"You’re crazy." Mia Ginger stiffened her face and turned aside again.
"You have the cure." Louis Cox didn’t force her anymore; he just watched her soft short hair and squinted, saying, "Whenever you’re willing to cure me, it’ll definitely be a quick recovery."
Mia Ginger remained silent.
The delicate and graceful part of her neck was exposed to Louis Cox’s eyes.
His emotions stirred, and he leaned over intending to kiss her.
Mia Ginger directly lifted her foot and stepped on him, taking advantage of his stunned moment to open the door and leave.
She bumped right into Little Patten, who had been eavesdropping.
"Oh!" Little Patten exclaimed, holding his forehead, "I was wrong, I was wrong, Sister Mia, I didn’t hear anything, nothing."
Mia Ginger glanced at him.
Louis Cox, who walked out behind her, seemed delighted and followed her, saying with a smile, "The three of us will eat dinner here tonight."
"..." Mia Ginger ignored him.
Louis Cox continued walking with her, saying again, "What should we eat? It’s so hot, let’s have hot pot, nothing beats having hot pot with an induction cooker."
"..." Mia Ginger still ignored him.
Louis Cox turned to look at Little Patten and Zoey Leaf, asking, "How about hot pot?"
"Fourth brother, whatever you say, we’ll eat!" Little Patten said with a cheerful smile.
"I’m easy." Zoey Leaf glanced at Mia Ginger.
Louis Cox leaned forward to look into the room, asking, "Aunt Davis, is hot pot okay for dinner?"
"I don’t eat dinner." Camilia Davis’s slightly hoarse voice came from the room, "Do as you please, ask Mia."
Louis Cox snapped his fingers, "Then it’s happily decided."
He then instructed, "Little Patten, go buy groceries. Zoey Leaf... hmm, you go with him to buy groceries as well. Get some fruit too, bring two strings of the nut grilled gluten from the alley entrance, Mia likes it, and get more cilantro with the stinky tofu from the curly-haired beauty, Mia likes that too, then go to the milk tea shop, Mia wants iced green tea, same for me, whatever you want... or buy some grilled chicken wings?"
While he spoke, he took out his wallet from his pocket and tossed it to Little Patten, "Do as you see fit."
"As you command." Little Patten pulled Zoey Leaf and went out cheerfully.
Mia Ginger looked at Louis Cox a bit absent-mindedly.
They saw each other often, but many times it was Louis Cox unilaterally being close; she hadn’t realized he was so clear about her preferences.
Rarely, she felt some complex guilt in her heart.
"What are you daydreaming about?" Louis Cox raised his hand to tap her forehead, leaning down to look at her, "Could it be you’ve suddenly figured something out?"
Mia Ginger bowed her head, continuing to tidy up.
It seems only by being busy can one forget the unpleasant things.
Forget the Ginger Family.
Louis Cox noticed her low spirits and stopped talking.
Leaning against the living room sofa, he crossed one leg over the other, watching TV listlessly.
In a little while, the two who had gone shopping returned.
Louis Cox was someone who was not adept at physical tasks, so he dragged Little Patten to sit on the sofa to watch sports shows.
Zoey Leaf prepared the hot pot.
Mia Ginger sighed and went to help.
"I’m sorry," Zoey Leaf saw her expression soften a bit, relaxed, and apologized quickly, "You know, I got into that lousy third-rate college, the tuition is insanely expensive, more than ten thousand a year, I... I really was just momentarily bewitched, don’t be mad, please, please."
Mia Ginger turned her head to glance at her, then lowered her head to chop vegetables, saying nothing.
"Mia," Zoey Leaf nudged her with her elbow, coaxing, "Don’t be mad, okay? I promise I’ll never do it again, but..."
She paused, pursed her lips, looked at Mia Ginger, and tentatively asked, "Are you really not going back at all? I think your dad, and that... the one you have a marriage agreement with, both really care about you."