"Here's a surprise for you."
Xia You pushed the door open and walked in, with Cheryl, Dawn, and Makomo filing in behind him.
It really was a surprise.
Cynthia and Caitlin had never expected Xia You to come.
Although they had predicted his route, they hadn't expected him to be so quick, much less arrive without a word of warning.
Cynthia glanced at him, seemingly a little uncomfortable displaying affection in front of so many people, especially Cheryl and Caitlin.
She looked at the people behind Xia You, the tips of her ears quietly reddening, then turned away and pretended to pick up the little trowel she had dropped in the flower bed. She muttered something, but her voice was too quiet for anyone to make it out.
Naturally, Cynthia paid particular attention to Xia You's arrival.
After welcoming everyone into the villa, she began making arrangements.
She had the butler prepare dinner and someone tidy the guest rooms. In short, everything was arranged in perfect order, with a degree of care that went beyond what she would show ordinary friends.
There was no need to say much about Xia You. In Cynthia's eyes, he was now her man, so coming here was no different from coming home.
The same went for Cheryl, both as her friend and as Xia You's woman.
As for Dawn and Makomo, they, too, carried a certain weight in Cynthia's eyes because of Xia You.
While Cynthia was making arrangements, Caitlin led Xia You and the others on a tour of the villa.
Though calling it a tour was a stretch; they really just took a walk around the place.
The villa was a small, three-story building. Its yard wasn't large, but it had been tended with great care. The flower seedlings in the beds