Nia Mitchell slept until it was dark. When she woke, her eyes were still foggy, and she felt slightly disoriented.
Nia rubbed her eyes. Drowsily, she turned her head and saw Maxwell Peary sitting on a chair on the nearby balcony.
The moonlight was soft, and his eyes were closed.
She felt as if she could see every one of his eyelashes and feel every breath he took.
Peaceful! Utterly serene.
Without her noticing, Maxwell had already come to her bedside. Seeing her eyes open, he slowly crouched down to her eye level.
"Mhm," Nia replied with a smile, though inwardly she was laughing at him. Does he even need to ask? Can’t he see? ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅✦𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾✦𝗇𝖾𝗍
"I made some porridge for you in the kitchen. I’ll go get it."
Maxwell was about to stand up and go to the kitchen, but Nia suddenly grabbed his hand.
"What’s wrong?" He turned his head to look at her curiously, crouched down again, and touched her forehead.
Nia shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips.
"I can go to the Dining Hall and eat later. You don’t have to bring it over; you’ll spoil me."
There was a hint of playful reproach in her voice as she spoke, and then she sat up.
She wasn’t sure when she had been changed into pajamas. The thought that Maxwell had likely been the one to change them made her face flush slightly.
He noticed her odd expression and assumed she was worried about what had happened during the day.
"Don’t worry. She’s out of the operating room, and the surgery was a success. The Doctor said it was a minor injury, nothing serious. She’ll recover quickly."
Maxwell said all this in a rush. He rarely spoke so much and felt a little unaccustomed to it.
Hearing this, Nia’s face broke into a wide smile.
"Really? Is she completely okay?"
Her anxious heart finally settled. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from her chest, and she let out a sigh of relief.
"She’s fine, so don’t worry. This incident wasn’t your fault to begin with."
Maxwell sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to gently stroke her hair.
"Shall I carry you to dinner?" After just a few words, he was back to his teasing.
Nia lightly slapped his shoulder, her face flushing with a shy annoyance.
"I can walk by myself." With that, she quickly got out of bed and scurried to the washroom, afraid Maxwell would shamelessly follow her in.
「In the Dining Hall.」
Nia contentedly finished a large bowl of porridge. When she looked up, her gaze met Maxwell’s; he had been watching her the whole time.
"Uncle, I’d like another bowl," she said with a laugh, handing him the bowl. He smiled and took it.
"Besides the Lily Lotus Seed and Lean Meat Porridge, the kitchen also has Longan and Red Date Porridge, Pumpkin Porridge, Shredded Chicken Porridge, and Fish Slice Porridge. Which one would you like to have?"
He had specifically gone to check the selection of porridges in the kitchen; there was quite a variety.
At this, Nia’s smile vanished. She looked at Maxwell with a wronged expression.
"I want to try all of them..."
For a foodie, the cruelest thing was to have the heart of a connoisseur but not the stomach capacity to match.
Maxwell shook his head, amused and helpless.
"That’s simple enough, isn’t it? Just have a small bowl of each."
Nia pouted, still sitting in her chair, her legs swinging back and forth restlessly.
"But such delicious porridge! Only getting a few mouthfuls is just not satisfying enough!"
Nia slumped onto the dining table. It seems being rich isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, she thought. You can have everything you want to eat right in front of you, but it’s still just as unsatisfying, just as frustrating!
Maxwell’s expression darkened. He pressed a hand to his forehead. This little Rabina Mitchell is becoming more and more difficult to handle.