Chapter 16

"Congratulations, congratulations." A guest shook his hand. "Why do you look a bit pale, are you nervous?"

Evan Miller forced a smile. "A little bit."

After ushering this business partner inside, Evan Miller was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when he heard a stern voice: "Evan Miller."

Evan Miller quickly looked up at the middle-aged man in front of him. "...Dad, you're here."

"Mm." Gregory Miller had just gotten off the plane. He glanced around at the decorations and concluded, "This is too stingy. Why not hold it in the hotel's banquet hall?"

"She said she likes gardens." He was referring to his fiancée.

Gregory Miller nodded. "Has your grandmother arrived?"

Evan Miller said, "She's already inside."

Gregory Miller grunted in acknowledgment and was about to enter when Evan Miller quickly stepped forward, his tone restrained: "Dad... why is he here?"

Gregory Miller reacted quickly. "He's already here? It was your grandmother's idea, let her have her way."

Evan Miller: "Dad... Mom won't be happy about this."

"Is it you who's unhappy, or your mom? Don't worry, your mom knows what's important." Gregory Miller looked at him. "But you, don't lose your composure over someone irrelevant."

Evan Miller gritted his teeth. "I understand."

"Also," Gregory Miller seemed to remember something, "has Matthew Clark arrived?"

——

Ryan Miller was sitting with his legs crossed, playing a battle royale game on his phone. He hated these kinds of occasions; just socializing would take up most of his time. He'd already been sitting here for half an hour, and the engagement ceremony still hadn't started.

Fortunately, there were plenty of entertainment options these days. With headphones on and the game running, everyone around him became irrelevant...

Not really.

"There's someone at the lower right corner."

"Oh, is that your teammate?"

"Your teammate is asking you to turn on your mic in the chat."

Ryan Miller was extremely annoyed, so irritated that he furiously pressed the volume button, turning it up to 70%.

Suddenly, his right earbud was yanked off. Matthew Clark said, "Playing it this loud, do you not want your ears anymore?"

Ryan Miller snatched back the earbud and muttered, "Can you not be so annoying—"

"Matthew Clark." At some point, the welcoming had ended, and Evan Miller walked over to Matthew Clark, not even glancing at Ryan Miller. "Why are you sitting here? Your seat is at the main table. Didn't the reception tell you?"

The main table?

Ryan Miller looked at Matthew Clark suspiciously. He'd just checked—the people at the main table were basically all family from both sides, and the few unfamiliar faces were older, obviously people of high status.

Not to mention Evan Miller's group of friends, who were all seated further down from the center.

He was already surprised that this bankrupt guy Matthew Clark was even invited, and now Evan Miller was actually inviting him to sit at the main table?

"I'm fine sitting here," Matthew Clark said. "I haven't seen Ryan Miller in a long time, just wanted to catch up."

"...You two know each other?" Evan Miller frowned. "You can catch up anytime. There's a seat saved for you over there, come on."

Matthew Clark was about to refuse when he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder.

The bold, domineering scent of men's cologne filled his nose.

Ryan Miller raised his right hand and placed it directly on Matthew Clark's shoulder. "Can't you understand? He wants to catch up with me."

Evan Miller was about to lose his temper, but Matthew Clark spoke first. He suddenly raised his hand, grasped Ryan Miller's fingertips, and said with a light laugh, "Of course we know each other. He's my junior. You go ahead, I won't go over. Please give my regards to Uncle Miller for me."

His fingers were suddenly enveloped in warmth, and Ryan Miller instinctively tried to pull away, but the other held on tight, and he couldn't break free.

Matthew Clark held his hand, and out of sight of others, gently rubbed Ryan Miller's palm with his thumb.

Shit.

Evan Miller said, "...Alright then. Don't leave after it's over, I wanted to talk to you about that plot of land on Xingjia Road."

"Okay."

As soon as Evan Miller left, Ryan Miller immediately pulled his hand back.

There were too many people around for him to make a scene, so under the table, he secretly pinched Matthew Clark.

Only after pinching him did he realize something was off.

These little moves under the table—damn, they really looked like... flirting!

Ryan Miller simply ignored him, turned his attention back to the game, only to find his character had already been shot in the head and turned into a loot box. He clicked his tongue, exited the game, and started a new round.

The sound system at the venue was pretty loud; even with headphones on, he could still hear some of it. The host rambled on for quite a while, clearly trying hard to be funny, but the jokes still fell flat and dull.

It would have been more interesting to have Yue Wenwen come up and tell a crosstalk routine.

The two main characters were in a marriage of convenience, with almost no emotional foundation, and barely any shared memories to look back on, so that segment passed quickly.

It wasn't even a fifth as long as the welcoming.

Ryan Miller turned off the game, wondering when he could leave.

"Matthew Clark."

Ryan Miller thought he'd never hear that voice again in his life.

His hand paused as he took off his headphones, and he turned around instinctively.

Gregory Miller was holding a wine glass, looking at Matthew Clark with a fatherly gaze, as if Matthew Clark were his own son.

Matthew Clark picked up his wine glass and stood up, speaking politely, "Uncle Miller, long time no see. How have you been?"