Nelson was awakened by a faint, elusive fragrance. As he woke up, the soreness finally disappeared, and he found himself drenched in sweat. He rubbed his forehead and sat up, noticing a few white water lilies placed by the bedside.
There were sounds coming from the small kitchen in the room. He looked over and saw Callie standing there, seemingly making soup, without turning around.
Nelson smiled slightly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful moment.
He quietly got up and went to the bathroom to take a shower.
When he came out again, Callie was gone. Nelson thought he might have been hallucinating, just dreaming.
But the soup she made was real, sitting on the table.
Callie hadn’t left anything behind. Nelson instinctively looked towards the bay window; there were no signs of it being touched.
With one hand, he dried his hair with a towel, sat at the dining table, and served himself a bowl of soup, moving slowly as he drank.
Her cooking was good, but it had been a long time since he had tasted such a good flavor.
He seemed particularly lonely.
Nelson closed his eyes.
Suddenly, he stood up abruptly, not even putting on his coat, and ran straight out the door.
Anthony, who was guarding outside, was startled. Watching Nelson’s figure running like a young man, he shouted, “Mr. Oconnor, wear your coat! You’re not fully recovered yet!”
There was no response.
Anthony stomped his foot, went back to get Nelson’s coat, and followed him out.
Callie was standing by a street tree downstairs, seemingly waiting for a car, occasionally looking around.
The area was crowded, but she stood there like a silent lake, drawing people’s attention uncontrollably.
Nelson’s running steps halted. He watched her back from a distance; his freshly washed hair curled up at the edges from running, making him look gentle.
Callie seemed to feel his intense gaze and slowly turned around, meeting his eyes directly.
She wasn’t surprised. As Nelson walked over, she spoke, “I was betting just now. If you chased after me, I would agree to what you said.”
Nelson’s heart settled. He pursed his lips, grabbed Callie’s hand, and started walking forward.
“Then you won the bet.”
Callie lowered her eyes and followed him without struggle. She felt a bit sad, wondering why he couldn’t do this before.
She deliberately softened her voice when she spoke, “I haven’t eaten yet.”
Nelson paused slightly, looked around, and saw a night market not far ahead.
He led her there, holding her hand tightly but occasionally loosening his grip to avoid hurting her.
The night market was always crowded. As they walked through the bustling crowd, it felt like they were moving among all of humanity.
Nelson, who had always lived in high society, didn’t show any disdain at this moment.
Callie chose a barbecue stall and ordered several skewers. She handed the menu to Nelson, “I didn’t bring any money with me. You might need to pay later.”
Her eyes looked particularly innocent in the smoky air.
Nelson touched his pockets; neither his wallet nor phone was with him. When he looked up, Anthony was standing not far behind them with the car ready.
He smiled and nodded.
Callie bent down to wipe the table and chairs with napkins skillfully while saying, “I’ve been staying in the mountains for the past two months and haven’t had meat for a long time.”
Nelson realized she had something to say. She also ordered two cases of beer, which made him frown.
Callie opened a can of beer and took a sip, wrinkling her brow at the bitterness.