She pressed the answer button and called out with a laugh, "Glades."

"Where are you?" Glades Horne's deep voice came through, sounding quite normal, lacking the worry and dominance Julia Bluen had expected.

He had already arrived at Valence, but the Vice President told him she had left the company after receiving a phone call around ten.

During working hours, a phone call that could make her leave the company must be from someone important.

He thought it was from the Bluen Family and had called them one by one, but all the answers were negative.

He then thought it was an emergency call from his own family. Upon inquiring from Uncle Ying, he learned that the young mistress had not returned home at all. Meanwhile, those at home had their bank cards frozen by him. Penniless, they resignedly stayed put, either boredly staring at the newspaper, idly manicuring their nails, or sleeping.

Since it wasn't a call from a relative, he guessed it must be Rachel Bailey.

Hansen Ruiz had said that if he could persuade Rachel Bailey to accept Ruiz's pursuit, Hansen Ruiz would serve the Valence Group for life. In reality, Hansen Ruiz was also using the Valence Group to shield him from pressure from the Ruiz Family.

After years of cooperation, they knew each other well. He, too, hoped that Hansen Ruiz would stay with the Valence Group. Besides, Ruiz's conditions were too simple—just a matter of saying a few words. He was getting the better deal.

"I'm at the beach with Rachel. Glades, I won't be able to make it back for dinner with you. I want to spend some time with Rachel. I'll cook for you when I get home this evening as compensation, okay?" Only after hearing that Glades Horne's voice lacked its usual concern and dominance did Julia tell the truth.

Glades Horne remained silent.

As he went silent, Julia's heart rose in her chest. He didn't agree?

"Glades..."

"Alright. What dish do you want to make tonight? I'll prepare the ingredients for you. This time... I'll buy the right amount." When it came to preparing ingredients, Glades Horne naturally recalled the ridiculous way he had shopped when they made dumplings.

Julia, too, remembered his comical shopping from last time. Her eyes crinkled with amusement, and a laugh escaped her as she asked, "Are you sure you can manage it?"

"I'll try."

Glades Horne didn't dare to say he could definitely buy the right amount.

"Get a fresh fish. I want to make sweet and sour fish. Get some ribs for sweet and sour ribs, some tomatoes and eggs for scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Also, I want to make sweet and sour chicken wings, tricolor sweet and sour chicken with pineapple, and sweet and sour prawns..." Julia Bluen, without knowing why, listed a series of sweet and sour dishes. Rachel Bailey, who disliked sour flavors, was sitting beside her. She began to drool at the mere mention of anything with 'sour' in the name, as if she were tasting the sourness herself.

"Also, Glades, aren't there lots of oranges in the market now? Can you buy me a bag of those sourish oranges when you come back? I suddenly feel like eating oranges. It's a pity there are no plums this season, or else it would be even better." Julia did not realize that all the dishes she mentioned were sweet and sour, and even the fruit she asked Glades Horne to buy for her had a sourness to it.

On the other end of the phone, Glades Horne was slightly surprised but didn't think much of it. He did ask with some confusion, "Julia, why are you suddenly all about sweet and sour dishes?" After all, she had always liked sweet and sour flavored dishes.

With these thoughts, Glades Horne no longer felt anything was amiss with her.

"Alright, whatever you want to eat, I'll buy for you," Glades Horne responded gently.

"Okay, see you tonight. Go and eat something, don't starve yourself."

"Same for you. If you get hungry, I'll hold Rachel accountable. I'll make sure she has more than she can handle. I will..."

"That's enough, you possessive man! I'm not a child anymore. Stop nagging me like an old lady," Julia interrupted Glades Horne, unable to suppress her laughter.

This man was sometimes more fussy than an old lady. She chuckled to herself.

Two low chuckles came from the other end of the line, and Glades Horne's mood became extremely cheerful. Talking on the phone with her, even if his mood was at its worst, just hearing her voice made him feel as delighted as if he had won a five million jackpot. Oh no, with all his own money, five million wouldn't be enough to make him happy. It would have to be fifty billion... It seems there's no such high prize available. But who cares? That was just the analogy he used.

"I'll be waiting for you at home tonight. Remember to come home early, otherwise, I'll go hungry. Remember, it's *our* home. I've already had someone fix the damage from yesterday." Their home. He wouldn't allow any damage to it. Even if his sister destroyed the entire Courtyard, he would ensure it was restored to its original state.

"Got it," Julia agreed with a laugh.

Only then did Glades Horne hang up the phone with peace of mind.

"Men can sometimes be as nagging as women," Julia said as she put away her phone, her eyes nevertheless filled with deep happiness.

Rachel Bailey, beside her, was thoroughly aware of the gentle warmth between Julia and Glades Horne. From the bottom of her heart, she blessed her friend and also envied her.

"The young master treats you incredibly well. I doubt there's another man in the whole world who dotes on you like he does," Rachel Bailey swept away her own troubles, teasing Julia. "By the way, Julia, why are all the ingredients you asked the young master to prepare for you for sweet and sour dishes? Are you planning a sweet and sour feast?"

"I've always liked sweet and sour flavors," Julia said with a smile. Realizing she had mentioned quite a string of sweet and sour dishes, she couldn't help but stick out her tongue. It seemed she really had listed a lot of them.

She opened the car door, got out, and said to Rachel, "Let's go for a walk by the sea."

Rachel followed suit and walked towards the beach.

The two continued to chat about matters of the heart.

Although the weather was very cold today, tourists still dotted the beach, though considerably fewer people were swimming in the sea. After all, the weather was cold, and the ocean wasn't a hot spring. How many could endure the icy chill of the seawater? Everyone was dressed in thick clothes, playing in groups on the beach. They ran back and forth, which served as a way to warm up.