Nancy had seen plenty of these things in her time among the wealthy elite. Especially with young socialites—those girls had been trained in cunning from a young age. Their minds worked fast, and their tricks were endless. Ashley had been sheltered too well. She was too pure, too naive. If she ever had to compete with those little vixens, she might not stand a chance. So seeing her and Arthur together now, Nancy was genuinely happy. The company’s crisis was serious, but nothing was more important than family. Ashley blushed the moment she heard the delight in her mother’s voice. She pouted and whined, "Mom!" Nancy knew Arthur was right beside her, yet she still sounded so surprised—like Ashley had been the one desperate to be with him. If Arthur picked up on that, she’d die of embarrassment! Arthur glanced at Ashley, taking in her flushed face and shy expression. The sight of her soft, pink cheeks stirred something in him. Without hesitation, he leaned in and planted a kiss on her face. Ashley gasped. "Arthur!" She was still on the phone with her mom! And the call was on speaker! How could he be this bold! Thankfully, they had booked a private room in the restaurant. If anyone else had seen that, she would have died of shame! For a second, the other end of the call was dead silent. Then came a pair of awkward coughs—one from Nancy, one from Spencer. "Ahem." "Uh, you two take your time… No need to worry about the company. We’ll handle it." With that, Nancy hurriedly hung up. The call ended with a rapid series of beeps.Nancy clutched her chest, looking both pleased and flustered. Spencer, on the other hand, shot her a glare, looking more than a little jealous. "They’re together, so what? Why’d you have to tell them to take their time?" He didn’t finish his sentence, but after being married for so many years, Nancy immediately understood what he meant. Her face turned beet red. "I-I was just speaking without thinking!" As an elder, how could she tell the younger generation to ‘take their time’ like that? That was completely inappropriate! So embarrassing. But Spencer wasn’t amused. Of course, he was happy his daughter had found a good match. But still… she was so young! Eighteen. She had just become an adult. She was still in school! Spencer had always doted on Ashley. He had protected her carefully as she grew up, shielding her from harm. He had even taught her how to defend herself against boys with bad intentions. He had made sure she learned self-defense! Yet now, after all those years of effort, the daughter he had raised so carefully had gone off to college… and was now completely focused on Arthur. And that startled little yelp she made just now—Arthur had clearly taken advantage of her! As a man, Spencer knew exactly what was going on. Ashley being engaged was one thing. But seeing Arthur actually make a move on his daughter? That was something else entirely. It felt like he had spent eighteen years growing the most beautiful flower in the world, only for Arthur to come along and steal it roots and all in an instant. Spencer felt strangely empty inside.Nancy had known him for decades. One look at him, and she knew exactly what he was thinking. She gave him an amused glare. "They’re young. Isn’t it normal for them to enjoy each other’s company? If anything, this proves how strong their relationship is.They’re engaged, Spencer. It’s not like they haven’t spent the night together before. They’ve shared a room at the estate. You knew that already. So why are you suddenly acting all upset?" "That’s different! Ashley is still young. She can’t just—" Spencer grumbled. Nancy couldn’t hold it in anymore—she burst out laughing. For the moment, she had even forgotten about the company crisis. As long as her daughter was happy, business troubles could wait. "You worry too much," she teased. "Arthur and Ashley both know what they’re doing. They’re still in school. They’ll be responsible." Back in the restaurant, Ashley heard everything Nancy had just said. For a second, she completely froze. Then, her face burned. Her own mother… What was she even saying? Take your time! How could an elder say something like that to them! Ashley had only spent two days with Arthur, but she felt like her blood had spent more time in her face than anywhere else. She had already lost count of how many times she’d blushed. She stole a glance at Arthur. Please, please don’t let him have caught that… But fate was cruel. Arthur’s gaze was deep and knowing. He suddenly leaned in, his voice brushing against her ear. "Looks like we have your parents’ approval."