"Why do we need so many hard-working people at home? I just need to be the hard-working one. You can sleep as long as you want," Rowan said, his voice was full of affection.
I stared at him, scrutinizing his expression. He acted so naturally as if nothing disgraceful had happened.
"Honey, I brought you something delicious. Eat it while it's hot."
He presented a steaming bowl of my favorite soup dumplings.
He bought it from a century-old shop in Evernight City, tucked far in the west of town. The dumplings were renowned for their rich filling and delicate flavors.
They had one notable downside. The shop was too far away and was impossible to order for delivery.
Rowan always made the trip himself to bring them to me.
"Whatever my wife wants, even if it’s the stars in the sky, I’ll gather them and turn them into star-shaped biscuits."
Normally, I adored the soup dumplings from this restaurant and I would devour every last one. Not only because the dumplings were delicious, but also because I thought this was a symbol of his devotion for me.
However, right now, the sight of it made me extremely sick.
"I can't eat it. You go ahead," I said, my tone flat and expressionless.
"What's wrong, baby? Do you have a cold or a fever?" Rowan's face filled with concern as he reached out to touch my forehead gently.
He had no idea what I had just seen. Moments ago, Marion posted an update on her social media.
[This soup dumpling comes from a century-old store that’s hard to get. I’m so happy I got it today!]
To prove she was not exaggerating, she even attached a photo. The soup dumplings were identical to the ones Rowan brought me.
My gaze drifted to the faint lipstick marks on the collar of his white shirt.
My stomach twisted, the nausea rising sharply.
I looked away and spoke evenly, "Maybe I ate too much yesterday. You enjoy it. I’ll go catch up on some sleep."
Later that day, I accompanied Rowan to the laboratory. It was a scheduled day for sample deliveries and the project was reaching its final stages.
Everything proceeded smoothly and the team celebrated with palpable excitement.
One of the students suggested a group lunch to commemorate the occasion. Rowan agreed, his smile easy and cheerful.
At the restaurant, I could not tell if it was a coincidence or deliberate, but the seating arrangement placed Marion directly on my right.
While eating, she casually rolled up her sleeves, revealing faint, suspicious red marks on her arm, hovering almost tauntingly in my line of sight.
Rowan shot her two subtle warning glances that were almost imperceptible before she finally toned down.
I forced a smile as I had no intention of dignifying their theatrics with my attention.
But just as I was steeling myself to endure, the unexpected happened. Halfway through the meal, one of the younger lab assistants suddenly stood up.
I vaguely remembered the boy’s name was Luca. Shyly, he reached into his bag and pulled out a small bouquet of flowers.
He first raised his glass for a toast to me and Rowan as his professor. After taking a deep breath, he said, "I want to take this chance to say something."
Then, with surprising courage, Luca turned to Marion who was seated right beside me and blurted out, "Marion Sterling, I... I like you. Please be my girlfriend!"
The room erupted into cheers. Someone even shouted, "Just say yes already!"
Marion froze, clearly caught off guard by the sudden confession. Her expression wavered between shock and nervousness as she instinctively glanced at Rowan.
However, Rowan maintained a measured smile on his face as he reached out his hand to brush aside a loose strand of hair near my ear.
Apparently, this subtle action seemed to unsettle Marion as her gaze hardened momentarily.
Standing abruptly, Marion replied, "Luca, I like you too, but your confession today caught me off guard. Could you give me a few days to think it over?"
Luca’s face turned crimson, but he nodded eagerly. The students around the table erupted in applause and teasing comments.
"Oh? Looks like we’ll have a couple in the lab soon!"
"No more single-dog suffering for us. Ugh, I’m getting nauseous just imagining all the PDA!"
Rowan smiled lightly and spoke. "That’s right. When the two of you get married, my wife and I will make sure to give you a generous wedding gift!"
