Chapter 195 Marrying me
Alana couldn’t resist her curiosity about something else. “So there’s...extra, extra small? How small is that?”
Stephan chuckled, his large hand gently rubbing her flushed cheek. “You don’t need to know about extra-small. Just know about extra-large.”
She eyed him.
Wasn’t it okay to ask out of pure curiosity?
She placed the box the man had handed her into the shopping cart and asked shyly,
“Is one box enough?”
“One box isn’t enough. Grab a few more.” The man grabbed over a dozen boxes at once.
Alana gasped: “Oh my, that’s enough, that’s enough! Stop taking more! Do you want to fill up the whole cart?”
“Better to stock up, you know...better safe than sorry. Or maybe you’re ready to have my baby?” He teased, winking at her.
Embarrassed, Alana left the man behind and ran off. “You go pay for this. I’ll wait for
you outside!”
Stephan watched the girl flee in panic, unable to catch her even if he tried.
He chuckled, “She sure runs fast.”
Was it that embarrassing to buy condoms with him?
Alana jogged out of the supermarket and accidentally bumped into someone at the
entrance.
“Oh, sorry, sorry!”
She hurriedly apologized, then looked up in a rush only to realize it was someone she
knew.
That’s right, the person she’d accidentally bumped into was Darla.
Alana’s cheeks had been flushed just moments ago, but the moment she saw Darla, the heat drained from her face.
It was as if she’d been doused with cold water.
Darla, having been bumped, looked up and was also taken aback when she saw
it was Alana.
“What a coincidence...running into you again.”
Alana looked awkward. “Heh.”
Actually, she didn’t want to run into her at all.
Darla continued. “You know what? It seems we’re quite destined to keep running into each other.”
Alana frowned, she didn’t want this connection at all.
Darla asked curiously, “Who did you come to the supermarket with?”
Alana replied: “My boyfriend.”
Darla was surprised. “You have a boyfriend?”
The last time she asked, Alana clearly didn’t have one. “Is it the one who walked the cat and dog with you the other time?”
Alana pursed her lips. “No.”
Darla was even more curious. “Then who is it?”
"Darla.”
They both turned to see Stephan walking towards them.
Before any of the women could say anything, Stephan grabbed Darla by the arm and pulled her aside.
Alana watched as the two spoke heatedly for a moment, though she couldn’t hear what they were hearing but she didn’t like Stephan talking to this woman at all.
Turning, she stormed off. But moments later, she heard Stephan calling her name as he hurried up to her.
“Lana...wait.” He rushed to stand in front.
“Are you done getting seduced by that vixen?!” She thundered.
Stephan blinked and then smiled. “C’mon, sweetheart. Are you seriously jealous?”
Alana couldn’t help but retort, “No. How could I possibly be jealous? You’re overthinking it!”
Stephan chuckled, the corners of his mouth curving upward. “If you’re not jealous, how else would you have said something like ‘being seduced by a little vixen’?”
“I...” Alana wanted to continue arguing, but found she had no rebuttal.
Fine, she was jealous.
Seeing Stephan standing with another woman, talking, made her feel uneasy.
She pouted slightly and muttered under her breath, “You know I could get jealous, yet you don’t even bother to keep your distance from other women. And you two talked for so long, you didn’t even realize my legs were getting sore from waiting.”
The girl lowered her head slightly, mumbling to herself for a while, though no one could
tell what she was saying.
But for some reason, Stephan felt she was full of sass.
Finding it amusing, he leaned in, pinched her cheek, and turned her pretty face toward him.
“What are you muttering about? So quietly, are you cursing me?”
With her cheeks pinched, Alana had no choice but to face him.
Her clear, moist eyes sparkled with vitality. Her cheeks were puffed out quite a bit, looking adorably cute.
“I wasn’t cursing at you, I was just...”
Alana pouted, her gaze shifting slightly. “I was just... making fun of you for being with
other women...”
Stephan stared at her and asked with a chuckle, “What exactly were you complaining about me doing with other women?”
“You’re asking a question you already know the answer to.”
Stephan raised an eyebrow. “So you’re jealous because I was talking with another woman?”
Stephan saw that the girl’s pout was so deep you could hang a soy sauce bottle from it; her sulky expression was
particularly endearing.
He never would have guessed that his little white rabbit could get so jealous.
He quickly reached out, wrapped his arms around her slender waist, and pulled her into his embrace.
Then he lowered his head slightly, pressed his thin lips to the space between her eyebrows, and coaxed her gently,
“There, there. Don’t be jealous. I only spoke to her to make it clear I’m not interested. So she shouldn’t bother you at all.”
Alana looked up at the man’s handsome face. “Really?”
Stephan gently rubbed her cheek. “It’s true, as true as gold!”
A smile tugged at Alana’s lips. It had to be said, she was quite easy to placate; with his explanation, she instantly felt much better.
After a moment’s hesitation, she couldn’t help but ask, “Is she... the blind date your
mother set you up with?”
“Yeah, it’s her. Her name is Darla. She’s a colleague of my mom’s at the hospital. I heard she’s a returnee from studying abroad.”
Hearing this, a faint sense of disappointment flashed through Alana’s mind.
“No wonder your mom likes her so much. So she’s her colleague, and she studied abroad too. She must be quite accomplished.”
A woman this accomplished, and she was still pursuing Stephan so relentlessly, could he... possibly be moved by her?
Stephan studied the girl’s eyes, not missing the fleeting glimpse of disappointment in her gaze.
He curled the corner of his lips. “So what if she’s outstanding? I don’t like her. My mom likes her, that’s her business, but that doesn’t mean I do.”
Alana’s heart skipped a beat. She looked up at him and pressed on, “So if your mom
told you to marry her, would you?”
Stephan curved his lips, his deep eyes fixed on her. “No. I’ll only marry someone I love.”
Alana’s heart gave a sharp jolt, racing wildly. When he said he’d marry the one he loved, did that mean he’d marry her?
But she hadn’t decided to marry him yet. What should she do?
Being in love was a wonderful thing, something truly worth looking forward to.
But marriage...
The pain from her family made her instinctively fear marriage.
She felt that dating was fine, but marriage required careful consideration.
She bit her lip and asked softly, “Stephan, do you... have any plans to get married?”
This topic was too sensitive.
Couples who have just started dating rarely broach it.
But she wanted to hear his true thoughts.
Stephan smiled. “Yes.”
After a brief pause, he continued, “Lana, I’ve told you before, my family is pressuring
me to go on blind dates and get married. But I back then, I had no woman in my life, so I made no plans. But now, I’ve met you. If it’s possible, I want to... marry you and spend the rest of my life by your side.”
For the rest of their lives?
What a distant prospect.
Alana pressed her lips together and asked uncertainly, “Stephan, are you sure I’m
the one you want to marry?”
So many couples never end up together in the end. Maybe they were incompatible, or didn’t love each other enough. Or perhaps family issues, parents who don’t approve. So many reasons, they were all defeated by the harsh realities of life.
Was he really that certain that she was the one he wanted to marry, and that he was willing to spend the rest of his life with her?
But a lifetime was so long, who can guarantee that?
Stephan gazed intently into her eyes and asked, “What about you? Have you ever thought about marrying me?”
A flicker of hesitation crossed Alana’s face; she didn’t know how to answer at first.
Stephan furrowed his brow slightly. “You haven’t thought about it?”
Had he not done enough?
Had he failed to make her want to marry him?
Alana paused for a moment before saying, “I’m sorry, but I’m actually a bit afraid of getting married.”