novelraw Chapter 568: What did you put in there?
Chapter 568: What did you put in there?
Emma Magus wiped her hands and feet clean before cautiously climbing into the car.
The air was laced with a light sandalwood scent, elegant, warm, reminding her of the time Robert Stephens had cared for her just recently.
It felt like a dream.
The dream was so bright and happy, yet reality terrified her.
"Brother Stephens..."
Emma Magus curled up cautiously at Robert Stephens’ feet, not daring to touch even a thread of his clothing, only greedily breathing in the fragrance in the air. His presence instantly put her at ease.
"Are you finally willing to see me?" She lifted her head, staring obsessed at the handsome face of the man in front of her, tears streaming down her face. "I really know I was wrong. I won’t ever do anything to make you dislike it again..."
The man, who had been silently watching her all along, seemed to sigh softly upon hearing her words.
He slowly raised his hand, placing it on her head, the faint sandalwood scent flowing from his sleeves. This gentleness made her whole body tremble. If this were a dream, she wished never to wake up again, to be eternally immersed in this flowing gentleness...
"Emma," the man said softly, "Could you do something for me? If you succeed, I would be very grateful."
Emma Magus instinctively looked up at him, his gaze gentle and compassionate, enveloping her, while the faint melancholy between his brows made her heart ache. Almost instinctively, she asked, "What?"
To make him happy, she would do anything, no matter the cost.
The man smiled slightly but did not respond to her question. He patted her hair gently, his tone soft: "You should rest a bit, you’re exhausted, aren’t you? Take a nap..."
Emma Magus wiped her face and curled up at his feet, finding solace in the fragrance. Her eyelids grew heavier and she finally fell asleep in peace.
"Sir," Thomas Woods said softly, coming over after Emma Magus had fallen asleep, "Should we move Miss Magus..."
"No need." Robert Stephens glanced at the sleeping Emma Magus, his fingers lightly landing on her messy hair, brushing it a few times, his smile gentle, his tone nonchalant, "She’s exhausted, let her rest here..." Like stroking a kitten, both his actions and tone were indescribably gentle.
"..." Thomas Woods lowered his eyes and said no more, returning to his seat in the spacious Lincoln car.
The car’s interior lights dimmed, reflecting Emma Magus’s serene sleeping face in the rearview mirror.
The driver thought of his daughter, about the same age back home, a trace of faint pity flashing in his eyes.
*
On Sunday morning, Edward Stephens received a call from Daisy Ginger.
Her voice sounded quite cheerful over the phone.
"The reshoot will be over by noon today. I can make it by eight tonight, what would you like to eat? Let’s have dinner together when I get back! If you can’t wait, you can have a snack first, but it’s best to wait for me!"
Edward Stephens chuckled softly, "Okay, I’ll wait for you."
Daisy Ginger blew a kiss over the phone: "Mua! Good boy!"
Soon the crew’s shouts were heard, prompting Daisy Ginger to say, "Elena is about to get her makeup done, I have to go see."
Edward Stephens responded, "Hmm. Go ahead then."
No sooner had he hung up, the phone buzzed again.
Edward Stephens glanced at the caller ID and answered.
A youthful voice inside said, "Hey, it’s me, Daniel. I’m in Tsing City now, want to grab a bite?"
*
The boy wore a baseball cap, a white T-shirt, and ripped jeans, under the summer sunlight like a refreshing breeze, catching the sideways glance of passersby.
"Edward," Daniel Magus laughed, holding out a bottle of mineral water to Edward Stephens, "Haven’t seen you in years, you’re as handsome as ever!"
Edward Stephens reached out to take the mineral water, "Where do you want to eat?"
Daniel Magus showed him a restaurant on his phone, "I just searched online, and reviews say this Western restaurant is great, Edward, let’s go there for a meal!"
Edward Stephens glanced at the phone screen. Having stayed here for half a year, he had never been to this place, yet Daniel seemed to know more despite being new in town.
"It’s close by; we can walk there."
Daniel Magus chirped non-stop alongside Edward Stephens.
"Edward, did I get taller since we last met? Although I still fall short of you."
"Any fun places around? I’m planning to stay for a few more days; do you have time?"
"When are you heading back to the United States? You’ve been out for a while, right?"
...
Edward Stephens didn’t respond much, while Daniel Magus managed to amuse himself quite well, never stopping along the way.
They had already booked a table and arrived at the Western restaurant, being shown to a window-side booth on the third floor.
"Order whatever you like." Edward Stephens handed him the menu.
"I heard their steak is flown in from Japan. I’ll try it and see how it compares to Chicago’s beef." The boy chewed on a pen, quickly picking out his selections.
Edward Stephens handed the menu to the waiter. "The same for me."
Desserts arrived first.
Edward Stephens didn’t eat sweets and pushed his dessert over to the boy.
He poured himself a glass of iced water, sipped slowly, and asked casually, "Why are you still in Tsing City?"
"It’s my first time here in Tsing City, I just wanted to explore a bit, and it’s rare you’re here too, Edward." Daniel Magus lifted his head with a smile, cream smudged on his face, making the face so similar to Emma Magus look especially bright and boyish.
He scratched his nose, a light cough, "My sister troubled you, my mom says when you get back, she wants to apologize to you in person."
Edward Stephens gave an indifferent laugh and said nothing.
As the waiter served the steak, Edward Stephens poured him some red wine, "You’re of age, right?"
Daniel Magus puffed out his cheeks, "Edward, I turned of age six months ago!"
"Kids shouldn’t drink." He explained.
"I’ve been of age for over six months now! I even received an acceptance letter from Harvard last month. Soon I’ll be able to study the same major you did, Edward. You have no idea how thrilled I was when I got the notification!" Daniel Magus beamed at Edward Stephens, his tone lowering, "Edward, you’ve been my idol since I was a kid... I’ve dreamed of... outdoing you."
The boy, with his voice not yet settled from puberty, sounded no longer clear and brisk, but somewhat gloomy and uncanny.
Edward Stephens observed his expression, then looked down at the food on the table, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"What did you put in it?"