Love Began with the First Meeting

After he had sent his message, Charlie turned to the Spouse channel and typed a question to Elsa: Haven't you talked to your parents?

[Spouse] Sweet Dream: Not yet... They are annoying and kept asking me about what happened when we were kids. How can I remember that clearly? [Spouse] Silent Sorrow: You don't remember?

[Spouse] Sweet Dream: Do you hope that I can remember?

[Spouse] Silent Sorrow: There are bad memories, but I don't hope that you forget what happened between you and me....

[Spouse] Sweet Dream: I can't remember anything...

[Spouse] Sweet Dream: Will you really neglect Dangerous' business?

[Spouse] Silent Sorrow: Anyone can join Evelyn, Ezra, Evan and Bess to form a team of five, and they will be the most powerful team, which can't lose... Moreover, I want them to lose.

[Spouse] Sweet Dream: Why?

[Spouse] Silent Sorrow: I will tell you if you kiss me...

[Spouse] Sweet Dream: ...

[Spouse] Sweet Dream: Then I don't want to know.

[Spouse] Silent Sorrow: ...

Charlie had noticed that recently Elsa had become more clever. He wondered if she'd learned it from Evelyn or by herself, but either way, Elsa seemed to know more about how to play him and get the most from him, such as wanting to know what he was thinking about but not asking him outright.

[Spouse] Sweet Dream: My mom is calling me. I have to go... Go to bed early, good boy! Elsa also added a Hug emoji after that.

Charlie almost spat to the screen. He rolled his eyes as Elsa had never talked to him in that way. He knew that he might live in misery in the future, with her playing around with his emotions like that.

Rather than his sister, however, it was his mother that had given Elsa these tips and tricks; his mother had always been eager to see him get married, so she had sent Elsa a long email outlining all of Charlie's weaknesses and habits as well as efficient ways on how to deal with him.

Elsa smiled and looked at the suspension points Silent Sorrow had sent in the end. Then she lay on the bed joyfully and murmured, "What his mother told me is useful... A mother knows best about her son..."

She looked up at the ceiling and let her mind wander. After a while, she began to feel sleepy and closed her eyes. Soon, she was fast asleep, breathing softly and peacefully.

That night, she had a dream and in that dream, her and Charlie's wedding was happening on the beach full of purple flowers and fluorescent cuttlefish. When they were exchanging rings, suddenly, Allen and Rita appeared and forced them to separate, each of them dragging Charlie and Elsa separately.

"Ah!"

Elsa screamed and sat up. She blinked numbly and turned her head to find that it was dawn. She swallowed, her mind still on her dream.

"Elsa..." It was her mother's voice from outside. "What's wrong... Have you woken up?"

"Mom... I'm waking up," Elsa answered weakly.

Her mother nodded. "Hurry. Get up and prepare to go out. It is nine o'clock. We need to go to the hotel... It's the first time to meet his parents. Don't be late. Otherwise it will be impolite..." "Oh..." Elsa sighed. Then she took off the quilt and got down from the bed. "I will get ready soon."

In half an hour, Elsa and her parents were out of the house. Her father drove his economical car suitable for the wage earners to the hotel... Because it was the first time to meet the Long Family, Elsa's parents bought new clothes so that they would look decent and Elsa wouldn't get embarrassed. But Elsa didn't really care much about how she looked; she wore a simple dress and sandals. She looked pure and cute.

She had seen Brian and Molly once. The couple were easy to get along with and didn't look too lofty. Elsa liked Charlie's parents very much and thought they were different from those wealthy people in the same company as her father. They weren't snobbish but very kind. After Elsa and her parents arrived at the hotel, they met and greeted Charlie's parents, and both parties exchanged pleasantries and gifts. In the beginning, Elsa's parents were afraid that their gifts would not be expensive enough, but when they exchanged presents, they found that Elsa was right: the Long Family didn't have the haughty attitude like other wealthy families but considered the usefulness for common families to prepare practical gifts.

Elsa's and Charlie's families had dinner peacefully and happily and the parents changed the conversation topic naturally from small talk to the topic of the young couple's engagement. Of course they had to tackle the main issue.

"Then we will choose a date in the summer... If you two don't mind, I want to hold the engagement party in T City for Charlie and Evelyn together," Molly said with a smile. "They are twins and have been with each other from childhood. It would be great for them to have their engagement party together."

"That'd be great," Elsa's mother replied joyfully. "We don't mind at all. We will be happy if the kids are happy."

"OK," Molly grinned, more pleased. "Then we will talk about the details of the engagement next time... We have to go deal with some family business. I hope you can forgive us..."

Elsa's mother was under much pressure in the beginning but it was gone after dinner. She talked with Molly about their children while having tea. The two women also discussed and confirmed some details and ceremony of the engagement. After everything was finished, Charlie went back to A City with Elsa, Ezra and Evelyn. Everyone but Evelyn was in a happy mood.

Evelyn was confused and upset. Why did her parents confirm her engagement without her permission? She hadn't even fallen in love yet! And, earlier, Ezra was walking behind her all the way, but why did he walk in front of her suddenly? Evelyn got angrier when she thought and then turned around. Looking at Ezra, who was driving her car and following after Charlie's car, she snorted out of anger.

Elsa stared at Evelyn, wanting to say something to comfort her but didn't know where to start. She had to turn to Charlie who was driving...

Charlie glanced at Evelyn from the rear-view mirror and stated slowly, "If you are not happy, I can give you a solution..." "What?" Evelyn widened her eyes and her long eyelashes trembled repeatedly, not being able to control her anger. "Agree to get engaged and embarrass him at the engagement party," Charlie responded seriously.

Elsa's lips trembled. 'Is there someone teaching his sister in this way?'

"Then will I steal the show..." Evelyn didn't pay attention to what Elsa cared about.

"It doesn't matter. Elsa and I won't mind," Charlie said with a smile.

"The problem is that I will mind..." Evelyn rolled her eyes and couldn't stand it. "Do you think I don't know your intention? You want to let me attract the media's attention so that you and Else will run away... Huh, no way." "..." Charlie pursed his lips in annoyance. "Can't you pretend to be ignorant for once?"

"No." Evelyn leaned against the seat back and laughed. "I am not happy, and you have to be unhappy, too... We are twins, so we need to share the hardship." As she spoke, she trembled visibly.

Elsa was listening to their conversation but didn't understand. "Can I ask... What are you talking about now?"

"Elsa, I'll tell you..." Evelyn sat upright suddenly. "He plans to elope with you after exchanging engagement rings."

"We are engaged then, so it is not eloping... OK?" Charlie frowned, not really knowing what to do to his sister who liked to cause trouble.

"Ah, anyway, you will run away..."

"Why will we run away?" Elsa was puzzled.

"..." Evelyn rolled her eyes speechlessly and then asked, "Do you like to be surrounded by a lot of reporters? You will face the cameras and microphones to answer all kinds of questions with cutting remarks." Elsa immediately started shaking her head. "No."

"Exactly." Evelyn leaned back against the car seat again. "So, Charlie prepares to run away with you, and then I will be the focus... which I would never want."

"Why is it so troublesome to be engaged to you?" Elsa looked sad. "Will everyone know about it then?"

"Don't worry..." Evelyn said seriously before Charlie answered. When Elsa calmed down a bit, Evelyn added, "It will be surely the headline, and all people in the world will know that immediately."

Charlie curled his lips. "Evelyn, actually... Before everything happens, it's no need to explain so clearly..." As he spoke, he glanced at the depressed Elsa and howled, 'Evelyn, you are so capable to share the difficulty with me.'. 0000