My Darling, My Dearest

Chapter 213

Michael handed Marcus a piece of tissue.

Marcus wiped his hands and complained, "It's so hot that I can't even move comfortably. Why did you have to make an appointment at noon?"

Michael suddenly turned his head to the sound of the opening door. "So, you've finally arrived at last!"

Marcus wiped off the water on his face. He raised his eyebrows when he saw Jack and Rachel enter hand in hand.

"Aren't you feeling hot, holding hands in such a hot day?" he asked Jack. "Are you jealous?" Jack retorted. He released Rachel's hand as soon as they entered the room. The dishes were served and prepared on the table.

Michael lazily sat on a chair with a cigarette on his lips. He watched them with visible surprise. "Wow, why are you here together?"

Jack curled his lips and said, "Should I have come with you instead?"

Michael smiled, "Shut the fuck up, Jack!"

Marcus also laughed loudly, but Jack was used to the jokes of his friends and he did not laugh with them. Instead, he turned around and whispered to Rachel, "Just ignore them."

Their whispering annoyed Michael. Rachel smiled. She never really took their teasing seriously. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

While they were busy teasing Jack, Henry was preoccupied with filling glasses with wine. He was obviously in a very good mood. He hummed a song that no one could identify as he did his task.

He looked up from what he was doing and said to them, "That's enough. You two single men need to find a girlfriend soon. Don't waste your time laughing at others."

Marcus quickly concluded that Henry was indeed in high spirits that day.

After they all took their seats at the table, Rachel followed Jack closely. She was familiar with them and no longer felt embarrassed.

As soon as they were seated, Marcus said, "Have you all noticed how unusually cheerful Henry is today?"

Jack leaned back and took the lighter from Michael. He looked up at Henry and said with a smile, "You are not the only one who thinks so, Marcus."

Henry had an odd smile on his face as a reply to his friends' jesting as he distributed the wine-filled glasses. His good mood was made obvious by his expression.

After he placed a glass of wine in front of Jack, Jack glimpsed at Rachel who sat next to him. He handed the wine to Michael. "I can't drink."

Everyone saw what happened. They all turned to Rachel.

But Rachel remained calm and ignored them. "Why are you all staring at me? Why not just speak out?"

However, Jack sat closely next to her, and he noticed that there was a slight flush of red behind her ear.

Henry and Marcus exchanged meaningful glances with each other and smiled silently.

Jack played with the roller of the lighter. The blue flame came out of the lighter hole and was quickly extinguished. He thought for a while, closed the lighter and then handed it back to Michael.

Jack decided not to touch the alcoholic drink.

He refused to drink. Everyone thought that they knew the real reason why.

Henry then placed another glass of wine in front of Rachel. Jack blocked Henry's hand with a frown.

"She can't drink either."

"All right." Henry took the glass of wine back.

They have not been together like that for a long time.

They usually met in the evenings. Very rarely had they ever met together in the daytime. But this time, Henry was inexplicably impatient about something and insisted on having lunch with them.

Henry said that there was something extremely important that he had to tell them. Marcus immediately changed the topic to the reason of their urgent meeting. "I find it odd that you're in such a hurry to meet us. Do you have something important that you need to tell us?

Henry raised a hand to his lips. He cleared his throat and then looked at his friends. "I think it's best if we talk about it after lunch. I'm afraid that you might have indigestion problems."

"Wow, your message is really that intense?" Michael started to eat. Rachel sat quietly by Jack's side. She never said anything and never interrupted anyone.

Henry had a mysterious expression on his face.

Marcus turned to Henry with a puzzled look. "Can't you just say it straight up, right now? Don't leave me hanging, or I won't have the appetite to eat."

Henry lowered his head slightly and started laughing. His laughter made Marcus feel odd and slightly embarrassed. "Stop laughing. What the fuck is up?"

Jack also felt very curious to hear what Henry had to say, but did not say anything.

Henry thought about it and decided to tell them. He suddenly stood up and walked towards the nearby sofa. He had a briefcase with him intentionally. He rummaged inside the briefcase and brought out a thing.

Marcus and Michael were having a light conversation while eating. They observed what Henry brought out of the briefcase. The size and the color looked familiar.

Henry closed the briefcase as Michael and Marcus watched him. The two studied the thing carefully and stared at Henry in surprise.

Rachel was on the farthest end of the table and couldn't clearly see what Henry brought out of the briefcase. She glimpsed at Michael and Marcus and

couldn't understand Marcus' exaggerated expression to what Henry was holding.

Henry soon returned to the table. Everyone's eyes were transfixed on him and the thing in his hand.

He went back to his seat and leaned forward as he held up the thing in his hand. At that close distance, they all recognized what it was. It was a household certificate that initially looked so mysterious from a distance.

When he saw what Michael held in his hand, Jack immediately had an idea what Henry was going to say. Rachel had the same idea, but since Lea never mentioned anything about it to her, she still felt slightly unsure.

Michael swallowed hard and then said to his friend. "Why do you have a household certificate?"

Henry wetted his lips and smiled. He looked at everyone who looked back at him with different expressions and raised the residence certificate in his hand. His face was masked with a warm smile. "Well everyone, I am proud to announce that I am getting married. And I am the first one to get married among us."

With so much planning involved in the meeting, it was obvious to Henry's friends that what he announced to them was extremely important to him.

Michael placed his chopsticks on the table and then turned to Henry. "Are you serious about this?" he asked.

Marcus was still in a daze. "You've got to be

kidding. Who are you even going to marry? I have never heard you mention a girl's name." Marcus was the most befuddled among the ones present.

Jack smiled calmly and turned to Rachel. "I'm sorry. I think I was the first to get married."

Henry suddenly looked upset. "Come on, I am the first one who is going to get married for real."

Jack's marriage was just registered abroad. And Henry felt that it was completely different.

Additionally, they had not been together recently.

"What the fuck, Henry? Why are you showing us your household certificate, instead of inviting us to your wedding?"

"Ahem!" Henry cleared his throat to disguise his slight embarrassment. "We are going to register for marriage, not hold a wedding."

Rachel quickly regained her composure. She straightened her back, her lips twisted. "And Lea... agreed to this?"

When Henry heard the name of his girlfriend, he quickly turned to her and instantly remembered that Rachel's other status was his girlfriend's best friend.

She could make Lea change her mind about something.

Henry sat down silently and passed his household certificate across the table. Jack reached out to get it and then handed it over to Rachel.

Rachel wondered why Henry handed over the

household certificate to her.

In Henry's heart, he treated Rachel as a member of Lea's family, so he had to express his respect and sincerity to her.

"Yes, she agreed to my proposal, and I visited her family," he answered cautiously to Rachel.

Lea only mentioned to Rachel once that Henry had passed her father's test, but did not mention anything about the registration.

She never expected to hear about the marriage registration first from Henry instead of hearing it first from Lea.

Rachel looked at the certificate that Jack handed to her. Henry's family was very simple. It was composed of only his parents and him.

Lea did mention about Henry's proposal, but she felt very hesitant at that time. And before they could talk about it once more, she was already going to marry Henry.

She handed the household certificate back to Henry after she had seen everything.

Jack was visibly calmer than Michael and Marcus, but he still couldn't help teasing Henry. "Stop showing us your household certificate. We want to see your marriage certificate!"

"Soon. You will soon," Henry replied confidently.

The lunch went on in a happy atmosphere. Jack felt happy for his good friend because he has finally achieved to get married.

Rachel felt happy too. She was happy that Lea was finally getting married.

Michael was initially surprised, but he then congratulated Henry when he recovered from his initial shock.

Henry proudly accepted Michael's congratulatory compliments.

But Marcus was still in a state of shock. He was unable to react at all for a very long time. After being quiet for some time, he suddenly burst out. "Wait! Where is your girlfriend? Who are you going to marry, anyway? That beautiful airline stewardess?"

"Yes. Her name is Lea." Henry didn't even want to roll his eyes at Marcus. How could he not know her name?

It suddenly became obvious to everyone present that Marcus knew the least about Henry's love story.

And they were already getting married in such a short time.

"Where is she?" Henry became even more gentle and affectionate at the mention of Lea's name.

Michael sighed in relief that his playboy friend has finally found someone to marry.

"She's at home. I'll pick her up in two days."

"Why don't you hold a wedding ceremony?" Rachel asked. She felt that she had to ask the question from Henry since Lea was not around.

It was something that Henry never told anyone even his friends. One reason was that they never had any direct relations with his family. The second

reason was that it wouldn't be good for the reputation of his family if word got around.

And he was not a gossipy person who would gossip behind people's back.

So Henry thought it best to just come up with an excuse. "It's just that it isn't convenient for us right now. So, we decided to postpone the wedding," he explained.