"Grandpa, May I go to Shepherd's house with the aunt?"

Although Senior Mr. Hopkins was a little dissatisfied with some of her behaviors, he generouslyagreed, "Then you may go with your aunt.”

"Dad, I don't want her to go with me!" Ms. Hopkins immediately objected, "Why are you alwayspartial to her?"

The old man glared at her, not allowing her to refute.

Actually the old man did not favor Christina. It was mainly because Brianna was too introverted. Itwas obvious that Brianna liked to get close to Christina.

"You may visit the Shepherd family to sound them out about it. Marriage can't be forced.”

Ms. Hopkins replied with a smile, "I see. How can I force it? Brianna is beautiful and refined. It's hardto replace such a quiet and obedient girl in this city. The Shepherd family will definitely be agreeable tothe marriage.”

The women got into a black extended version of Bugatti. Christina naturally sat in the back row withBrianna Hopkins, while Ms. Hopkins sat next to Judy.

"I don't understand dad's idea. He arranges a marriage for Brianna, and he said he liked the boy ofthe Shepherd family. But the key problem is that the Shepherd family doesn't lack money. Howcould they agree? Our efforts will be in vain."

Ms. Hopkins said with a smile, completely ignoring Brianna in the car.

Christina glance at her and thought that Ms. Hopkins made different speech in front of the SeniorMr. Hopkins and obviously she wanted to see a farce.

She turned to look at Brianna. Although she was on guard against Ms. Hopkins, Brianna seemed tohave not heard such embarrassing words spoken in front of her.

Brianna sat upright with her eyes fixed on the front window of the car. Her delicate and clean facewas expressionless.

Christina really didn't know what sort of girl Brianna was. Was she ignorant or naive?

They arrived at Shepherd's house at 12 noon.

Mrs. Shepherd greeted them outside the gate. Charles also changed into a new suit and greetedthem with a handsome smile and a decent manner. Ms. Hopkins and Judy were quite satisfied withsuch a son-in-law.

"No wonder my father has a crush on Charles. He's really a nice and obedient boy..."

After they had lunch in the Shepherd's house, Ms. Hopkins approached Judy and whispered.Women in fifties would be very proud if they had a filial son. Charles was absolutely obedient to hismother and was especially amusing.

"... What do you think of Brianna?" Ms. Hopkins asked him directly.

After lunch, Mrs. Shepherd went to the kitchen to bring two plates of fruit. The Shepherd familydidn't like the servants as they felt uncomfortable with a servant at home. So they cookedthemselves, which made them more intimate.

Ms. Hopkins and Judy were sitting in the living room to eat fruit, Christina looked at Mrs. Shepherdand Charles. She envied him for his good family.

Mrs. Shepherd smiled and sat down to continue chatting with them. She praised, "Brianna is quietand obedient and looks very smart..."

"Oh, you don't know that our family spent a lot of money on educating her.”

Ms. Hopkins seemed to have ulterior motives and interrupted anxiously, "As she's autistic, shecouldn't go to school. The cost of hiring a private teacher at home is enough to pay for the tuitionfees of the entire class of students. She can only communicate with a few relatives around her now.She doesn't respond when others call her.”

Ms. Hopkins did not forget to emphasize with a sigh, "I don't know if her autism would behereditary..."

Not only Christina but also Mrs. Shepherd was stunned by Ms. Hopkins's self-deprecating words.Who would bring a girl to propose marriage and belittle her?

Especially when it came to Brianna's autism if which would be hereditary, it would block a largenumber of blind dates. Who dared to marry a girl who would have a child born with a disease?Inheritance was a matter of great importance to future generations.

Brianna was sitting alone on the sofa in the living room. She lowered her head quietly. Christinacould not see her face covered by her long hair.

To be honest, Christina sympathized with her. "Why could she have no emotions at all? If I was her,she would definitely have jumped out and fought with Ms. Hopkins.” She thought.

"Ms. Hopkins, don't say it like that. I've always liked Brianna, but something happened to my elderbrother recently, and I'm not in the mood..."

Charles said kindly at the right time. His handsome smile dissolved the embarrassment.

He approached Brianna and lowered his voice. “Those women are too materialistic now. They like togossip. A good girl like Brianna must marry a good man to reassure them..." His smile was extremelywarm.

Charles had always thought of her as his sister, but his mother suddenly told him to go on a datewith Brianna, which scared him. Fortunately, he could handle all kinds of situations.

As he spoke, Charles did not forget to laugh at himself. "My mother scolded me for being an oldcucumber. How could I hurt Brianna? ... Hahaha, Patrick would definitely punish me."

Charles's laughter was so cheerful that Mrs. Shepherd and the others all laughed. Mrs. Shepherdglared at his son, "Stop talking nonsense.”

Christina thought that Brianna would still be quiet, but she seemed to be very sensitive to the name"Patrick". She looked up at Charles. Her eyes were bright and clean, and she seemed a little happy.Christina frowned. She had been ignoring that Brianna actually liked Patrick very much.

After Mrs. Shepherd and Ms. Hopkins heard Charles's tactful rejection of the marriage, they did notmention it again. However, Mrs. Shepherd was embarrassed and insisted on inviting them fordinner.

"You heard it just now. It has nothing to do with me that Charles doesn't like Brianna." WhenChristina went to the toilet, Ms. Hopkins followed up, grabbed her arm and warned her, "When yougo back, you are not allowed to talk to my father. Do you understand?”

Christina shook her off in disgust. "Ms. Hopkins, I'm not interested in what you're planning... and Iwarn you not to get into trouble youself.”

"It is not clear whether Brianna is really stupid.” She thought in her heart.

Ms. Hopkins threatened her forcefully. "If you dare to talk nonsense, I would punish you!"

She deliberately ruined the marriage between the Hopkins family and the Shepherd family as shewanted Brianna to marry his husband's nephew. Although Brianna was an adopted girl, at least hersurname was Hopkins and she was stupid and easy to control.

Ms. Hopkins and Christina hated each other and separated.

For a few hours in the afternoon, Mrs. Shepherd, Ms. Hopkins, and Judy, three women of the sameage, sat together and talked about the past when they were young.

Christina couldn't get along with them. She forced a smile at the elders and ran away.

Charles was like a nice elder brother. He found that Brianna was like a log in their chat and offeredto take Brianna for a walk near the Shepherd's house.

Shepherd's house was located in a rich community. The security here was very good, and there weremany plants and vegetation around. Sometimes, some rabbits and squirrels ran around in thegarden, which made them pleasant and comfortable.

"Brianna, what would you like to eat tonight?"

Charles walked ahead of Brianna, and they were two meters away. He always deliberately sloweddown to wait for her. However, Brianna seemed to be afraid of talking and walked even more slowly.Charles led her for a while, and he kept turning around to ask her in a low voice.

Brianna lowered her head and walked, watching her tiptoe. She did not appreciate the sceneryaround her, nor did she answer his question.

She was really quiet and stuffy.

Charles could only sigh inwardly, "It would be really boring to live with such a girl, and I had to takecare of her fragile heart any time.”

Charles suddenly understood why Patrick had treated her as his sister.

Brianna was adopted by the Hopkins family and had no blood relationship with Patrick. There wererumors that the girl adopted by the Hopkins family was Patrick's child bride.

Although there was a gap in their background, Senior Mr. Hopkins was open-minded and wouldprobably agree to their marriage if the two children were affectionate to each other.

However, the elders found later that Patrick had no love for Brianna, and they did not mention themarriage again.

"Christina, what are you doing?"

Charles, who was daydreaming, raised his head and stared at the girl who was climbing the tree infront of him

"Be quiet," Christina said as she stepped on the branch and grabbed the branch above. She hissedat them who were under the tree. "There are three squirrels in the tree hole..."

Charles sighed under the tree. "Is it any wonder? Come down quickly.”

Christina ignored him, craned her head, and continued to peek into the small tree hole like a thief.She whispered to Charles, who was under the tree, "All of them are baby squirrels. Their motherwent out. A little squirrel has been bullied all the time. It didn't get the food..."

Suddenly, she asked him suspiciously, "What do you think if I steal one?"

She wanted to steal a baby squirrel!

"Nonsense, come down now!" Charles was furious.

Christina climbed down, but she did not give up.

"But don't you think the skinny little squirrel will starve to death in that case?" As she spoke, she stillmuttered to herself unconvinced, "If Patrick was here, I would have stolen it..."

Charles glared at her angrily until she safely come down to the ground, "Thank you, Miss Dickens.They are all alive and well. The residents here like to give food to little animals. By the way, pleasetake into account your manner..."

Christina was expressionless and didn't bother to talk to him.

The dim light of the setting sun dyed the picturesque land. Charles looked at the two girls under thetree and sighed inwardly, "Their personalities are completely different.”

Brianna walked behind them without saying a word.

Christina, walking ahead, felt very uncomfortable. She thought she might worry too much, andturned around to have a look at Brianna, who was still walking with her head down. But just now,she became aware of someone staring at her.

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