novelraw Chapter 28: Picky Eater
Chapter 28: Picky Eater
Jade Orchid Manor.
The three of them were having lunch.
It was a private family meal, and the table was laden with a dazzling array of Metropia’s specialty dishes. Celia Sterling sat between Kian Sterling and Silas Norwood. After the grilling she had just endured, she felt mentally drained. She kept her head down, eating in silence.
Kian Sterling, whose anger still hadn’t fully subsided, was giving her the cold shoulder. However, after watching her pick up several pieces of tofu in a row, he gestured for a nearby servant to remove the dish.
"Eat some meat." He tossed a braised sea cucumber into Celia’s bowl. "Tofu is too one-dimensional, nutritionally."
Celia silently picked up the sea cucumber and took a tiny, slow bite.
Seeing her reluctant expression, Silas Norwood mused, "Cece, what do you usually like to eat? I’ll hire a few chefs who specialize in it, so you’ll be more comfortable when you move in."
Celia lowered her head even further. "Silas, I’m not picky."
Kian Sterling glanced at her. "She won’t touch seafood, anything with scales, cold-blooded animals, or gamey meat. She even has to be forced to eat fruits and vegetables. Yeah, really not picky at all."
Celia: "..."
Silas, however, just chuckled softly. He looked at the slightly embarrassed and annoyed Celia and came to her rescue. "It’s fine. I’m even pickier than Cece."
Celia nodded in profound agreement. "Silas isn’t just a picky eater, he eats like a bird, too. A couple bites of a pastry and he’s full."
’Maybe I should wait until after we’re married to lose weight?’ she mused. ’With someone even pickier than me around, dieting should be easier than drinking water...’
Silas, who had been about to get more rice, noticed her little scheme. Amused, he decided to play along and nonchalantly set down his chopsticks. "Yes, I’m full."
Just then, Kian Sterling’s phone rang.
He answered it. "What is it?"
Evan Rhodes said something on the other end.
Kian Sterling shot a cool glance at Silas Norwood, then stood up and walked a short distance away to continue the call.
Only the two of them remained at the table.
Celia was still struggling with the sea cucumber. After dozens of tiny bites, more than half of it was still left.
She looked troubled, hesitating before looking at Silas. "Silas, do you like seafood?"
Silas glanced down at the sea cucumber in her bowl. "Cece, you can’t finish it, can you?"
Celia hummed in agreement, picking up the sea cucumber with her chopsticks. A little shyly, she said, "So, could I—"
Before she could finish.
In the next instant, Silas leaned over, opened his mouth, and with extreme naturalness, took the half-eaten sea cucumber from her chopsticks.
Celia’s face instantly turned beet red!
She explained in extreme embarrassment, "Silas, I was just going to ask if I could throw it away, even though that would be rude..."
"We’re about to be married," Silas said slowly, his gaze lowered to hide the dark undercurrent swirling in his eyes. "We’ve already done something as intimate as biting a button. Sharing a sea cucumber is nothing."
Hearing him mention the button incident, Celia decisively shut her mouth.
Kian Sterling hung up the phone and walked back over.
"You actually finished the sea cucumber? Not bad today." He sat back down and glanced at Celia’s bowl, looking quite surprised.
Celia mumbled an indistinct "mhm" and lowered her head again, obediently continuing her meal. The tips of her ears, however, were tinged with a noticeable red.
Kian Sterling then gave her a bowl of bird’s nest soup.
Only then did he turn to Silas to discuss business. "That ’dear’ nephew of yours is targeting Summer Sutton. Now she’s calling my assistant about it."
Celia focused her attention, eager to hear the gossip.
Silas remained unruffled. "What did he do?"
Kian Sterling summarized briefly, "Blacklisted her and blocked her from starting her own studio."
Silas elegantly undid his cufflinks, exuding an air of complete relaxation. He replied unhurriedly, "I’ve never involved myself in the affairs of that circle."
"Leave a way out for her."
Silas’s amber eyes seemed to hold a deeper meaning as he met Kian Sterling’s gaze. "The way out you’re talking about, Kade... is it a wide, open road, or a narrow crack to scrape by in?"
Ever since signing the marriage contract, Silas had always maintained a deliberately restrained, gentle, and soft demeanor in front of Celia. But now, his aloof and cold tone carried an indescribable sense of pressure.
Kian Sterling let out a soft laugh, his dangerously handsome face holding a half-smile. "Silas Norwood, just say what you mean."
"I’m not aware of what Declan Nash has been doing in Port Sovereign," Silas said nonchalantly. "But is Miss Sutton truly so innocent? Keeping someone with so many unknown variables by your side isn’t necessarily a good thing."
"I have no intention of keeping her in Metropia." Kian Sterling reached out and turned the eavesdropping Celia’s head away from them. "The night view in Oakhaven, however, is quite beautiful."
Silas nodded. "Indeed, it is."
Celia ducked out from under Kian Sterling’s hand. Watching the two men speak in riddles, she blinked in confusion.
After lunch, Kian Sterling took Celia home.
In the car, Celia couldn’t hold back her curiosity. "Brother, are you planning to keep a mistress in a golden cage in Oakhaven?"
"What mistress?" Kian Sterling shot her a look. "You’re the only pampered one I’m raising in this house. You’ve been wearing me down for over a decade; it’s practically cost me half my life."
Celia’s tone turned serious. "Brother, I’m truly sorry about what happened at the club."
Kian Sterling didn’t answer.
Celia reached out again and tugged on the hem of his shirt. "Brother, I promise I’ll take bodyguards with me from now on and check in with you all the time."
Another tug. "And I promise I won’t secretly hire male models."
Kian Sterling pulled the car over to the side of the road.
He held out his arms. "Come here."
Celia looked at him with her wide, almond-shaped eyes.
Kian Sterling gently tapped her on the head with his right hand, his voice tinged with resignation. "Let your big brother give you a hug."
Celia unbuckled her seatbelt and expertly fell into his arms. She let out a sigh of relief, knowing the matter was finally behind them.
「Port Sovereign, Wyvern Bay Villa.」
After the phone call, both Summer Sutton and Anne Lowell were waiting for news.
"What exactly is the situation between you and The Ninth Master?" Anne Lowell asked, a headache coming on. "It’s been over half an hour since you called. With his status, this is something that could be resolved in minutes. Why would it take..."
Before she could finish, Summer Sutton’s phone rang with a return call from Evan Rhodes.
Summer Sutton paused for a few seconds before answering. "What did The Ninth Master say?"
Evan Rhodes’s tone was respectful. "The boss has acquired an agency in Oakhaven. He’s giving it to you, Miss Sutton, to play with."
Summer Sutton’s fingertips went cold. "What does The Ninth Master mean by this?"
"The boss said that Miss Sutton is a woman of great wisdom and perception, so he’s sure you’ll understand him."
The call ended.
Summer Sutton’s face paled slightly. ’Understand him?’
’I traveled all the way to Metropia, and he forced me to retreat to Oakhaven. Understand what about him? That he’s naturally cold and unfeeling? That he’s harsh and ungrateful?’
On the other side of the room, her agent’s phone also started ringing.
A few minutes later, Anne Lowell looked at her with a complicated expression. "Eldest Young Master Norwood’s side has lifted the restrictions in Oakhaven. I heard the order came directly from the head of the Norwood Conglomerate himself."
Summer Sutton sat on the sofa and buried her face in her hands.
After a long moment, she stood up, her expression once again calm. "Book a flight for tonight, direct to Oakhaven. Also, contact Delia Caine. Pick a time, and I’ll go to their company in person to sign the brand endorsement contract."