The shrimp that slipped into the skirt didn’t fall with a snap. It got caught somewhere, and Areli let out a cry.
Darnell hurriedly reached in, felt around, and finally pressed the shrimp caught by the underwear against Areli’s thigh.
Areli’s body trembled slightly.
“Miss Fanshaw, where did you buy these shrimp?”
Darnell broke into a cold sweat. “These are incredibly lively, not just regular shrimp-they’re downright unruly…”
Before he could finish, Areli shyly squeezed out a sentence, “Take your hand away.”
The position was ambiguous, and Areli’s face flushed.
Darnell had one hand on the shrimp and her fair chest, while the other pressed against her thigh, making it seem like he was taking advantage of her.
Though she knew Darnell was helping to catch the shrimp, Areli blushed, an unusual sensation coursing through her body as she whispered softly, “Pervert, take your hand away.”
“Sorry.”
In his flustered state, Darnell realized he wasn’t just grabbing the shrimp but also Areli’s bosom.
He quickly withdrew the shrimp from her chest and pulled his left hand out of the skirt, then returned the shrimp to the water basin, covering it with a protective net.
“Miss Fanshaw, I’m sorry.”
Darnell apologized repeatedly to Areli while desperately trying to recall the sensation from earlier, but it was too rushed to remember anything.
Areli caught his expression and immediately knew what he was thinking. She yelled angrily, “Don’t think about it! Don’t reminisce! Get out!”
“Miss Fanshaw, how about I cook instead?”
Darnell glanced at the messy kitchen with a headache. “Shrimp is best boiled. If you cook now and it gets cold, it won’t taste good…”
“Get out!”
Areli picked up a kitchen knife and shouted again, “I’ll handle it. Just leave.”
Darnell quickly left the kitchen but hadn’t taken more than a few steps when he heard another cry. He hurried back into the kitchen.
Areli stood in front of the cutting board, her face pale. Darnell’s heart tightened. “Miss Fanshaw, what happened again?”
“I…”
Areli snapped back to reality, looking embarrassed at Darnell before frowning slightly. “I accidentally cut my finger.”
Darnell rushed forward. “Let me see.”
He moved closer and indeed saw a cut on her slender fair middle finger with blood oozing out.
Darnell quickly grabbed Areli’s hand and rinsed it under running water before asking, “Where’s the first aid kit?”
Areli thought for a moment. “It seems to be in some corner. You’ll have to search for it.”
Darnell felt defeated. Even expressing his frustration seemed like wasting energy. Without another word, he grabbed her delicate hand and put her injured finger in his mouth.
Without a medical kit available, he chose the simplest method-using saliva’s lysozyme to clean the wound.
Saliva was rich in nerve growth factors that promoted rapid cell division and growth at injury sites, aiding in tissue repair alongside proliferating capillaries to form red granulation tissue.
Additionally, the continuous generation of collagen fibers promotes blood clotting and aids in the healing of the wound.
Areli knew this fact well enough but still widened her eyes when she saw Darnell doing so-her mouth opened wide in surprise without uttering a sound.
She stared blankly at Darnell holding her finger in his mouth. Her body felt electrified as confusion clouded her thoughts while ripples stirred within her heart.
The pain from the wound gradually subsided as coolness spread along with herbal scents. Areli looked at Darnell in amazement. She hadn’t expected such magic.
“It’s done!”
After about a minute or so until Darnell carefully removed Areli’s finger from his mouth, the wound no longer bled profusely.
He applied some saline solution for disinfection and then explained calmly to the astonished woman, “I didn’t mean any disrespect. I simply couldn’t find any first aid kit at the moment, so I had to choose the simplest method. Otherwise, it could get serious if it gets infected.”
“Don’t worry. My mouth is very clean, and it has the scent of herbs. It won’t make your wound worse,” he assured her.
“See? The wound has stopped bleeding.”
Areli’s lips twitched slightly, but she didn’t respond directly to Darnell. She glanced at her now bloodless finger, then at Darnell, whose expression was markedly different from his usual carefree demeanor. She felt that something about Darnell’s actions seemed off, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
“You go change clothes. I’ll find the first aid kit,” he said.
Darnell pulled Areli out, insisting, “Don’t cook anymore.”
Areli, unusually compliant, nodded and went straight to the bathroom to shower, while Darnell rummaged through the cabinets to find the first aid kit hidden under the sofa.
Areli soon emerged from the bathroom, the warmth of the heating making her comfortable. She wore a pair of shorts that revealed her fair thighs and a white shirt that accentuated her tall figure and prominent chest, making her look quite alluring.
Darnell stared at her, feeling frustrated as he exclaimed, “Miss Fanshaw, could you please not dress like that? It really stirs up some troubling impulses!”
Areli shot him a glare. “If you have no ulterior motives, whether I wear more or less won’t affect you.”
“Do you think I’m a saint?”
Darnell walked over with a band-aid, applying it to her delicate finger. “I’m a strong man. It’s normal to have desires.”
Areli looked at the band-aid on her finger, her gaze softening. “Since my hand is injured and I can’t cook, let’s go out to eat.”
“You brought the shrimp. Are we really going out? What a waste!”
Darnell rolled up his sleeves. “What do you want to eat? I’ll cook.”
This time, Areli was astonished. “You can cook?”
“Of course!”
Darnell tied on an apron, looking quite proud. “What you don’t know is that I used to be a renowned chef. Back when I participated in the war, I drove a big truck right behind them.”
“I specifically made fast food to sell to them or local militias. Twenty bucks a serving, and they ate in satisfaction.”
“To enjoy a bite of my cooking, they even offered to shut off their engines for half an hour.”
Areli poked Darnell’s forehead with her finger. “You’re just boasting!”
Clearly, she didn’t believe him at all.
“It’s normal not to believe me now. After you eat the food I cook, you’ll know I’m not lying.”
Darnell looked closely at her pretty face. “So, what do you want to eat?”
Areli bit her lip, playfully saying, “Hmm, I want some local cuisine. Can you make that?”
Darnell slapped his chest confidently. “Sure!”
With that, he turned and headed into the kitchen.
Areli felt an inexplicable joy as she watched his retreating figure. She increasingly found redeeming qualities in this guy.
She wondered whether his cooking would be as disastrous as her own.
In less than an hour, Darnell called Areli to the table.
There were five dishes.
Each dish was fragrant and presented meticulously, an absolute feast for the eyes and palate. Areli couldn’t help but nibble on her fork.
She was captivated by the aroma of the food.
With a hint of excitement, she shouted to Darnell, who was still busy in the kitchen, “Darnell, you’re amazing! Where did you learn to cook like this?”
Without turning around, Darnell casually replied, “It’s a natural talent.”
“You’re just bragging… But anyway, come over on weekends and cook for me.”
Areli waved her knife, giving Darnell an order. “I’ll allow you to be a day late.”
As Darnell ignored her, Areli took her fork and, like a little girl, twirled it around the plate before happily grabbing a piece of braised pork.
She popped it into her mouth, and rather than being greasy, it had a delicate flavor and a satisfying chew, making her mouth water.
“This is so delicious!”
“And the short rib is even better than what I had at a five-star hotel.”
“This shrimp is also nice and sweet…”
Thinking of the shrimp incident made her pretty face flush again with annoyance and a hint of shyness. Then she shouted to Darnell, “Darnell, enough! Don’t cook anymore. We have plenty to eat. Hurry up and come over!”
The table full of food melted Areli’s heart. Looking at the home-cooked dishes she hadn’t had in a long time, a warm current flowed through her, reminiscent of her days in the orphanage.
She still remembered the warmth of the headmistress feeding her braised pork when she was malnourished.
Unfortunately, time had changed everything. The orphanage had been torn down, the headmistress had passed away, and she hadn’t had home-cooked food in ages.
Now, faced with the long-lost flavors, Areli felt a lump in her throat, looking toward the kitchen with an unprecedented softness in her gaze. “Darnell, come eat with me.”
“I’m coming! I’m coming!”
Darnell had also prepared a soup. He brought it to the table just in time.
Areli felt a bit embarrassed. “Darnell, I couldn’t help but start eating before you, so you should hurry up and eat too.”
She even took a bowl and scooped some soup for Darnell, then swapped her chipped spoon for herself.
Seeing the woman no longer cold and the warm soup in front of him, Darnell felt a warmth in his heart. He quite liked this feeling.
He smiled gently. “Food is meant to be eaten. If you’re hungry, go ahead and eat.”
“Don’t move!”
Areli suddenly exclaimed, grabbing a napkin and leaning in to wipe Darnell’s cheek, which had a drop of water on it.
Her pretty face came close, and her breath was soft and warm. Areli was gentle and sincere, causing Darnell’s hand holding the spoon to tremble slightly…
A similar scene seemed to resurface from the depths of memory.
“Darnell, your cooking skills are amazing. You have to cook for me often from now on.”
“Sure!”
“For a lifetime?”
“Sure…”