After dinner, Ivan Horne asked Lia Aiken, "Miss Aiken, do you like walking around night markets? The night market in G City is pretty good. I know this area well, I can be your temporary tour guide."

Lia hurriedly declined, "President Horne, I just got here and I’m a bit tired, I want to rest early. You’ve been busy all day too, you should rest even more." She checked the time and smiled. "Besides, it’s already late."

With how late they were eating, you could practically call it a midnight snack.

Ivan only mentioned accompanying her to the night market casually, banking on the fact that she wouldn’t agree; he was just putting on a show.

Seeing that she really refused just as he’d expected, he didn’t insist.

The two of them went upstairs together, but Lia got out of the elevator on the fifth floor.

Ivan stayed in the elevator and went on up to the top floor.

Back in his room, Ivan immediately called Lena Horne.

Lena hesitated a bit before answering her big brother’s call, then said with a laugh, "Big Brother, you’re still up."

"You little brat, you even dare scheme against your big brother now, I’m canceling your present." Ivan’s words were scolding, but there was a smile on his face.

Every time he came home from a business trip, he would prepare a gift for his little sister.

Lena laughed. "Big Brother, how did I scheme against you? I just asked you to help take care of my senior Lia. You’re my big brother, the big brother I respect. Give me a sky’s worth of courage and I still wouldn’t dare scheme against you. You’re like the Buddha and I’m Sun Wukong—I can’t jump out of your palm. If I say I’m scheming against you, wouldn’t I be ramming my head into a brick wall? I’m not that stupid, right?"

"Big Brother says one thing and you shoot back with a whole string of them."

Ivan’s smile grew more obvious. Lena knew her brother wasn’t really angry, so she shifted the topic and asked, "Big Brother, what do you think of my senior Lia? I really like her anyway. Big Brother, you’re not that young anymore, it’s time you found me a sister-in-law. Brother Jimmy already has two kids, you’ve got to step up your game."

"The little fox is finally showing her tail."

Ivan lightly chided his sister. "What does a kid like you know? Playing matchmaker now and randomly tying red strings? If your senior has a boyfriend and you cause a misunderstanding, you’d actually be hurting her."

"No way, my senior doesn’t have a boyfriend yet. She’s completely single, just waiting for you to lay hands on her. But, Big Brother, you’re not allowed to just play around and walk away, you have to be serious. My Sister Lia’s had it hard, she needs a man like you to be her backing."

Ivan: ...

What kind of nonsense was this little girl saying?

"Do I look like the kind of man who toys with women?"

Lena hurriedly said, "No, my big brother is absolutely a good man. If you were a playboy, my nieces and nephews would be running all over by now."

"Enough, the more you talk, the more outrageous it gets. This time I’ll let it slide, but from now on, stay out of your big brother’s love life. Getting married is a big deal, it’s for a lifetime, I can’t treat it casually. Focus on your studies and don’t worry about anything else. It’s late, go to sleep."

As Ivan was about to hang up, Lena said, "Anyway, with my sharp eye for people, my Sister Lia is definitely a good woman. If you miss out on her, don’t regret it later, like how you missed out on Cousin-in-law."

"Lena!" Ivan called her name with rare seriousness. "Listen carefully, Big Brother doesn’t have any romantic feelings for Camila. Don’t ever say that again. If your Brother Jimmy hears it, that’s what will really cause a misunderstanding."

He explained, "If I really liked Camila, there’s no way it would’ve been your Brother Jimmy’s turn."

Jimmy Horne and Camila Ruiz had broken up for several years, and during those years, he had always been by Camila’s side.

If he truly loved Camila Ruiz, Jimmy would never have had a chance.

Lena stuck out her tongue. "But all these years, apart from us, your blood relatives, when it comes to women who aren’t related to you, you’re only really good to Cousin-in-law. It’s easy for people to suspect that you’re in love with her, but for the sake of brotherhood you let her go to my cousin. Sister Florence grew up with you too, but I don’t see you treating Sister Florence that well. And Sister Grace as well."

"Because Camila’s mom and my mom are good friends, okay? Don’t say things like that again. I really only think of your cousin-in-law as a little sister. Who told you to be born so late? If you’d been born earlier and I’d had a little sister to spoil, I wouldn’t have pampered Camila so much."

Lena giggled. "I knew Big Brother doted on me the most."

"Go to sleep, you still have school tomorrow, right?"

"Mm, I’m going to sleep. Big Brother, good night, and remember to take good care of my Sister Lia, okay?" One phone call was enough for Lena to know her gentle push was working—her big brother didn’t reject the idea of Sister Lia. That was a good sign.

After hanging up, Ivan shook his head. His little sister was really mischievous.

Maybe he really was getting old—young as she was, even his little sister wanted to help him find a girlfriend.

Speaking of which, didn’t his father and several uncles all get married after thirty? How come when it came to him, not even thirty yet, everyone had their eyes on him, practically just short of taking turns shoving women into his bed?

Feelings can’t be rushed.

All these years, Ivan truly hadn’t met a woman who really moved his heart.

This Lia Aiken... fine, he did have quite a good impression of her.

Let things take their natural course.

The night passed without incident.

The next day.

Ivan was used to having breakfast between seven and eight in the morning.

It was the same even when he was on business trips.

He didn’t stay in his room to eat. Instead, he called Lia and asked, "Miss Aiken, have you had breakfast yet? Let’s eat together."

Ivan figured she probably wasn’t in the hotel anymore; he could hear car horns honking around her from time to time. Sure enough, Lia answered, "Thank you, President Horne, I’ve already eaten and headed out."

In reality, she was right at the hotel entrance.

Ivan said with a warm smile, "Miss Aiken is up so early. Be careful out there, and if anything happens, just give me a call. Don’t feel like you’re bothering me, I promised Lena I’d take good care of you."

She’d left so fast that he hadn’t even had time to arrange a driver for her.

He figured she’d guessed he would arrange a driver, so she’d gone out early on purpose, not wanting to owe him a favor.

So many people approached him just to get benefits out of him, yet Lia didn’t want to owe him anything.

"Okay, thank you."

The two of them didn’t say much more before ending the call.

The taxi Lia had called also arrived. She put away her phone and walked toward the cab.

"Wifey, there you are. We really are fated, running into each other like this."

A somewhat familiar shout suddenly rang out.

Lia hadn’t taken it to heart at first—she was unmarried, not anyone’s "wifey." But when Ethan Aibileen appeared in front of her and grabbed her hand to stop her from getting in the taxi, she realized it was him calling her.

Lia’s face instantly darkened.

What on earth was Ethan Aibileen doing here? And this early in the morning, no less.

She yanked her hand out of his grip and said coldly, "Ethan Aibileen, who exactly is your ’wifey’?"