Maria was now in a state of confusion, her mind like a mush unable to think about how she should treat Sean next. Instead of speaking, she kept her head down, wanting some quiet time.
On the other hand, Sean felt a sudden relief upon hearing that she and Quinn were already broken up. This way, he wouldn’t be seen as a “home wrecker.” At least the burden on his moral conscience was significantly reduced.
For some reason, he even felt somewhat happy, though he couldn’t quite describe the feeling. While he had a two-year relationship with Mikaela before, she always maintained the image of an aloof school belle and was indifferent towards him. It was his youthful passion and persistence that eventually won her over.
The sense of achievement was even more exhilarating than winning ten consecutive matches. Mikaela, in his mind, was as pure and unattainable as the moon, and his romantic fantasies could only be realized in dreams. Upon waking up, all they did was hold hands and have dinner together.
It was almost unbelievable that he had such a beautiful girlfriend but never went beyond that. However, as a medical student, he understood how to make love.
He couldn’t help but feel self-condemned now, even though Maria had initiated things initially, he didn’t refuse, did he? And the loss of control later was due to his lack of experience.
“Why don’t you freshen up and come have some porridge? Have some to replenish your energy,” he said, blushing and speaking softly.
On the table lay the breakfast he had bought through the snow, emitting steam and creating white mist in the air. She couldn’t help but compare her experience with Quinn after their first time with today.
Quinn, being pampered by his family as a rich young master, never cared about her feelings, brushing off her pain as mere sensitivity. The next day they both had classes, coincidentally a physical education class, and he didn’t even bother to help her ask for a leave.
In the end, Maria, enduring her discomfort, had to seek the teacher’s permission to skip the class, which resulted in some reprimand.
Yet, Sean’s face from that day when he spoke up for her popped up in her memory.
“Teacher, you don’t know, girls have different physiques, so the severity of menstrual pain varies. Some may faint on the spot from excessive pain and have to take ibuprofen for relief.”
“If Maria continues to attend physical education classes forcefully and faints, it won’t look good if the leaders find out.”
The physical education teacher, not understanding much, thought that as medical students, they wouldn’t fabricate things and was afraid of a bad situation if Maria fainted, so he allowed her to skip the class.
Maria blushed at the time, and her friends, thinking she was truly unwell, immediately supported her towards the clinic. She still owed Sean a thank you for that.
Back to the present, she was met with his caring and apologetic gaze, the bowl of porridge within reach. Her nose tingled, and she slowly made her way to the chair.
“Really? Then I’ll have a taste.”
“Great, I heard the chicken porridge from this shop is the best. I’ll scoop half for you first, and you can start with the egg,” he said without waiting for her response, gently stirring the porridge and blowing on it attentively.
From this angle, the snow outside reflected off his profile. With moderate eyebrows, fair skin, bright charming eyes, a high nose bridge, and unnaturally rosy lips, he looked as clean as the clouds in the sky. Despite experiencing some hardships after his family’s downfall, Sean had developed a certain maturity that was incredibly attractive.
Maria had always known that Sean was good-looking and admired by many in school, second only to Quinn, mainly due to his lack of wealth.
If she could turn back time, Maria wondered if she would make a different choice.
“How is it? Tasty?” Sean asked with a happy smile, likely delighted that she appreciated his efforts.
“It’s delicious,” she nodded, unable to bring herself to say anything cruel while looking at his bright charming eyes.
Encouraged by her response, Sean smiled. “Have a few more bites. Finish the porridge first.”
About to reach for it, to her surprise, Sean wanted to feed her himself, scooping a bit of porridge with a white porcelain spoon and offering it to her. He watched her expectantly.
Her mind went blank, and mechanically, she opened her mouth and took a bite. The porridge was soft, with the aroma of chicken and rice subtly blending, melting in her mouth without any fishy taste.
“I-I’ll do it myself.”
Unaccustomed to such intimacy with others, she would politely decline even if her ex-boyfriend Quinn fed her. However, Sean was insistent on feeding her himself.
“No need, let me feed you since the porridge is still hot.”
“But…”
“I’m sorry about last night, making you suffer. Let me make it up to you with this small gesture.”
He finished speaking, unable to meet her gaze.
Feeling a chill all over her body, Maria was suffocating as if trapped in a snowy field, each snowflake pressing against her chest.
Would his tenderness and kindness only come because they had been intimate the night before? If it had been another girl in her place, perhaps her sister, would she have also experienced his considerate care?
Unsettled, she slowed down her eating pace and swallowed the food in her mouth with difficulty. She needed to clarify things with Sean, so she refused his feeding and said seriously, “You should know that I’m not inexperienced.”
Sean paused. Of course, he knew. Quinn was a boastful person and had spread the news after they agreed to date. Quinn even joked that he could win Maria over within a week then.
At that time, Sean didn’t care if Quinn actually “won” over Maria.