The kiss that had just landed was disturbed by the ringing of a cellphone, which also successfully dissipated the awkwardness caused by Titus Zane turning his head away.
Wesley Foley stood up, fumbled for his phone while heading towards the balcony, and answered the call standing in front of the balcony window.
Titus Zane held his wine glass, his slightly blurred eyes gazing through the dining hall.
The balcony was unlit, and in the dim light, Wesley’s silhouette was upright but not tall.
It could not even be considered imposing.
A man of 180 cm, only slightly taller than Titus Zane by less than ten centimeters.
Bringing the wine glass to his lips, Titus took a sip and overheard Wesley say, "...Yes...I won’t come back tonight...rest early..." followed by hanging up the phone.
When Wesley turned back, Titus Zane’s expression had returned to normal, a faint curve at the corners of his mouth, his slightly tense and inquiring eyes also carried a gentle smile.
"A call from the institute?"
Titus Zane asked knowingly.
Walking to the sofa, Wesley adjusted his trousers before sitting back down, casually placing his phone on the coffee table.
With his slender fingers clutching the wine glass, he spoke before the dark red liquid reached his lips, "It was a call from home," then he took a sip of red wine slightly tilting his head back, his elegant and refined movements very pleasing to the eye.
As he set down the wine glass, holding the stem glass in his palm, he slightly turned toward Titus Zane, his lips still carrying a gentle and moist arch.
"I come from a single-parent family, my mother is somewhat old,"
His words seemed like an explanation, yet also as if he were describing his family situation to Titus Zane.
Titus Zane curled his lips without speaking, his eyes, imbued with a smile, watched him, and in his heart, he was already comparing him to other men he knew.
Wesley’s gentleness was unlike Logan Ray and Nathan Moore.
Logan Ray was genuinely gentle as jade, considerate, and meticulous, yet not shrewd, placing all his mind on painting, like a celestial being indifferent to the mundane world, living the life he desired.
While Nathan Moore, although his appearance was gentlemanly and refined, that elegant demeanor couldn’t hide his sharp edge.
Seemingly restrained yet actually harsh, clear from how he treated her three years ago.
This man in front of her, his gentle appearance seemed like a mask, concealing his shrewdness, meticulousness, and scheming.
"What? Am I so handsome that you’re mesmerized?" Seeing Titus Zane’s gaze fixed on his face, Wesley slightly raised his eyebrows playfully joking.
The curve at the corners of Titus Zane’s lips spread, as she raised her eyebrows slightly tilted her head, and asked with a smile, "Have you always been this confident?"
Thinking that Wesley might be taken aback by the question, or at least a bit embarrassed, but he was not, instead, he lowered his gaze to the dark red liquid in his hand, pursed his lips and acknowledged.
"Yes, confident, but not narcissistic."
The red wine brought to her lips paused there, her face obviously amused but mostly incredulous, as she saw Wesley again lifting his eyes to look at her, his gentle handsome face carried a smiling warmth, like a genial breeze.
"Shouldn’t a successful man like me be confident?"
Startled for a moment, soon she burst into laughter, a very joyful sound echoed in the living room.
"And you say you’re not narcissistic, but your words and behavior just now are telling everyone that you’re a confident, narcissistic, and self-satisfied man..."
Watching Titus Zane laughing joyfully, Wesley’s lips consistently held a moderate curve, not exaggerated, just about right in every way.
As Titus Zane was about to stop laughing, he said, "Such a confident, narcissistic, and self-satisfied man, isn’t he very charming?"
In the midst of Titus Zane’s astonishment, Wesley continued, "Have you fallen for me?"