Dave had told Laurent once that, in his view, Morrison might still have a shred of genuine feelings for Lilian.
After all, Dave had known Morrison for years. He understood his friend’s nature too well—when it came to women, Morrison almost never exerted any effort. He got whatever he wanted effortlessly, and many women practically threw themselves at him.
So for over a year, the fact that Morrison had remained honorable and still thought of Lilian made Dave believe that at least a small part of him truly cared.
That was why Dave had been against Lilian returning to Burg Eltz. If Morrison discovered her whereabouts and tried to pursue her again, it would only be troublesome. Even if Morrison had some real feelings, no one in Washington would approve of him being with her.
As for Lilian, she had spent the past year in America happily and meaningfully. Sometimes she would video call them, and she looked radiant—her smile brighter than ever, maybe even more beautiful than before.
Being discovered by Bert and stepping into modeling had given her a newfound confidence, a graceful charm that hadn’t been there before.
If a little over a year ago she had been an innocent, naive girl, now she had grown into a woman whose every movement carried allure and poise.
They say love makes people grow, and she had truly grown.
Lilian understood why Dave didn’t want her returning for her nephew’s Baby shower. They feared she might be stirred by old emotions or encounter Morrison, leading to heartbreak.
Bert also firmly opposed her returning, spending quite some time persuading her not to go.
But Lilian smiled and said,
"I just miss home... my parents, my grandfather. I’ve been away for over a year, and I haven’t been back once. I can’t stay in America forever, can I?"
Her words carried a genuine tinge of sadness, and Bert couldn’t help frowning.
Indeed—she had been gone for over a year, missing holidays and family gatherings. For someone who had never been away from her parents, this had been a long, painful year. At first, she had even cried from homesickness, and Bert knew that.
But back then, Lilian hadn’t chosen to return to Burg Eltz because her heart hadn’t yet healed. She hadn’t had the courage. That city had been a pit of despair, and coming to America had helped her climb halfway out—but she hadn’t fully escaped. Returning too soon would have dragged her back down, perhaps deeper than before.
So she endured her longing for family and stayed until now.
Now, she had finally emerged from that dark, muddy abyss. She could stand above it, calm and composed, able to face both her past and the people involved.
That was why she chose to go back.
And it was for her eldest nephew’s Baby shower—the heir of Washington. As his aunt, she had every reason to attend.
Bert, who rarely imposed restrictions on her, permitted her to return to Burg Eltz—and he would accompany her. After all, he was the child’s great-uncle; such an important occasion naturally required his presence.
Yet Bert raised an eyebrow, asking,
"You just want to see your parents... not him?"
For a moment, Lilian didn’t immediately realize who Bert meant by "him." It was only when she noticed the tension in his eyes that she understood, and the first thing she did was laugh.
"Oh, you mean Morrison," she said.
Her expression remained calm, her smile bright as ever.
"Why would I think about him? He’s long gone, a thing of the past."
Bert’s gaze stayed locked on her delicate face for a long moment before he spoke, his voice tight with frustration.
"You better truly consider him the past," he said firmly. "You know I will never approve of you being with him!"
His words were righteous, declaring his position with unwavering authority.
Lilian let out a small sigh, a hint of amusement in her tone.
"Brother, don’t you realize? The reason you keep telling me over and over that I can’t be with him... it’s really because you’re afraid I might be with him, isn’t it?"
After a year and a half in the U.S., spending so much time with Bert, their bond had deepened. She no longer called him by the formal "Qi Fan-ge" but simply "Brother."
The young girl’s words caught him off guard, leaving him momentarily speechless. Yet inside, he couldn’t deny it. She was right—he was afraid Morrison might sway her, which was why he had been issuing warnings long before she returned to Burg Eltz.
The girl had grown clever and insightful over the past year, able to articulate his deepest fear in a single sentence.
Lilian glanced at Bert’s expression, shook her head slightly, and rose to leave.
Morrison was also among the invited guests at the Baby shower. Despite the previous tension with Dave over Lilian, their years-long friendship had prevented any real estrangement. He wasn’t as close as before, but they still kept in touch.
Several days before the celebration, Morrison had even secretly called Laurent to ask whether Lilian would attend.
Following Bert’s instructions, Laurent deliberately told him she wouldn’t be coming.
Laurent couldn’t help but think that Bert really had been losing sleep over Lilian. After Lilian had decided to return to Burg Eltz for the Baby shower, Bert had called Laurent personally, emphasizing that if Morrison asked whether Lilian would attend, she had to firmly say no.
Lilian’s head was spinning from both Bert and Morrison. Morrison, knowing that asking Dave would get him nowhere, went straight to her for an answer. Meanwhile, Bert had anticipated Morrison’s move and gave his warnings in advance. The two men’s scheming left a new mother—already sleep-deprived from her newborn—completely exhausted.
After Lilian told Morrison she wouldn’t be coming, his voice carried a mixture of disappointment and suspicion.
"Laurent, can’t you just tell me the truth?"
Laurent felt torn, but her son’s crying rescued her from the awkwardness. She quickly replied,
"You’ll find out soon enough whether she’s coming. Besides, you’ll be attending too, won’t you?"
"Alright... I won’t bother you. The baby’s crying," he said, hastily hanging up.
On the other end, Morrison listened to the loud cries of the child and couldn’t quite decide how to feel. If he hadn’t been foolish enough to propose a breakup back then, would they already be married now? And would there be a little life growing inside her that belonged to him?
Meanwhile, because Dave now had a son—completing his family—Lilian’s mother, Linda, had spent a solid two weeks ignoring Morrison. She even forbade him from coming home on weekends, claiming she didn’t want to see him.
"Dave already has both a son and a daughter," she grumbled, "and he’s still alone? Will I ever get a grandson in my lifetime?"
For over a year, Linda hadn’t mentioned Morrison and Lilian much, focusing all her energy on arranging matches for Karl. But with Dave’s son born and the good news spreading across Washington to both Linda and Morrison, her mood plummeted again.
To make matters worse, Karl proved utterly useless. Every time Linda tried to set up a match, he came up with some excuse to escape. Once, Linda had forced him to sit at the matchmaking table, only for him to completely lose contact with the girl afterward.
Fuming, Linda turned to Morrison and exclaimed,
"Are both of our sons doomed to remain bachelors?"