"I'm very sorry. My mom arranged this without my knowledge. I only realized what was happening when I got here." The light in Wesley's eyes visibly dimmed. He asked quietly, "So you were tricked into coming? You don't want a blind date at all?" Darcy nodded. "Yes. I apologize. Please, let me pay for the meal as an apology." Wesley gave a bitter smile. "I'm a man. I can't let a lady pay." This was the first time in his life he'd been so instantly taken with someone, only to be rejected immediately. The sense of defeat was undeniable. "May I ask why you are against the idea? Do you already like someone, or you just don't like meeting people this way?" he asked, unwilling to give up completely. Darcy thought for a moment. "I'm buried in work, and I've got school coming up. I simply don't have the time." Wesley visibly relaxed. "That's okay. I'm very busy too. I don't mind." Darcy felt a headache coming on, silently scolding herself for being too vague. After another moment's thought, she added, "I'm not looking to start a new relationship right now. You probably saw the stuff about me and my ex online. It didn't end well." "That's fine. Everyone has a past. I understand." "...I'm sorry, Mr. Palmer. I wish you the best in finding someone suitable." Wesley's smile was strained. He knew Darcy truly wasn't interested in him. Just then, the server arrived with a lavish spread of breakfast dishes. He focused on eating, not mentioning the date again. When they finished, Darcy stood to pay, only to see Wesley dart like a rabbit to the cashier and settle the bill before she could even get there. Darcy shook her head helplessly and pulled out her phone to transfer him the money. Wesley waved his hands. "No, no, it's fine." His ears turned slightly red as he rubbed his hands together. "Um... could we add each other on WhatsApp? Don't worry, I won't bug you." Darcy lowered her gaze and sighed softly, "Alright." They exchanged contacts and parted ways at the door. Darcy had barely taken two steps when Wesley's phone vibrated. Looking down, it was a money transfer from Darcy. Oh well. He sighed and silently turned off his screen. On Darcy's side, she also put her phone away. The day was beautiful, the air fresh. Darcy closed her eyes and spread her arms, embracing the sky. When she opened them again and started walking home, she suddenly stopped. The man in front of her, hearing her footsteps, slowly turned around. It had been a while since she'd seen Hugo. His face looked leaner, features sharper, lending him an air of weariness and melancholy absent from their last meeting. Darcy stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words. Finally, she managed a stiff greeting. "It's been a while. When did you get back?" Hugo didn't answer her question directly. "A while ago. I saw you and your mom go into that diner. And I saw you on a blind date with a guy." Darcy was stunned. He'd been here that long? Being witnessed on a blind date was embarrassing. She cleared her throat. "My mom arranged it without my consent."Hugo's lips parted as if he wanted to say something. But then he thought better of it. Anything he said might just annoy her. He remained silent, bending down to pick up two gift bags from the ground. "What's this?" Darcy asked. "Some local specialties. Good for your mom's health. Could you give them to her for me?" The gifts looked expensive. Darcy took them, already thinking about transferring the money to him later. As if reading her mind, Hugo said quietly, "I bought them because of my bond with your mom. Not because of you." Darcy froze. Alright then. They stood in awkward silence for a moment. Darcy broke it, shifting the topic to Gwen's recent progress. "Gwen is doing amazingly well. Her internship over the last several months has shown incredible improvement. Her skills are almost at our mid-level engineer benchmark. She's got a bright future." A faint smile touched Hugo's eyes at the mention of his cousin. "You're about to start the new semester, aren't you?" "Yes. Next Saturday." Hugo suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia for last year. Those weekends had been filled with anticipation. If I had been braver then, would things be different now? After saying goodbye to Darcy, Hugo stood motionless for a long time before finally turning to leave. He'd only taken a few steps when he noticed a familiar-looking car parked under a large tree not far away. A black Maybach. Hugo strode over in a few long steps and knocked on the window.The window rolled down, revealing Zane's sunken, gloomy eyes. Zane's face was pale, an unnatural, ashen pallor. His cheeks were hollow, his cheekbones prominent, giving him a gaunt, brooding appearance. Ines had mentioned that after the consecutive blows, Zane had become deeply depressed. He hardly dared to leave the house during the day, only venturing out at night. Like a rat in the gutter. And he wasn't as clean-living as before. He'd taken up smoking and drinking, and now frequented clubs and bars even more than Ines did.