Seraphina Vaughn bit the tip of her chopsticks, took a moment to grasp the meaning behind Julian Bishop’s words, then scoffed and said, "Run? Why would I run? Our agreement expires in five days. Some people will naturally be rolling far away by then."

Julian Bishop: "So you’re willing to spend the remaining five days with me?"

Seraphina Vaughn made a disgusted face, put down her chopsticks, picked up a napkin and wiped her mouth, saying, "If I’m unwilling, would you stop following me? Anyway, I have no work to do, just idling around all day, while some people’s tasks are piling up unfinished."

The restaurant’s server just happened to be passing by, and Julian Bishop called the server over, softly saying, "Could you calculate how much this table’s bill is?"

"Just a moment, sir, I’ll check your menu."

Julian Bishop nodded. After the server walked away, he turned to Seraphina Vaughn and replied to the earlier comment, "Work is important, but marriage is a major event in life."

"Stop bringing up marriage every chance you get. If you’re so eager to get married, I suggest you find someone else sooner rather than later and stop wasting time with me."

"Sir, the total is 809 yuan. You can pay using the QR code at the corner of the table. Here’s your receipt."

Julian Bishop picked up his phone, scanned the code, and while processing the payment, said, "Why do you always dismiss a possibility without even trying?"

After paying, the server confirmed the transaction and smilingly handed over a bag of packaged desserts: "Enjoy, and call me if you need anything."

Julian Bishop casually glanced at the desserts in the paper bag and continued speaking to Seraphina Vaughn, "Your fear of marriage actually stems from the worry that life won’t be as fulfilling after marriage as it is alone. You’re shutting out a chance for greater happiness because of this anxiety. Why not try to accept it first before making a decision?"

Listening to Julian Bishop’s seemingly reasonable argument, Seraphina Vaughn was somewhat taken aback, finding it rather perplexing.

"Stop lecturing me with your wisdom. I know what kind of life I want."

Julian Bishop responded, "The life you imagine is just a beautiful illusion; it’s not as easy for a single mother as you think."

"I don’t need you to worry about me! I’ll endure a bit of hardship, and it’s still better than being relentlessly pestered by a scumbag like you!"

Julian Bishop, like a kind father, patiently explained to his child, "See, you’re labeling others without reason again. What have I done that makes you think I’m a ’scumbag’?"

Seraphina Vaughn: "Do I need a reason to hate you?"

Julian Bishop: "If you hate me so much, then why choose to have my child? Why go through hardships to raise it alone for the rest of your life?"

This question left Seraphina Vaughn utterly baffled. She hadn’t figured it out herself, so she replied willfully, "You are you, and the child is the child. The child came from my belly and has little to do with you."

"How old are you this year?"

Julian Bishop suddenly changed the subject, leaving Seraphina Vaughn even more confused.

Seraphina Vaughn frowned and said, "What’s it to you?"

Julian Bishop plainly replied, "The things you’re expressing don’t sound like something an adult would say. It feels a bit childish and unreasonable."

Seraphina Vaughn immediately got furious, "Childish? You’re acting all high and mighty, lecturing others at your age? Who’s gonna take orders from you?"

"See, whenever something doesn’t go your way, you get all upset. That’s an emotion typical of children. In the adult world, things rarely go as desired, and you should learn to handle them calmly."