Ava Sterling changed her shoes while speaking, her voice resonating throughout the living room.
The housekeeper, Mrs. Wei, was bringing lunch out from the kitchen when she heard Ava’s cheerful voice and imdiately smiled, "Madam and sir are back?"
"Quickly wash up and eat, I’ve prepared lunch. I’ll bring it out shortly."
Mrs. Wei set the dishes down, ca to take a look, and saw Ava and Poe Vaughn, both standing one in front of the other at the entrance, presenting a pleasant sight.
An hour ago, Mr. Vaughn had called her, saying not to deliver lunch to madam today, since he would be bringing her back for lunch. She tid their return perfectly and finished preparing just as they arrived.
"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Mrs. Wei."
Ava’s face instantly broke into a smile upon hearing Mrs. Wei’s response.
"Haha, it’s no trouble at all."
Ava headed to the restroom, while Mrs. Wei returned to the kitchen to continue setting out the remaining dishes.
Poe followed Ava, entering the restroom with her, but Ava completely ignored him, washed her hands, and quickly went to the kitchen: "Mrs. Wei, let help you."
Ava entered the kitchen and started helping with the dishes and utensils. Mrs. Wei smiled warmly, "Madam, no need, I’m almost done."
"It’s fine, the sooner we finish, the sooner we can eat. I have class later, so we can’t waste ti."
With that thought, Ava imdiately rembered sothing and called out, "Poe Vaughn, what ti did you schedule your class with the teacher?"
"My usual ti is twelve o’clock. What ti did you schedule it for today?"
Ava had already given up on the idea that the teacher would arrive on ti today. After all, she was delayed a bit at the office and then again on the road. It was almost twelve o’clock, and she hadn’t eaten lunch yet.
Poe, having been abandoned by Ava in the restroom, didn’t say anything. After finishing washing his hands and drying them, he walked out.
He looked at the person setting up lunch with Mrs. Wei at the dining table, then walked over, "Twelve thirty."
Upon hearing his response, Ava imdiately looked at him, "Twelve thirty? What ti is it now?"
Saying this, Ava hurriedly put down the plate she was holding to check her phone.
But, as she turned around, Poe raised his hand to check his wristwatch, and with a low voice, he said into her ear, "Eleven forty-five."
Ava imdiately stopped, blinking.
Eleven forty-five, there’s still ti.
Forty-five minutes to dine is more than enough.
"Madam, sit down for lunch, everything is ready."
Mrs. Wei brought out the last simred soup to the table, completing the setup.
Ava imdiately turned around, "Alright!"
She quickly pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at the dishes on the table, while Poe sat across from her, always calm and unrushed, unlike Ava’s urgency and haste.
The dishes were very fresh, with a balance of at and vegetables, stead, stir-fried, braised, and simred soup—each one was richly nutritious.
Ava’s eyes lit up instantly, and she imdiately said, "Mrs. Wei, today’s lunch is very sumptuous, I really like it."
Mrs. Wei returned to the kitchen to tidy up the pots, bowls, and pans.
Upon hearing Ava’s words, she smiled and replied, "Then, madam, please eat more. It’s a long afternoon; don’t let yourself get hungry."
"Okay!"
After saying this, Ava didn’t hold back, picking up her chopsticks to grab a piece of sweet and sour ribs, savoring its taste with great satisfaction.
Poe sat opposite, watching Ava’s expression as she bit into the sweet and sour ribs, her brows narrowed in delight, as if the food was exceptionally delicious.
He raised his hand to pick up a rib and took a bite.
The sweet and sour flavor was very crisp, with the aroma of the ribs mixing with the sweet and sour fragrance, infusing his senses, a uniquely different taste.
Poe thought of the candy they had in the car, which was only sweet with no sourness.
And that sweetness was just like the sweetness of the ribs now, the sa flavor.
As he chewed on this small piece of at, he watched as Ava, filled with delight, stuffed an entire rib into her mouth, her cheeks puffed like a small hamster’s.
And sohow, just by moving her face, she quickly spat the bones out, and she chewed the at in her mouth with great satisfaction and contentnt.
"These ribs are so delicious, I just love this kind of sweet and sour ribs—crispy after being fried, with all the sauce poured over them. It’s really so fragrant."
Ava seed to be talking to herself, or perhaps talking to Poe. After speaking, she turned her head to the kitchen and said, "Mrs. Wei, today’s sweet and sour ribs are well made, I really like them."
One sentence after another, Mrs. Wei couldn’t help but smile.
Their madam is like this, she speaks up when she likes sothing, just as much as when she doesn’t, truly adorable.
"I’m glad madam likes it. I’ll make them like this next ti too."
"That’s fine, however, don’t make them too often, just every few days to keep it fresh."
Even the best things shouldn’t be eaten every day; you’ll get tired of them eventually.
She doesn’t want to get tired of delicious food.
"Haha, alright, madam."
Mrs. Wei replied with laughter, her hands continuously working.
As Ava finished speaking, hearing the kitchen sounds, she frowned, "Mrs. Wei, you should stop tidying, co and eat with us."
Mrs. Wei always cleaned up while they dined, which was quite tiring.
"Don’t worry, madam, you and sir start eating, I’ll eat after I finish cleaning up."
With that, Mrs. Wei seed to rember sothing and added, "Madam, once you finish eating, I’ll heat your dicine."
"By the ti you’re done eating, the dicine should be at the right temperature."
Ava: "..."
Ava simply didn’t respond.
The dicine had been prescribed for three days, today being the third.
However, by today, she really didn’t want to take any more of it.
She slept well last night, as she did the night before, feeling better and believing she no longer needed the dicine.
With this in mind, Ava said, "No need to heat it, I’m already fine, won’t take it."
Last night and this morning she swallowed the dicine with reluctance, and now she had no desire for it at all.
Especially thinking about the dicine, Ava suddenly lost her appetite.
The sweet and sour ribs she had found so delicious only a mont ago also lost their flavor.
Poe had remained silent, listening to Ava’s incessant, bird-like chatter without interruption.
He let her converse with Mrs. Wei, let the surrounding quiet be filled with her presence, letting everything be infused with warmth.
But upon hearing Ava’s direct refusal, he spoke: "If the dicine is prescribed, you need to take it."
Suddenly, the person who had been quiet spoke, and Ava imdiately looked up, lips slightly parted, staring in surprise at the person sitting across, focused intently on her.
It was only then that Ava rembered there was soone else at ho.
And this person was not easy to deal with.
Last night and this morning, she hadn’t wanted to take her dicine, but Poe would watch her, with his gaze conveying the consequences of not taking it.
Now, that penetrating gaze, filled with deep, wordless pressure, washed over her, and Ava instantly closed her lips, lowered her head, and focused on eating.
She stopped protesting.
With him around, she had no room to resist.
However, Ava began to plot in her mind that if she ever felt unwell and needed dicine, she would go to the hospital herself for herbal redies and have Lauren Howell prepare it for her at the office.
Once she felt better, she’d stop taking it.
After all, Lauren wouldn’t dare say anything.
With this in mind, Ava continued eating and occasionally looked at Poe, thinking of strategies to oppose him without direct confrontation.
Poe, eating gracefully, watched as the person across from him suddenly beca sulky, stuffing food into her mouth and chewing with dissatisfaction, then looking up at him with a face that was displeased, yet eyes plotting how to evade his control.
It seed she thought of a plan, as the frown of full displeasure relaxed, she began to eat with relish and satisfaction.
Poe watched Ava’s rapid change of expressions but didn’t speak further; he was well aware of her thoughts.
And with him around, so things simply couldn’t go her way.
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