Sweetheart, Do You Still Love Me

Yelena bluntly rejected her father's proposal.
Francis felt somewhat disappointed as he shifted his hopeful gaze to Federick beside her. "What about you, Federick? What do
you think?"
Federick cleared his throat. "Mr. Sullivan, I think you're being a little too hasty. Perhaps we should discuss this some other time."
Thus, Francis had no choice but to lower his eyes in dejection when he sensed that neither of them was interested in his idea.
"Alright, then. Since neither of you has made up your mind, just take some more time to get along with each other. When the
time is right, I'll bring up this question again. It seems I was indeed being too hasty."
When Wendy came over with two cups of tea, she was greeted by such an awkward scene. Yelena and Federick were sitting
there uneasily at a loss for what to do, whereas Francis turned his head away with tears in his eyes. "What's going on here? How
did you all end up like this while I went to pour the tea?" she joked with a smile while placing the teacups in front of Yelena and
Federick.
"It's nothing, Mom. By the way, when is Hex coming back?" Yelena immediately changed the subject, fearing that the situation
would get uncontrollably awkward if this conversation were to continue.
Just as she mentioned him, Hex pushed the door open and came in. "Wow, everyone's here today. And this is..." He looked at
Federick before him, his eyes narrowing slightly as he realized who this man was. "Is this Yelena's blind date?"
Francis smacked his head at once. "What nonsense are you talking about? He's got a name! His name is Federick Seanzy."
"Federick Seanzy, huh..." Hex nodded. "I see. You've had feelings for Yellie for a while, haven't you?"
Yelena didn't expect him to make such an astonishing remark as soon as he came home. "Hex, if you can't speak properly, you
should keep your mouth shut." She gnashed her teeth in vexation, wishing she could sew his mouth shut.
Hex replied with a horrified expression, "Your blind date is still here, and yet you're acting like a shrew. Don't you worry that you
won't be able to find a husband?"

"Hex Sullivan!"
"Okay! Fine! I won't talk to you anymore. Geez." Hex yawned. "Well then, you all have a nice chat. I'm going to sleep." Before he
left, he shot Federick a meaningful look.
Naturally, Federick sensed his gaze and simply responded with a smile.
Their silent exchange occurred between them through eye contact in mere seconds.
Once Hex had disappeared into his man cave, Federick stood up, saying, "It's getting rather late, so I won't disturb you any
longer. I'll get going."
Francis and Wendy reluctantly saw him off. When they returned, they were greeted with the sight of Yelena slumped on the
couch, which made them sigh with frustration. "Yellie, he's such a good man. You really should seize this opportunity!" implored
Wendy.
Yelena was already dizzy from being drunk, and Wendy's words only exacerbated her poor condition. "Mom, there's nothing
going on between us right now. Why are you insisting that I marry him?"
Francis chimed in, "We're not saying that you have to marry him, but it's about time you find a good husband. I happen to think
Federick is a decent young man, plus I know his father well—"
"Dad! I really don't want to get married."
The moment she said that, a heavy silence enveloped the room.
Wendy let out a long sigh and retreated to her room. Meanwhile, Francis stayed behind, softening his voice as he coaxed,
"Yellie, can you tell me why you don't want to get married?"
Yelena grabbed a cushion to cover her face as tears seeped into the pillow. "There's no other reason. I simply don't want to get
married. Besides, I'm not interested in any man."

Needless to say, he didn't believe this explanation one whit. "If you're not interested in any man, you wouldn't have been so hung
up on Hank."
"Dad, you know that Hank and I are already a thing of the past."
"I know you two are a thing of the past. That is precisely why I want you to find someone new to heal the wounds bothering your
heart."
Yelena's state during the breakup was still vivid in Francis' memory. He had thought that Hank was a good young man who could
take care of Yelena for the rest of her life, so he had eagerly looked forward to their wedding after their engagement. Yet, he
hadn't expected that unforeseen circumstances would arise—Hank had forcibly broken up with Yelena after somehow getting
seriously ill. Naturally, Yelena had resisted Hank's decision and pleaded earnestly for Hank to reconsider. Still, they ended up
going their separate ways in the end.
He didn't know what had transpired between them. Regardless, he was aware that deep down, Yelena had always held out hope
that they might reconcile. Alas, they had never crossed paths with each other since then, and she had gradually become the
person she was today.
Once Hex hod disoppeored into his mon cove, Federick stood up, soying, "It's getting rother lote, so I won't disturb you ony
longer. I'll get going."
Froncis ond Wendy reluctontly sow him off. When they returned, they were greeted with the sight of Yeleno slumped on the
couch, which mode them sigh with frustrotion. "Yellie, he's such o good mon. You reolly should seize this opportunity!" implored
Wendy.
Yeleno wos olreody dizzy from being drunk, ond Wendy's words only exocerboted her poor condition. "Mom, there's nothing
going on between us right now. Why ore you insisting thot I morry him?"
Froncis chimed in, "We're not soying thot you hove to morry him, but it's obout time you find o good husbond. I hoppen to think
Federick is o decent young mon, plus I know his fother well—"
"Dod! I reolly don't wont to get morried."

The moment she soid thot, o heovy silence enveloped the room.
Wendy let out o long sigh ond retreoted to her room. Meonwhile, Froncis stoyed behind, softening his voice os he cooxed,
"Yellie, con you tell me why you don't wont to get morried?"
Yeleno grobbed o cushion to cover her foce os teors seeped into the pillow. "There's no other reoson. I simply don't wont to get
morried. Besides, I'm not interested in ony mon."
Needless to soy, he didn't believe this explonotion one whit. "If you're not interested in ony mon, you wouldn't hove been so hung
up on Honk."
"Dod, you know thot Honk ond I ore olreody o thing of the post."
"I know you two ore o thing of the post. Thot is precisely why I wont you to find someone new to heol the wounds bothering your
heort."
Yeleno's stote during the breokup wos still vivid in Froncis' memory. He hod thought thot Honk wos o good young mon who could
toke core of Yeleno for the rest of her life, so he hod eogerly looked forword to their wedding ofter their engogement. Yet, he
hodn't expected thot unforeseen circumstonces would orise—Honk hod forcibly broken up with Yeleno ofter somehow getting
seriously ill. Noturolly, Yeleno hod resisted Honk's decision ond pleoded eornestly for Honk to reconsider. Still, they ended up
going their seporote woys in the end.
He didn't know whot hod tronspired between them. Regordless, he wos owore thot deep down, Yeleno hod olwoys held out hope
thot they might reconcile. Alos, they hod never crossed poths with eoch other since then, ond she hod groduolly become the
person she wos todoy.
It went without saying that Francis felt heartbroken for his daughter. His heart panged as he saw her going about her daily
routine mechanically, devoid of her former liveliness and charm. Of course, he had long cursed Hank thousands of times in his
heart for causing his daughter such agony. Had it not been for that brat, she would surely be as healthy, lovely, and vivacious as
she was before.

Yelena's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Dad, I don't have any wounds in my heart now, so you don't have to worry about me.
People don't necessarily have to get married to be happy, right?"
Francis had mixed feelings after hearing her thoughts, and his concern for her grew even stronger. "Yellie, it's not that I want you
to get married. I just want you to find someone who loves you genuinely." What parent on Earth doesn't wish for their daughter to
be loved by a good man? "It's not your fault that your previous relationship ended badly."
The longer Yelena listened to him, the more she felt her mood dampen. So, she shook her head, saying, "Hank isn't a bad
person. I just don't think it's right for us to continue being together."
Francis knew that Yelena was unable to forget that man for now. Hence, he set his jaw before asking, "Yellie, if you really love
him, should I go and talk to him on your behalf and see if you two can continue being together?"
Yelena didn't expect her father to be willing to go to such lengths for her. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears, utterly moved
by his decision.
Francis wasn't aware of the situation that had transpired between her and Hank. So, he thought that it was Hank who had
refused to get back together with her. Therefore, when he suggested such a thing, he had practically set aside his dignity. He
was willing to beg Hank for her sake just so she could get back with the man she loved.
She stretched out her hands and embraced her father tightly, her voice choked with emotion as she murmured, "Dad, you don't
have to do these things for me. Hank and I will never get together."
He let out a deep sigh, his voice betraying a hint of weariness as he grumbled, "I just don't want to see you sad and upset."
Eventually, she rubbed her eyes and wiped her tears as if finally making up her mind about something. "Dad, I'll try to get along
with Federick and see how things go."