Chapter 44
Leslie’s company was located in the heart of the city. A casual meal there would easily cost around 30 to 40 dollars. Dining out regularly would cost a significant amount of money in a month. To avoid wastage, Aurelia transferred the remaining dishes into the blue lunch box.
She evenly distributed the food between the two lunch boxes. Even taking into consideration that Leslie was a man and might need a little bit more to eat.
Since he didn’t seem to favor oily dishes, Aurelia opted to keep a larger portion of the beef stew for herself–given her fondness for it. The distribution was more on accommodating his food preferences than her being stingy.
“Why does he have to be so picky about food?” she mused.
As Aurelia was arranging the beef slices, she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. She swiftly covered the lunch box and placed it in the bag.
After preparing everything, she walked out of the kitchen with two bowls of corn soup.
“Good morning, Mr. Synder.”
“Morning,” Leslie replied as he took his seat.
Though his expression remained composed, his face was undeniably pleasant to behold. Aurelia couldn’t resist stealing a glance at him. Yet, fearing a repeat of last night’s scalding situation, she promptly averted her gaze and offered a bowl of corn soup to Leslie.
“Let’s eat. The pan–fried ravioli isn’t too heavy, it’s not very oily.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Leaving aside everything else, Leslie’s politeness made Aurelia feel at ease. It felt her efforts were acknowledged.
Leslie leisurely tasted a spoonful of the corn soup. It was rich in flavor and thick in consistency, which was soothing to his stomach.
as though
He then tried a piece of fried ravioli. The outer layer was crispy, and the meat filling inside was juicy. They were notably superior to the crumbly ravioli Linda used to prepare.
Despite being a simple breakfast, especially for someone accustomed to coffee and bread, Leslie had to concede that Aurelia’s culinary skills were beyond reproach.
He couldn’t help but look at Aurelia. She maintained her old–fashioned attire, and her face naturally flushed without any makeup. The freckles on her nose added a playful charm to her
appearance.
“Are you feeling hot?”
“Huh?” Aurelia felt a twinge of guilt and quickly clarified, “The heat is from cooking in the kitchen.”
“Umm.” Leslie glanced toward the kitchen. Since he never used the stove, he had no idea how hot it could get while cooking.
Under his watchful gaze, Aurelia put down her spoon and declared, “I’m done eating. I’m off
Chapter 44
to work.”
Leslie nodded faintly. “Okay, just leave it. I’ll wash it later.”
“Alright.”
Aurelia rose and headed into the kitchen, carrying two packed lunch boxes along with her.
“Meals around your workplace must be pretty expensive, right? I’ve made lunch for you. If
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you… Don’t like them, you can just get something else to eat.” With that, she left the blue bag
and turned to leave.
Before slipping on her high heels, Aurelia meticulously wiped the shoe surface with a cloth. She seemed to cherish the pair of heels very much.
Leslie was about to thank her when he observed her intense care for those old heels. He then abruptly recalled what her colleague had said. These heels were a gift from her ex–boyfriend, and she had been wearing them for three years.
Among the ladies Leslie knew, none had worn a pair of shoes for that long. Especially shoes that were showing signs of wear and tear. It spoke volumes about Aurelia’s love for Seth. Leslie wondered, “If she loved him so much, why marry me? Was it for money?”
After changing her heels, Aurelia politely said, “Goodbye, Mr. Synder.
Leslie’s expression darkened. He nodded but said nothing.
This abrupt change left Aurelia in puzzlement. “Weren’t things fine earlier? Well, perhaps it’s his personality–cold, distant, and odd.”
She didn’t inquire further and hurried out for fear that she might have missed the subway.
Leslie heard the door close and lost his appetite with his thoughts earlier. He then rolled his sleeves up and carried the dishes into the kitchen.
The moment he stepped inside, he was engulfed in intense heat. Despite the opened window, the stifling atmosphere lingered.
With his brow furrowed, he put the dishes into the sink and started washing them. As he prepared to wipe the counter, he noticed that Aurelia had already tidied up. She only left the dishes for him to wash.
Listening to the running water, he found himself unable to fathom Aurelia’s thoughts.
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