They used to be very close and physically intimate, and touching each other felt different
each time. At least, it was different for Weston.
He held Stella in his arms reflexively. With his strong arms, he did not allow her to refuse him. Stella
finally came back to her senses and frowned. She wanted to push him away. “I can walk myself.”
“Weren’t you scared earlier? Are you not scared anymore?”
Weston looked at her managing a brave face and did not let her go.
Stella felt extremely uncomfortable. “If you don’t let me, I’m not going in.”
Weston’s face turned gloomy upon hearing that. He stared at Stella for a moment, and his tone
became cold.
“Whatever you want,” he said. Then, he let go of his hand, and walked straight ahead. Stella had to
follow him. She did not know how long she had been walking when she suddenly heard unfamiliar
footsteps up ahead. She was immediately alerted and stayed wary until she heard the waitress’s voice.
“Hello, do you have an appointment?” Finally, she could let out a sigh of relief. It was really a
restaurant. What kind of restaurant was this? The surroundings were so dark; it looked more like a
maze and a cave. The waitress held a white candle in her hand. She wore no expression on her face,
but she remained very polite. She invited the two guests into the private room.
Stella finally had the chance to look around. In addition to the narrow corridor, the two sides were like a
honeycomb-like design. There was one small room on each side. It was not too spacious but
interestingly decorated…
When they arrived at their destination, the waitress opened a small wooden door. The door was so
short that Weston had to bend over to get in. Stella followed behind him, but it was dark ahead. The
waitress reminded her, “Be careful.”
As soon as the waitress said that, Stella stepped on something, stumbled, and was in a daze.
Fortunately, a pair of arms caught her in time and wrapped around her waist. Weston held her firmly
and whispered in her ear, “If you can’t see, hold on to me.” Stella let go of his hand and ignored him.
She had been very rude to him today, and though Weston had dealt with her with the utmost patience,
it was wearing thin. He frowned a little and left her alone.
After the two were seated, the waitress placed the candles on the table and arranged the tableware for
them while greeting them.
“Welcome to the Noir Restaurant. This place is special because you’ll pay attention to the food in front
of you. You can’t play with your cell phones, and try not to be distracted by other things. You can
communicate with your companions appropriately, but try to give all your attention to the food as best
you can.”
After that, she took out a silver tray. She looked at Stella, and then at Weston.
“Please put your cell phones on here. Someone will bring them back after you finish your meal.” Stella
had never been to a place like this before. She looked at Weston.
Seeing that he put his phone on the tray without any objection, she did not say anything and handed
her phone over. After the waitress left, only the two of them were left. It was very dark in there, and all
they could see were the silhouettes each other’s faces and the dishes in front of them. The room
remained silent for a long one.
No one spoke first. Subsequently, the dishes were served one by one. During the whole time, neither of
them said a word to the other. Weston seemed to be giving her the silent treatment because of her
repeated obtuseness. Stella enjoyed the silence. She could save her energy because of his silence.
Besides, she was pretty hungry and cared little about who was sitting across the table. Quickly, she
started digging into the food. Though, despite the circumstances, she had to agree that the food tasted
excellent.
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