Eve Sherman found a carved wooden chair nearby and sat down. The server enthusiastically poured her a cup of hot tea, which she drank to warm herself up, letting out a comfortable sigh.
This was her most relaxed business trip ever.
She didn't have to handle anything, not even the dreaded social engagements.
Compared to before, she was truly lucky.
To have met such a considerate boss like Stellan Sutton.
After waiting for a while, Eve started to feel hungry. She hadn't eaten much since noon, and was about to sneak off to grab something to eat when the door of the private room opened.
Stellan Sutton walked in the front, his expression fairly neutral, revealing no emotion. However, the few higher-ups behind him looked somewhat uneasy, their smiles noticeably stiffer.
Eve immediately stood up and respectfully greeted him.
"President Sutton, we've arranged everything perfectly. Won't you do us the honor of taking a look?"
Stellan smiled slightly, "I'm already married, and I'm not interested in these things, but thank you all for your hospitality, and I wish us a smooth cooperation. Next time you're in Ardane, I'll host you instead."
The other party seemed surprised, "We hadn't heard that President Sutton was married... If we had known, we definitely wouldn't have arranged this. It's such a big thing, and we had no idea. This is really..."
As expected, everyone who heard that Stellan Sutton was married had the same expression as Eve did at the time.
Finally making it out of the hotel, Stellan slumped tiredly in the back seat of the car, rubbing his temples.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Eve asked worriedly.
Stellan waved his hand, "No, I'm just not used to the alcohol here."
Eve quickly took out some hangover medicine she brought for herself and handed it to him.
Without a word, Stellan took the medicine, swallowed two tablets, and then said, "I'll give you the evening off, and we'll head back to Ardane first thing tomorrow. If there's any souvenirs you want to buy, you can do so."
"Are you not buying anything?" Eve blurted out, "The silk here is famous, you might want to buy a scarf or handkerchief for your wife?"
Remembering her previous bad idea that might have caused a rift between President Sutton and his wife, Eve had already done her homework and noted down the things worth buying here.
Stellan's hand paused slightly as he rubbed his temples.
Since he last heard someone calling her 'darling,' he hadn't contacted her.
His grandfather at home was pressing him hard, calling him several times a day urging him to bring her back soon.
Bringing some gifts back for her and talking earnestly about their future wasn't a bad idea.
Gathering his thoughts, he nodded, "Alright, you decide where to go."
Eve immediately started giving directions to the driver, and soon they arrived at the bustling city center.
Eve walked slightly behind Stellan, introducing as they went, "This street is filled with local specialty shops. I looked it up; there are all kinds of price ranges. I'll just take you to the more upscale places."
It had been a long time since Stellan had gone shopping like this. Usually, whatever he needed, Lucas would order and have it delivered home. The noise was somewhat unsettling for him.
Luckily, Eve was his personal guide, leading him through the twists and turns, allowing him to think about the project proposals while following her around.
Before long, they arrived at a silk shop. Eve pointed to a qipao with delicate Su embroidery in the distance and asked, "What do you think of this? Would it fit your wife?"
Stellan furrowed his brows, carefully considering.
In his memory, that woman wasn't particularly tall, about the same height as Eve, and her figure, similarly slender like Eve's.
Her personality was a bit straightforward, she didn't seem like someone who would be interested in these things.
Yet that man called her 'darling' in such a doting way, as if she were a very girlish person.
He was unsure, so he decided to buy them all.
He even bought different sizes.
The more he bought, the more Eve felt that this boss seemingly, apparently, didn't know his wife very well...
After circling the area, Stellan bought everything that Eve and the sellers recommended without asking the prices.
The bags in Eve's hands had grown so numerous that she could hardly carry them all.
For some reason, Eve had the feeling that Stellan was in a not-so-good mood. Not wanting to linger any longer, she quickly recommended all the local specialities and then sent the unhappy Stellan back to the hotel.