“Maybe。”

He was dissatisfied. "What maybe?

I like it when you dress up beautifully. "He thought of how beautiful she looked in the beautiful dress he had bought for her.

He felt happy in his heart.

He had bought her a gown.

But she had barely worn it.

Helen had bought her a lot of daily clothes,

When they went out to play, they basically didn't go to the clothing store, so there wasn't much chance to buy her.

She changed into his old pajamas and looked a little more childish. "I look beautiful in everything."

"That's true." He was about to hug her,

When he heard Aline knocking on the door outside,

"Juven."

He opened the door and went out, whispering to Aline in the corridor for a while.

Aline left, but he still stood in the corridor for a long time.

*

Hayley was already lying down,

Pretending to be asleep.

Juven walked to the bed and squatted down. "Babybear," he stroked her hair,

"Are you asleep?"

"I'm asleep."

He hesitated for a moment. "Go to sleep. I'll sleep in the living room later."

She opened her eyes and looked at him,

Then closed her eyes again,

"Didn't Aline ask you to sleep with me?"

He didn't answer.

"I thought you were 18 years old," she said coldly.

"You don't understand … what mother means to me, to us."

"I don't understand." She suddenly became a little angry. "Do you think Helen doesn't know that you spent the night in my room?

Did she say anything? "

"That's different."

"How is it different?" She sat up suddenly,

Which startled Juven.

Then he was pushed down by her and fell to the floor.

She immediately got out of bed,

And knelt beside him,

"Do you think I'm still young,

I don't understand what Aline thinks of you?

Have you forgotten that I studied theoretical physics?

This means that I'm smarter than 99% of the people in this country. I don't need a lot of life experience to understand that she's your mother. She loves you very much, but she's also using this love to bind you.

Is she afraid of something? "

"— — She's not.

Well, Hayley — — "Juven was shocked and a little embarrassed. He didn't know what he was thinking.

He sat up. "Mother isn't like that."

"Like what?

Actually, you know very well in your heart, she doesn't want you to leave home and leave her.

Juven, have you thought about the future? "

"What, what future?"

"The future, the future, you and I. You probably haven't thought about it.

Helen saw it very clearly. She said that you had never thought of … getting married.

Why didn't you propose to me?? "

"That's," Revan was shocked. "You're still young. You're still in college."

"Admit it, you never thought of it!" she said, raising her voice a little in her fury.

Juven panicked. "I love you!

I've loved you since the first time I saw you. You know that. "

"I don't know!" she said angrily.

Then she suddenly stood up and walked to the cabinet. She opened the first drawer, took out a small jewelry box, and found a ring inside.

Juven had also stood up and walked behind her.

"Now, take this ring. When you send me back to Berkeley, we can go to San Francisco to register."

Juven was shocked by her action again. He was dizzy. "Why — — Why — — Do you want to get married?"

"I don't know if I want to get married, but I don't like you listening to Aline. If you need a marriage to leave her, then I'm willing to marry you."

He was upset. "You suddenly made this decision. I haven't thought it through."

Hayley put the ring on the cabinet. "If you've thought it through, then take the ring.

Now, you can leave. "

*

The next day, on the morning of the 24th, Hayley called Djékun and drove to Gainesville with Samo.

They had lunch and dinner in Gainesville. They ate a lot of snacks and watched a movie in the afternoon. After dinner, they drove back to the ranch.

When they were refueling on the way, Samo whispered to Djékun, "Did Hayley and Juven fight?"

"Probably." Djékun looked at the gas gauge and then glanced at Hayley, who was sitting in the car.

Samo was a little confused. "But yesterday was Juven's birthday. Why did they fight?"

"You'll have to ask Juven about that."

"He won't tell me.

Do you think I can ask Hayley? "

"You're too nosy. Don't ask." Djékun rubbed his little sister's hair.

Samo was unhappy. "I'm all grown up. You can't touch my hair casually. It'll mess it up!"

After returning to the ranch, Hayley went back to her room to check the ring. It was still there.

She sighed softly.

She had run out to play today, but she didn't feel happy. She was still angry and annoyed the whole day.

She didn't know how to deal with this problem. Although she had given Juven a choice, she couldn't control his choice. He probably wouldn't even think of leaving Aline.

She sat on the edge of the bed in frustration, not knowing what to do.

Samo knocked on the door and came in. She closed the door carefully. "Hayley." She approached her a little sneakily. "Juven almost did everything at home and outside today. He even washed the horse.

Did he — "

Hayley facepalmed. 'This guy!'

"Don't ask me. Ask him."

"Did you guys fight?"

"Sort of."

"But …" Samo was very conflicted. "Wasn't it Juven's birthday yesterday?

Birthdays are the happiest. Don't make him sad.

If he makes you unhappy, ask him to apologize to you. Forgive him. Then he won't always torture himself. "

Hayley forced a smile. "Maybe it's not that simple."

"Then why?"

"Ask him."

Samo sighed. "He won't say.

He's always like this. He keeps everything in his heart. No one knows what he's thinking. "

She hesitated for a moment and said, "Juven is very nice. He has a good temper and is very beautiful.

You're the first girlfriend he brought to the ranch. I think he really loves you. "

"Does he like the ranch?"

Samo nodded affirmatively. "Very much.

He says this is' home '. "

*

In Djékun's room.

Djékun told him where they had been today and whether Hayley was happy. When he finished, he was quite displeased. "Don't make her unhappy. She didn't smile much today.

She's so cute when she smiles! "

"Do you like her?" Juven was quite surprised.

"She's very beautiful and cute. She's not like those girls from rich families who have eyes on the top of their heads." Kids who grew up on the streets had keen observation skills and could quickly see through a person's nature.

"I like her very much."

Juven didn't say anything else. He just smoked fiercely.

*

Another day passed, and another day passed. On the evening of the 26th, Hayley put away the ring.

On the morning of the 27th, Djékun drove her to the Gainesville airport and booked the earliest flight to San Francisco.

*

Juven Phoenix returned to Los Angeles in mid-September.

The paparazzi quickly noticed that he no longer went to Berkeley on weekends. They concluded that he had broken up with Hayley again. They took photos of him at various parties. It seemed that he didn't care so much about creating a healthy image as an idol.

He still lived at the Marmont Manor Hotel.

Aline took the other four children back to Los Angeles in early September. Djékun would graduate from high school in a year.

Juven didn't go home to spend the night. He would occasionally come over at night, but he would soon leave.

Kinou didn't ask or say anything. Nothing seemed to have changed.

*

Berkeley.

After entering the second grade, the number of classes increased. Almost every day, she had to attend eight classes. Sometimes, it was ten classes. Occasionally, she had to attend classes on Saturdays. In her free time, she was busy doing homework in the library. She was too tired to think about anything else.

The apartment opposite had a new tenant. It was a young, fashionable, and beautiful man. He was a humanities graduate student. Hayley had only seen him once and had forgotten his name.

On the weekend at the end of September, Hayley returned to Los Angeles once to attend Helen and Alexander's engagement party.

She didn't ask why Helen suddenly agreed to the proposal. That was her business. She was an adult and didn't need to ask her daughter's opinion.

David Bashrov came to pick them up at the hotel where the party was being held. He was very surprised to find that Hayley's partner was a tall, handsome young man he had never seen before.

Hayley introduced them to each other. "David, this is Jim, Jim Caviezel.

Jim, this is David Bashrov, Alexander's son. "

The two men quickly shook hands.

When Jim got into the car, he found it a little strange that David's gaze was quite hostile. After a while, he realized that it was the gaze of someone looking at a love rival!

Hayley didn't care about David.

Helen also didn't care about David or Jim.

She didn't ask her daughter why she broke up with Juven. There was nothing wrong with having Jim as her partner. Jim was handsome and had the tall and straight figure of an athlete. He was tall and had a shy smile. He was very likable.

As for how Hayley was going to deal with David and Jim, she didn't worry. This was too common a scene for her. She didn't worry that Hayley couldn't handle it.

Besides, David had never been Hayley's boyfriend. No matter how unhappy she was, she could only hold it in.

The engagement party was very grand. Serious businessmen with business dealings, some politicians, and Broadway stars were invited to perform live. It was very high-class, solemn, and relaxed.

Helen had snow-white and delicate skin like a camellia. She wore a midnight blue dress. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. She had a graceful bearing and unparalleled appearance. Her manners were perfect, and she was calm and impeccable.

Previously, various tabloids speculated that she was just a German textile worker who was constantly rising in social status because of her beauty. But now it seemed that this groundless speculation was extremely laughable.

Her English pronunciation was perfect, with a little imperceptible Oxford accent. She used standard words and never used vulgar slang. She was fluent in German and French. She could also speak Spanish at the level of daily conversation.

She could talk to her about social, political, economic, and cultural topics, but her attitude was more reserved and arrogant. If she didn't want to talk to a topic, she would just smile and not answer. Then she would quickly change the topic.

Like the others, Jim was also baptized by Helen's beauty. He was a little dizzy all the way until he woke up at the banquet.