Chapter 565: Adrian... Stop Beating Around the Bush

Fiona Vaughn gazed earnestly at the elderly man with white hair and beard before her, the pleading in her eyes nearly overflowing.

However, Old Mr. Yates had seen too many women who fawned on the powerful and trampled the weak. Having weathered storms his whole life, he certainly wouldn’t change his opinion just because Fiona was somewhat pretty.

The old man leaned on his dragon-headed cane, looking back with a half-smile, his gaze lingering on Fiona’s delicate hand clutching his arm.

Fiona realized she was being too forward, and finally, with her heart beating heavily, she let go.

"So... sorry..."

...

"What did you say your name was—Fiona Vaughn, right?"

Old Mr. Yates didn’t care much for the entertainment industry, so he wasn’t the least bit impressed by Fiona’s reputation as the nation’s first love. If it wasn’t for having seen so many reports in the papers about the Vaughn Family’s disputes, he might not even have known her name.

Hearing Old Mr. Yates’s question, Fiona was genuinely annoyed—earlier, this crusty old man had been so warm and friendly with her sister, but when it came to her, it was as if he was inspecting some monkey!

...

Tch, how could a monkey like that have anything to do with her?

Fiona held deep resentment inside, but didn’t dare let a hint of it show. With a smile on her lips, her expression was still as respectful and demure as ever.

"You’re right, Old Mr. Yates, I am, in fact, Cecilia Vaughn’s younger sister—Fiona Vaughn."

"Oh... is that so..."

Old Mr. Yates glanced meaningfully at Fiona several times. Though he was already in his twilight years, his eyes still shone keenly, sharper even than many healthy young men.

Being scrutinized like that made Fiona even more uncomfortable.

"Old Mr. Yates, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something wrong with how I dressed today?"

In her nervousness, Fiona immediately blurted out the question.

But Old Mr. Yates just shook his head.

"It’s not your outfit that’s inappropriate—it’s you... I’m afraid you’re not fit for polite company."

"..."

Such blunt, completely unvarnished criticism hit her like a brick; stars sparked before Fiona’s eyes, and her head buzzed furiously.

"What do you mean by that, sir? ...That I... lack propriety?"

To be publicly judged so harshly by such an influential old man in front of so many classmates from Stellerton University, Fiona wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow her up!

She even looked at Old Mr. Yates’s sage-like face and wished—if only the old geezer would just drop dead right now.

What gave him the right to say that about her?

Being denounced like this by an elder of legendary status—if the media got wind of it, she’d easily become a joke in the entertainment industry.

Fiona’s heart burned with anxiety; she bit her reddening lips, a vague sense of grievance congealing in her chest.

—No wonder the ancients said, "An old man who’s not dead is a thief!" Why isn’t this old fossil in the ground yet?

...

Seeing Fiona clench her temper and pretend to be gentle and elegant even though she was fuming, Old Mr. Yates inwardly scoffed, but he had no more time to waste on her.

"Miss Fiona, if you’re still unclear, you can go ask your classmates from Stellerton University what they think of your behavior today."

"Oh, and if you’re so eager to attend the Huamei conference, why not ask that foreigner—Adams, was it? Sorry, but this old man can’t afford to host a big shot like you."

With those words, Old Mr. Yates, handsome and dashing, leaned on his cane and swept away with energetic steps.

"Sir, you’ve misunderstood me—"

Fiona tried to call out to make him stay, but was immediately surrounded by Stellerton students who blocked her way after Old Mr. Yates.

"Fiona, the old gentleman doesn’t like you, so maybe it’s best you don’t spoil the mood."

The polite students were at least saying this much.

Those who had it in for Fiona just burst into laughter.

"Old Mr. Yates is right—you love sticking your warm face up against the foreigners’ cold rears, why not go flaunt your supposed empathy some more?"

"I can’t! Did you guys see Fiona grab Old Mr. Yates’s hand at first? The look of pure disgust on his face? I seriously thought he was going to roll his eyes."

"Ah, Old Mr. Yates is adorable! I used to think he was so serious and proper when he showed up in our textbooks, but it turns out he’s kind of a riot. My respect for him is truly higher than the river waves—never-ending!"

"Spare us the rainbow farts, please! Boo-hoo, I didn’t even dare approach the old man for an autograph, and Fiona somehow has the gall to grab his hand, shamelessly asking him to bring her to the conference!"

The more Fiona listened, the more mortified she felt. Embarrassed, she finally took advantage of everyone’s attention being on Old Mr. Yates, used her sleeve to cover her face, and slunk away in humiliation.

—She would not forget this humiliation today!

It must have been that shameless Cecilia running her down in front of Old Mr. Yates behind her back—otherwise, how else would he have glared at her with such hostility?

Knowing that Old Mr. Yates’s age and status were far out of her reach, Fiona didn’t dare touch him—but she turned all her resentment toward Cecilia instead.

...

Cecilia Vaughn sneezed, still clueless that someone was thinking about her again.

"Autumn... huh, is someone cursing me?"

"Cecilia, maybe someone’s just thinking about you. I can tell Old Mr. Yates is very fond of you."

Adrian Law cast a doting look at his little wife, unable to resist reaching out to ruffle Cecilia’s hair at her temple.

Thinking about her ignorant, bold speech in front of Old Mr. Yates earlier, Cecilia blushed.

"Look who’s talking—you’re the reason I made a fool of myself."

"But... from the way you and the old gentleman chatted before, does he have some old grudge with the Prescott Family? Otherwise, with his status, how come he’s never been to treat anyone from their family before?"

"Ah, that... It’s all past-life baggage now, but I guess I can tell you."

Adrian Law, in just a few words, casually recounted the old story of how Old Mr. Prescott had once courted Old Mr. Yates’s wife.

Cecilia gasped in astonishment.

"What a coincidence? No wonder..."

"It was all ages ago—even Old Mr. Prescott is over it now."

Although Old Mr. Prescott eventually married the woman his parents arranged for him, Old Mrs. Prescott had a fiery temper but was steadfastly honest. The old couple, a pair of happy frenemies, would sometimes tease each other about how he once chased after Mrs. Yates. It was little more than a dinnertime joke.

There was never really any bad blood between them.