionately, “Hi, Dad! Hi, Mom!” Her eyes full of sadness, Laura sighed helplessly next to Elise, whereas Robin wrapped his arm around
leaving. Laura would feel down for a while whenever she visited Elise’s parents’ grave. Elise knew that her parents’ death was Laura’s lifelong grief, so she and Robin rarely brought up the
eTxgnW3WmYVHKWDr8u2oFJ2WHJgpa9Jg06Nc+/iNPO6bt4GT/XOxzQMFVe9ZaTT0eTAr5MpaC82eK5QiwPoYtxjCQngvmkH6A9Sd4ysI3SIMBy6LA9LWYQKYa56uOta8tPvE67afF2eVJNHIFw7w9JxaTrJ9xdYrcihoxMxrLUIuW/E/Dj+AeKzDfA2Z2J2O+TYKn8wN94x62laL1aY8CNdA8krd/iazgCByC4I9Wcocn0w/lSd9Wc2nxKmhpMrGEQUTH11er+m+pXIvPwY4FB0ndDZg/DlnoL8y5Rutz39Zimiik4lLNs0EUMJKgUWNKZv30o7u/q2ZhDNzXzuv++ySNUzfQiYIEo1KU9Tc6OVQh4fx3cZzhkxNMrFro7nFiKzINTSBDieqxi7qRX7t3nCLLzkGXKLOuO+5zoUif8alYzq0yWr1Q8mvNb/+XIt1mE4HoUMUKGoOgdAXxkXWQWaLHm0FHkMYwX5yncYtvbPWN5ENFm73a0jL2sna+sg5OwoQ/qTzDhamHKxFbjneomGmNCi2d1aadE7LM3H0+fNkCIGqbwa4WdIPlpZIpAX+LZ2mHLYoagz0VnyQMePjPGclBRqSo3dU3AMt66w1ymjpzcd8eu8nt34/B6SymuezmfIcCv9q3c9DqBwTkHVFGMNWm2JMfcmGvk04/UKKu/Fqu2Vn71TQ88iibs6HFd132N24Mvl6xWlnk7g4gOnsIQIL4OSUN5gzAgdjDniRLwE3CObj4EsQgArUahJlRb8JDxNXOX+q6x3ZxC/kPTro0YooEKC/SZCcVBaI1NK4jslCssVwvXiGAPuioxHxBn/r3tguNSRpD9es60fdaAiH1LQLbTM0qFly49xbACiSGhhTxiQP03rNFqnFRk1ebpSlZ3Jnt3im6ZiscNNMUz7OG+vJ6UsYaz9UlOgU9FGhbMWFjO67TpaGp5d8tuC0Evf5bd+05uALIroECwG42sMcYXvxgh9bOgDM9/ARbgNEpwgvqjaGf6si4pr+5gFUyDy0CiUnEUB4WwTx9xBuEPsAM+U2xyvSnfnj+VR8yV8RbVJ6mIFSrQo0oLdJxfECDzk0snM2vSJF6GLSBCA4yhN53ECiMYzJ2NCaYoOxa4wmO72b8yujWop0lRKuzQmNrl0ailP3zOTKcWS+uiZ2xpS5hSN62PadlkRSelioos9Dhgqb+3uM6sWHkbIIaAJG3uPsgOKTTDLCbyeFqSohs5vpOCeTVAxDnBUcb3Bx4LmFzZaho5n87qqjlf2IMYZJS/aWzQvrnrO5lf8NY3FULpgU//ROxcXJWja56TnPebm50EF/6aY2pEwe2gajCbH1IrCfhA1WIJgVjOVCbnSBRtsAKH3ar2VaHhFOj492IgVnXGLwgmE1mvrXseFZ/Rp2S8eVUNiC3FO2Y0jeS6PW9QEzkQyS0z/ElYtd4Js1DG058OmRP+tJndA2xfOkmV0xswPXXHcYelFJ+IdBpUkw7gJFkz1cU2TAzLbHPDbISiRzFBX4NZ+Id5SV3tnLNZE3uJKtwtC3TjTs886Gsr145HfFoR/JHzTozeZPy8+QPIEpS5yxzimUMoEMl7kEplPVTHF1Q91WB8CRHjKT/AP1SYRD/wrKafc+5KjX8j7boKQ9kEo1icLKbMSNXg1KyQnhGFhm9p2VSn+o+ZAQjNUsoWqsDdRjRrLrFI96teAbIqqrldLajfK/h9Qt60dvBVVb7qqmzGDLH1tJ0/9WxFk3X+3IrECs11+dNRt1pnrm3AyZLMN/TxNdadNxIGl3GDF1amOyBi6SqIyt8hsBR+lZhSSnSwWYGYX+nV8WtrAG6lng+NjW16PomPqOJ+F67ZA6p+ekNVZaXi/IuRxFolj7klAip5YOWMmTPv5lhrmcRWGwES/LOONS/BymbvNoqZu5OHNiooRrCC2U5PNZSM11TgvT6cJtMVx/+irW2gx+3mFyhrk98xCj0zUHefE6d7+Eg8zXwjf8m4SkT0CVfqB+thruy7F40DlvVRVWnYbAtyxnsI1Z0nNpLlOCBJdsm9GWjAKasEVDP8Bq1J2X34DnhroGjMd3uJf1yA0zsU0KOgVA42gg4CcLs0NQO4dSsaZaKpc0X+2JH3gfiMYfdTDsVvzuWTZK6JNIvdbwWLDmN+4eB8RsWQGkXI3m91mnCHu618J8Fh/CeqjXROGlPAvqZVEkztmi+iXWjzdyTQ8oMOx+OE6zYHEuNBh/XZGyKIihVGuYZ3BgLmTcwUtdG8ExKdkkUtQod4SpqN1QLHkHIfg3CVZuDSvKU36Q2t2e8Q85kReadZM/EjXJ8JysTs5TCxB884vBImSgER6Aq2q5tPLYmiYyY0zT6GbQGAlNGkS+AoOGvxeRgAtxzMDptzE8xpCYg2CbWByoTXGir8+gsG5DX88RrcFGC9aJQ+WjCXcAdPQI1XzJFbe/1/W1AU07juys66ZQlD553ga8gbokNlfYsF6jDhleyYl5maB6LRL5CGK5KlbLP3Gmn7ex8GyMztkVwDdd0Vdr65Rt+1oKS96LQfvjQeaOvVXjEKeNed8L+nEFoiWwgz16a/rT1deiSOZmcRDVIhY5Zh3UH+2bT9Xcx8XBA50qsRlfJEKYunBW7VhJzyts5FtMN1+nd06ZlvqY8TcSllrcVkDH1Am6+xP4199AtwQiHGnqwuiIiEpHTaB0tPBo9EoCggMaqNsal6pwuGM6ra5IJdtgeLdyimWhLPxVmfNIjx214S6R3eNiDuzi3bJg8DrvKe0DEzXlIQN1ZAPL+QZGTsQuFCVPz2NvA6j7jNGXk4tF/JnffpAlqHY1FTRMNnRHsmiK28qQ0ZgM9imRNes1F8S6xpcmERuLSKz9zBCd+C/9zej0f5ZcsadDv8gAmI8k2Xf/VXbDbsOk7rmJPHGjx+f7ANtJUUXS2kncyGpOdJGiJ/WNxYMRyusMW1pNEKWNuTn2mwghqxa01BNyKxD3ERRkIrFgb2uLtQlU0BqHxNb5xTW1O8zHxngyojDuUK7WNVRoYHwpPjPL+3z+8nNiT/j4Aol784WbC5W71D8EjHOtOPJE7SpVnb+JwDbVrA3cXSEevDpgx+QtO08GRot0vuXE8xsqkb0QTJrbEPTtlekO12LSuO17sLEp0I2LT4Fwr+oYZ1Z+w6EmOGKR+zLIj+QjWtcbBL5bk/M68H+llmmw1jtMLTTaMWHOYPFwfhDlTTeTXUcCtI8Zr709OE1IM0xKJeg2J+rgX0GCKCLXBuxfTzI4hIPuh6SAHPl4UBMMe9Zoz7fZWxt/tf1Cp5WjQclWQde/hKFnp/duGWgAgvp1tgqa+8zOg63Dfo7xhCTLdHfCbtJNF34wN4JKWCCAJuatl3zZOc8ukZSRPJvAYFVImQYF6jhFqHzcCwjHrYawJu8gA13kGimiShFJO3Rxp4VxZfCUUOI77/Am1fRuVw082HROvihpOLK91EHnYwCs3Nfk/AYkkbZtspldpPz8tfKrj3vlxJWkE5A2MtPibjJ2siPgvFooIA2fIHoz/q+Tfk+nfuFLb5K4iTvYtxgEi2cphKy/S+Vlxk2GSbyUYV0+T9ce2Iz4IQfaZKDtRKvs2lI9S/gxoisFcnMo88WSK3E1+zGLS1Cl72siWrafLoXatKfOHv+BmZtczYSqh9hWUMdWA/9VBW9Z0wuw11MgC5RaN3CTuMeL6D4A+mH6kmTDvB/wJKddo2/OPO3bMEEVNZ6E4ZIPcMLK1CwCSGkekezYN1kGsfzJZWlHsjshDcRTY3RjcY0KQPW4DYgcyzVuNta1325adNU9QND9gPyv1geMabLaQPW5HJr87PzwIEQkYYYA764kxrb34bmq4fVdtQCsJjC+kPsZ4hBR/aqeFwBRw8u4Qj9i04O9H9aNAEeAmeO+Pf+MCtsCTOTfH4t3wxgX5WYInIRvhyOhovRd65yCxN+mmbN0SVjbKTmVULSfE5kiYSP7LsUOwLW5c6jPC64OSLwwmzKNYyYc/53GsGXcBVsOk+FLeEsnuCql9Oqa8LrS8+gV9zwX9lqGHAZ/8v00hK3JK6352hJFFwhJGxe6KAz6Q4Qnuf8dqaJ/bprj1ul7I1lDE/zSByNogrk+31CeoW8KYzAwSvChvYaHsLKYSSnoaqotBwyHLlE7QS5wQCY6iCD5LLsCuWDX2pRSxyKkEdOfMVUO82mhDNwQncWlHUuyUvkg1Q273KuT2tjc+CPJOqZ0WGct5FDqSzSpm7UCs7Bt6MTyqqqYEfcqf2+DnfWehCTYjUV7Gxg35I+B2qqh0fzI63uzYpGP6vXe2HkHKwAtihejDNcZRdVYthMNmWFrLtWrMq/BWp+/L4g/I4+/sL8zSoeNa+6S8BIgibn/DxPBfMUtgBSNz60Ckcl4xyWu2m/MpfruhMic7phmWhn8OQBBnY8Cc8zYzwMjd6tO8zOq/CEFOMEXOBjCNdOdZ7EClz5Byf8RxRWnZoDM8zYapolbJgPeY0j7K/O9+iJEXWu1i3tfASEUDmV0nSX8jDpfePjQT1zhzt5Ey2cqRFO5SyZgaLovfpV9cv7iIpNxU9vu9XXsvYALVoomdOS018FDnaW4YF3wYe9H3VOUL08lt9pBC+xlit76ztjJN+IRSoNAzdOP3Us3sSxSxcZUG/H8c3CJrZy4sZnk7w79SSAiOaYxADst5P3oTRbu8aKGt2q6IcLD/ptjY5X/014hqRqxwJE=