Chapter 79

Chapter 079 The First Official Date The car moved at a snail’s pace since he hadn’t driven for years.

Hailey didn’t complain or rush him. She knew how difficult it was for someone to hold the steering wheel again after having a serious car accident. She had a similar experience. The car accidents of her parents and her beloved man had traumatized her. For a long time, she hadn’t appeared on the underground racing track.

She had witnessed the paralyzed man recuperating step by step. From lying, sitting, kneeling to standing… It was a passage of sweat and tears. The tears were from his loved ones. Even in the most painful stage after the surgery, Owen hadn’t cried. A true man like him only shed tears in his heart.

“Pardon my slow speed. I’ve been out of practice and need time to adapt.” Owen broke the silence.

Hailey stiffened at his tone that was imbued with feigned ease. “There is no rush.”

The silence came back. A bitter smile tugged at Owen’s mouth. “A few minutes ago, I thought I would not drive again for the rest of my life. In a desperate situation, I realize that human potential is limitless.” “I didn’t put you in a desperate situation,” Hailey said awkwardly. Owen took a sidelong look at her. “I did it to myself. For our first official date, 1 should be the one to drive.” Hailey froze and then turned to him. “A date?” He called this a date? “Yeah, Owen curled his lips, “it’s kind of embarrassing that I let you treat me on our first date.” Hailey silently looked at his side face and groaned in her heart, ‘Come on, you didn’t look embarrassed at all when you tricked me into this the other day.’ The car finally arrived at Savory Restaurant which was still crowded at night. Compared with the day, it looked more antique. Lamps were lit outside. The yellow light almost illuminated the entire street. In the open-air area, a lot of couples were enjoying their candlelight dinners. The atmosphere was romantic, and the fragrance of roses pervaded the air.

“According to Matthew, this restaurant is your private property.” Heading inside, Owen casually struck up a conversation. Hailey hummed indifferently. Matthew was such a big mouth.

Presumably, he had sold her out, and she didn’t need to talk about it in detail. In the elegant box, the manager served a cup of tea as soon as they took their seats and asked for Hailey’s instructions, “Dear guests, the ingredients are ready, and here is your tea. Would you like to start dinner?” “Yeah, let Gail start his job.” Hailey took the teapot and poured Owen a cup of tea.

Owen thanked her and laughed as he thought of Gail, “I can’t believe that Chef Clayton is a junior in front of you. You’re young, but your seniority is high.” “It’s nothing. Get used to it.” Hailey had a sip of tea and muttered to herself, ‘What’s the fuss?’ Since her childhood, she had taken a lot of people as her teachers. Among the apprentices, she was the youngest but boasted high seniority. In other trades, she was even called a grandmaster. She had been used to it. As she acted and sounded like an elder, Owen grumbled in his heart, ‘Matthew always calls me an old person. Compared with me, Hailey is more like one.’ “I’ve brought the porcelain plates.” Keeping his promise, Owen handed a box to Hailey who took it in a hurry.

She opened it, saw the plates, and wiped her hands with the tissue. Only then did she gingerly pick up one, put it in her palm, and study it admiringly. With an equal passion for antiques, he knew that verbal admiration was one thing. The tiny actions and details would tell if one was a true enthusiast. In the warm yellow light, Owen’s face looked soft. “You like them so much?”

“You bet,” Hailey replied without looking up. At the auction, she had to conceal her longing for the plates. She had been eager to take them home right away. Unexpectedly, Owen came out of nowhere and bought them. She knew that Owen was also an enthusiast of antiques and jade. It was common for rich people to take collecting as their hobby. She was just unsure about his knowledge of antiques. On the day of the auction, he was determined to have the plates. Hailey knew one thing well.

If they bade up the price to a sky-high level, it would be covered by the news. By then, things would be dificult to wrap up It was not terrible that she couldn’t get the item she wanted it would be terrible if the marketplace were disrupted.

Now that the plates ended up in her hands, Hailey no longer restrained her obsession. Except for the four lovely items, nothing seemed to exist in her world. Her eyes, nose, and hands refused to miss a single detail in the pattern, color, texture, luster, and scent of the plates. She sniffed the plates like a cute bichon frise, Amused by it, Owen couldn’t help but laugh. Hailey reluctantly raised her head, not embarrassed by the laughter The outsiders might regard her behavior as weird, but it was perfectly normal for insiders.

She fondly put the plates down and said, “That’s generous of you, Mr. Moore.”

Owen was about to say it was alright when she took out a cheque from her bag and pushed it over after putting away the box. “Here is five million dollars for you.”

The way she offered him the check somehow reminded him of the scene when they got divorced. He hadn’t felt a thing back then. When he became the recipient, he realized how hurtful his action had been. The smile disappeared from his face, and his eyes dimmed.

Owen calmly pushed the check back and said, “This is a gift for you, and I can’t take your money. We have long cooperation ahead, and consider the plates as a token of my regard.” She had anticipated that he would make such a remark. Instead of insisting, Hailey took out another item. “Such being the case, I’ll give you this in return.” She didn’t want to owe him anything. Owen smiled bitterly in his heart and curiously took her gift which was a long scroll. He unfolded it and recognized it as the landscape painting that he had seen in her office. The poem on it was called “Calming the Waves”.

“Are you sure? You like the painting very much.” There were many paintings in his collection. Although this was a replica, the painting work and calligraphy were impressive. Comparable to the original, it could be sold for tens of millions of dollars in the marketplace. “It’s just a painting. I hope you’ll like it,”

Hailey replied blandly.

It was just a social formula, but her tone was proud as if she was the author of the painting. An idea popped into his head, and his eyes widened.

His breath hitched and his throat felt dry. “Don’t tell me the painting was created by you.”