Jenny finished tidying up the kitchen and was about to go back to her room to rest when she heard some noise outside the door. Thinking it was Edward, she opened the door and saw a stranger. She looked at him curiously.
Adam spoke first, politely saying, “Hello, I’m here to find my girlfriend. We had a fight, and she came here and refused to go home. I’m sorry for any trouble she’s caused.”
Jenny observed him. He looked decent and was polite. However, she thought it best to inform Nanci to avoid any unpleasant situations. She replied, “Please wait a moment. I’ll go ask Ms. Ross.”
Adam sensed the distrust and quickly stopped Jenny. He took out his business card from his coat and handed it to her, saying, “I’m afraid my girlfriend will be angry if she finds out later. I assure you I’m not a bad person. If anything happens, you can find me here.”
Jenny saw his name and noted that he was the vice principal of the University of Alderley. Surprised, she quickly said, “I’m sorry, I just worry about Ms. Ross’s safety…”
“No problem. I understand your concern. May I go up now?”
“Sure, Mr. Buckland. They’re upstairs.”
“Knock knock knock-”
Amelia called out, “Who is it?”
There was no response from outside, only another knock on the door. Nanci had an idea who it might be and said to Amelia, “It could be takeout I ordered. Could you get the door?”
“No way! You get it yourself. What’s in it for me?”
“I’ll share some food with you.”
Amelia happily agreed, “Deal!”
She hopped over to open the door but was stunned when she saw who it was and tried to shut the door quickly. Adam blocked it with his foot and said in a hoarse voice, “Stop messing around and come home with me.”
Amelia couldn’t push him away and angrily sat behind Nanci, glaring at the man at the door. She loudly questioned him, “Did you follow me? How did you know I was here?”
Nanci frantically signaled Adam not to reveal anything. Fortunately, Adam wasn’t one to betray friends and said, “How could I not know? Your little tricks are all too clear to me.”
“Oh, since you know I’m here, you can go back then! I don’t want to go home with you! I’m just a troublesome woman. Why do you want me back? To keep causing trouble for you? Wouldn’t it be better for you if I stayed away? Shouldn’t you thank me?”
Adam looked at her indulgently and gently said, “I shouldn’t have kept things from you. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. Please come home with me, okay? It’s not right for us to argue in someone else’s house.”
Amelia hesitated, knowing it wasn’t good to keep bothering Nanci. But she didn’t want to lose face by going back while still angry. She looked at Nanci with a pitiful expression and asked, “Nanci, am I bothering you by staying here?”
Nanci glanced at both of them and awkwardly smiled before responding, “You’re so cute. Of course, you’re not bothering me.”
Amelia smugly looked at Adam and said, “See? Nanci doesn’t mind me being here. Why do you care where I am? You should go back before it gets dark. Be careful. You might encounter ghosts!”
Adam teased back, “Ghosts only bother disobedient people. Just wait until Edward comes back and sees you ‘stealing’ his girlfriend. You’ll see how he deals with you. If you’re not scared, then I’ll just leave alone.”
The thought of Edward dealing with her scared Amelia. She looked at Adam anxiously and called out, “Wait! I’ll reluctantly give you a chance if there’s an apology gift in your car. If not, I’ll stay here.”
Nanci thought Adam had simply come to take Amelia back without any gifts, but then she heard him say, “Of course, there is something for my little princess. Come see what I’ve prepared in the car. If it’s not good enough, you can stay mad at me.” He extended his hand invitingly.
Amelia turned to Nanci and said, “Nanci, I won’t bother you anymore then. Have a pleasant evening! I’m going back now. Bye.” She placed her hand in Adam’s, and they left together.
Watching their interaction made Nanci feel a twinge of envy. She had always thought Adam was clumsy but never expected him to have such a romantic side. Thinking of Edward made her subconsciously touch her lips before shaking her head and telling herself, “He always shows up when something happens to me. We shouldn’t compare ourselves with others!”
Finding herself alone in the empty room again felt boring. Nanci started playing a game on her phone but got stuck on a level after playing for a while. Frustrated, she threw her phone on the bed just as she heard a man’s voice at the door. “What’s making you so angry? Tell me.”
Nanci looked up in surprise upon hearing his voice and saw him smiling at her from the doorway. Afraid he might judge her for losing at the game, she quickly tried to grab her phone back, but Edward was quicker.
Edward slid his fingers across the screen a few times before the game announced success. Embarrassed but trying to praise him anyway, Nanci said awkwardly, “Haha! You’re really good at this! I’ve just been out of practice for too long.”
“Yeah? So now are you hungry?”
Hearing him mention food made her stomach growl loudly in protest.
Edward couldn’t help but laugh while Nanci awkwardly insisted, “I’m not hungry! Stomachs make noises even when they’re not hungry!”
“But I’m hungry. Will you join me for dinner?”
Seeing him offer an excuse gave Nanci an out. She happily asked, “What are we eating?”
“Jenny made ravioli. I could smell them as soon as I walked in! What do you think they’ll taste like?”
Nanci replied eagerly, “It’s been so long since I’ve had ravioli! When can we make some ourselves? I’m very good at making ravioli!”
“I’ll look forward to enjoying them. But you’re not allowed to enter the kitchen alone.”
Nanci frowned and said, “But then I won’t get to enjoy making them myself! The satisfaction comes from doing it myself…”
Seeing her disappointed expression made Edward quickly add, “You can go in when I’m with you. Otherwise, you might hurt yourself again, silly girl!”
“You’re the silly one! A big silly! Last time was just an accident! And besides, little cuts in the kitchen are normal. They’re not that serious.”
“I can’t stand to see my girl hurt. You tell me, is it serious or not?”
“Hmph! That just means your heart is too fragile!”
Nanci was ready to keep bantering, but Edward leaned in closer, causing her to cover her mouth and give him a warning look. He picked up his sleepwear from the bed and said, “What’s going on in that head of yours? I just need the sleepwear that you’re sitting on. Are you…”
Realizing she was being teased again, she rolled her eyes at him. “So childish! I’m going to eat ravioli now. Depending on my mood, I might save a few for you. You’d better hurry and wash up, or there might be nothing left. Don’t blame me then. It’ll be your fault for being slow!”
“Okay, then I won’t wash up. I can just eat and wash later.”
Nanci was momentarily speechless at his childish behavior and turned to head downstairs, Edward following closely behind.
“Are you really not going to wash up? I was just joking. I’ll save some for you while you’re taking a shower!” she said.
“But right now, I feel like enjoying a meal with you,” he responded.
“You’re just looking for excuses to eat ravioli! Fine, let’s go eat together,” Nanci said.
When they reached the dining room, Jenny had already set the food on the table. Nanci exclaimed, “Jenny, it smells so good!”
“If you like it, go ahead and eat more. I cooked a lot,” Jenny replied.
Nanci grabbed the bowl, eager to eat, but Edward snatched it away from her. Confused, she exclaimed, “What are you doing?”
“I’ll serve you. Don’t burn yourself,” Edward said with a grin.
Nanci propped her head on her hands, looking at him curiously. “Edward, how do you know so many details? Have you really never been in a relationship before? Are you just trying to convince me it’s your first time when you’ve actually dated dozens of girls? How else would you know all this?”
Looking at her adorable expression, he swallowed hard and replied, “The way you’re looking at me right now seems like you’re trying to seduce me. Are you hoping I’d do something to you right here in the living room?”
Nanci quickly scooted away a bit and said, “Don’t change the subject! Answer me! Have you really dated a bunch of girls and are just using every trick you learned on me?”
Edward spoke with a hint of jealousy, “You really are my first woman, and you’re already questioning me before I even asked about your ex-boyfriend.”
Hearing him mention her ex, Nanci quickly retorted, “That ex of mine was just a huge mistake! Don’t you dare say I have any relationship with him. I’d rather be associated with a dog than have anything to do with him!”
Edward smiled in satisfaction at her words and then asked, “And what about me?”
Nanci paused for a moment and then hurriedly showered him with compliments until Edward couldn’t take it anymore and interrupted, “Can you be a little more genuine? Is this how you usually compliment people?”
Nanci playfully wrapped her arms around his, saying, “You’re the best! The best man in the world! You are so exceptional that no one can compare to you. Now let’s eat the ravioli before it gets cold, okay?”
At her last comment, Edward’s smile faded, and they quietly enjoyed their food, spending a peaceful dinner time together.