Rachel took a deep breath and then brought the noodles to the dining room with a dash of courage.
Jack already got changed and was in the living room watching the television.
It was a drama program, and the scene was intense. Jack's eyes were glued. On the screen, a woman
was cursing her husband’s mistress.
The woman’s screams filled the room.
Rachel laid the bowl on the table and saw Jack totally serious.
She did not know he had a penchant for watching soap operas.
She trod lightly and stopped behind the sofa, not making any sound.
He sat there, engrossed, barely noticing her. His thick eyebrows were snapped together as he looked
on the TV.
"You bitch!" came the tearing voice of the woman. "I'll kill you!" All hell broke loose. "Don't stop me! Let
me go!" The show played out in psycho-drama mode. "Who the hell is her?"
Rachel felt a chill go down her spine. She stared at the actress whose long hair was disheveled.
"What are you watching?"
Jack was soaked on the plot and was caught off guard. His hand trembled and lost grip of the remote,
which fell on the thick carpet.
He quickly regained his composure and bent down to pick it up. As his fingers touched the remote
control, he heard another hysterical screech. He raised his head and saw the two characters pulling
each other’s hair fiercely.
Rachel crossed her arms and scoffed. "I didn't know you like this kind of genre!"
Jack cleared his throat and tried to smile, hiding his embarrassment. He dared not admit that he was
riveted.
He flipped through the channels and looked for another show.
The next TV program was mellow. He put down the remote and averted his attention. Just then, the
smell of freshly made noodles drifted out.
Relishing the smell, he walked towards the table, his stomach rumbling. Rachel looked at the TV and
then to Jack. She hesitated for a while but followed him. She thought he would not say anything, yet
Jack praised her, "It smells good!"
She only made simple noodles that were not even delectable.
Still, Rachel could not help but smile upon hearing him.
It was ridiculous that he didn't flatter her, but it was enough to make her go over the moon.
At that moment, her emotions became a complex mix of happiness and resentment. She was caught in
the dilemma of feeling happy and hating that she felt happy.
She had not forgotten what this scoundrel did with her hand in the garage an hour ago.
The scenes from the car rushed to her mind. She could still feel the touch of the wicked man.
The sensual images kept playing in her memory until her face blushed into a tempting scarlet shade.
She immediately turned around to hide her face while Jack was occupied with his food.
She strode to the sofa and slumped down to calm herself.
Jack devoured the noodles without further ado. He attended a dinner earlier that evening, but the
dishes prepared by the host were extremely spicy.
After having only a few spoonful, his stomach ached. He tried to ignore the pain by drinking some wine.
However, the pain did not subside, and he did not want to consume too much alcohol. He excused
himself early from the dinner party and headed home to Rachel.
Just as he was parking in the garage, his stomach hurt again. It was too painful that he couldn’t stand
when Rachel knocked on the window. Fortunately, the pain was gone instantly.
Eating the hot noodles prepared by Rachel satisfied his empty stomach.
Setting down his chopsticks, he looked up and saw Rachel on the sofa watching the TV quietly.
A few moments ago, she teased him when she saw him immersed in the drama. Jack found himself
smiling.
He tidied his bowl and chopsticks and went to the kitchen. Outside, rain fell in crazy chaotic drops
smashing against the kitchen window sill.
The dim shadows of trees reflected on the glass, like puppets in a shadow play.
'The night is too good to be wasted,' Jack thought as he pulled the blinds close.
"Where is Eric?" He suddenly realized something was amiss.
"He went out."
Glancing at his watch, he took note of the time. "It’s late, and he's not home yet. Are you worried?"
"He is not coming back tonight." Rachel was holding the remote and surfing through the channels.
A trace of light glinted in Jack’s eyes when he heard her. "He's not coming back?" he confirmed.
She nodded.
Jack was elated upon hearing that. Eric was like a third wheel in his eyes.
He stooped over and sat next to Rachel. He felt something hard poking at his waist and reached
behind to find a thick medical book.
He opened and leafed through it casually, which surprised Rachel.
"Are you going back to the hospital?" He turned a page, although he couldn't understand anything
printed.
"I decided not to go back for the time being," she murmured and lowered her head.
"Why?" Jack's thick eyebrows raised in wonder. He shifted in his seat and faced her.
"Nothing." She tried to find an excuse. "I've been a little tired recently. I want to take a break for a
while."
He closed the book and set it aside. With a serious expression, he asked, "Is there something wrong?"
"No. There's just so much work lately that I want to take a rest." Rachel did not expect that he would
take the matter so seriously.
He paused and then stretched his long legs leisurely. "How about coming to my company?"
"What for?" Rachel was slightly disoriented.
His company was totally unrelated to her profession.
"I need an assistant."
"I am not qualified for that."
"It doesn't matter. I will be with you."
"Do I just hold a scalpel and slash anybody I'm not satisfied with?"
Jack threw his head back in laughter.
"You seem to be in a good mood tonight," Rachel said snappily and rolled her eyes.
"Yes," Jack said, still smiling widely.
Rachel had a guess why. She shut her mouth and stopped asking.
Jack picked up the book again as if he could understand a word, his eyes jumping from one medical
term to another.
Somehow, he couldn't fathom why Rachel insisted on being a doctor. Granted, she was remarkably
talented and had managed to skip college levels.
Others had to study medicine for more than five years, but she finished in less than three. Then, after
graduation, she went straight overseas to pursue further studies for a year.
While skimming through the book, Jack's mind wandered to something else.
He glanced at her sideways and saw her staring at the screen. He pursed his lips slightly.
She panicked when they were in the car. It was apparent she had no experience before.
He didn't ask Rachel whether she had a boyfriend or dated anyone in the past.
But judging by her reactions, even if she had a boyfriend, they most likely did not venture beyond
holding hands. She didn’t even know how to kiss.
While he was lost in his thoughts, he stretched out his hand to touch her long black hair.
In shock, Rachel ducked sideways against the armrest of the sofa, and then shoved his hand away
with a frown. "Jack! Are you drunk?"
She was a little mad. Her pink cheeks turned red, and her bright black eyes widened.
She angrily pushed him and said, "It's getting late! Aren't you going home?"
"It's raining hard. Do you want me to go back under that rain?"
"You have a car!" Rachel quipped rudely.
He ignored the fact that she didn't worry about him at all. In a faint voice, he said, "My stomach hurts."
"Then, take medication!" she insisted.
"I feel dizzy after taking medicine. I can't drive."
"Call your driver."
"It's raining heavily! Do you think I'm an ungrateful boss who will call the driver in the middle of the night
just to send me home? He might be in bed already."
Actually, it was only ten o'clock, not too late. But Jack would rather stay at any rate than go back.
She groaned, "You have so many excuses!"
With a pitiful look, he pleaded, "I'm being shameless now. Don't you want me to stay overnight and help
me?"
Rachel moaned and averted her gaze away. She couldn't endure his pitiful expression. His face had a
cold look, but he still acted like he was being bullied.
At the same time, Rachel admitted, he also looked very irresistible.
Nonetheless, she stuck to her bottom line. "There is no room for you to stay. Do you want to sleep in
Eric's bed?"
The thought made Jack frown in disgust. He didn’t fancy Eric’s smell at all, it was neither fragrant nor
soft.
"Half of your bed is available," he reasoned.
"No way!"
"I promise I won't touch you." He raised his right hand as if swearing an oath.
Rachel stood up abruptly, agitated.
"Don't push your luck!" she said through gritted teeth.
"I didn't..." That pitiful look again, he pouted as if he actually cared about inconveniencing her.
Rachel placed a hand on her forehead in exasperation and turned away. "You weren't like this before."
"Like what?"
"You weren't that..." Her voice trailed off. '...shameless! Is he still the same Jack?' Rachel thought,
unaware that the man was deep in his own thought.
'You are so thin-skinned. If I don't take the initiative, who knows how long it will take to get you?' Jack
thought with a sly look on his face.
In the end, he convinced Rachel to let him stay for the evening. The rain was heavy, it had poured the
whole night until morning.
Ninwell City had officially entered the rainy season. The rain was predicted to be much higher than last
year.
Eric couldn’t bear staying home any longer and kept on telling his intention of moving out.
When Rachel asked why, Eric confessed that he wanted to go back to work, but he didn't dare speak
frankly.
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