Chapter 312: Chapter 312: Blind Date
Ashley Shaw was already beautiful, and now in her The Empyrean Dynasty-style dress, she looked even more enchanting.
Even without makeup, she already had the charm of an ancient beauty.
Xavier Quincy’s eyes flickered for a moment, then quickly returned to calm, with his lips showing his usual gentle smile.
Shane Coleman, on the other hand, was full of surprise.
He remembered his first encounter with Ashley Shaw, when she was wearing an old but clean school uniform.
Back then, she was just a little girl, how come in such a short time, in the blink of an eye, she had grown into a young lady?
And such a beautiful young lady too.
Shane couldn’t help but glance at Owen Sinclair.
He saw that Owen, who had just been casually introducing the antiques displayed in "Yarrowdale" to the two of them, now seemed dumbfounded, as if he had lost his soul.
This reaction...
Shane was a lawyer, and lawyers aren’t usually fools.
In just that brief moment, Shane guessed the reason behind Owen’s reaction.
Perhaps, Ashley Shaw resembled someone Owen truly loved from his past too much.
But without solid evidence, to avoid scaring Ashley Shaw or leading her to misunderstand, he deliberately stepped forward, positioning himself between Ashley Shaw and Owen.
"Ashley, who would’ve thought that you’re so suited for ancient costumes? I think you shouldn’t pursue medicine anymore, just enter the entertainment industry and shoot period dramas. You’ll be rolling in dough."
Ashley Shaw also gave Shane a once-over.
True to his name, Shane looked handsome, and his charisma was even more pronounced in his ancient attire.
He wore a sapphire robe, its wide sleeves swaying gently with his movements, and a black official hat that was clearly not cheap, perched on his jet-black wig.
He looked dashing and impressive indeed.
Ashley Shaw recalled overhearing two receptionists at the law firm praising Shane as the Takeshi Kaneshiro of the legal field.
And it’s true, Shane resembled Takeshi Kaneshiro by about fifty to sixty percent, and when not working seriously, his aura was a blend of artistic with a touch of bohemian and a hint of roguish charm.
Now, styled in this way, he was the epitome of an elegant young gentleman from ancient times.
Ashley Shaw gave him a thumbs-up, showering him with several idioms in quick succession.
"Compared to you, I’m no match."
Shane was overjoyed by the compliments.
"With your words, I feel confident about my blind date."
Ashley Shaw gave him a surprised look, "Does a top lawyer like you need to go on blind dates?"
"Yes, my family is pressuring me, can’t help it." Shane shrugged.
"When’s the blind date?"
"In the next couple of days, they say the girl is a bit busy lately, waiting for my parents’ notice." Shane seemed a bit helpless, but there was no resistance in his eyes.
He was at the age where it was time to marry and find a suitable partner.
"You’ll definitely succeed."
"I hope your words come true."
As the two chatted, Owen managed to calm the storm in his heart and returned to his usual demeanor.
He wore a dark red robe, with a red headband tied around his forehead, looking equally handsome and elegant.
He stepped forward to commend Ashley Shaw, "You look great in this outfit. The entertainment industry is truly missing out without you."
Owen was someone who took things seriously, and even his compliments were formal and earnest.
With such seriousness, Ashley Shaw didn’t quite know how to reply, so she scratched at the loose hair by her temple and chuckled awkwardly.
"Are you not getting your hair styled?" Xavier Quincy spoke up at that moment.
Ashley Shaw, having been interrupted earlier by Shane, now had the chance to take a look at Xavier Quincy.
About Xavier Quincy’s looks, there was no need to elaborate—a simple "handsome" summed it up perfectly.
He wore a pink collared robe with a black cloak edged in gold, stunningly eye-catching.
The Empyrean Dynasty men’s attire generally wasn’t as beautiful as that of the women, but the three men in their group were each more handsome than the last.
It was the first time Ashley saw a guy wearing pink look so good, especially in ancient costume.
She was taken aback for a second, then remarked, "Leo, dressed like this, I almost didn’t recognize you. So handsome!"
Xavier Quincy curled his lips slightly, returning to his earlier question, "Are you not getting your hair styled?"
"There’s only one stylist, and Ariana’s still in there. I’ll go in after she’s done."
Xavier Quincy nodded gently, saying, "If you’re in a hurry, I can have my stylist come do it for you."
"It’s no hurry, and didn’t you say the palace event won’t start for a while? Let’s take it slow."
"Mm."
Shane suddenly had an idea and spoke up, "Ashley, you can have Owen style it for you."
While saying this, Shane discreetly exchanged a glance with Owen.
Owen and Shane had known each other since a legal dispute between them and the film sector before Owen’s divorce case, so how could Owen not understand Shane’s look?
It was a chance to perhaps sneak a hair strand.
Seeing Ashley in The Empyrean Dynasty dress earlier had confirmed to him that she... was indeed their child.
Because that person had once worn a similar dress.
Their resemblance was almost eighty percent.
But situations like this required caution.
Simply because of "resemblance" wasn’t enough.
There were just too many people who looked similar.
So after a moment’s hesitation, Owen responded, "I do know a bit about hairstyling, Ashley, if you don’t mind, I can do it for you."
Ashley felt she wasn’t well-acquainted with Owen, and hairstyling would require contact, so she instinctively declined.
"No need, I can wait a bit longer. It should be done soon inside."
Owen didn’t want to pressure Ashley Shaw and was about to say, "Alright then," but Shane simply grabbed Ashley Shaw by the sleeve and ushered her inside.
While walking, he said, "Silly! Not taking advantage of The Great Actor Sinclair is a waste. Did you know that in the period drama he filmed last year, he did all his makeup and styling himself?"
Ashley was surprised for a moment.
Owen actually had this kind of skill?
She thought Shane was just speaking offhand.
In that moment of surprise, Shane was already signaling Owen.
"Owen, come on, let me see your handiwork."
Shane, in his thirties, automatically grouped himself with Owen, an elder, and so without hesitation, he was pulling on Ashley Shaw’s sleeve.
Xavier Quincy noticed, a flash of shadow crossing his eyes momentarily.
But a man understands another man, recognizing the difference between taking advantage and acting naturally with just a glance.
Shane was the latter.
But inexplicably, Xavier still felt a little bothered inside.
So he stepped forward, joining them, "I’ll join in the fun and watch too."
Since even Xavier Quincy said so, Ashley Shaw had to nod, apologetically saying to Owen, "Then I’ll trouble you, Sinclair."
She instinctively followed Shane’s lead in addressing him.
Owen paused slightly, and said, "Don’t call me that, just call me Uncle Owen. Otherwise, people might think I’m pretending to be young, forcing you to address me this way."
Ashley Shaw chuckled softly.
"You really don’t look your age, it’s just a habit."
"Alright, alright, let’s not waste time. Hurry up, I can’t wait to see Owen’s skills." Shane urged.
And with that, the four of them entered the room together.