In early May, the miscellaneous trees were in bloom and flocks of orioles flitted about.
Keston, in a private room at The Crestwood Hotel.
A waiter had knocked and entered for the third time to replace the lukewarm tea in the pot. As he was leaving the room, he snuck another glance at the girl sitting poised on the right.
The waiter closed the door, left the private room, and was immediately pulled into a corner by several colleagues. "Mr. Wyatt isn't here yet?"
"Nope."
"He's almost two hours late. Even if he's not happy with the blind date his family set up, it's not right to leave a girl hanging for this long."
"Who said it's a blind date? Maybe it's just a normal dinner."
"Mrs. Wyatt specifically told the manager to prepare the very best of everything. It's a 'dinner' in name, but a blind date in reality. But Mr. Wyatt already has someone he likes, so he's definitely not coming on purpose. I feel so embarrassed for the girl on the blind date."
...
The chatter buzzed outside, while the atmosphere inside the private room was just as delicate.
Sydney Sawyer lowered her head and took a sip of tea, her expression gentle and poised.
The woman across from her smiled kindly. "Syd, you just got back to Keston. I originally wanted to have your Uncle Wyatt, and Andrea, join us to treat you to a meal."
"Mrs. Wyatt, thank you for your kindness. You really don't have to go to such trouble," Sydney Sawyer said with a smile.
"It's just that your Uncle Wyatt is away on a last-minute business trip. So I specially invited Andrea's uncle to come, but he wasn't sure if he could make it because of work. I didn't expect Andrea to be this late either. He must be busy with work..."
"It's fine. Work is more important."
Sydney Sawyer's understanding and considerate nature made Regina Lockwood feel both pleased and guilty, while also secretly annoyed at her son's disappointing behavior.
This blind date, as it happened, had originated with Sydney Sawyer's mother, Jane Spencer.
She and Regina Lockwood were on good terms. Back when their families each had a son and a daughter, they made a verbal agreement to one day unite their children in marriage.
But later, the Sawyer family's couple divorced, and Sydney Sawyer left Keston with her mother. After she was gone for over a decade, no one brought up the matter again.
Now that she had just returned, Regina Lockwood invited her to a meal—ostensibly to catch up, but in reality, for a blind date.
Sydney Sawyer sipped her water, looking obedient and quiet. On the surface, she wasn't anxious or annoyed, but deep down, she knew exactly what was going on:
'This engagement was just a verbal agreement; it doesn't count. I only came because Mrs. Lockwood and my mother are good friends and she's always been nice to me. I didn't want to embarrass her, so I'm just going through the motions.'
'This way, if the Wyatt Family brings it up in the future, there will be an explanation, and they won't be seen as being in the wrong.'
As for Andrea Wyatt...
She had zero interest.
Upon returning to Keston, Sydney Sawyer had already heard a lot about him.
Apparently, he'd fallen for some girl, and after they got together, there was constant drama. He even got into a fight for her and ended up at the police station.
The Wyatt Family was prominent in Keston. Since Andrea Wyatt started dating her, nothing good had come of it, and he'd even dragged the family's name through the mud. The Wyatts were certainly resentful and naturally disapproved of the relationship, leading to constant arguments.
It was for this very reason that Regina Lockwood was so eager to invite Sydney for a meal as soon as she returned, doing her utmost to push this marriage forward.
"Syd, why don't we order first and eat?" Regina Lockwood, though anxious, guilty, and helpless, couldn't do anything about it. She called a waiter and handed the menu to Sydney. "See what you'd like to eat."
"You're more familiar with this place, so you should order." Sydney handed the menu back. "I'm fine with anything."
The young woman's gentle consideration made Regina Lockwood even more pleased.
——
As the dishes began to arrive, Regina Lockwood felt a pang of guilt and was the first to serve her a bowl of tofu soup. "This is the restaurant's specialty. You should try it."
"Thank you, Mrs. Wyatt."
Just as Sydney Sawyer picked up her porcelain spoon, the door to the private room was pushed open.
Both women instinctively looked toward the door. Regina Lockwood's face lit up. "Andrea, you're finally here!"
The man at the door wore a well-tailored suit. His features were classic and masculine—not a pretty boy, but handsome and dashing. Coupled with his wealth, it was natural that scores of women would flock to him.
Sydney Sawyer put down her spoon, stood up, and gave him a slight nod as a polite gesture.
"Look at you. I've told you before, work is never-ending. Syd has been waiting for you for a long time..." Regina Lockwood's smile froze on her lips when she caught sight of the person behind him.
"Sorry for making you wait so long," Andrea Wyatt said, looking at Sydney Sawyer.
"It's alright."
After Andrea Wyatt stepped into the private room, following closely behind him...
was another, very pretty girl.
She was fair-skinned and slender, willowy and delicate. In a fresh, floral-print dress, she followed him step for step, their fingers intertwined. Her clingy, bird-like demeanor was rather charming in its own way.
"Hello, Mrs. Wyatt," Kiara Dillon said, her voice as gentle as her appearance.
Regina Lockwood merely grunted in response, her face already ashen.
"This is Sydney Sawyer, the little sister I've often mentioned to you. We used to play together as kids, but we haven't seen each other in over a decade." Andrea Wyatt smiled at Sydney. "This is my girlfriend, Kiara Dillon."
"Hello," Sydney Sawyer said with a smile.
'I'm just here to go through the motions for an elder. Did he have to make it this awkward?'
...
After the four of them sat down, the atmosphere grew even stranger.
Today's dinner was, in name, a friendly gathering, but in reality, a blind date. As expected, only four people were supposed to come, and Regina Lockwood had specifically booked a private room for four.
The setup was two-by-two, facing each other.
Regina had hoped to seat Sydney Sawyer next to her son to let them get closer. Now, she was sitting next to Sydney instead...
Watching the affectionate couple across from them, she was so angry she could barely breathe.
"I'm so sorry. Kiara isn't feeling well. Taking care of her made me late. When she heard you'd been waiting so long, she insisted on coming to apologize in person. I figured, since we're just eating, I'd bring her along," Andrea Wyatt said, looking at Sydney. "You don't mind, do you?"
"It's fine," Sydney Sawyer said with a smile.
'What else could I say at this point?'
Andrea Wyatt's words and actions were loaded with meaning...
First, he was telling her he had a girlfriend and that this was just a simple dinner. Second, he was telling her not to get any ideas.
'But it's mostly his manipulative tone... Unbelievable!'
'Couldn't we just have a civil meal and go our separate ways?'
'Is he afraid I'll use Mrs. Wyatt's support to cling to him?'
'Does he really think he's the protagonist of a novel? That every woman is in love with him?'
"Miss Sawyer, I'm truly sorry for making you wait so long because of me," Kiara Dillon said with a gentle smile. "You're just as kind and lovely as Andrea described."
Sydney Sawyer: "..."
'That tone of voice...'
'A pair of manipulative snakes. They're perfect for each other!'
"Mrs. Wyatt, our arrival was rather sudden, so I didn't bring a gift..." Kiara Dillon said with a smile, looking at Regina Lockwood.
Regina Lockwood nearly rolled her eyes into the back of her head. But with Sydney present and in a public place, the Wyatt Family had a reputation to uphold, so she couldn't make a scene. She simply said, "It was very sudden!"
Kiara Dillon froze. "..."
Regina Lockwood's tone was calm and dismissive. "A gift? There's no need for that. After all... we're not family or anything. I wouldn't dare accept gifts from just anyone."
The situation today was humiliating. The two of them were deliberately throwing shade at Regina Lockwood, slapping her in the face. So her words were equally blunt, making her stance clear.
"Mom," Andrea Wyatt frowned, naturally unable to stand seeing the person he liked being put in a difficult position.
"Alright, let's just eat. The food is getting cold."
Regina Lockwood shut down the conversation completely.
...
During the meal, the couple across from them tried to speak several times, but Regina Lockwood discreetly cut them off each time.
It wasn't until a waiter came in to serve another dish that Kiara Dillon suddenly looked at Sydney Sawyer. "Miss Sawyer, you're a senior in college this year?"
"Yes," Sydney Sawyer nodded.
"Are you back in Keston to look for a job?"
"More or less."
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
Sydney Sawyer was speechless. 'She's asking the obvious, knowing full well why Mrs. Lockwood arranged this dinner.'
Though speechless inside, she still smiled and shook her head.
"You're so beautiful, you must have a lot of admirers. What's your type? I know a lot of people. Do you want me to introduce you to someone?" Kiara Dillon put on the air of a concerned older sister.
Regina Lockwood gritted her teeth in anger. 'This girl really has her methods, wrapping my son around her little finger. She shows up uninvited, and now she wants to play matchmaker?'
'She's trying to block my every move!'
'Poor Syd, having to face such an awkward situation.'
Just as she was about to speak, Sydney Sawyer suddenly smiled at Kiara Dillon. "Are you really going to introduce someone to me?"
Kiara Dillon knew Andrea Wyatt had a blind date today. She had deliberately feigned illness and insisted he bring her along, for no other reason than to assert her dominance and see just what kind of trash the high-and-mighty Mrs. Wyatt, who looked down on her, would manage to find.
The girl across from her:
Delicate brows, bright eyes, dark hair, and red lips.
A soft pink dress revealed an exquisite, beautiful neckline and collarbones. Her figure was lovely, with straight shoulders and long legs, and a slender waist that was graceful even in stillness.
There's a saying that some people are beautiful because heaven graced them with a meal ticket. But her looks...
It was more like heaven was spoon-feeding her.
Kiara Dillon felt a sense of crisis. She wanted nothing more than for Sydney to find a boyfriend immediately, so she had asked on a whim. She never expected Sydney Sawyer to actually show interest.
This made her ecstatic; she couldn't wait to set her up with a man.
She immediately smiled. "If you really want to date, I can introduce you to someone. I'm not kidding. What's your type? Or do you have any specific requirements?"
"Requirements?" Sydney Sawyer feigned a thoughtful expression. "Well, when I was little, I always thought Andrea was pretty great..."
Those words successfully made the faces of the couple across from her change.
Regina Lockwood, however, was overjoyed...
'There's still a chance!'
"I-Is that so?" Kiara Dillon forced a smile. 'Andrea is handsome and rich. Who wouldn't like him?'
"Ms. Dillon, don't be nervous," Sydney Sawyer smiled at her. "Don't worry, I won't fight you for him. That was when I was a kid, young and ignorant. He's not my type anymore."
The couple across from her had just breathed a sigh of relief when they heard her continue:
"Me? Nowadays, my type is..."
"Someone with good taste. And a brain."
Sydney Sawyer's pupils were jet black. Her light makeup subtly winged her eyeliner upwards, and her long lashes curled into a perfect arc. Looking at the two of them, she curved her lips into a smile...
Harmless as a kitten, yet with a hint of soul-stealing allure.
Her words successfully made Andrea Wyatt's face turn completely black, while Kiara Dillon was so choked up her face went pale.
From the moment they met until now, Sydney Sawyer had been nothing but proper and polite. They never expected her to be capable of such scathing remarks.
She was mocking Andrea Wyatt for having bad taste and no brain.
And she did it with such an innocent smile.
Regina Lockwood didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Sydney Sawyer knew exactly what the couple across from her was thinking.
She had no hopes for this so-called blind date. She was just here at an elder's request. 'If you want to bring your girlfriend, I don't care. We can just have a civil meal and give our elder a report.'
But Andrea Wyatt's earlier manipulative tone had already rubbed her the wrong way. Now, with Kiara Dillon acting like a saint while speaking like a schemer, eagerly trying to set her up with a man, it was too much to bear.
'Since you don't want to be civil, I won't be polite either.'
After all, a person...
can only endure so much.
**
Ignoring the embarrassed expressions of the pair across from her, Sydney Sawyer lowered her head and drank her tofu soup. Though the soup was a little cold, her mood was excellent.
Just as the atmosphere in the room fell into another stalemate, someone knocked and entered.
Assuming it was a waiter, Sydney Sawyer didn't look up until she heard the voice:
"Sorry, I'm late."
In her memory, that person had an incredibly pleasant male voice, deep but not cloying, with a hint of a languid, Aethel drawl.
Like a pebble suddenly dropping into a lake, it was quiet, yet it instantly stirred a tempest in her heart.
Sydney Sawyer felt as if someone had seized a vital nerve. Her breath hitched, and her hand gripping the spoon tightened.
Her heartbeat skipped a beat. 'That voice sounds just like him.'
It was just a voice, yet she was easily captivated, her soul ensnared.
Her neck stiff, she turned her head to look at the newcomer...
The man wore a white shirt and suit pants, the buttons done up meticulously to his collar, exuding a proud yet reserved air.
He wore a pair of narrow, gold-rimmed glasses. The frame cast a half-inch shadow on either side of his nose. Beneath the lenses, his dark eyes were deep-set, slightly downcast, concealing their sharp edge.
He carried himself with an air of imperturbable grace, as if immune to all worldly temptations.
BOOM—
Sydney Sawyer felt a roar in her ears, her mind reeling.
That familiar face, barging into her sight so unexpectedly, struck her heart with brutal force. It felt as if all her limbs had gone numb and lost sensation in an instant.
"Didn't you say you were busy with work and might not have time to come?" Regina Lockwood hadn't noticed Sydney's strange reaction and had already stood up with a smile.
"Just finished. Are you all done?"
"Not yet. Sit down first. I'll call the waiter to order a few more dishes."
"Don't trouble yourself. There's enough food."
"Then sit..." Regina Lockwood frowned. The table was set for four, and now with an extra person, they were short a chair. "Take my seat for now, right next to Syd. I'll go ask the waiter for an extra stool."
"Hmm?" he seemed to be asking who Syd was.
"It's the one I told you about, my best friend's daughter, Sydney Sawyer!" Regina Lockwood introduced them with a laugh. "Syd, this is the person I mentioned, the one who was supposed to come to dinner. Andrea calls him uncle, so you should too."
"Syd?" the man murmured.
The name, when spoken by him, inexplicably carried a hint of gentle intimacy.
Sydney Sawyer bit her lip lightly. It felt like any word he spoke, no matter what it was, was enough to make the tips of her ears burn, her face flush, and her heart race.
Sydney Sawyer stood up stiffly, the immense psychological shock leaving her unsure of what she was even doing.
Her body rigid, her voice trembled in her throat as she managed a low greeting:
"He-Hello, Uncle."
The man acknowledged her with a polite yet distant sound.
Their eyes met...
He looked down at her, his expression impassive.
Sydney Sawyer froze for a second, listening to the ever-loudening sound of her own heartbeat...
She never thought she would see him again.
The year she fell for Sebastian Lockwood, she was nineteen.