He was startled for a second when he noticed Summer’s stare as he sat down. However, he said nothing and just ate with his head low.
After watching him quietly for a long while, she took up her chopsticks.
She continued to observe him throughout dinner.
As if Leonardo did not notice it, he buried his face in the bowl without looking up.
It was not until he finished his dinner that he had any response.
“I’ll leave now and collect Rosie tomorrow,” he said unhurriedly as he got up.
“Sure.” Summer’s mind seemed to be elsewhere while she nodded.
He then looked at Rosie. “I’m leaving now, Rosie.”
Rosie was still struggling with the last chicken drumstick when she heard Leonardo speaking to her. She did not look at him and just acknowledged with, “Bye.”
Leonardo raised an eyebrow and left.
After he was gone, Summer sat at the dining table and fell into deep thought until Rosie came over. “Can I watch cartoons, Mommy?”
She could express herself clearly now.
It reminded her of the first time she met Rosie, who could already express herself but did not know many words.
Children required the company of adults who could talk to them. That way, they would learn to speak quickly.
“Sure.” Summer stood up and held her as she walked over to the sofa and sat down.
She turned on the TV for Rosie. “Enjoy yourself while I do the dishes. After I’m done, I’ll give you a shower and put you to sleep.”
“Okay.” Rosie’s attention had long shifted to the cartoon, and her eyes were glued to the TV.
Summer patted her on the head and went into the kitchen.
By the time she finished cleaning up the kitchen and came back out, Rosie was leaning sideways and asleep on the sofa.
Rosie usually hit the sack at that time, so she had to be tired.
Summer gingerly carried her back to her room, got her changed, cleaned her face, and let her sleep.
…
Summer woke up the next morning and made some congee as well as steamed sweet potatoes.
Given by the elderly man, the sweet potatoes were small with smooth skin, which made for an excellent choice for breakfast.
After she placed the sweet potatoes inside the steamed pot, she went downstairs to buy some steamed buns.
Since there were few ingredients at home, they would have to make do with congee and steamed buns for breakfast.
When she stepped out of the apartment building, she saw a familiar-looking vehicle in the parking lot.
Approaching the vehicle and seeing the license plate number, she was sure that it belonged to Leonardo.
The next moment, the driver side door opened and Leonardo got out of the vehicle.
It meant that he had driven his own car.
He did mention that he would collect Rosie today when he left last night. She thought that he would come at night, but he was already there so early.
Leonardo definitely saw her. He locked his car and strode toward her.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to buy some steamed buns.” Summer pointed at the neighborhood entrance point. “Why are you here so early?”
Leonardo was holding a car key and looking down. “I haven’t had my breakfast either.”
“Really?” So why the hurry?
Leonardo disregarded the astounded expression on her face and walked out of the neighborhood. “Let’s go.”
“Go where?” Summer caught up to him. She had no idea what Leonardo was doing.
Leonardo looked back with his brows slightly creased. “Didn’t you want to buy steamed buns?”
She suddenly realized that he was going to buy the steamed buns with her when he said he had not eaten breakfast.
After she took a couple of steps, she sensed that something was amiss.
Leonardo was willing to eat the one-buck steamed buns sold in a small shop?
Since yesterday, she had gotten the feeling that Leonardo was behaving strangely. It now seemed that it was not all in her imagination.
She stared at Leonardo from behind, her paces slowing down.
The shop selling steamed buns was right outside the neighborhood. There were already people making a beeline outside the shop.
Standing tall like a pillar, Leonardo stuck out among the crowd.
He stared at the menu on the wall for a while, then joined the beeline.
It was not every day that you could see Leonardo standing in a queue to buy steamed buns.
When Summer went over, it was Leonardo’s turn.
As if the shop owner had recognized Leonardo, he sounded a bit terrified. “What kind of flavor would you like, Sir?”
“Two of each,” Leonardo said matter-of-factly.
The shop owner was astounded. “How many of you are eating these?”
The bun shop had over a decade of history, they made buns with over a dozen kinds of distinct flavors.
Summer quickly came up. “Sorry, Sir, he’s just joking. May I have two dumplings, two meat buns, one cabbage bun, and one mushroom-flavored bun?”
After she ordered what she and Rosie liked, she turned to Leonardo. “What flavor do you like?”
“I’m okay with anything.”
Therefore, she decided on his behalf. “May I add two more meat buns, one cabbage bun, and one mushroom-flavored bun?”
When the shop owner packed the buns and handed them over, Summer held out her hand. Just then, Leonardo took the steamed buns from him.
She glanced at him in surprise. “I’m a little hungry,” he said faintly.
Summer doubted that.
Worried about Rosie being alone at home, Summer walked faster than usual.
She walked in front while Leonardo followed her from behind with bags of buns in his hands.
Inside the elevator, Summer looked at their reflection in the interior walls, and her mind drifted off. They really looked like a couple who had bought some buns from the market after a morning walk in the park.
Unfortunately, that was not the case for her and Leonardo right now.
When Summer reached home, Rosie was already awake. She was carrying her little tiger and standing at the kitchen doorway, looking for her mom.
During her stay with Summer in the past, Rosie had gotten used to finding her mom preparing breakfast in the kitchen after waking up in the morning.
“You’re awake, Rosie!” Summer quickly changed into a pair of casual shoes. “I went out to buy some steamed buns. Let’s clean ourselves up. Then we can have breakfast.”
“All right.” Rosie rubbed her eyes and stretched out her hands, expecting Summer to carry her.
After Summer finished cleaning Rosie up and came back out, Leonardo had taken out the steamed buns and placed them nicely according to flavor on the plates.
She said nothing and just carried Rosie to sit her in the chair.
Rosie reached out to grab the buns as she could not wait to try them. “Wow, these buns are huge!”
Summer had just helped Rosie wash her hands, so she let Rosie be.
She helped Rosie roll up her sleeves, then went into the kitchen to fetch the congee and sweet potatoes.
The sweet potatoes were tiny but sweet and glutinous. Rosie loved them.
However, Summer was worried about her getting indigestion, so she only allowed Rosie to have two small ones.
“Don’t you want to try? I brought them back from the elderly man’s place.” Summer looked at Leonardo and handed him one.
He did not decline, taking it from her hand.
Summer narrowed her eyes as she stared at him, still unsure of what was on his mind.