Before she could speak, Emily suddenly realized, "You've had a makeover, haven't you? I heard a lot of people are doing that nowadays. Where did you get it done? It looks pretty convincing!"
Her new friend certainly has a strong sense of self-esteem.
It must be scary, to experience the glitz and glamour of this world for the first time, and have to face your biological parents, who are strangers to you.
Poor little thing.
Elizabeth didn't know how to answer the question.
Alexander chuckled softly and shifted his gaze away.
At that moment, Elizabeth handed her phone over to him.
His fingers were idly tapping on the steering wheel. He raised an eyebrow and asked her, "What?"
Elizabeth was puzzled, "Aren't we going to exchange contact information?"
Alexander looked intently at her face. His eyes darkened for a moment.
Her eyes were clear, her eyelashes long, her voluminous black hair soft and slightly curly, making her look like a harmless, fluffy little creature.
Could it be that Elizabeth was trying to flirt with him?
After a moment, Alexander's lips curved into a mysterious smile. He took her phone with his well-defined fingers and added his contact information.
When he handed the phone back to her, his fingers accidentally brushed against hers. As he pulled his hand back, he couldn't help but rub his fingertips and chuckled slowly, "Your fingers are quite tender."
So tender that his fingertips tingled.
Elizabeth glanced at him and ignored his outrageous comment.
Looking at the two new contacts in her phone, she lowered her eyes, slightly pursed her lips, and smiled very subtly.
Grandpa, I've taken the first step in making friends!
I'm so happy.
Alexander looked down at her and gave a light sound.
He was not sure if it was an illusion, but Elizabeth seemed even paler than paper, like an emotionless robot.
"Let's go."
Alexander teased, "Little girl, study hard and make progress every day; don't fall in love too early."
Elizabeth stood at the crossroads, the cold wind lifting the edges of her thin clothes. She nodded earnestly, "My grandfather said that I'm not allowed to date until I'm 25 years old."
"Your grandfather is right; falling in love too early isn't good for growth."
Seeing her with a straight face, nodding obediently at him, Alexander couldn't help but laugh.
Such a good girl.
Emily waved at her, "See you later."
Not until the vehicle disappeared around the corner did Elizabeth turn around to head inside.
Her eyesight was impeccable, spotting the Wilson couple from a distance.
Mrs. Wilson had been waiting at the door for a long time. When she saw Elizabeth's figure, her eyes instantly reddened, too emotional to speak.
Jack Wilson, Elizabeth's elder brother, was a bit anxious.
His memories of his younger sister were somewhat blurry, and he wasn't sure what this sister, who had been lost for over a decade, might look like.
Especially her personality, wondering if it might be... well... a bit coarse.
However, when he looked up, he couldn't help but be taken aback.
The image he had in mind of a country girl with two twisted braids and a sunburnt face was nowhere to be found.
This was worlds apart from what he imagined!
He must have watched too many dramas.
Elizabeth was beautiful, looking exquisite and delicate. That refined face didn't look like it came from the countryside at all.
Jack wondered if she had taken special care to present herself this way before coming.
Sophia Wilson, not waiting for Elizabeth to approach, stepped forward both joyfully and nervously, "Elizabeth, you're back."
She's back.
It's as if she was never lost in the first place.
In reality, Elizabeth wasn't just found now; they had discovered her whereabouts half a year ago. However, at that time, the elderly person who had raised her was critically ill. Elizabeth refused their request to return with them.
Even though they promised to get the best doctors to treat the elderly.
After all, staying in the countryside, what good medical treatment could there be?
But at that moment, Elizabeth merely gave Sophia a look, one so strange that Sophia couldn't comprehend.
In the end, it was the elderly who asked Elizabeth to stay with him a little longer. Grateful for how he raised her, Sophia agreed despite the reluctance.
They kept in touch sporadically after that.
Until two days ago, when Elizabeth suddenly said she wanted to return. Even with the short notice, Sophia had prepared for her arrival.
Elizabeth nodded slowly. There was no visible excitement on her face upon seeing her biological parents. She took three seconds before saying, "Hello."
From the side, Jack observed his mother's enthusiastic demeanor and Elizabeth's lukewarm attitude, slightly furrowing his brows.
He felt she was too indifferent, hardly the attitude one would expect upon seeing one's birth mother.
Sophia, having met Elizabeth before, knew of her personality and was well-adjusted to it.
After all, now that she's back, time would change all attitudes.
Just as Jack was about to speak, he caught sight of someone approaching from the corner of his eye. A fond warmth flashed in his eyes, "Linda, it's so windy. Why did you come down?"
Elizabeth instinctively looked up and saw a girl walking over.
Her face was extremely pale, moisture clouding her eyes. Paired with a white dress, she appeared frail as if a gust of wind might blow her over.
"Jack."
Linda Wilson seemed to have a weak breath. After a moment, she finally gasped out, "It is the day Elizabeth returns. Of course, I came to greet her."
"Don't push yourself; you're still sick," Jack said, naturally reaching out to touch Linda's forehead. Relieved she didn't have a fever, he sighed in relief.
He felt relieved that Linda, despite being unwell, insisted on picking up Elizabeth. He had been worried that Linda might feel uneasy about suddenly having an older sister. It appears he had overthought it; his adopted sister has always been well-behaved since childhood.
Linda, mustering a smile, said, "After some sleep, I feel much better. I just wanted to meet my sister as soon as possible."
Jack affectionately patted her head, "Alright, I know you've been looking forward to meeting Elizabeth for a long time."
Linda seemed a bit shy, shifting her gaze toward Elizabeth.
The streetlight illuminated Elizabeth's face, making her look extraordinarily beautiful in the light and shadows.
Linda's breath hitched, with her fingernails digging into her palms; the smile on her face froze and her eyes were filled with disbelief.
She had thought that since Elizabeth had been living in the countryside, she would be malnourished, pale, and thin. At least in terms of appearance, she couldn't be better than her.
However...
Linda steadied herself and walked over to Sophia, wrapping her arm around hers, her voice tinged with a mixture of shyness and curiosity, "Mom, is this my sister?"
While speaking in a playful tone, her eyes were fixed on Elizabeth, not missing any changes in Elizabeth's expression.