The crew-cut guy choked on his cigarette, coughed for a while, and then looked at Daisy Ginger incredulously before pulling out his phone to call Edward Stephens.
The man on the other end said something, and the crew-cut guy hung up the phone with a smile and said to Daisy Ginger, "Miss Ginger, Mr. Edward wants me to take you over to him. Please, this way."
Daisy Ginger pursed her lips in annoyance. She wanted to go out on her own and didn’t really want anyone tagging along.
But the situation was not in her favor, and if she didn’t comply, she might not even have a chance to get out for some fresh air.
Daisy Ginger stepped out of the small inn and immediately saw Edward Stephens leaning against a utility pole by the entrance, smoking.
The dusty little countryside town was dimly lit, even the streetlights weren’t as bright as in the city, yet him standing there was like a light source, tinting the whole town’s shadows with a photo-like quality, stunning and eye-catching.
Seeing him, Daisy Ginger walked over with displeasure, pouting. "Hey!"
As soon as she opened her mouth, the man tossed something into it.
Out of instinct, Daisy Ginger almost spat it out, but the sour and sweet taste hit her taste buds. She paused, chewed, and then saw Edward Stephens smiling at her, "Strawberry flavor."
"What are you doing downstairs?"
"I thought if you didn’t want to see me upstairs, I’d come down here to avoid being an eyesore."
Daisy Ginger: "Bullshit."
If this guy was really afraid of pissing her off, he wouldn’t have come down to drag her back.
She glanced at his expression, but under the dim streetlight, she couldn’t discern any emotion from his calm demeanor.
Even so, Daisy Ginger could still sense that he wasn’t in a particularly good mood, as the dark pupils of his eyes didn’t reflect any light or shadow.
She tilted her head slightly, "Are you unhappy?"
The man, with a cigarette between his teeth, lowered his head to look at her when he heard this, chuckled lightly, and said, "You know me that well?"
Daisy Ginger boasted, "When you’re unhappy, I’m happy."
The man smiled and pinched her cheek.
"Well, forget it. Seeing you makes me quite happy now." He took her hand, "There’s nothing fun around here. Let’s enjoy the breeze for a bit, then we can go back to the room to rest."
The countryside town’s cement road was covered with dust, and when the wind blew, your face would get covered in it. Daisy Ginger had just taken a shower before coming down, and in no time, she felt like she’d gotten another layer of grime on her skin.
The man’s hand, holding hers, was warm and strong. Daisy Ginger looked up at the man walking beside her, still unsure of what had previously upset him.
But it was as he just said.
He seemed quite happy now.
Daisy Ginger mumbled inwardly.
Finally, Edward Stephens took her to a small shop in town and bought an assortment of gummies. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢•𝓷𝓮𝓽
Back at the inn, Daisy Ginger showered again, emerged to find the bed scattered with the pile of candies Edward Stephens had just bought.
She walked over, picked out a strawberry-flavored gummy, sat on the bed, unwrapped it, and started chewing while curiously asking Edward Stephens, "You like candies?"
The man, standing by the window, turned to look at her when he heard this.
Daisy Ginger, fresh out of the shower, was still emanating steamy heat, and the air carried a faint mix of her shower gel and candy’s sweetness. Her lips were red, her teeth white, and her features exquisite.
Edward Stephens looked at her and shook his head.
"Then why did you buy so many?" She gathered the candies together and placed them on the nightstand.
Edward Stephens glanced at her, slightly lifting the corner of his mouth, spoke with a hint of amusement, and said softly to her, "To cheer up the little ones."