After Rebirth, I Accept The Arranged Marriage-Chapter 91: "Do You Want to Go to the United States with Me?
Jessie Sterling stood up and glanced at her phone. It was silent. No one had tried to contact her.
Jessie was a little displeased. She opened WeChat and looked at her chat with Victor Morgan.
Their conversation was still where they had left it this morning.
Victor had left very early. After sending her a message before he left, there had been nothing new.
Jessie pursed her lips and prepared to wash up.
But before she had taken two steps, the room’s landline started to ring.
Jessie picked it up. It was the housekeeper from the annex building near the outer edge of the estate, the one who exclusively handled her personal affairs.
The housekeeper said someone was at the gate asking for her. It was Julian Grant.
However, it was quite late, and Jessie was a married woman now. The housekeeper wasn’t sure if Jessie would want to see Julian, so she had called to ask.
If Jessie didn’t want to see him, she would help send him away.
"...Young Master Grant doesn’t seem to be doing too well. He reeks of alcohol," the housekeeper hinted from the other end of the line.
Jessie furrowed her brow. ’Why isn’t Julian Grant asleep? What is he doing here looking for me at this hour?’
But she didn’t particularly want to find out, either.
"I see. I’m about to go to bed. Tell him to come back tomorrow if it’s important," Jessie said.
After hanging up, Jessie walked into the bathroom and looked for a face mask in the mini-fridge, planning to use a barrier-repairing one while she soaked in the tub. Every time she came back from a dive, she felt her skin was much more sensitive than usual.
Just as she lit the aromatherapy lamp, the phone in Jessie’s room rang again.
It was the housekeeper again.
"...Young Master Grant says he’s bought a plane ticket to leave the country tomorrow. He wants to see you one last time before he goes."
Jessie paused for a moment, then said, "Alright, I understand. Auntie, please bring him to the first-floor living room of the entertainment building."
Jessie didn’t know what Julian wanted from her, but it was late. She was afraid of disturbing Director Sterling and the others who had already returned, so she simply had Julian taken to the annex building next door.
The December nights in Southaven carried a hint of early winter, and the air was chilly. Before heading out, Jessie wrapped a scarf around her neck and then went downstairs.
When she saw Julian Grant again, Jessie was somewhat mentally prepared. However, seeing him before her—drunk, with three days of stubble—she was still taken aback.
"How did you end up like this?"
Jessie was surprised. She had never seen Julian looking so disheveled.
His shirt and pants were wrinkled, and his entire being seemed to radiate dejection.
Julian had already looked up at the sound of Jessie’s footsteps, his eyes fixed on her.
In stark contrast to his dejection, Jessie looked full of life.
She had long since removed her makeup, her exquisite face bare. Even so, a healthy glow that seemed to come from within gave her a rosy complexion, fair with a natural blush.
Julian recalled how Keith Reese, Kylie Thorne, and the others had found him today. Before they left, Keith had admitted that Jessie was the one who had sent him the location. As Julian looked at Jessie now, his gaze held a new, restrained and unreadable quality.
"Jessie..." Julian was the first to speak her name.
Jessie glanced around. The first floor of this annex was like a movie theater, mainly serving as an audio-visual room. There was a double-door refrigerator, but it was only stocked with cold drinks; there was nothing that could help sober him up.
Jessie had no intention of asking someone to bring a pot of tea to sober Julian up. She walked to the refrigerator. "What would you like to drink?"
Julian paused, then came to his senses and said casually, "Mineral water is fine."
He looked down and sniffed himself, a wave of regret washing over him for coming to see Jessie in such a disheveled state.
’I should have at least showered and cleaned myself up before coming to see her.’
"Sorry," Julian said as he took the cold mineral water from Jessie’s hand.
"Hm? Sorry for what?"
Julian said, "For looking like this..."
Jessie didn’t let Julian continue down some strange path. She cut him off directly. "It’s fine. Everyone has their down moments. No one can stay perfectly composed all the time. It’s okay, I don’t mind."
Whatever Julian had wanted to say was choked back by Jessie’s few simple words.
He looked at her now-empty hands. "You’re not having anything?"
Jessie replied, "I’m getting ready for bed. Drinking water this late will just make me bloated."
Julian wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt a hint of blame in her words, as if she were chiding him for coming to see her so late.
But Jessie didn’t give him time to dwell on it. The next moment, she asked, "So, what did you want to see me about this late at night?"
Julian was silent for a moment, then said, "I bought a ticket for tomorrow at noon. I’m going to go abroad and try my luck."
Jessie felt a yawn coming on. Just as she was about to say, ’Well then, I wish you a safe journey,’ her phone suddenly rang.
Jessie looked down. When she saw the name "Victor Morgan" displayed on the screen, she froze for a fraction of a second.
Then, a small flicker of joy appeared in her expression.
She had previously resolved not to contact Victor first, not wanting to seem too eager.
But she liked it when he took the initiative.
Julian’s gaze never left Jessie. He clearly saw the delight that surfaced in her eyes when she saw the caller ID on her phone.
It was a look he had seen on Jessie’s face many times before.
When he waited for her at the school gate to walk home together, when he looked up at her from the basketball court while she sat in the stands, and on so many other occasions... that was the look Jessie had when she looked at him.
He was so familiar with it.
But he couldn’t quite remember when it had started—when the girl next door who had always followed him around stopped looking at him with that same joy.
"Aren’t you going to answer?" Julian had thought she would take the call.
Jessie gave him a surprised look but didn’t say anything else, merely stating, "It’s not convenient."
Julian fell silent for another moment.
He didn’t know if her "not convenient" meant that because he was there, it was inconvenient for him to overhear her conversation with Victor Morgan.
Jessie, however, hadn’t forgotten what she was about to say. "Oh, right. Since you’re leaving so suddenly, I didn’t prepare a farewell gift. So instead, let me just wish you a bright future. May your future ventures be successful, may all your wishes come true, and may you be proud and accomplished."
This was the most sincere blessing she could offer Julian now.
It was also possible that it had a little something to do with Victor.
After all, hadn’t Victor’s call just now put her in a great mood?
"Then..." It was as if Julian hadn’t heard her well-wishes. He only had one thought in his mind. In the time he had been missing, so many people had been looking for him, but in the end, only Jessie had known where he was.
Over all these years, people had come and gone from his life, but the one who had been by his side the longest, it seemed, had always been Jessie.
"Do you want to come to the United States with me?" Julian asked, looking seriously into Jessie’s eyes.
