Blair's head was spinning. When she could finally think clearly, she found herself sitting at the table already.
The dishes on the table remained untouched. Megan sat on the couch, playing games on her phone. Seeing Wesley and Blair were back already, she put her phone away and stood up.
"Where did you go? I'm starving. Let's eat," Megan said pouting as she sat opposite Blair.
Blair smiled. "I took a walk." She was surprised to know that Wesley and Megan hadn't eaten yet. 'Was he waiting for me, then?'
Wesley took the seat next to her and threw her a pair of chopsticks. "Here. Eat."
Blair picked up the chopsticks and tried a couple pieces of tofu. The dinner was already cold.
"I'll heat these up," she said as she stood up.
Wesley dragged her back into her seat with one hand. "It's not too cold. Don't go through the trouble. Just eat."
The heat had been turned on, so the dishes were just room temperature. Blair sat back.
After taking a couple bites, Megan complained, "The beef bone broth is cold. Uncle Wesley, can you warm it up for me? It might cause a tummy ache if we eat it cold."
"Okay." Wesley dropped his chopsticks and walked into the kitchen, carrying the beef bone broth.
Blair gaped at him. 'He just said the dishes weren't that cold.'
After dinner, the three of them left Wesley's place together. Wesley was going to drive Megan home, and Blair went back to her own apartment.
When the doorbell rang, Blair was relaxing, reading on the bed after a comfortable shower. She jogged to the door. It was Wesley. He had just come back home.
He was holding his phone in his hands. "What's your WeChat account?"
Before Blair could say anything, he added, "I'll be pretty busy from now on. So I might need help taking care of my place."
"Oh..." Blair grabbed her phone from the bedroom, and they friended each other on WeChat.
His username was Wes, and hers was Bless.
The two names rhymed and even looked similar. Blair couldn't help thinking that judging from their usernames, one might think they were lovers.
"I know the password to your apartment. Mine's 1104. You might need it one day."
'Megan's birthday again.' Leaning on the door, Blair asked, "Do you like... Megan that much?"
Wesley put his phone away and gave her a confused look.
Blair shrugged. "Her birthday is your phone password. And it's the code to your apartment. Now that you like her that much, why not tell her and make her your girlfriend? What are you waiting for? Too young?"
"Blair!" came his warning.
Blair smiled. "Let me guess: you use her birthday as a PIN for your credit cards?"
"No!" Wesley turned around to enter his apartment.
"Since you like her and you're not related, why not make her your fiancee? She might be too young now, but when she's old enough, you can marry."
'Marry Megan?' Wesley frowned. That was when it hit him—Blair misunderstood his relationship with Megan. It irritated him.
Turning, he strode over to her, pressed her against the door, held the back of her head in his hand, and kissed her passionately on the lips.
He had kissed her in her apartment last time. It had been wonderful, and for a long time afterwards, he dreamed of it every night; her scent, her sweetness, her softness. He tried to forget it by burying himself in his work. Over time, he managed to think of her less and less.
Blair was startled by his sudden decisive action. 'Wh-what's happening? He's kissing me!' Wesley was still in control, so it wasn't a long kiss.
After letting her go, he warned in her ear, "So quit talking like that, or it won't be just a kiss."
'Not just a kiss?' Her eyes lit up. She suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist and asked, "What kind of punishment did you have in mind?" She didn't think of this as a punishment, but rather a reward.
Wesley also started to realize this. 'I think she's enjoying this, ' he thought.
He pried her hands away and stressed, "Next time, I'll make you do a 5k run with a 9 kg pack."
"Bye!" Hearing that, Blair turned around, ran into her apartment and locked the door. She leaned her back against it, panting heavily.
A five-kilometer run would kill her. She liked him, but she wouldn't risk her life to chase him.
Looking at the closed door, Wesley smiled, amused by her reaction.
He returned to his own apartment and went into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. But soon something occurred to him. He opened the door and walked into the kitchen.
He opened one of the cabinets. And he was right. There was the bag Blair had brought here.
He took it out of the cabinet and looked inside. Just then, the doorbell rang.
He glanced at the bag again. Was she trying to get it back?
He replaced it and went to open the door.
It was Blair outside. "I left something here. I came to get it," she said as soon as he opened the door, hurrying towards the kitchen.
She was relieved when she saw the bag was still in the cabinet. On the other hand, she wondered if she should just give him the present.
And how exactly was she supposed to do that? As a friend? As his girlfriend? If he asked why, what would she tell him?
Would it be awkward if she just handed it to him?
Wesley stood at the door of the kitchen with his arms crossed over his chest. The expression on her face kept changing. He could tell that something was on her mind. "What's in it? You look conspiratorial."
Unable to make up her mind, she felt frustrated. In the end, she took the bag out of the cabinet and handed it to Wesley. "I saw it last time when I was shopping. I thought it suited you, so I bought it. I haven't found an opportunity to give it to you until today."
Wesley took the bag and opened it. Inside was a black embroidered box containing a lighter.
He tried the lighter. A flame whooshed out, about as tall as the lighter itself.
"Looks expensive." Wesley smiled, extinguished the flames and put the lighter back into the box.
'She isn't rich. Then how did she afford it?' he thought.
Blair shook her head and said, "It's okay. I bought it with my own money. I hope you like it."
Wesley put the box into the bag and handed it to her. "Return it. You're a student. You shouldn't have bought something so expensive."
"But I already paid for it." Blair didn't take the bag. 'Is he rejecting me?'
Wesley stuffed the bag into her arms and walked out of the kitchen. "Then give it to your uncle." Adalson also smoked.
Blair's heart broke into little pieces.
She had been so excited to give it to him. At this moment, her heart was filled with disappointment. After glancing at the bag in her hands, she asked, "You really hate me, don't you?"