"KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!" The door was pushed open again. Vera Wave walked in, holding a fragrant Pizza Hut takeout and two cards. She came to the bedside and casually handed the cards to Kris Cooper. "Here... one's a credit card, and the other is a membership card!"
Kris sat up and took the cards from her.
His gaze swept over the ugly, tacky gold membership card, and he frowned slightly.
Such aesthetics... truly unparalleled!
Vera noticed his distaste and quickly said, "See? The membership card number is 888888—six eights! What a lucky number! Don't worry, from today onward, your business will definitely skyrocket. You'll have a steady stream of customers from morning till night every day..."
At that point, something suddenly occurred to her.
If that blessing came true, and he really was constantly booked, wouldn't this guy... be worked to death?!
Noticing the young woman lost in thought, Kris reached for the takeout bag she was still holding and pulled out the lunch inside.
The aroma wafted out, and Vera's stomach let out an unceremonious RUMBLE.
Across from her, the man opened a complimentary wet wipe and began elegantly wiping his slender fingers. Pizza, snacks, and salad were arranged in a fan shape before him; he showed no signs of intending to share.
Vera cleared her throat. "It smells so good."
Kris inhaled lightly. "Hmm, it really does."
What kind of response was that?
Shouldn't he have offered, 'Why don't you try some?' Then I could have feigned modesty and just naturally started eating.
Across from her, the man was already taking a slice of pizza from the box. It was her favorite, Hawaiian Fruits Pizza. Watching the cheese stretch into threads as he lifted it, her mouth watered.
"The portions in a meal for two are quite generous," she ventured. "You can't finish all that by yourself, can you? Wasting food isn't a good habit, so how about..."
Before she could suggest helping him eat some, the man interrupted.
"It's fine. I have a big appetite. Whether this is even enough for me is debatable!"
Kris lifted the pizza to his mouth, tilted his head to bite off some cheese from the top, licked the corner of his lips, and then opened his mouth to take a bite from the pointed end of the slice.
Across from him, Vera stared intently at his lips. She watched as he was about to bite into her favorite part of the pizza—the tip—and couldn't help but swallow hard.
Kris looked up from the pizza, meeting Vera's longing gaze.
He moved the pizza away from his mouth. "You must be hungry too, right?"
He's only noticing now?!
Vera nodded quickly. "Yes, I haven't eaten anything since morning. I'm starving."
This time, he should invite me to eat, right?!
Thinking this, Vera began to raise her hand, reaching for the pizza in front of him.
"Oh, then you should go get something to eat. I won't keep you."
Vera's outstretched hand froze stiffly in mid-air.
This guy! He really knows how to burn his bridges. What a cheapskate, a real penny-pincher!
If she hadn't still been waiting for her commission, and if buying the pizza hadn't left her with only a few dollars in her pocket, she would have absolutely jumped off the bed and stormed out.
"What... were you reaching for?" Kris asked, fully aware.
"I..." Vera's face flushed red. After a moment, she recovered, reaching down to pick up a small piece of fruit that had fallen from his pizza. "Don't get our bedsheets dirty."
Seeing her about to put the fruit into her mouth, Kris frantically grabbed her hand.