They all stepped out wearing masks and sunglasses. But they were still recognizable. How ridiculously handsome could one man be?
“Evie, how are you!” Owen looked up and spotted her. His voice was flat, almost depressed. Why did the world have to be so small? He pulled off his sunglasses.
Evie froze when she saw the bruise near his eye. The next second, she burst out laughing. He looked like half a panda. “What happened to your eye? Did someone hit you?” she blurted out.
“It’s not your husband—” Owen stopped himself just in time.
“What?” Evie stared at him, waiting.
“Nothing. What are you doing here?”
“Buying fruit! What’s wrong with your eye?” she pressed.
“Hit it by accident.” He made up the excuse on the spot.
“No way. We’ve all been walking without looking lately. When Alexander went to work yesterday, he bumped his eye too. Bruised the corner of his mouth.” Evie muttered.
“He got hurt? I almost broke my face!” Owen touched his handsome cheek, winced in pain, and his face scrunched up again.
“You can see the wound on his face too!”
“Isn’t that obvious? Yesterday we—did you buy all your fruit? Go home now. Hurry back to your place.”
“You think I’m a kid? Alexander’s at work. He hasn’t clocked out yet! By the way, you should roll a boiled egg over that bruise. It’ll heal faster.”
“Egg?” Owen squinted at her.
“Yeah. I did it for Alexander yesterday. He couldn’t see clearly when he woke up in the morning.” Evie nodded seriously.
“How do you roll it?” Owen looked completely lost.
“Wrap it in gauze or a towel. Roll it over the bruise for ten minutes.” She explained.
“I don’t have that stuff! Where’s your car? Oh, you can’t drive. Are you taking a taxi or the bus back?” Owen rambled to himself.
“I’ll take the bus. I’m heading back now. Come over when you’re free. And be careful walking from now on!”
“Got it!” Owen said dismissively, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.
Evie waved and walked toward the bus stop.
Owen couldn’t help grumbling angrily. “Damn it. Alexander still has it better than me. After I beat him up, he goes home to a wife who takes care of him. I go home and get yelled at by my old man.”
He touched his face and winced again. “Alexander was so brutal. He almost killed me!”
Still complaining, Owen headed into the supermarket.
Once inside, he stopped. What was he supposed to buy? Oh, right. Evie said to roll his face with eggs. He’d buy a dozen and go home.
Just as Alexander was about to leave work, his phone rang. It was Owen.
On the other end, Owen ranted excitedly. “Alexander, your wife is terrible. Too much. Too cruel—”
“What did my wife do?” Alexander asked calmly.
“She didn’t provoke me. She just played a trick to get revenge for you!”
“Tell me. What trick did she play?” Alexander laughed.
“She told me to treat my face with eggs. What the hell? The egg white and shell covered my whole face. I’m sick to death. It’s too much! I told you before—you’re not right for her. She’s definitely a devil pretending to be an angel...”
Before Owen could finish, he heard Alexander’s gloating laughter on the other end.
“Are you my brother or not? This is inhuman. You and your wife team up to bully me. Are you even a man? If you are, fight me one-on-one. What kind of man lets his wife fight for him?”
“You didn’t have to fight one-on-one yesterday. Besides, no one has the conditions for that kind of thing.”
“Alexander, you—you—” Owen couldn’t find the words for a long time.
“She told you to roll your face with boiled eggs. Who told you to use raw ones? If you have no education, at least have some common sense. Sure enough, people without common sense are as dangerous to society as half an atomic bomb.” Alexander added fuel to the fire.
“...” Owen had already vomited blood and passed out.
Alexander went home and hung his coat on the rack while chatting with Evie. “Did you run into Owen today?”
“Yes, I did when I went to the supermarket for fruit. You two are really something—both hitting your faces and bruising them. I told him to roll with an egg. It’ll heal faster.” Evie smiled.
“Did you tell him to cook the egg first?” Alexander walked over.
“Do I need to say that? He should know!” Evie hesitated.
She glanced at Alexander’s face. The bruise was barely visible now. She planned to cook him an egg tonight.
“He should know.” Alexander laughed, pulling her toward the dining room. “What did you cook tonight?”
“I learned a few new dishes. I don’t know if you’ll like them.”
“What are they?”
“Sweet and sour fish. Braised lion’s head.” Evie introduced them proudly.
“Sounds good.”
“I hope they taste good too.” She smiled, almost like a prayer.
After washing his hands, Alexander sat at the table. Evie lifted the lids one by one. The dishes were still warm.
Before cooking, she had called him to ask when he’d be off work. She started dinner based on his schedule. It wasn’t freshly made, but only ten minutes early.
They chatted while eating and finished everything on the table.
These days, Evie stayed home most of the time. Sometimes she had tea and chatted with her mother-in-law. Sometimes she walked in the garden with her sister-in-law. The rest of the time, she read or cooked until Alexander came back.
Evie now thought it was incredibly foresighted that Sterling Manor had its own full kitchen. That way, when they didn’t have to eat at the main house, they could cook in their own small home. Or make something for a late-night snack.
Of course, Lily Thompson usually prepared the meals. But sometimes, when Evie had free time, she tried making dishes from the recipes she’d just seen.
Recently, she saw a video on her blog about cooking taro balls. She was eager to try it. If she learned how to make them, she could have dessert at home.
So she planned to learn during these days before school started. There was no taro or sweet potato in the fridge. She had to buy some.
She could have asked Lily to buy them together. But she thought about it in the morning and forgot. It was easier to go to the supermarket herself.
She decided to do it.
Evie grabbed her wallet and set out to buy taro and sweet potato. Since she couldn’t drive, even though almost everyone had their own car and there were two spare ones, she had to walk to catch a ride.
She could also ask the Sterling driver to pick her up. But she still preferred going out alone. It felt freer.
Evie had just gotten on the bus when her phone rang. It was Aurora.