Chapter 9 About Formal Attire

• As Joshua Walker put his hat and mask back on, the two left the CT room one after the other, only to run into Daniel Martin. He was holding a delicate lunch box, and upon seeing Amanda Moore, his eyes curved into a surprised and happy expression. "Finally found you? Have you had lunch yet?"
• He shook the lunch box in his hand and smiled, "I've ordered business lunches for the whole department at 'Tsubaki'. Would you like to join me for lunch if it's convenient?" Tsubaki was a fairly upscale Japanese restaurant near the research institute, and he had gone to great lengths to have this meal with Amanda Moore.
• Although Joshua Walker and Daniel Martin didn't have a good relationship, they were very familiar with each other. Joshua Walker knew that Daniel Martin had been transferred to work here, but seeing his tactic of winning people over, Joshua Walker couldn't help but sneer.
• Daniel Martin seemed to have just noticed him and asked Amanda Moore, "Who is this..."
• Of course, he could recognize Joshua Walker, but since Joshua Walker was wearing a hat and mask, he pretended not to recognize him and asked Amanda Moore with a smile.
• Amanda Moore replied without hesitation, "A volunteer assisting me with my experiment."
• Even if they were pretending to be a couple, she would never allow personal relationships to affect her work.
• Her answer was so quick that it seemed a bit dismissive of Joshua Walker.
• Joshua Walker sneered under his mask, feigning nonchalance as if he cared deeply for her.
• Daniel Martin's smile grew deeper: "I see..." He handed over the exquisite lunch box, but his gaze swept over Joshua Walker: "Since he's just a volunteer, he shouldn't mind if I invite you to a casual lunch, right?"
• In truth, he only had a passing interest in Amanda Moore and wasn't too concerned about her. But now that she had suddenly become Joshua Walker's only publicly acknowledged girlfriend, this superficial curiosity instantly turned into a desire to win. He really wanted to see what expression Joshua Walker would have after he took her away.
• To be blunt, Amanda Moore had pursued him for so long that he might have been her first love, considering how much she cared about him at the time. After him, she didn't have any other romantic experiences. If it weren't for his lack of interest in her ordinary and stereotypical personality, they would have been an openly acknowledged couple back then.
• Now her indifferent attitude towards Joshua Walker made Daniel Martin feel quite pleased and even more certain—in all likelihood, Joshua Walker was the one who failed to win her over and deliberately spread false rumors.
• Daniel Martin seemed to remember something and said in a warm voice, "You didn't seem comfortable while working, so I put a piece of vanilla chocolate at the bottom. It's your favorite flavor."
• Amanda Moore was taken aback for a moment, then took the lunch box: "Vosges Haut-Chocolat? I haven't had their chocolate in a long time. I remember the vanilla and nut one is the best."
• Daniel Martin's eyes softened when he saw her action: "You still remember?"
• Seeing her nostalgic expression when she mentioned the past, as if she couldn't forget, he took the opportunity to invite her, smiling: "Then, may I have the honor of having lunch with you?"
• Amanda Moore naturally stuffed the lunch box into the trash can, shaking her head with a displeased expression: "No, it's troublesome."
• Daniel Martin: "..."
• Joshua Walker, watching the scene: "Ha."
• Daniel Martin hesitated for a moment, seeing her unhappy expression, as if she still had reservations. He smiled again instead: "I apologize for being inconsiderate. Excuse me."
• Her outburst was within his expectations, corresponding to her resistance and avoidance in the past few days. Her intense emotional fluctuations towards him were not a bad thing.
• He wasn't really suddenly nostalgic for Amanda Moore; it was just a test. He waved goodbye with a calm mind, leaving without any hesitation.
• Joshua Walker had no idea what Daniel Martin was thinking, but he was impressed by his mental toughness. If someone had treated him like that, he would have blown up by now.
• He asked Amanda Moore with a hint of schadenfreude: "He seemed pretty sincere, why did you refuse to have lunch with him?"
• Actually, Joshua Walker wanted to ask about their previous relationship, but that question seemed intrusive, and he wasn't that interested in Amanda Moore's personal affairs.
• Amanda Moore looked at him with a confused expression: "My mom doesn't let me eat things given by strangers. Isn't that common sense?"
• Joshua Walker: "... What a simple answer."
• It took him a long time to gather his thoughts and speak, but Amanda Moore suddenly became serious: "I hope that not too many people know about us pretending to be a couple, especially not affecting my work. Can you do that?"
• Even if Amanda Moore hadn't mentioned it, Joshua Walker would have emphasized the need to keep their 'couple relationship' a secret.
• But Amanda Moore took the initiative to show her disdain for him, which made Joshua Walker feel quite uncomfortable. He glanced at her, showing an even more disdainful expression: "Mind your own business and stop worrying about mine."
• Amanda Moore didn't waste any more words. They walked to her office: "I need to change into formal attire to visit the elders." Even without the involvement of Joshua Walker, Benjamin Walker was an old friend of her grandmother, and it made sense for her to visit him.
• Joshua Walker naturally assumed that when Amanda Moore mentioned formal attire, she meant a dress or suit that required makeup and styling, so he took the initiative to leave.
• Whenever he had seen Amanda Moore, she was either wearing long pants and a T-shirt or a lab coat. As he stood bored in the corridor, he found himself, for some reason, imagining what she would look like with makeup and in a dress.
• Just as his imagination was about to take shape, his phone vibrated in his pocket, interrupting his thoughts. He furrowed his brow slightly and answered the call: "Why are you calling again?"
• Nicholas Walker sounded displeased: "You're really bringing Joseph Evans' daughter, aren't you?"
• He took a deep breath: "I just found out that it's not just family members coming to visit your grandfather this time, but also a few influential uncles..." He paused, trying hard to suppress his anger: "And Uncle White, he's also coming. At such an important occasion, do you have to bring her to make a spectacle of yourself?"
• The Whites were the object that he and his current wife had tried to introduce to Joshua Walker but hadn't succeeded. They certainly looked down on Joseph Evans' daughter and hadn't given up on the idea of a marriage with the Whites. Naturally, they didn't want Joshua Walker to parade Amanda Moore in public.
• To be honest, why Benjamin Walker had set his sights on Amanda Moore and insisted on matchmaking her with Joshua Walker had always been a mystery within the Walker family. Even Joshua Walker himself wasn't clear on the reason, and Nicholas Walker was even more in the dark.
• Nicholas Walker wanted to issue a few more commands, but Joshua Walker's brows were already furrowed in disgust, his aversion evident.
• He extremely disliked being arranged by others. Before Nicholas Walker could say anything more, he hung up the phone directly.
• If his previous intention to pretend to be a couple with Amanda Moore was to put his grandfather's mind at ease, then now there was the added benefit of irritating his father — hence, he was determined to parade Amanda Moore in public. It would be best if Amanda Moore could dress up as a seductive vixen, aiming to frustrate Nicholas Walker to the point of a hypertension attack.
• Joshua Walker couldn't help but imagine Amanda Moore changing clothes and instructing his assistant to send a few alluring haute couture dresses for Amanda Moore to choose from.
• As he was lost in thought, Amanda Moore's voice suddenly came from inside the room, "Mr. Walker, can you come in and help me out?"
• Joshua Walker hadn't yet snapped out of his daydream about a seductive woman and was taken aback.
• Amanda Moore changing clothes and asking for his help? A woman changing clothes and calling a man in to assist?
• Joshua Walker, who had experienced countless storms in the entertainment industry, snorted. This woman's seduction tactics were too clumsy.
• Amanda Moore's muffled voice came out again, this time with a hint of frustration: "Can you hear me ?" She seemed to have done something again, as she suddenly hissed and then exclaimed in pain.
• Hearing the commotion inside, Joshua Walker couldn't help but be curious about what tricks she was up to. He hesitated for a moment, imagining Amanda Moore in a delicate, flowing dress, her eyes gazing at him with allure。
• He sneered, indicating that he had seen all kinds of scenes, and calmly turned the door handle.
• Although he averted his gaze in time, he still saw Amanda Moore wearing a deep brown corduroy thin jacket with eight pockets, which made her look like a grandmother from the last century at first glance.
• Joshua Walker, who was immersed in the fashion industry, had a moment of shock。
• This was indeed a scene he had never encountered before.
• He asked incredulously, "Weren't you going to change into formal attire?"
• Amanda Moore finally pulled up the zipper and asked in surprise, "Isn't this formal?"
• As she spoke, she showed him the two pockets on her chest, which even had a pen tucked in: "At least high-ranking leaders could wear this kind of clothing in the last century."
• She tugged at the hem of the corduroy jacket and proudly showed it off to Joshua Walker: "My grandmother bought this when she won an award. It's of great quality, custom-made by a private clothing factory. I wouldn't wear it if I weren't visiting elderly people."
• Joshua Walker managed to squeeze out a few words: "Let's go."
• Amanda Moore nodded and put on a gray fisherman's hat to shade herself from the sun, then picked up a fruit basket she bought for thirty dollars at the school gate, and was about to leave.
• Joshua Walker couldn't take it anymore. He suddenly stopped, grabbed her wrist, and slammed the door shut. He propped his arms against the door, trapping her between his body and the doorframe, his eyes dark and deep as they stared into hers.
• Their faces were only a hand's width apart, and Amanda Moore's nose nearly touched the tip of his straight nose.
• Despite the inappropriate timing, she couldn't help but think of the erotic book she confiscated from Rachel.
• "'I can't hold back anymore,' he swallowed, trapping her against the wall, his hands parting to rip open her skirt: 'Who are you trying to seduce with this outfit?'"
• "He gently bites your earlobe, and you sensitively shrink away. He laughs softly, 'You started this fire, you'll have to put it out.'"