Mother-in-law's disdain

Ophelia had initially thought Connor was just speaking casually, but she hadn't expected him to be so insistent, which made her somewhat uncomfortable with such kindness. She promptly declined, "No, thanks. I'll find a hotel."

Connor glanced at Ophelia's luggage. "Are you planning to move all these things to the hotel tonight? I don't think the hotel would allow you to bring so much stuff in."

Ophelia glanced around at her belongings. The room was small, but it was already packed full. She realized the hotel owner might not permit her to bring so much stuff in.

Seeing Ophelia hesitate, Connor continued, "We talked about needing to understand each other for the sake of the act. You might not have much time during work hours, but we'll have more time in the evenings to get to know each other. Isn't that better?"

Ophelia felt Connor's proposal was somewhat inappropriate, but he went on, "Are you worried I have ulterior motives?"

That was exactly Ophelia's concern, and she involuntarily responded, "How do I know what kind of person you are?"

Connor's expression turned serious. "You're only considering my character now? Isn't it a bit late for that? We just got our marriage certificate; you should've thought about this at that time."

Ophelia fell into silence. Connor was right; she hadn't considered his character when they got the marriage certificate. But now, things were different, and she needed to consider more.

"I didn't consider your character back then because we didn't have much contact, and it was just to appease our families. But now that we're going to live together, I need to think about more," Ophelia explained. Connor felt impressed by Ophelia's clear thinking and firm boundaries. Even the fake marriage, done to appease their families, showed her decisiveness and rationality.

"It's only natural to consider these things!" Connor stared at Ophelia. "But no matter how bad my character is, it couldn't be worse than your landlord and his son, right? You dared to live there, so why hesitate about my place?"

Ophelia rubbed her forehead and shrugged. "Your attempts to provoke me are useless!" She once again declined Connor's kindness. "I'll handle my own affairs; I really don't need your help. Let's contact each other if necessary in the future. Please, go now!"

Connor didn't expect Ophelia to be so resolute, giving him the eviction notice so soon. He watched her cautious demeanor, silently praising her but not rushing.

He took out his phone and dialed a number, and Ophelia's phone immediately rang. "This is my number. If anything happens, just call me! We're allies now!"

Ophelia heard a knock on the door and wondered if it was the landlord causing trouble again, but to her surprise, it was her mother.

"Mom, why are you here?" Ophelia was taken aback, not expecting her mother to visit suddenly.

Fiona looked at Ophelia, rolled her eyes, and then took Ophelia's hand. "What, can't I come to see you? I'm worried about you being alone outside. You don't even want to come home for the New Year? Are you trying to escape again?" Then, she began earnestly persuading Ophelia.

"Daniel's son is really nice, well-mannered, sensible, and compatible with you. I'm worried he might dislike you..." Fiona paused suddenly, noticing there was a man in the room, and looked at Ophelia with confusion.

"Who... who is this? Weren't you sharing the apartment with another girl? How come there's a guy now?" Fiona's question was clear.

Facing the awkward situation, Ophelia explained with a forced smile, "Mom, I've told you before, I have a boyfriend now. This is him, uh, Connor! I was planning to bring him home for the New Year to meet you all!"

Fiona found it difficult to accept this sudden situation.

"Why do I feel like he's even older than your big brother? Do you have a thing for older men?" Fiona scrutinized Connor, her tone full of disdain.

Ophelia coughed awkwardly. She herself thought Connor looked a bit mature, but in reality, he wasn't much older than her brother.

"Mom, my brother dresses younger, while Connor has a more mature style. He may look a bit older, but he's not much older than my brother," Ophelia explained.

Fiona still expressed her disdain. "Dressing like this at such a young age, it's really not flattering!"

Connor felt somewhat helpless. Did he really dress that old-fashioned?

"I'll let Ophelia help me with my dressing in the future," Connor said calmly.

Fiona persisted in patiently persuading Ophelia, "What exactly are you up to? Are you following in your brother's footsteps, getting a man to cover for you? I've told you, your father has a sharp eye, your little tricks won't fool him."