Next One Is a Babe

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Cindy didn’t feel good when others were talking bad about her, but she felt rather uneasy now that everyone was complimenting her. For the most part, she felt like she wasn’t as great as the compliments she received—it made her feel self-conscious to hear what people had to say about her. However, she then recalled something. She edged closer to Ian before muttering to him in a secretive tone. “How do you think Yulia will react once she sees today’s news?”

Ian didn’t care the least bit about how Yulia would react. In fact, he didn’t want to think about her at all, but since Cindy brought her up, it meant that Cindy was concerned. After giving it some thought, he pulled Cindy’s hand over and slipped his hand into hers. “Have you decided when you’re going home?”

Cindy only recalled what she had texted Hazel when she heard what Ian said. She realized that Hazel hadn’t replied to her at all. Hazel was getting old, and she rarely ever checked her texts. She often decided that she was done checking her phone after she saw that she had no missed calls.

So, Cindy reached for her phone as she answered his question. “I texted her previously, but it was late when I texted her, so she probably didn’t see it. I don’t think she checked her phone after that. I’ll give her a call to let her know about it later.”

Ian hastily let go of her hand when he heard that she wanted to give Hazel a call. “Go on. Call her.”

Cindy felt rather embarrassed to make a phone call in front of Ian, so she brought her phone back to her room. The dial tone only rang a few times before Hazel picked the call up. Fortunately for Cindy, Hazel wasn’t playing poker, so it sounded pretty quiet on the other end of the line. Cindy cleared her throat before she spoke. “What have you been doing at home recently? Are you busy with anything?”

Hazel didn’t have much to do. She spent most of her time playing poker and preparing meals for herself. Things were easier since she was living alone. Upon hearing Cindy’s question, Hazel realized that she seemed to be hinting at something. “What is it? Is anything the matter?” Hazel asked immediately.

“Well, I told you that I found myself a boyfriend, right? After discussing with him, we decided that we’d like to bring him home to meet you soon.”

“Are you talking about that superstar boyfriend of yours?” Hazel sounded surprised. “Is he a reliable person? If you bring him home but break up with him after that, your reputation will be gone,” Hazel uttered after a slight pause.

Cindy’s family was rather traditional and close-minded—they often assumed that the woman would marry the man they brought home. If this didn't happen, their relatives would start gossiping about the matter. Cindy pressed her lips together as she hesitated for a moment. She didn’t have the guts to say anything about her future with Ian, especially since he was working in such an environment. There were a lot of temptations in the entertainment industry, and it was hard for anyone to claim that they would remain humble and stick to their roots for the rest of their lives.

Yet, Cindy would feel bad if she didn’t get to bring Ian home. She couldn’t continue rejecting him when he had already indicated his sincere desire to meet her family. Furthermore, she hoped to solidify her relationship after bringing him home—she was too in love with him, and she wanted to be with him for the rest of her life.