Chapter 368

"H-hello," Mr. and Mrs. Sweeney responded quickly.

Mr. Sweeney invited Hadwin Stephenson to sit while Mrs. Sweeney pulled her daughter aside. "Is this your boyfriend? Or did you hire him to act a part?"

Lina Sweeney rolled her eyes. "You can just think of him as an actor I hired, then."

Mrs. Sweeney was exasperated. "What a child! How can you speak like that! Alright, go serve tea." With that, Mrs. Sweeney plastered on a friendly smile and approached Hadwin Stephenson.

Lina Sweeney, designated waitress, went to the kitchen to prepare tea. Returning to the living room with a tray, she found the three of them chatting happily.

"Tingxin, you said you met Lina abroad. Have you two kept in touch all these years?" Mr. Sweeney asked.

"No, we didn't," Hadwin Stephenson replied. "I reconnected with Lina recently, after returning to the country and bumping into her on the street. To be honest, I'd been searching for her all these years. Fortunately, I found her." He smiled, shooting Lina a look that Mr. and Mrs. Sweeney interpreted as loving, but Lina saw as threatening.

Mr. Sweeney smiled. "You two are truly fated. But you met overseas, meaning only a few days passed before you parted. How did you develop feelings for Lina?" He was curious. His daughter had been abroad for only a few days. How had she made a man unable to forget her for over three years? Especially such an attractive man, one who could easily find a girlfriend, yet had spent three years searching for his daughter. This significantly improved Mr. Sweeney's impression of Hadwin Stephenson.

"Lina is straightforward and easy to get along with," Hadwin Stephenson said readily. "There was once, when I was drunk" Lina Sweeney shuddered, spilling half her tea.

"Ouch!" she hissed softly, setting down the cup. The back of her hand reddened from the scald.

Hadwin Stephenson frowned, quickly pulling Lina to her feet and rushing her to the kitchen. He turned on the cold water tap to rinse her burn.

"Why can't you even hold a teacup properly?" he said grumpily.

"Hey, don't mention that we spent the night together in a hotel! My parents are conservative. If they find out, they'll break my legs," Lina Sweeney said urgently.

"Legs?" He looked at her sideways. "This is the first time I've heard anyone describe themselves as canine."

Lina Sweeney deflated, admitting she'd used the wrong analogy.

"Whatever, just don't mention it," she pleaded, her eyes begging him.

He pressed his lips together, silent.

"As long as you don't mention it, I can" She paused. What can I do? Buy him a meal? He doesn't seem like someone who appreciates inexpensive food. Should I give him a gift? I can't bring myself to offer something to someone a thousand times richer than me. No idea seemed appropriate, so her sentence remained unfinished.

"What can you do?" Hadwin Stephenson leaned closer.

She gazed at his handsome face, inches from hers, her heart pounding. Why does a man need to be so good-looking? Especially his skin… it's way better than mine! She even felt the urge to ask him about his skincare routine.