Chapter 734

E55 vouchers

I was a little stunned—her name sounded like something out of a poem. No wonder Jeffrey Jennings made her his second wife back then. A legendary beauty with an artistic soul like hers—who could ever let someone like that slip away?

Suddenly, I kind of got why Edward never seemed impressed by beautiful women. Maybe, to him, his mom was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known.

“Hello, Vivian,” I greeted her politely.

“Come, have a seat,” Vivian said, motioning for me to sit beside her.

Edward smiled and said, “My mom’s super easygoing, so you don’t have to be nervous at all.”

I smiled, but even though she was easygoing, her elegance was almost intimidating—it was hard to meet her gaze, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.

“Edward, why don’t you ask Ms. Murphy what she likes to eat and order some of her favorites?” Vivian’s voice was genuinely gentle and sincere.

Edward placed the menu in front of me. “Take a look and order whatever you want.”

Normally, I’d just say “anything’s fine,” but that’s something you say to old friends. Since this was our first meeting and they were being so gracious, it would seem rude if I didn’t show the same respect.

I pointed to a couple of dishes, and the waiter standing nearby quickly added them to the order.

Vivian looked me over with a smile. “Did you ever study art?”

I told her I’d been learning dance since I was little.

“I can see it in the way you walk—you’ve got an artistic vibe about you,” Vivian said with a smile.

I couldn’t help but give her a sheepish grin.

I thought things were about to get awkward, but then Vivian asked, “So, what do you do for work?”

I answered honestly, and she nodded. “It’s important to build something for yourself while you’re still young. That way, when you get to my age, you won’t have any regrets. I’ve always believed women should have their own careers.”

I smiled and agreed, “Yeah, having a career really gives you a sense of independence.”

Vivian didn’t bring up anything about my relationship with Edward or ask what our future plans were. Instead, we just chatted about work and hobbies, and then she even took off the string of prayer beads she was wearing and gave them to me as a welcome gift.

Edward would add a comment here and there at just the right moments, but he never interrupted us—he was actually quieter than I’d ever seen him before.

Vivian asked if I was free that afternoon. She wanted to visit the temple, but didn’t want Edward coming along—she figured he’d just be a buzzkill. So she asked if I could go with her instead.

Edward shot me a look, his eyes practically begging me to say yes.

I agreed. Honestly, I get it–moms know that hanging out with their sons isn’t always the most fun. Sometimes, though, sons can be pretty thoughtful.

After lunch, Edward got the car ready and asked his mom, “Really, Mom? You sure you don’t want me tagging along?”

“Just go handle your own stuff,” Vivian said, waving him off.

Edward nodded, then looked at me. “Guess I’m counting on you to keep her company.”

I just smiled at him.

On the way to the church, I shared some local customs and stories with Vivian, and she was genuinely interested, listening closely.

When we arrived, it was pretty quiet since it was a weekday. Vivian said she just wanted to light some incense and wasn’t planning to do anything else.

I waited off to the side while she did her thing, and her undercover bodyguard hung back nearby.

As she lit the incense, she handed me her purse. She pressed her palms together, eyes closed, making a wish. People walking by kept sneaking glances at us, probably thinking we were sisters.

I thought today would just be about lighting incense with Edward’s mom—nothing more, nothing less.

But out of nowhere, someone snapped photos of us and posted them online with the caption: “This mother and daughter are gorgeous! Are they celebrities?”

Talk about trouble coming out of nowhere. By the time I realized that pictures of me and Vivian lighting incense had hit the internet, the whole thing had already blown up.

The number of shares on Weibo exploded, especially with the ‘celebrity‘ hashtag making everyone even more curious.

When Edward called to tell me about it, my mind just went completely blank.