She breathed a sigh of relief.
Back at Paucaster Villa Complex, she took a hot shower. Her mind was filled with Jaquan’s youthful demeanor, which inadvertently reminded her of someone. Shaking her head, she thought it was foolish to think of such things.
It was still early, not yet midnight. Callie had poor vision at night, so she grabbed a pair of Nelson’s glasses from the bedroom and sneaked into the kitchen to knead dough.
Nelson had just sent a message saying he was almost home.
While Callie was halfway through her task, she heard the sound of a car outside. She quickly walked out of the kitchen just as a slightly dust-covered man in a black trench coat entered, looking tired.
The man looked up and saw Callie wearing his glasses. A smile touched his lips, and his previously indifferent eyes softened. He walked over and gently took the glasses off her. “Why are you wearing my glasses?”
“They were just there, so I used them,” Callie rubbed her eyes and asked, “How is the worker?”
“While supervising, a falling stone hit him. He had a cerebral hemorrhage but is now out of danger.”
“A cerebral hemorrhage?” Callie was shocked. How could someone be fine after such an injury?
“It didn’t get out, did it?” Such an incident could cause significant public outcry for the construction company.
Nelson instinctively rubbed her head. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”
Then he noticed the flour on her hands. “What are you making?”
“Sweet dumplings. It’s the Winter Solstice today; we should eat sweet dumplings.” She smiled sweetly.
Nelson seemed to remember and led her to the kitchen. Seeing the half-finished sweet dumplings, his smile deepened. “Shall we do it together?”
“Sure,” Callie happily agreed.
He washed his hands, rolled up his sleeves to his elbows, and started making the dough. When Callie tried to help, he stopped her. “Just watch me do it.”
Actually, Callie wanted to say that she could make sweet dumplings too.
But clearly, Nelson’s technique was good. Most were filled with sesame paste. When he was making the last one, he suddenly touched Callie’s face with his flour-covered hand. “I have a coin in my pocket; can you get it for me?”
Callie wiped the flour off her face and glared at him, realizing what he intended. “You believe in that?”
“Occasionally.”
Putting a coin inside a sweet dumpling is said to bring good luck to whoever finds it.
In the Marsh family, this was done every year. Yamilet would usually put only one coin and secretly mark it, ensuring that it ended up in either her or Joaquin’s bowl. Consequently, Joaquin always got the coin.
Over time, Callie stopped expecting it.
The round sweet dumplings were soon boiling in the pot, filling the air with a delicious aroma.
However, Nelson forgot to mark the coin, and he ended up finding it himself. His expression was a mix of amusement and bewilderment at the coincidence.
Callie suppressed her laughter. To be honest, Nelson’s sweet dumplings weren’t as fancy as those from a hotpot restaurant, but she still ate two bowls with a great appetite.
Having eaten too much, she began to fret. “I want to go for a walk to digest.”
Nelson was putting the dishes on the table and refused without looking up. “It’s too cold outside; no.”
Callie fell silent.
Noticing her mood, Nelson looked up and touched her face with his wet fingers, suddenly leaning in close. “There are other ways to digest.”
Callie instantly understood what he meant. Before she could escape, he firmly held her and kissed her deeply.
She had no choice but to accept.
Their breaths mingled as they became entwined.