Married to The Ice King: Pampered Princess' Survival Guide-Chapter 183: First Official Date (2)

"I, the vice president... let you work?" Theo’s frown deepened as he crossed his arms, leaning back slightly in his seat. His tone was half-serious, half-teasing, but his expression said otherwise.

"Oh, exactly the same..." Daisy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You didn’t let me work, but..." she waved her hand lightly, "It’s a long story. I’ll tell you some other time. It’s too much of a hassle to explain right now."

Theo raised a brow, studying her expression. "A hassle, huh?"

"Ahh..." She reached for his arm and shook it a bit, "Too much had been happening and telling the story would cause us a day, what happened to the movie and a date then? I still need to ask you to buy me a new collection bag from ’The Devil’." She blinked cutely, trying to divert his emotions.

"Okay... and about the job, I agreed with twenty nine year old Theo, just rest. It is safer like that..." Theo gently took her hand and clutched it, "Maybe hire someone else to take care of the shop if Aurora couldn’t handle it..."

Daisy puffed her cheeks slightly, pretending to pout. "You sound exactly like the older version of you right now..." she muttered, though there was a playful glint in her eyes. "Always bossy, always telling me to rest." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Theo chuckled, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. "Well, it seems like some habits don’t change... even across memory gaps."

"Still," Daisy sighed, "Aurora might give me an earful if I just disappear again. She hates managing the shop alone."

"Then I’ll send someone to help her," Theo said simply, his tone calm but resolute. "You just focus on getting better. That’s all I need."

Daisy blinked, half amused, half touched. "You know, it’s really hard to argue when you sound all protective like that."

Theo grinned, leaning closer. "Then don’t." He stole a quick kiss on her lips and leaned back to his seat before he started the car and accelerated fast on the road.

By the time they arrived at the mall, the late afternoon crowd had begun to gather. Theo parked the car and glanced at Daisy with a small, contented smile.

"Movie first?" he asked, stepping out and offering his hand to her.

"Movie first," Daisy confirmed, slipping her hand into his. They walked side by side through the bustling entrance, heading straight toward the cinema just like any other couple on a date, if only for a while.

"That one... that one..." Daisy pointed toward a movie poster on the wall, her eyes sparkling. "I heard that movie is good." She grinned, blinking up at him, clearly hoping Theo would agree to the melodrama she’d been waiting to watch.

He smiled warmly. "Okay... let’s go with that—"

"Daisy?"

The sudden voice from the side cut Theo’s words short. A woman approached, her face lighting up in recognition. "Wah, it is you! Daisy! Remember me? Joana..."

Daisy’s expression immediately shifted, her smile fading as her body stiffened. She turned slightly toward Theo, her hand tightening around his arm. "I suddenly don’t feel like watching a movie," she whispered quickly, her tone uneasy.

Theo frowned slightly, catching the tension in her voice. "Why? Something wrong?" He brushed her hair back gently, lowering his voice. "Then let’s head somewhere else, hmm? How about that handbag you were eyeing?"

Daisy looked up at him and managed a soft smile before suddenly wrapping her arms around his waist. "Thank you, hubby..." she murmured, her tone sweet but a little shaky, clearly using the word to make a point.

Theo blinked in surprise, then smirked slightly, placing a hand on her back as he glanced at Joana. "Sorry, my wife and I are having a date day," he said casually, his voice calm but firm enough to make his stance clear.

Joana’s smile faltered a little, though she quickly masked it with a polite chuckle. "Ah... of course. You two look... great together." She stepped back slightly, her gaze flicking between Daisy and Theo. Then, almost as if she couldn’t help herself, she added with forced cheer, "Hmm, Daisy, do you still use the same number? Let’s hang out sometime... it’s been ages since we went out together..."

Daisy’s lips curved into a small, polite smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Ah... I don’t really go out much these days," she replied lightly, keeping her tone casual but distant.

Theo, sensing her discomfort, subtly tightened his arm around her waist. "She’s been pretty busy," he added with a calm, polite tone—just enough to close the conversation.

Joana blinked, clearly taken aback by the firm yet civil response. "Oh... I see." She forced another smile. "Well, maybe another time then."

"Sure," Daisy said simply, her voice polite but final.

Theo gave her a small nod, then guided her toward the escalator without looking back. Once they were out of sight, he leaned in slightly. "She didn’t seem like just an old friend," he murmured.

"Definitely not..." She answered weakly, seeming not too eager to tell the story, "it just... we used to be close..."

Theo glanced at her, his brows slightly furrowed. "Used to be?" he echoed, his tone gentle but curious.

Daisy exhaled softly, her eyes fixed on the moving steps beneath them. "Yeah... things got messy back then. She’s the kind who smiles in front of you and stirs things up behind your back." She shrugged lightly, as if brushing it off. "Anyway, it’s all in the past. I don’t really want to talk about it."

Theo hummed thoughtfully, studying her profile for a moment before nodding. "Alright," he said simply. "If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t ask."

"Let’s go..." Daisy said, eager to move on, but Theo halted her mid-step.

"Are you sure you don’t want to watch the movie?" he asked again, his voice gentle but concerned.

Daisy’s gaze flicked back toward the cinema entrance where Joana still lingered, pretending to scroll through her phone. "Hmm... I’m sure," she said quietly. "The whole place suddenly feels a bit... chilly." She tugged lightly on his hand. "Come on, let’s just go somewhere else."