A Moment in Destiny

Chapter 290 Having Lunch Together

Leila pushed the door open and walked in. Inhaling deeply, she saw Theodore sitting at the desk and typing something on his laptop. He raised his head and saw her coming in. Then he said, “Take a seat, please.”

Leila walked over, but she didn’t sit down. She just said, “Professor Hall, how may I improve my thesis?”

“You’ve done a good job with your thesis. The argument is novel, the evidence is sufficient, and the writing is fluent. It’s a rare good thesis this year.”

Leila was a bit surprised. “But why did you call me over?”

Since her thesis was good, why did other classmates need to modify their theses?

“Let’s have lunch together. You said you’ll treat me for a meal,” he said.

Leila was startled, standing there calmed. She never expected that Theodore would be like this. “Is it really that my thesis has no problem? Don’t I need to modify it, Professor Hall?”

“Please call me Theodore. I still prefer you to call me Theodore.” Theodore didn’t want her to distance herself from him.

“But now you are my professor!” Leila answered politely and distantly. “I should obey the rules.”

“The, can’t we have lunch together?” He looked up at her without a blink, his eyes full of expectation. Seeing her keep silent, he added, “There’s a small part of your thesis that needs to be modified. Now it’s lunchtime. We can discuss while eating. I remembered that you said you would treat me to a meal. It’s just been three days. Have you already forgotten?”

“Oh!” Leila couldn’t say anything else since he had said so. It was indeed her who promised that. She just said that at random because she didn’t think they would meet again. She had thought that the chance to meet him again would be quite limited. Much to her surprise, it was such a small world. He suddenly became her thesis tutor. “All right. Professor Hall, I’ll treat you for lunch.”

Upon hearing Leila’s agreement, Theodore seemed to be stunned. Then he looked at her meaningfully and said, “OK. Let’s eat out.”

Leila had never expected that Theodore would take her to HJ Hotel. She was sitting in his car. They hadn’t seen each other for three years, and he got a car as soon as he came back from abroad. Leila heaved a sigh when noticing this changed, wondering if the university had provided him with a car.

When the car stopped in front of the HJ Hotel building, she was fully startled. She hesitated whether she should go in or not, as she always felt a sense of guilt. It felt like that she was dating another man at Vincent’s back. Although she had done nothing and wouldn’t do anything, she felt guilty for some reason.

“Can we change to another restaurant?” asked Leila after the car stopped steadily.

“Why? Do you want to break your promise and skip this lunch?” He raised his eyebrows.

“No--”

“This place is fine. The Japanese cuisine and Russian dishes served here are all quite nice. Let’s eat the Japanese cuisine today.”

Leila was dragged into the elevator of the building. They walked to the dining area.

After taking the seat, Theodore ordered dishes. Then he glanced at Leila. “Was that man on the phone that day your husband?”

He sounded quite gingerly and even didn’t want to believe that she had got married already.

“Yeah.” Leila nodded without speaking anything else.

Theodore shook his head, knowing that she was not willing to discuss such a question with him.

He faintly smiled. “All right. I’ll change this sensitive topic. I was quite surprised when knowing that you’re married. I didn’t expect that it would happen so soon. Since you’re married, I hope we could still be friends. I hope we wouldn’t be so restraint or break up completely because of it. We are both living in the modern world, and I have quality. And you, would you please be more broad-minded?”

His words with self-mockery made Leila a bit upset. Her feeling was indescribable. Indeed, she couldn’t break up with a good friend just because she was married.

However, she felt a little migraine when hearing his words. Leila looked around the luxurious restaurant in HJ Hotel, then touched her bag subconsciously. Glancing at Theodore, she said, “Since you said we’re friends, I’ll say it directly. I might haven’t brought enough money. If I couldn’t pay for the bills, please don’t blame me.”

Upon hearing it, Theodore was a bit surprised, staring at her motionlessly. Suddenly, he smiled, “Leila, you are still unchanged, straightforward, and direct. I thought you’ve changed. But how dare you treat me for lunch if you don’t have money?” Content rights belong to NôvelDrama.Org.

“I didn’t say I would treat you for a meal today. You dragged me here forcibly.” Leila was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. She had indeed changed, not the Leila she used to be. However, would there be any difference if she reminded the same or changed? She had to endure everything right now. “How about you lend me some money? I’ll give you back after back to school.”

“Ho! I’ve never heard such a thing!” said Theodore with a smile. “Well, if you promise that you wouldn’t break up with me after having lunch today, I wouldn’t embarrass you.”

Leila didn’t have much money in the bag, but she had a credit card given by Vincent. She didn’t want to spend his money, because she didn’t spend a penny of his except the things that Vincent insisted on buying for her.

“I’ve never seen such a scheming professor like you, and you are my senior. You just set me up!” Leila curled her lips and acted more casually as if they had been back to a long time ago when he was still a year-four student in P University.

Seeing that her mood returned to normal, Theodore was delighted as well. He added, “This lunch is on me then. Stop feeling so upset! Seeing you like this, I feel quite guilty.”

“No! It’s my treat!” Leila didn’t want to owe others’ favors. “If I don’t have enough money, I’ll give it to you after back to university. Anyway, we’ve agreed it’ll be my treat and I should keep my promise.”

“Leila, do you really have to draw a clear distinction between us?” asked Theodore.

“Of course. There’s a statement of the friendship, which is a hedge between keeps friendship green,” Leila answered in a low voice.

“What if I don’t want to be in that way?” His eyes became darkened, and he stared at her without a blink.

Leila was startled. Twitching the corners of her mouth, she answered, “Then we couldn’t be friends anymore. But I know you are a man of integrity.”

“Well, since you said so, I had to keep my integrity.” Theodore smiled and added, “Leila, I haven’t seen you for three years. You are still so unique and have a strong personality as you were before.”

Leila also smiled, feeling more relaxed indeed. “I’m not unique. I’m always easygoing.”

If she indeed had a strong personality, she wouldn’t be bullied by Vincent.

Theodore couldn’t help curling up his lips. “You looked quite easygoing, but when you are stubborn, you will become quite horrible.”

Horrible?

Leila didn’t think so. Otherwise, how could she do nothing when Vincent bullied her every time?

Recalling Vincent, Leila looked around the restaurant. They were in HJ Hotel now, which was his territory. She wondered if he was also having lunch at this time. On Saturday night, he went out looking for her in the downpour, got wet in the rain, and gave her embraces. Recalling the ice cream and popcorn he bought in the cinema, Leila couldn’t help but get touched.

“What are you thinking about? Focus!” Theodore blinked. “Show some respect on me!”

“Nothing!” Leila shook her head.

When Theodore was about to take a bite of the food, he felt a sharp gaze on him. Immediately, he looked up, only to find a tall and strong man coming towards their table.

Leila didn’t know that Vincent was talking towards them. She turned around and followed Theodore’s gaze. Then she gaped in fear.

“Hey, Leila. Who is this?” Vincent walked directly to Leila, his lips curling up into evil and elegant smile.

Leila was startled so suddenly. “This, this is my thesis tutor Theodore. He used to be my senior before.”

Theodore sensed that this man hated him very much. Glancing at Leila, he asked, “Leila, who is this?”

“Well--” Leila didn’t know how to explain her relationship with Vincent indeed.

“I’m Vincent White,” Vincent answered arrogantly with a faint smile.

“Nice to meet you,” Theodore said politely after being taken aback for a moment.

He raised his head and looked at Vincent up and down -- he was in a black high-end tailored suit, making his tall and strong figure more slender.

He had a handsome but cold face, perfect facial features as if they were carved in the face, thick eyebrows with the raised upward tip of the brows, deep and sharp black eyes, and an upright nose. On his face, there was a not-so-harmonious smile, emanating the cold and proud temperament of a king. In his elegance, there was a charisma that could make others bow at their feet, and he exalted above the living beings, like an overbearing empire standing on the far side.

Theodore released that this man was an outstanding one.

Vincent White?

He was the golden man in F City.

However, Theodore wondered what he had to do with Leila. His voice reminded Theodore about the man on the phone the other night. Was this Leila’s husband?

Suddenly, he could understand why Leila treated him so coldly. Any woman could fall in love with this man. Theodore gradually calmed down from the excitement because of his confession just now. Comparing with this cold, elegant, and noble man, he couldn’t have a chance.

“Leila, treat Professor Hall please. I’ll inform the manager of the restaurant that the lunch is on us. Remember to come to me after lunch.” His magnetic voice was full of calmness and hoarseness. Although he just said a simple sentence, his words had the stateliness that didn’t allow anyone to reject. “Professor Hall, enjoy your lunch, please.”

“Sure. Thanks, Mr. White.” Theodore smiled politely.

Vincent walked away at a steady pace. At the moment when he turned around, he cast a cold glance at Leila’s face as if there was a trace of warning. ‘So this is Theodore, the man who is Leila’s only man friend and almost has become her boyfriend, isn’t he?’ he thought to himself.

Leila didn’t have the guts to look at him, lowering her head all the time.

Suddenly--

“Daddy, here I am. You are truly here!” A child’s clear voice rang out.

Attracted by the child’s voice, Leila raised her head and looked over, only to see that Vincent bent over and held a five or six years old boy in his arms.

He asked the boy lovingly, “Owen, why are you here?”

It was like a loud rumbling in Leila’s head.

Did that boy call him Daddy?

She was completely shocked by this title. Before she could come back to her senses, the blood drained from her face in an instant.

“Hasn’t Mommy come here too? My baby, shall I take you to eat KFC?”

“No way! I want to ride the roller coaster. Mommy said you don’t have time, so I didn’t dare to disturb you. If it weren’t that I got sick, Mommy would never want me to come to find you. Daddy, if you have time, could you please take me to ride the roller coaster? I want to ride it so much!”

“Are you sick?” Vincent’s tone became intense. “How did you get sick? Are you not feeling well? Have you seen a doctor?”

“Yes, I have. I got a cold and had a drip on. I didn’t cry at all. Daddy, am I not brave?”

“My son is certainly brave!” Vincent was quite proud. Leila could tell the pride in his tone.

“Daddy, when will you take me to ride the roller coaster?” In Vincent’s arms, the boy sneezed, his fair little face went reddened.

Leila’s gaze fell on Vincent and Owen -- it was a little boy around five. With red lips and white teeth, he looked quite adorable. He was wearing a pair of suspender trousers with the Mickey Mouse pattern and a white t-shirt. She could tell that he was a boy with excellent genes.