Chapter 9

"I'm sorry, sis."

"I didn't know you were bringing lunch for Professor James too."

"He's already eating the food I made..."

Mia stood in front of me, visibly panicked and flustered.

"Call him brother-in-law."

I smiled at her, seeing her small hands hidden in her sleeves tighten a bit.

...

"James."

I stood in front of the man who was eating with his head down.

He ignored me, so I took the chopsticks from his hand.

Swapping the lunch box in front of him for mine.

He looked down at the dishes before him for a moment.

His deep dark eyes finally focused on me.

"Look."

I held out my hand with band-aids to him.

"To make food for you, I got three cuts."

"I cooked for a long time, will you eat mine instead?"

I met his gaze, very calm.

But so calm it seemed like it was about to shatter.

Finally, he sighed.

"Zoe. Your dishes look exactly the same as Lin Chuan Pavilion's."

"Did you steal their recipes?"

"..."

I pretended not to understand the sarcasm in his words.

Might as well go all in.

"James, just say whether you'll eat it or not!"

It seemed that many times, when I got angry, he would soften and coax me.

I was used to this, but I forgot, this wasn't the me and him from the past life anymore.

But he still lowered his head and ate the seafood porridge in front of him spoonful by spoonful.

Very obedient, just like the James in my past life who would do whatever I told him to.

After finishing, he looked at me bending down to clean up the lunch boxes for the first time.

"Zoe."

He called my name, like a clear mountain stream,

"I'm allergic to seafood."

"After two lifetimes, you still can't remember."

I was suddenly shocked and looked up at him.

His wrist, already pale to the point where blue veins were visible, had now broken out in red rashes.

He just showed it to me like that.

"Is torturing me to death the only thing that will make you happy?"