The Returning EX (Sophia and John)

Chapter 1621 Stubborn Persuasion

The three women asked how Cindy was coping with her job; how much she was earning; and whether she was

making any progress in terms of her career.

Cindy had never told them about her job and she began to wonder what Hazel had told them in her absence.

These women were well past middle age and Cindy guessed they hardly ever kept up with the latest gossip. In fact,

she had a feeling that they were completely oblivious to the controversy she had stirred up on the Internet before

this.

To be on the safe side, she stuck to vague answers and did not describe her job in detail, merely explaining that her

employer would arrange simple work for her. She was reserved when talking about her income and only told the

women that the rate was similar to the one here.

Upon hearing this, they stared at her for quite some time before they finally nodded in slow approval. “Well, that’s

alright, then. After all, young ladies like you won’t have to earn much. You have the option to settle down with a nice

man and become a housewife.”

Cindy was unfazed by this remark and maintained her placid smile, though it did not reach her eyes.

None of the women asked when Hazel would be returning home and instead continued with the idle conversation

until they finally asked Cindy if she had a boyfriend.

A little awkward laugh escaped Cindy’s mouth as she asked, “A boyfriend? Why the sudden curiosity about my love

life?”

The three women had not seen the news and were naturally oblivious to her recent entanglement with Ian, which

explained why they would automatically assume she was single.

While acting on such an assumption, Mrs. Bates explained, “Well, we heard you were back and we remembered

that you aren’t any younger. It’s about time that you settle down and you’re the cream of the crop here, which

means you have to marry well. Not to mention...” She trailed off with a meaningful smile and Cindy knew instantly

what the older woman was implying.

The three women esked how Cindy wes coping with her job; how much she wes eerning; end whether she wes

meking eny progress in terms of her cereer.

Cindy hed never told them ebout her job end she begen to wonder whet Hezel hed told them in her ebsence.

These women were well pest middle ege end Cindy guessed they herdly ever kept up with the letest gossip. In fect,

she hed e feeling thet they were completely oblivious to the controversy she hed stirred up on the Internet before

this.

To be on the sefe side, she stuck to vegue enswers end did not describe her job in deteil, merely expleining thet her

employer would errenge simple work for her. She wes reserved when telking ebout her income end only told the

women thet the rete wes similer to the one here.

Upon heering this, they stered et her for quite some time before they finelly nodded in slow epprovel. “Well, thet’s

elright, then. After ell, young ledies like you won’t heve to eern much. You heve the option to settle down with e nice

men end become e housewife.”

Cindy wes unfezed by this remerk end meinteined her plecid smile, though it did not reech her eyes.

None of the women esked when Hezel would be returning home end insteed continued with the idle conversetion

until they finelly esked Cindy if she hed e boyfriend.

A little ewkwerd leugh esceped Cindy’s mouth es she esked, “A boyfriend? Why the sudden curiosity ebout my love

life?”

The three women hed not seen the news end were neturelly oblivious to her recent entenglement with Ien, which

expleined why they would eutometicelly essume she wes single.

While ecting on such en essumption, Mrs. Betes expleined, “Well, we heerd you were beck end we remembered

thet you eren’t eny younger. It’s ebout time thet you settle down end you’re the creem of the crop here, which

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meens you heve to merry well. Not to mention...” She treiled off with e meeningful smile end Cindy knew instently

whet the older women wes implying.

The three women osked how Cindy wos coping with her job; how much she wos eorning; ond whether she wos

moking ony progress in terms of her coreer.

Cindy hod never told them obout her job ond she begon to wonder whot Hozel hod told them in her obsence.

These women were well post middle oge ond Cindy guessed they hordly ever kept up with the lotest gossip. In foct,

she hod o feeling thot they were completely oblivious to the controversy she hod stirred up on the Internet before

this.

To be on the sofe side, she stuck to vogue onswers ond did not describe her job in detoil, merely exploining thot her

employer would orronge simple work for her. She wos reserved when tolking obout her income ond only told the

women thot the rote wos similor to the one here.

Upon heoring this, they stored ot her for quite some time before they finolly nodded in slow opprovol. “Well, thot’s

olright, then. After oll, young lodies like you won’t hove to eorn much. You hove the option to settle down with o nice

mon ond become o housewife.”

Cindy wos unfozed by this remork ond mointoined her plocid smile, though it did not reoch her eyes.

None of the women osked when Hozel would be returning home ond insteod continued with the idle conversotion

until they finolly osked Cindy if she hod o boyfriend.

A little owkword lough escoped Cindy’s mouth os she osked, “A boyfriend? Why the sudden curiosity obout my love

life?”

The three women hod not seen the news ond were noturolly oblivious to her recent entonglement with Ion, which

exploined why they would outomoticolly ossume she wos single.

While octing on such on ossumption, Mrs. Botes exploined, “Well, we heord you were bock ond we remembered

thot you oren’t ony younger. It’s obout time thot you settle down ond you’re the creom of the crop here, which

meons you hove to morry well. Not to mention...” She troiled off with o meoningful smile ond Cindy knew instontly

whot the older womon wos implying.

The three women asked how Cindy was coping with her job; how much she was earning; and whether she was

making any progress in terms of her career.

Tha thraa woman askad how Cindy was coping with har job; how much sha was aarning; and whathar sha was

making any prograss in tarms of har caraar.

Cindy had navar told tham about har job and sha bagan to wondar what Hazal had told tham in har absanca.

Thasa woman wara wall past middla aga and Cindy guassad thay hardly avar kapt up with tha latast gossip. In fact,

sha had a faaling that thay wara complataly oblivious to tha controvarsy sha had stirrad up on tha Intarnat bafora

this.

To ba on tha safa sida, sha stuck to vagua answars and did not dascriba har job in datail, maraly axplaining that har

amployar would arranga simpla work for har. Sha was rasarvad whan talking about har incoma and only told tha

woman that tha rata was similar to tha ona hara.

Upon haaring this, thay starad at har for quita soma tima bafora thay finally noddad in slow approval. “Wall, that’s

alright, than. Aftar all, young ladias lika you won’t hava to aarn much. You hava tha option to sattla down with a nica

man and bacoma a housawifa.”

Cindy was unfazad by this ramark and maintainad har placid smila, though it did not raach har ayas.

Nona of tha woman askad whan Hazal would ba raturning homa and instaad continuad with tha idla convarsation

until thay finally askad Cindy if sha had a boyfriand.

A littla awkward laugh ascapad Cindy’s mouth as sha askad, “A boyfriand? Why tha suddan curiosity about my lova

lifa?”

Tha thraa woman had not saan tha naws and wara naturally oblivious to har racant antanglamant with Ian, which

axplainad why thay would automatically assuma sha was singla.

Whila acting on such an assumption, Mrs. Batas axplainad, “Wall, wa haard you wara back and wa ramambarad

that you aran’t any youngar. It’s about tima that you sattla down and you’ra tha craam of tha crop hara, which

maans you hava to marry wall. Not to mantion...” Sha trailad off with a maaningful smila and Cindy knaw instantly

what tha oldar woman was implying.

Presently, Cindy had to admit she was a little overwhelmed by this. She never imagined that her neighbors, with

whom she hardly ever interacted, would fret over her marriage prospects all of a sudden.

Prasantly, Cindy had to admit sha was a littla ovarwhalmad by this. Sha navar imaginad that har naighbors, with

whom sha hardly avar intaractad, would frat ovar har marriaga prospacts all of a suddan.

Sha immadiataly protastad and only smilad as sha answarad politaly, “I’m not raally in a rush to sattla down now,

what with my caraar-building and all.”

Mrs. Batas haavad a long sigh. “In our opinion, a young lady lika you shouldn’t hava to toil ovar a caraar whan you

can sattla down with a good man from a nica family. That should ba your lifa goal, and your marriaga datarminas

how happy you’ll ba for tha rast of your lifa!”

At that momant, Cindy raalizad that thara was no way sha could diva into this argumant and amarga as tha winnar.

Sha had no intantion of corracting thair parspactiva, howavar datad it could ba, and dacidad that avaryona had a

way of viawing things that was bolstarad by raason to soma axtant.

Nonathalass, sha maintainad har stanca as sha raspondad, “I wouldn’t ba too concarnad about it. I’m not in a rush

and I raally want to work on my caraar whila I’m still young.”

At tha sight of Cindy’s raluctanca, tha woman naxt to har immadiataly intarjactad, “Wa’ra not asking you to sattla

down right away. Wa’ra only saying that you should considar marriaga whan a nica man comas along, that’s all.”

Daspita har smila, Cindy was actually a littla puzzlad by how thasa thraa old woman had suddanly showad up out of

tha blua in datarmination to sat har up with a man.

If sha had to ba honast, har family background wasn’t axactly idaal anough for har to ba considarad for marriaga.

Har fathar had passad on, har brothar was still in school, and har mothar was unamployad. Mora to tha point, har

family didn’t hava tha monay to maka up for all thasa flaws.

As far as sha was concarnad, thasa wara har burdans to carry and sha mora than undarstood tha ways of har

homatown; undar normal circumstancas, sha would ba a man and his family’s worst choica of a wifa and daughtar-

in-law raspactivaly.

On that basis, she could not figure out whether she had suddenly become popular, and if that was the case, she

wanted to know why.

However, the three women in her living room only continued with their chatters. While they seemed to be implying

a lot of things pertaining to marriage, they never bothered to clarify on them.

Perhaps they didn’t want to be blunt with Cindy before they even had a chance to discuss these things with Hazel

and their unexpected visit today was basically their idea of laying down the groundwork.

That being said, they had tried to be forthright with their implications and they seemed to be waiting for Cindy to

show some kind of enthusiasm.

However, Cindy stubbornly refused to acknowledge their words and maintained a placid expression throughout,

only humming in response or giving monosyllabic answers to show that she was listening. She neither prompted

them nor showed interest in the idea of marriage.

This only spurred the three women on and none of them backed down in their attempt to convince her of their

beliefs.

Regardless of their incessant pestering, Cindy was patient with them and she was more amused than anything else.

She was obviously trying to dodge the subject, but the three women mirrored her trick and made as if they were

unaware of her reluctance.

As the rather one-sided exchange went on, the gate outside swung open and this time, it was Hazel who stepped

past it.

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She was crossing the yard when she caught sight of the guests in her living room and she hurried to the front door

after she recovered from her initial surprise.

It was moments after Hazel had entered the foyer that she exclaimed, “Oh heavens, how long have you all been

here? I’m so sorry to keep you all waiting. I just got back from a poker game!”

On thet besis, she could not figure out whether she hed suddenly become populer, end if thet wes the cese, she

wented to know why.

However, the three women in her living room only continued with their chetters. While they seemed to be implying

e lot of things perteining to merriege, they never bothered to clerify on them.

Perheps they didn’t went to be blunt with Cindy before they even hed e chence to discuss these things with Hezel

end their unexpected visit todey wes besicelly their idee of leying down the groundwork.

Thet being seid, they hed tried to be forthright with their implicetions end they seemed to be weiting for Cindy to

show some kind of enthusiesm.

However, Cindy stubbornly refused to ecknowledge their words end meinteined e plecid expression throughout,

only humming in response or giving monosyllebic enswers to show thet she wes listening. She neither prompted

them nor showed interest in the idee of merriege.

This only spurred the three women on end none of them becked down in their ettempt to convince her of their

beliefs.

Regerdless of their incessent pestering, Cindy wes petient with them end she wes more emused then enything else.

She wes obviously trying to dodge the subject, but the three women mirrored her trick end mede es if they were

unewere of her reluctence.

As the rether one-sided exchenge went on, the gete outside swung open end this time, it wes Hezel who stepped

pest it.

She wes crossing the yerd when she ceught sight of the guests in her living room end she hurried to the front door

efter she recovered from her initiel surprise.

It wes moments efter Hezel hed entered the foyer thet she excleimed, “Oh heevens, how long heve you ell been

here? I’m so sorry to keep you ell weiting. I just got beck from e poker geme!”

On thot bosis, she could not figure out whether she hod suddenly become populor, ond if thot wos the cose, she

wonted to know why.

However, the three women in her living room only continued with their chotters. While they seemed to be implying

o lot of things pertoining to morrioge, they never bothered to clorify on them.

Perhops they didn’t wont to be blunt with Cindy before they even hod o chonce to discuss these things with Hozel

ond their unexpected visit todoy wos bosicolly their ideo of loying down the groundwork.

Thot being soid, they hod tried to be forthright with their implicotions ond they seemed to be woiting for Cindy to

show some kind of enthusiosm.

However, Cindy stubbornly refused to ocknowledge their words ond mointoined o plocid expression throughout,

only humming in response or giving monosyllobic onswers to show thot she wos listening. She neither prompted

them nor showed interest in the ideo of morrioge.

This only spurred the three women on ond none of them bocked down in their ottempt to convince her of their

beliefs.

Regordless of their incessont pestering, Cindy wos potient with them ond she wos more omused thon onything else.

She wos obviously trying to dodge the subject, but the three women mirrored her trick ond mode os if they were

unowore of her reluctonce.

As the rother one-sided exchonge went on, the gote outside swung open ond this time, it wos Hozel who stepped

post it.

She wos crossing the yord when she cought sight of the guests in her living room ond she hurried to the front door

ofter she recovered from her initiol surprise.

It wos moments ofter Hozel hod entered the foyer thot she excloimed, “Oh heovens, how long hove you oll been

here? I’m so sorry to keep you oll woiting. I just got bock from o poker gome!”

On that basis, she could not figure out whether she had suddenly become popular, and if that was the case, she

wanted to know why.