Chapter 87: Chapter 86
Simon Lockwood ate another one, then said with a deadpan expression, "Still not cooked."
Joanna Kennedy: "..."
Joanna Kennedy was furious now. She refused to believe it.
She didn’t need Simon Lockwood to feed her anymore. She snatched the spoon and ate several in a row. Each one was soft and fluffy. With a gentle bite, the perfectly cooked tangyuan filled her mouth with a dense, sweet flavor.
Seeing only a few tangyuan left in the bowl, Simon Lockwood was finally satisfied. He elegantly ate them one by one, not once mentioning they were undercooked again.
Her stomach was warm and her mouth was full of sweetness. It was only then that Joanna Kennedy belatedly realized what had happened.
But Simon Lockwood’s expression was so calm and natural that she felt she might be overthinking things.
The bowl of tangyuan was completely empty. Simon Lockwood went back to his documents, and Joanna Kennedy sat on the sofa to the side, reading a new script her agent had sent over.
She fell asleep as she read. A few strands of hair fell across her fair face, and the man’s gaze fixed on her intently.
After a long moment, Simon Lockwood raised a hand and tucked the strands of hair behind her ear. He held the position, his fingertips rubbing gently against the nape of her neck as his eyes grew darker.
The sleeping girl seemed to feel a tickle. She shrank back, her eyelashes fluttering a few times before she slowly opened her eyes.
Simon Lockwood stopped, showing no embarrassment at being caught. He casually withdrew his hand and said nonchalantly, "Go sleep in a bed."
Joanna Kennedy rubbed her eyes. "Oh."
She walked familiarly toward the guest room she had slept in last time, but when she opened the door, she saw it was piled with several large boxes.
"..."
’When did these boxes get here?’
They were packed in so tightly, there was no room for anyone to sleep.
Joanna Kennedy turned to look at Simon Lockwood helplessly.
"The housekeeper was probably tidying up and forgot to move them." Despite his aloof, almost unattainable expression, Simon Lockwood’s words were anything but. "You can sleep in the master bedroom."
Joanna Kennedy’s eyes widened. "Then what about you?"
"The other rooms haven’t been cleaned."
Of course, he would also be sleeping in the master bedroom.
Joanna Kennedy: "..." She was speechless.
Simon Lockwood seemed completely unaware of how inappropriate his words sounded. Seeing Joanna Kennedy frozen in place, he even frowned and asked in all seriousness, "What’s wrong?"
’What do you mean, "what’s wrong"?! We’re two adults, a man and a woman, alone together. Anything could happen!’
Joanna Kennedy wasn’t against something happening with Simon Lockwood. After all, she had been more than willing when she was eighteen.
But! This was so sudden! She was completely unprepared, and besides, Simon Lockwood was still sick!
"Are you afraid of me?" Simon Lockwood seemed to see right through her. His face tensed instantly, as if he were deeply hurt. He turned his head and let out a few weak coughs.
Joanna Kennedy’s heart tightened. She immediately denied it. "I’m not."
But Simon Lockwood didn’t seem to believe her. With his eyes downcast, he pushed open the master bedroom door and went inside.
Joanna Kennedy hesitated outside for a moment. The image of Simon Lockwood’s lonely expression flashed through her mind. In the end, her soft-heartedness won out. Gritting her teeth, she walked in.
Simon Lockwood had his back to her. She slowly lay down beside him and mumbled, "Good night."
Good night.
Simon Lockwood replied in silence.
In the darkness, Joanna Kennedy lay with her eyes open. The pleasant scent of soap and a hint of fresh wood lingered in the air. A comforting warmth radiated from the person beside her.
It felt like being held in a gentle embrace, yet Simon Lockwood made no move to cross any lines.
Her heartbeat became erratic. Joanna Kennedy heard the faint, even breaths of the person next to her.
Simon Lockwood was asleep. Right next to her, he had fallen asleep...
A complicated feeling suddenly welled up inside Joanna Kennedy.
’Am I really that unappealing?!’
’Whatever. I should just get some sleep.’ Joanna Kennedy yawned, closing her eyes to sleep. Suddenly, a warm, strong arm wrapped around her waist. Her back was pressed flush against a broad, solid chest, and she felt warm breath on the nape of her neck.
It was a completely possessive hold. Joanna Kennedy felt herself being enveloped by the man’s searing presence. Her face instantly grew hot, a blush spreading from her neck to her cheeks.
Simon Lockwood’s lips brushed faintly against her neck. Joanna Kennedy had never felt so hot. The blood rushed to her head, making her feel dizzy.
She wanted to create some distance, but the moment she moved, the arm around her waist tightened.
"Simon?" she called out tentatively. There was no movement from behind her, only steady breathing.
Joanna Kennedy couldn’t move. She could only remain in this position, completely held by the man. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.
’Simon Lockwood is the type of person who blushes just from hearing sweet nothings. How could he possibly be pretending to be asleep to take advantage of me?’
’Don’t overthink it, don’t overthink it.’ Joanna Kennedy kept trying to convince herself.
The position was far too intimate and suggestive. Joanna Kennedy thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep, but smelling that warm, pleasant, and familiar scent, she soon closed her eyes and drifted off.
After a long time, the man in the dim room slowly opened his eyes. They were perfectly clear.
High fevers can easily relapse, so Joanna Kennedy stayed at the villa to take care of Simon Lockwood for two days. Coincidentally, the housekeeper had also taken two days off.
Looking at the man in the living room, seriously handling work emails, Joanna Kennedy couldn’t help but ask, "Can we order takeout tonight?"
Even she couldn’t stomach the food she cooked. She had no idea how Simon Lockwood managed to finish it all. ’Isn’t this just another form of torture for a patient?!’
The "diligently" working man finally deigned to lift his eyes. "I don’t like takeout."
’As if he wasn’t the one eating cheap boxed meals back in the day.’
Joanna Kennedy wanted to argue further, but Simon Lockwood said, "I’ll cook."
The patient himself was going to cook. Joanna Kennedy felt a little guilty. "Uh, maybe I should cook after all..."
Though she said that, her delicate brows furrowed involuntarily. Simon Lockwood averted his gaze and said slowly, "No need."
「Nightfall.」
In the clean, spacious kitchen, the tall man wore a black apron, skillfully slicing potatoes into slivers. His sleeves were slightly rolled up, revealing long, smooth lines on his arms.
Joanna Kennedy leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching his back. For a moment, she saw the back of the young man in the old, narrow kitchen from all those years ago.
Back then, Simon Lockwood had been just like this, cooking while occasionally responding to her chatter.
Sometimes, the sound of the stir-frying was too loud for him to hear her, so Joanna Kennedy would hug him from behind, standing comically on her tiptoes to babble endlessly next to his ear...
The meal was ready quickly. There were plenty of ingredients in the fridge, so he had made a few extra dishes: steamed pork with rice flour, corn and pork rib soup, stir-fried green beans with meat, and scrambled eggs with tomato.
Joanna Kennedy said deliberately, "How come there’s no steamed egg custard?"
Simon Lockwood: "..."
After just one bite, Joanna Kennedy was certain. The meals from the past few days had indeed been cooked by Simon Lockwood.
Even back then, Simon Lockwood had been a decent cook. Now, six years later, his skills were even more refined. Joanna Kennedy couldn’t help but ask, "Did you specifically go learn how to cook?"
Simon Lockwood’s expression didn’t change. "No."
He said, "I could never get used to the food abroad."
