Wang Cheng had been focused on Old Locke and had hardly noticed the girl. When she spoke, he finally looked her over. Westerners often appeared older than people of the same age in China. She seemed to be in her twenties, though she was only nineteen.
She had the typical blond hair and blue eyes, and wore a snow-white dress. She resembled a lovely doll from a television show, with sweet dimples when she smiled.
Before Wang Cheng could ask who she was, she stood and approached. She greeted Chu Yifeng with a cheerful “Brother Leo,” then lifted both sides of her skirt and curtsied politely to Wang Cheng.
“Hello. I’m Sophie. Mother Emily told me about you, and I’ve wanted to meet the person who captured Brother Leo’s heart. Now I finally can! You’re every bit as handsome as I expected, and you suit Brother Leo perfectly. You have my blessing.” Sophie was the granddaughter of one of Old Locke’s oldest friends. She had several older brothers and was the family’s only little princess, cherished since childhood. Nevertheless, she was friendly and likable rather than spoiled or overbearing. She showed none of the snobbery associated with certain aristocrats. She greatly admired Chu Yifeng and had been curious since hearing he remained in China for a man. Like most people, she thought almost nobody was good enough for him.
Her straightforward words carried the feeling that she was entrusting Brother Leo to Wang Cheng’s care.
Wang Cheng had been expecting Sophie to turn out to be another admirer of Chu Yifeng and issue some harsh warning. Her blessing left him stunned. Old Locke, on the other hand, did not seem pleased by what she said, though Chu Yifeng and Emily had long since seen through his intentions.
Old Locke had always wanted Sophie as his granddaughter-in-law. He had watched her grow up and knew she was a good girl. If she married into the Aimer family, he could die without regrets. Unfortunately, Sophie’s admiration for Chu Yifeng seemed to be purely that of a younger sister for an older brother. She had never shown romantic interest. Old Locke could not give up hope and had deliberately brought her home this time, thinking the sight of a rival might make her realize that her feelings were actually love. Instead, she disappointed him again. He had not even known Emily had told Sophie about Wang Cheng long ago.
Sophie took an immediate liking to Wang Cheng. She had little resistance to handsome men, and her eyes had lit up the moment she saw him. She pulled him aside, peppered him with questions, and told him amusing stories from Chu Yifeng’s childhood.
Eventually Chu Yifeng grew jealous and interrupted their close whispering without hesitation. Sophie pouted.
“Brother Leo, you’re so mean! What’s wrong with letting me talk to Brother Cheng for a while longer?” She was already calling him Brother Cheng. Of course that would not do!
Old Locke could not bear to watch any longer. He asked Steward Jande to help him upstairs to rest and call him when dinner was ready.
“Boss Chu, your little sister Sophie is adorable,” Wang Cheng whispered to Chu Yifeng. She was as cheerful as Jingxue, open and confident, without a trace of an aristocratic young lady’s affectation. That was how it ought to be. Reserve was for outsiders.
Chu Yifeng folded his arms. “What’s so great about her? She talks too much.”
Wang Cheng laughed quietly. “That’s better than someone painfully shy. Though your grandfather doesn’t seem ready to accept me.”
Chu Yifeng smiled unconcernedly. “He’ll have to accept it sooner or later.”
His certainty made Wang Cheng curious. “Seriously, aren’t you afraid he’ll take Aimer away from you? Most family heads wouldn’t want the family business to pass to an outsider. If you insist on being with me, you won’t have descendants.”
“Then hurry up and have a baby for me.” Chu Yifeng teased him with a glance at his stomach.
Wang Cheng pinched him fiercely where nobody could see. Chu Yifeng endured it without dodging.
Steward Jande came to announce dinner and went upstairs to fetch Old Locke. Sophie stayed to eat with them. She visited so often that she was as comfortable in the Aimer home as in her own. She enthusiastically introduced Wang Cheng to the tastiest dishes, explaining which should be eaten in small bites and which in big ones. She really was delightfully uninhibited. The dinner was relatively harmonious.
Not long afterward, two visitors arrived as though they had timed their entrance. They were a father and daughter. The man looked to be in his fifties, tall and gentlemanly, either very wealthy or aristocratic. Once he came inside, he seemed to have eyes only for Mother Emily. The woman on his arm was his daughter, beautiful and dignified, with proud green eyes, an upright posture and perfectly mannered movements.
The pair greeted Old Locke first, followed by Emily, Chu Yifeng and Sophie. When the man noticed Wang Cheng, curiosity appeared in his eyes.
“And who might this gentleman be?”
“My partner, Zhou Cheng,” Chu Yifeng answered. Then he introduced the visitors. “This is Mr. Carla, and beside him is his daughter, Johanna.”
“Good evening,” Wang Cheng said with a smile and a nod.
“Good evening,” Mr. Carla replied courteously. His daughter, however, continued staring at Wang Cheng rudely until her father nudged her. Only then did she return the greeting coolly. Carla and Johanna were genuine aristocrats, each possessing half British aristocratic ancestry. Their family had longstanding ties to the Aimers. They had originally lived outside Italy, but after meeting Emily and Chu Yifeng, father and daughter had fallen in love with them at first sight and followed them to Italy. They even wanted to live nearby, though the Aimer residence occupied so much land that even neighbors would live far apart.
They had come for Emily and Chu Yifeng. Once seated, they virtually monopolized the conversation with them. Three out of every five sentences revolved around one of the two.
Sophie claimed she needed something and asked Wang Cheng to accompany her to the kitchen.
The chef had finished preparing dinner and left. Two servants remained cleaning up. Sophie asked them to step out for a while.
At first Wang Cheng thought she wanted a snack, but seeing her send away the servants, he realized she had something private to say. “Sophie, is there something you want to tell me?”
“Brother Cheng, what did you think when you saw Johanna just now?” Sophie asked indirectly, afraid he would think she was plotting something.
“Uh, she’s quite pretty.” Wang Cheng could not tell where this was going.
Sophie pouted in dissatisfaction. “Anything besides pretty? Didn’t you realize she likes Brother Leo? That woman has come here before. Every time she hears Brother Leo is home, she makes an excuse to visit, looking down on everyone with that arrogant face. She’s unbearable! Brother Cheng, you mustn’t let her steal Brother Leo!”
Wang Cheng did not know whether to laugh or cry. Of course he had recognized Johanna’s interest in Chu Yifeng. But the woman plainly stood no chance. If Chu Yifeng had liked her, they would already have been together. Wang Cheng was not worried she could take him away.
“Brother Cheng, don’t underestimate her. Johanna is horrible. She’ll do anything to get the person she wants. Remember Lina, who pursued Brother Leo five years ago? When Johanna found out, she had someone slash Lina’s face and disfigure her. I didn’t like Lina either, but what Johanna did was terrible.” Sophie had not realized she had inadvertently revealed another of Brother Leo’s admirers.
Wang Cheng did not care much about Chu Yifeng’s relationships before they met. He had played no part in that life and could not change the past. What mattered more was Sophie’s warning.
“So Johanna is a dangerous person.”
“Exactly. That’s why you must be careful,” Sophie urged. “Lina hadn’t even started dating Brother Leo, and Johanna was already that jealous. Now that you’re actually with him, who knows what she might do?”
“I’ll be careful. And thank you for telling me.” Wang Cheng was grateful to the girl he had only just met. She was sweet as well as kind. Without her warning, he might have paid Johanna no attention and been caught off guard.
Sophie blushed at his thanks. “You’re someone Brother Leo loves, and I like you too, so you don’t need to thank me! Grandpa Locke might not support you yet, but I absolutely will.”
Wang Cheng found her even more endearing. He wanted to make her some Chinese food as a treat, but the kitchen lacked the right ingredients, so he reluctantly promised another time. When they returned to the sitting room, Steward Jande had already politely escorted Carla and his daughter away.