But Tailsa was disappointed.
Instead of responding to her, James rolled down the window and called out to Jay Johnson, who was standing outside, "Bro Jay, what are you doing out there? Come on and drive!"
Jay Johnson hesitated for a moment. Seeing Miss Tailsa so eager, he thought they might want some private time in the car. Not wanting to intrude or subject his ears to unwanted sounds, he had stayed outside.
Now hearing James's call, he reluctantly got in the driver's seat, mentally preparing himself: scenes like this might become more frequent, and he needed to stay calm and get used to it.
"For now, let's keep using your car. We'll get you a new one in a few days," James said, ignoring Tailsa's affectionate gaze and pretending to chat with Jay Johnson. "What do you think, would you prefer driving a Bentley or a Mercedes?"
Having cooled down, James realized he needed to take it easy physically. Even at his age, he couldn't keep pushing himself.
Earlier, he had felt as drained as if hit with a debilitating spell, fearing something was seriously wrong. He couldn't risk going overboard again in front of Tailsa.
Bringing Jay Johnson with him was a convenient excuse to fend off Tailsa.
Jay Johnson, not understanding the context, answered honestly, "In the army, I thought Cadillacs were the top tier. But now I like those wide, spacious RVsâyou can go anywhere in them."
James's eyes lit up at the idea.
RVs sounded pretty great. What young person doesn't dream of traveling?
You can sleep anywhere, even take a girl stargazing.
"How much for a good RV?"
"A decent one might cost around $70,000 to $80,000. Better ones range from hundreds of thousands to even millions, depending on the interior modifications," Jay replied.
Tailsa, having her own car already, wasn't interested in the car talk. Seeing James ignoring her, she squirmed in his arms like a seductive siren to get his attention. Then she interjected to steer the conversation back to houses:
"So, darling, will the house have both our names on it?"
James was silent for a moment, waiting for the system's guidance, before sighing and reluctantly responding, "Just yours."
Tailsa noticed something odd in James's expression but didn't dwell on it. Hearing it was a house just for her made her heart race.
To her, James was a shining treasure, a dazzling beacon she couldn't look away from.
She had no doubt he could afford the $8 million house. Given what he'd said in the mall, she suspected his savings might even surpass nine figures.
"Let's put both our names on it. After all, it's for both of us," Tailsa suggested politely.
A house was quite different from a carâits importance far greater. This was to be their shared home.
Putting only one name on it made it seem like she was only after his house.
"Just your name. I want you to have enough security to feel comfortable taking care of our home," James explained, spinning a flattering line.
He really wished he could add his name to that $8 million house, but the system didn't allow it. Apparently, the "goddess" needed to retain full autonomy.
Ridiculous!
This "simp" system was annoying in its pandering.
Tailsa didn't insist further. With him saying that, she didn't want to seem ungrateful by pushing the issue.
Still, the thought of living with this man made her anxious about meeting his expectations. She timidly asked,
"I... I'm quite lazy. I don't want to clean such a big house on my own. Can we hire a maid to help?"
He was paying his bodyguard $5,000 or $6,000 a month. Hiring a $10,000 housekeeper shouldn't be an issue. Still, asking for such help felt a little embarrassing as a woman.
Letting someone else handle all the chores made her feel like a pampered princess, living a lazy, indulgent life while others served her.
Nervous that James might look down on her, her cheeks flushed, ears turning rosy as she voiced her request.
"Of course, we can hire helpâcooks, gardeners, personal doctors, trainers, whatever you need. As long as it makes you happy," James painted a picture of an idyllic future.
He longed for such comforts himself, but he needed the refund to come through first.
Tailsa felt overwhelmed by the dream James painted.
Since graduating, she'd met countless people.
But reality, with its harshness, gradually made her give up on the dream of marrying a wealthy husband and living as a lady of leisure.
At 26, she had lowered her standards to looking for someone with seven-figure savings.
She only wished for someone around her age who would take care of her.
Tailsa believed she wasn't lacking in any significant way, and didn't expect her standards to be too high to find a decent man.
Yet reality had cruelly slapped her in the face.
The young rich kids she dated gambled, partied, and had unsavory habits.
The older men were stingy, insisting money was only to be flaunted, not spent on women.
Such ridiculous claims could get someone punished in her social circles!
Then there was the promising prospectâyoung, decent looking, not rich but stable with a public service job.
After dating him for months, he expressed worry that her beauty would lead her to cheat, so he dumped her.
For heaven's sake, she only ever pursued one guy at a time!
Her best friend wasn't as pretty or curvy, yet she managed to snag a husband worth nine figuresâapart from being two decades older, there was nothing wrong with him.
Yet Tailsa was struggling to find a suitable man.
Recently, at her mom's urging, she tried speed dating.
Every guy she met asked why someone like her was speed dating.
Were they...?
The hesitations, the suggestive and suspicious glances, all made her want to lash out.
And all those speed datesâmama's boys, weirdos, shut-ins, creeps...
Her quirky dating tales could fill a novel.
She thought she'd have to lower her standards again.
Then, unexpectedly, a former classmate who once had a crush on her turned out to be wealthy and treated her so well.
Tailsa felt a swell of emotion, almost to tears.
Choked up, her eyes misting, she looked at James and murmured, "Darling, will you love me forever?"
Women are emotional creatures, and when caught in emotion, they seek assurance.
She wanted to hear a heartfelt confession from James.
She hadn't expected his nonchalant response:
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."
Her tears vanished instantly, replaced by a sulk. "You're not even being serious."
James knew the right answer but feared saying it would add points.
The house was not yet bought, after all.
Thankfully, emotions are fleeting, and James hadn't triggered any prompts from the system. Relieved, he smilingly reassured her,
"Of course I love you. I'm buying you a house, isn't that proof enough?"
Somewhere along the line, modern love had become skewed.
Proving love required purchasing a house.
If you'd asked him anytime before, he wouldn't have said "I love you" to a girl so assuredly.
But now, with this "simp" system, he could affirm his affection limitlessly.