Chapter 54: Courtesy

Chapter 54 Courtesy

A limited-edition Sunderland pulled up at the middle school gates, and inside sat Cullen, a cigarette held between his left fingers while his right hand flipped through a religious text resting on his knees.

It was a scene possessing great cinematic quality,

Profoundly illustrating the definition of youth, wealth, handsome looks, and inner substance.

As the schoolgirls passing by the vehicle left the gates, almost none could resist stealing a glance inside, and some who had clearly walked past would even circle back just to walk by a second time.

Of course, the boys were no different; most boys at this age had fantasized about the scenario of driving a luxury car and parking it right at the school entrance.

"Sister, that is Alfred's car." Lunt recognized the vehicle.

A Sunderland of this particular model was hard to find a second instance of in the entirety of Luojia City.

"The person sitting in the car is Brother," Chris said.

Following that,

Mina, Lunt, and Chris walked past that Sunderland.

Lunt intentionally shouted at the top of his lungs, "Brother, why are you here?"

Cullen closed his book and smiled, "Here to pick you all up from school."

"Oh, wonderful!"

Lunt reached out to open the car door, but then his backpack was grabbed by Mina, causing his stance to stumble as he sat right down onto the ground.

Chris stood nearby, covering her mouth.

"Sister, Brother came to pick us up from school," Lunt said aggrievedly.

"School has ended, and Brother has seen us," Mina said.

"And then?"

"And then it means Brother has already picked us up from school."

"This... and then what?"

"And then it means we can take the tram home!"

Mina flashed a smile at Cullen, clenched her fist in an encouraging gesture, and immediately afterward dragged Lunt behind while Chris followed, the three of them heading toward the tram station.

Cullen reopened the book on his lap and continued skimming through it.

The bookmark that Diss had given him was still tucked inside that copy of "The Light of Order."

Sometimes, choosing something one detested was truly much harder than choosing something one liked; nearly a week had passed, and Cullen still had not made his choice.

Diss had been pressing him,

Not pressing for the return of the bookmark,

But pressing on why he had not yet brought the girl from the "Allen" family over to the house for dinner.

At the same time, he had handed him a second bookmark.

But this was actually another form of pressing,

Cullen knew clearly that a very, very grand event was about to happen.

Yet he knew even more clearly that in this matter, apart from Diss, no one could interfere, unable to provide even the helpful support of waving banners or shouting battle cries.

As for himself,

He was already, under Diss's arrangement, preparing an escape route.

He felt that from the standpoint of "family," he ought to be in the study clutching his grandfather's legs, weeping and shouting for his grandfather not to face the danger, that family would always be by his side, that we would be with you forever.

But the problem was that both he and Diss were far too calm and rational individuals;

When the two of them sat face to face in the study, their communication resembled two coldly operating machines, what they spoke were not words, but the friction of gears.

Flipping another page,

The introduction to the Berry Faith;

In truth, Cullen had not encountered many churches in reality, and the Berry Faith counted as the only one that had once successfully disgusted him;

Yet he felt that just because of this, writing the name "Berry Faith" onto the bookmark,

Seemed to be letting them off a bit too easily?

Although,

The Berry Faith certainly would not wish to take this advantage.

...

Eunice walked out of the school gates, wearing a khaki trench coat today with a hairpin, holding several books in her hands, and still wearing leather boots on her feet.

Cullen very much liked looking at her leather boots, and Cullen knew that during their last date, his gaze had drifted toward her boots from time to time, something she must have captured and perceived.

Teacher was a noun, but sometimes it was also an adjective;

In short, today's Teacher Eunice was very much a teacher.

Her appearance drew the gazes of many people, especially those young male teachers leaving work together.

When they saw Eunice walking toward that limited-edition Sunderland at the school gate, it was as if the sound of hearts shattering all over the ground could be heard.

"Should I say, what a coincidence?"

Eunice leaned down and spoke to Cullen through the car window.

Cullen placed the book back into the drawer and asked with a smile:

"Should I say I came to pick up my younger siblings from school?"

Eunice stepped into the car.

While she fastened her seatbelt, Cullen's gaze openly and generously fell upon her boots.

"Do they look good?" Eunice asked, "I noticed last time that you quite enjoy staring at them."

"Very beautiful." Cullen was perfectly candid, "You suit wearing boots very well, they match your temperament nicely."

Cullen reached out, lightly brushing the surface of the boot.

Eunice bit her lip, and it was discernable that she was somewhat nervous, but she tried her best to maintain a detached composure; in short, she showed no sign of refusal nor did she make any protective movements.

A slightly out-of-line little gesture by one party during courtship could very well close the distance between both sides and advance their relationship, but one needed to note that there must be a clear awareness of the relationship between both sides, especially an awareness of one's own face, otherwise it could easily backfire and even lead to a police station.

"Shall we go shopping?" Cullen asked.

"Shopping?" Eunice expressed some surprise, "The men I know seem to be quite resistant to accompanying their wives shopping."

"That is after marriage," Cullen smiled, "Before marriage, they all like it."

"Cullen, you really are straightforward."

Cullen drove the car, taking Eunice to a commercial pedestrian street; this was not counted as the highest-tier pedestrian street in Luojia City, not because Cullen wanted to save money, for in fact his courtship funds were very abundant;

What his grandfather gave, and what his uncle, aunt, and paternal aunt gave, was already enough for Cullen to play the wealthy youth in Luojia City, and this did not even account for the portion of money Alfred stuffed into the car every single time.

Because the highest-tier street was at Rhine Street, which was simply too close to the place where Eunice lived, he could only settle for the next best option.

I prefer the atmosphere of Logia, it is much lazier compared to Wien; if you do not mind me saying, I even feel that the people walking on the streets of Logia move much slower than those on the streets of Wien.

A slow-paced city.

A slow pace... I really like that description.

Eunice pushed open the door of a leather shoe shop and stepped inside.

Karen paused at the entrance for a few seconds, glancing at the sign that read "Men's Leather Shoe Shop."

Thus, everything has two sides, just like an arranged marriage;

If you happen to be arranged with someone you find quite decent and suitable, you will find that the other party is consciously advancing this process just as you are, creating a very strong sense of interaction.

Of course, given Karen's personality and psychological maturity, it was impossible for him to engage in a "guess what I'm thinking" kind of romance.

Which style of shoes do you like? Eunice asked.

It must be for you to choose for me.

But the shoes are to be worn on your own feet, Eunice said.

But I rarely look down.

Eunice smiled softly, and accompanied by the shop assistant nearby, chose three shoe styles for Karen.

Shall we try them on?

Alright.

Karen sat down on a cushioned chair nearby and began to try on the shoes.

The female shop assistant habitually crouched down to help, but Eunice knelt down a step ahead of her, adjusting the shoe for Karen, pressing the toe with her finger as she asked:

Is it pinching?

No, it isn't.

Immediately after, Eunice reached out again to poke around the heel area, testing the gap: Is it a bit tight?

Before Karen could answer, Eunice added:

Though it will loosen up quite a bit after wearing it for a while.

Yes, you are entirely correct, the female shop assistant agreed.

Do you like them? Eunice looked up at Karen.

I do.

Alright, please wrap this pair up for me, and we will try those two casual styles.

When they came out of the shoe shop, Karen held three shoe boxes in his bag.

You know, when my mother and father first met, my mother also bought shoes for my father, but that was because my mother rode her bicycle over my father's foot, haha.

Haha, that is fate, isn't it?

Yes, so my mother often says that if she hadn't been careless while riding her bike that day, there might not be me and my two older brothers.

No, that wouldn't happen.

It wouldn't?

Two people destined to be together might meet because of a small accident, but how is that small accident itself not a form of destiny?

I really like listening to you speak, Karen, you are just like my father, his words always bring enlightenment and reflection, so full of flavor.

Then I truly want to pay a visit and meet your father.

You two would definitely find common ground, my father loves drinking tea and chatting with people the most, but my brothers and cousins are all terrified of sitting face-to-face with my father.

Can you understand that feeling, the feeling of having that kind of majestic elder in the family?

How could he not, wasn't Dis just like that at home?

But Karen could not answer this way, because during their last date, Dis had already been arranged by him to catch loaches.

My family members are all very gentle, but I can imagine that feeling, sometimes they don't mean to be majestic, they are just not used to another way of expressing love.

Yes, when my brothers were scolded to tears by my father as children, my mother would always comfort them this way.

There is a belt shop ahead...

Eunice reached out to lift Karen's coat to look at his belt, but halfway through the gesture, she suddenly realized it was inappropriate, and her face flushed instantly.

Karen took her hand,

And said:

Let's go take a look.

After choosing two belts and coming out, Karen still naturally held Eunice's hand.

Are you hungry? Karen asked.

I'm alright, Eunice said, her mouth pouting slightly, her upper body swaying gently from side to side, but this level of swaying could not shake her hand free from Karen's grasp.

This pouting appearance reminded Karen of Pu'er's pout that afternoon.

Then let's go have dinner, there seems to be a Wien restaurant ahead.

Sure... no, wait a moment.

Eunice stopped her pace, a look of contemplation in her eyes.

Karen asked:

Did you forget to buy an umbrella?

Yes, an umbrella. Oh, how did you know?

Buying leather shoes, so you cannot walk away. Buying a belt, to tie you down. Buying an umbrella, to hook you in.

This was the Wien custom her mother had instructed her on; in Wien, from the nobility down to the commoners, before reaching marriage, a woman would prepare these three gifts for a man.

Having finished asking, Eunice directly lowered her head,

Her leather boots lightly stomped the ground,

He actually knew this Wien custom!

Then shall we complete the task first?

Karen lowered his head, reaching out to gently brush aside Eunice's hair.

Eunice gave an "mm" in response.

She was after all a nineteen-year-old girl, her family background allowed her to surpass her peers in many aspects, but some things could never yield true experience and growth without having lived through them;

Moreover, romance experience could not be gained from books, because people who can easily find love rarely read books about romance, so think about who those books are actually written for?

Eunice chose a black umbrella for Karen, the handle was very delicate and full of artistic flair.

I feel as if I have been armed, like a knight helped by his squire to put on his armor before heading to the battlefield.

Is it really that exaggerated? Eunice laughed.

Yes, it is, thank you, Eunice.

"You are entirely welcome, and in any case, I feel that saying 'thank you' sounds a bit too much like we are strangers..."

Karen lowered his head, and as Eunice was speaking, his lips brushed softly against hers.

Eunice froze; this was her very first kiss.

"I accept your criticism and have made timely corrections, so please inspect my current attitude."

Eunice reached out, tapping Karen gently on the chest.

"Hehehe..."

Holding the umbrella, shoebox, and belt box in his right hand, Karen used his left to pull the girl straight into his arms.

She seemed to want to break free, but Karen held her securely once more with a hint of gentle possessiveness, saying:

"Come, let us go have dinner."

Perhaps this was not love, and indeed, both sides carried a touch of deliberate calculation;

yet it could not be denied that both were willing, at this moment, to reveal a naive side they usually kept hidden.

Karen looked at the girl held close by his side,

perhaps,

we all wear masks,

but at the very least,

it is a style that we ourselves like.

The authentic Wien cuisine at the Wien Restaurant left Karen rather unsatisfied;

perhaps because the pride of the Wien people was likewise reflected in their dishes, which adhered excessively to tradition while rejecting any innovation or progress with the times.

If not for Eunice sitting across from him, rediscovering the flavor of her homeland in these dishes, Karen would not have even picked up his fork a second time.

"It feels as though you do not care much for the taste of Wien cuisine?" Eunice noticed, for Karen had not hidden his feelings toward the food before him.

"Yes, I think I could certainly never get used to eating Wien cuisine," Karen said quite bluntly.

If Rulan cuisine was overwhelmingly sugary sweet, then Wien cuisine was a dark culinary experiment made under the stubborn persistence of various traditions.

It was not that it was terribly unpalatable; the ingredients were good, but it seemed as if it deliberately tried to make those ingredients less delicious.

Hearing this,

Eunice’s heart suddenly grew somber,

so, did his words mean that he would never get used to life in Wien?

Mother even asked me to find out if he would be willing to go to Wien, and he is clearly unwilling.

"But fortunately, I usually cook for myself; there is a bell in my dining room, do you remember?"

"I remember, I saw it last time."

"I quite enjoy the feeling of ringing the bell to call my family out for a meal after preparing the food each time; that is a wonderful sensation that transcends gastronomy."

"How lovely. Though I have learned cooking as well, I know I certainly cannot match you."

That bowl of pickled cabbage fish from last time, brimming with color, aroma, and flavor, remained fresh in Eunice’s memory—pity that the dish had been prepared for a cat.

Karen reached out, placing his hand over the back of Eunice’s hand, his fingers rubbing it gently.

Eunice's hand grew slightly stiff, though both of them were implicitly walking at a fast pace, even leaping ahead in unison;

yet for the time being, she could not manage to maintain this intimate physical contact naturally; she still needed a little time, perhaps a few pleasant recollections while lying in bed tonight would do.

The advantage of being handsome was that even when you were clearly taking the opportunity to flirt, in the other person's eyes, it looked like a priest offering a sincere prayer for you.

Stroking her hand, Karen spoke:

"So, even if we live in Wien in the future, I will insist on cooking myself, and I can declare that you are liberated from the punishment of so many years of Wien cuisine."

Hmm? He said he was going to live in Wien?

Wait, is this a confession?

Eunice felt her body shudder at these words, as if an electric current had passed through her.

Karen spoke up:

"Come to my house for dinner tomorrow; my family wishes to meet you."

Eunice nodded:

"All right."

...

The car stopped in front of Eunice's house on Rhine Street;

the two stood face-to-face by the door, and Karen noticed that the curtains of the first-floor living room shifted ever so slightly.

"I will come pick you up tomorrow afternoon."

"Good."

Karen reached out, putting his arm around Eunice’s waist, leaned forward, and kissed her lips.

For this second light kiss, she had learned to close her eyes.

"Goodnight, sweet dreams."

"You too, drive safely."

"Mm."

Eunice walked into the living room; in the familiar spot, with the lights characteristically out and in the usual place on the sofa, sat her mother.

"Fast progress," Madame Jenny smiled, and as she spoke, she brought the cigarette in her hand to her lips, making a soft popping sound.

"Is Mother mocking me?" Eunice asked.

"No, I am happy for you. You know, I have seen too many marriages of convenience; they are generally estranged, perhaps putting on a formal show of affection in public, but any discerning person can tell at a glance.

In private, they likely play their own games without interfering with one another.

I am sorry, my daughter, I cannot change your grandfather's decision; as a mother, I am a failure.

However, it looks quite good now; you seem to be enjoying it."

"Mother, I feel that such talk coming from your mouth seems a bit inappropriate."

"My daughter is grown up, what is inappropriate about it? By the way, did you buy those things for him that I taught you to buy?"

"I bought them, and he liked them very much. Oh, right, I promised to go to his house for dinner tomorrow."

"Mm." Madame Jenny suddenly noticed something and asked, "Then he bought nothing at all for you?"

"Mother, do you know how late it was by the time we finished buying those things? We just went straight to dinner."

"Ha, improper." Madame Jenny sighed, "How can he have the face to only let the lady give gifts while showing no gesture himself? His family does not lack that bit of money, so it must be right here..."

Madame Jenny tapped her own temple with a finger:

"Is there simply no awareness of such etiquette here? Does he not know how embarrassed a girl must be when she returns empty-handed to face her mother."

"Mother, I am not lacking in anything, and the things I bought for him today are not things he lacks either."

"Of course, certainly not, but that specific kind of joy—the kind a daughter feels when showing off to her mother the gifts her boyfriend bought for her—is gone."

"I don't care about that."

"Whether you care or not is your business; whether he does it or not is his. If he intends to follow you back to Wien, it seems he still needs a proper education; just being handsome isn't enough.

Sigh, he must be taught what manners truly are. After all, our family is very particular about etiquette."

"But..."

"But what?"

"He gave me a bookmark and told me to pass it on to you, so that you might pass it along to Father or Grandfather. He said it was from his own grandfather."

"A bookmark? Ha, childish." Lady Jenny let out a disdainful scoff. "Why didn't he just pluck a foxtail weed by the roadside and fashion a ring for you to wear?"

"It is this." Eunice placed a purple bookmark onto the coffee table in front of her mother.

Immediately,

With a thud,

Lady Jenny fell directly to her knees before the bookmark.

"Mother, what is wrong with you?"

Eunice immediately stepped forward to support her mother.

"I am fine, I am fine." Lady Jenny offered a strained smile. "Go and wash up first. I am fine, it is just that my legs have gone a bit numb from sitting too long."

"Are you truly all right, Mother?"

"Fine, fine, go and wash up first."

"All right."

Once Eunice had departed,

With trembling hands, Lady Jenny reached out, intending to pick up the bookmark, but halfway through the motion, she switched to using both hands, delicately cradling it upward.

Having changed into comfortable loungewear, Eunice walked over holding a glass of water:

"Mom, are you feeling any better now?"

She noticed a chaotic clutter of jewelry on the coffee table—pieces her mother usually loved to wear—while the jewelry box itself sat closed nearby.

Lady Jenny took a deep breath and spoke slowly: "Tomorrow, I shall accompany you to his house."

"Huh?" Eunice asked in confusion. "Does it need to be quite that formal?"

As if her tail had been stepped on like a cat,

Lady Jenny practically leapt from the sofa:

"We cannot be lacking in etiquette!"

"Eh?"

Lady Jenny pressed a hand to her forehead and sank back onto the sofa.

"Mom, are you truly all right?"

Lady Jenny shook her head, gazing at her daughter as she spoke:

"If you do not wish to return tomorrow night..."

"What?"

"You may also stay the night at his house."