“Yes, Madam Hurney. She is my girlfriend, Ellen.” “Ellen? Oh! Have I heard that name before?” Madam Hurney exclaimed in surprise, her eyes fixed on Ellen. Then her expression turned to one of delight. “You… You are the Miss Go champion, aren’t you?”
Ellen smiled and nodded. “Hello!” “Oh! My husband really admires you! He’s your loyal fan, and I also like you so much.” Madam Hurney gushed with admiration, which left Elle a little embarrassed by the attention. “Thank you for your kind words,” Ellen replied politely.
“Jared, you’re really lucky! It’s rare to see such an excellent girlfriend,” Madam Hurney praised, noting that true inner beauty was rare and far more valuable than external appearances.
“Madam Hurney, you are absolutely right. Meeting Ellen is the greatest blessing of my life,” Jared declared in front of everyone. “I didn’t realize you were Ellen! Your chess skills are truly amazing, especially in that final game.
I was watching the whole time! You’re incredibly talented!” an elderly man praised Ellen. “That’s right. Everyone around me speaks highly of Miss Reiss!”
“When you hold your wedding, we’ll definitely be there to celebrate.” Ellen was taken aback by the newfound attention from the elite. While thinking about this, her face was radiant with a rosy glow.
Not far away, Hannie observed quietly as Ellen walked with the esteemed elders alongside Jared. Hannie was surprised to see the warm welcome that Ellen received from these people.
In such a gathering, many people would put on a show, but the affection Ellen received from the elderly was real, and it caught Hannie’s attention. She was unwilling to lose to this ordinary girl.
Hannie had investigated Ellen’s background and discovered that she was not from a wealthy family, and her education and background were that of an ordinary person. However, Hannie missed a recent piece of news as she was only interested in Ellen’s background.
Ellen felt the urge to use the restroom, perhaps due to having too much juice. She noticed Jared and the elders were still chatting, so she whispered, “I’m going to the restroom.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Jared asked in a low voice. “No, it’s fine!” Ellen didn’t want to inconvenience him with such a thing. “You can chat with the elders.”
After getting directions from the waiter, Ellen walked toward the restroom. Meanwhile, Hannie saw this as an opportunity to meet Ellen and headed in the same direction.
Meanwhile, Ellen finished washing her hands and noticed that her lipstick had faded. She intended to touch up, but at that moment, someone approached her. From the mirror, Ellen saw her; she was also touching up her makeup.
“Hi, Miss Reiss!” Hannie greeted her. Ellen turned to her and replied, “Hi. Miss Quins, right?”
“Hannie, the granddaughter of the first wealthy family in Hogland. I learned English because I like your country,” Hannie said with a sense of superiority.
Ellen was slightly taken aback. From the news she had seen in the past, she had some understanding of this family and was surprised to meet a member here.
“You should have heard of my family.” Hannie smiled slightly. “Yes.” Ellen nodded. “Miss Reiss, can we talk?” “There’s nothing for me to talk about with you, Miss Quins. Sorry.” Ellen didn’t feel like chatting.
“Wait a minute. Do you want to know why I’m here? I’m here to collaborate with Jared,” Hannie said and continued, “We are competitors, but we can also be allies.” Ellen frowned, but she didn’t say anything.
