"I haven’t been back for half a year, and suddenly bringing you back is already a surprise for them. How could we possibly spend the night outside?"
"If your parents are like this, I definitely can’t stay overnight at your place," Windsor Myres pouted and looked at him. "Why are you doing this? This doesn’t work, that doesn’t work either, then what do you suggest? You can’t possibly let me stay outside alone, can you? That’s not how you host someone. When I used to visit others..."
Windsor Myres looked at his expression, and her words suddenly came to an abrupt halt.
Camden River said blandly, "Let’s talk after dinner."
He certainly understood what Windsor meant, but, up to this point, he couldn’t accommodate her like he did at school.
The eyes of his parents were invisible shackles, and he felt a lot of pressure.
Especially—
He was an only child, always making his parents proud from childhood to adulthood.
He was used to making things easy for them, and deep down, he respected and honored them. They were both parents and played a mentor-like role in his life. He didn’t want to defy them, let alone disappoint them.
This kind of feeling was something Windsor couldn’t experience immediately.
He was actually capable of accommodating.
During their closest moments, Windsor told him everything about her past.
Of course, he felt distressed, although he strongly disapproved of her self-destructive behavior. But he always thought it was because of her environment; no one taught her how to interact with others, always considering herself, which inevitably made her selfish.
He could tolerate her being a bit selfish in feelings, but couldn’t tolerate her disrespecting his parents.
The time during the class at school, he actually chickened out.
Professor Lee reminded him, and thinking of his parents who shared similar views, he felt a bit at a loss, trying to calm down. Later, he went abroad, making it even more impossible to easily make promises to Windsor.
The past two years were really busy, and the time difference between the two countries naturally made communication between them less frequent.
Windsor was able to change, and he was quite gratified.
But—
He suddenly realized that Windsor would become more obedient in front of him because she liked him, but not necessarily with others.
Her family environment was complicated, seemingly lacking awareness of respecting teachers and elders since childhood. She loved him, so she restrained her sharpness in front of him, becoming a bit more gentle. But she didn’t love his parents, so it’s unlikely she would tolerate and accommodate them everywhere, and she might even become impatient or irritable.
While lost in these thoughts, Camden River suddenly felt tired.
He was different from the men Windsor had known before, let alone the environment he was in.
His parents, uncles, siblings, most of them were in such a culturally rich circle. There might be one or two working in business, but the majority were quite traditional and rigorous people.
How could Windsor Myres fit in?
He had to bear the pressure, and as for her, she needed to bear the pressure and learn to change as well.
Was Windsor Myres willing to change for him?
Or—
Could she change for him?
Camden River looked at her, his mind swirling, feeling powerless.
He used to think that a good relationship was one where both parties were equal, standing together, without changing for each other but maintaining independence, which was the dignity of love.
But—
He deeply felt that Windsor had to change.
People are social animals; without rules, there can be no order. She was too free-spirited.
Camden River sighed, said no more, and helplessly said, "Come on, let’s go downstairs for dinner. There’s no need for you to be nervous. Just like I said before, don’t be too casual in front of my parents, and we can talk about the rest slowly."