Ethan knew she was confused and casually explained, "This is a private dorm the school gave me—one of the perks I picked when I chose to come here."
He pushed open the courtyard gate. The yard wasn't big, but it was tidy—just two bare vegetable patches, a contrast to the lush greenery next door.
He paused and said, "Besides cooking, I'll also need some help keeping this place clean... You don't mind, do you?"
"I don't mind! No problem!" Nora quickly shook her head, her tone even a bit too eager.
She didn't mind at all. This was the only thing she could do for Ethan. She felt like Ethan took good care of her, and since she didn't have much else to do, she was happy to help with whatever she could.
"Here, I'll give you a key. From now on, you can come and go as you please." Ethan held out a key to Nora.
But Nora hesitated to take it, feeling like that wasn't right.
Ethan pressed the key into her hand. "If you don't have a key, how are you supposed to get here early to cook for me? You think I'm going to hand you a new key every day?"
Nora felt the cool metal of the key, glanced at the determined look on Ethan's face, and finally closed her fingers around it like she was holding something precious. "Oh... okay," she said softly.
A few days ago, Ethan had already cleaned up the house and the yard. The yard was clean and tidy now, except for the two empty vegetable plots, while the other small courtyards nearby were full of vegetables.
The two-story house wasn't very big, but the layout was warm and comfortable, with a homey feel to it.
As soon as Nora stepped into the living room, she liked the atmosphere right away, and her nerves eased up a lot.
Her big eyes swept around the room, and then she wandered over to check out the kitchen. That's when she remembered why she'd come, and she hurried to bring in the pile of groceries Ethan had bought that afternoon. "I'll go cook!"
Her voice carried a bit of nervousness, like a new hire taking on her first task.
"Alright, go ahead." Ethan nodded, watched her head into the kitchen, then turned and left again.
He drove to the nearest supermarket and headed straight for the toiletries aisle with his cart.
Shampoo for long hair, a gentle moisturizing body wash, facial cleanser, conditioner, hand soap, hand cream, a basic toner and lotion set...
He picked out brands that were good quality and suited for women.
Next, he grabbed a set of comfortable pure cotton sheets and a duvet cover, along with new cleaning supplies—broom, mop, bucket, rags.
He'd already picked up some basic cleaning supplies last time, but this time his focus was clear: all of it was for Nora, and he set it up in the first-floor bathroom.
....
Back at Oak Ridge.
As soon as he opened the door, a wave of delicious smells hit him.
On the table, three dishes and a soup were laid out neatly.
The small dining table was packed full, giving off a simple, everyday warmth.
Right then, Nora came out of the kitchen carrying two bowls of rice. Seeing Ethan come back, a trace of nervousness flashed across her face, and she quickly set the bowls down. "Just now... perfect timing, it's ready to eat!"
"Alright!" Ethan nodded, set down what he was carrying, washed his hands, and sat down at the table.
Nora sat awkwardly across from him. Whatever composure she'd had while busy alone in the kitchen completely vanished under Ethan's focused gaze.
"The shredded potatoes... I make this at home, so it should be okay." She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her shirt. "The ribs—I had them once for New Year's, and I tried making them myself... not sure if I got the taste right... and the fish..."
She pointed at the steamed fish. "I've never eaten this before, and I'm not great at cooking it... I just followed along with a book... maybe it's not very good..."
Her voice got quieter and quieter, like a kid confessing to something.
Ethan didn't say anything. He reached out with his chopsticks, picked up a piece of the snow-white fish, carefully picked out the bones, and chewed it slowly.
The taste was nowhere near his mom's, and it didn't measure up to Diana's either. The fish was a little overcooked, and the seasoning was a bit light.
But for someone who'd never even eaten this kind of fish before, and was making it for the first time, this was already pretty impressive.
He picked up another big piece, popped it in his mouth, and nodded approvingly. "Mm! This is really good, the fish is nice and fresh. First time making it and it turned out this well? That's impressive!"
He paused, catching something in what she'd said earlier. "Wait, what you said just now... you followed a book? You went to the bookstore this afternoon to read recipes?"
"Mm..." Nora lowered her head even further, her cheeks flushing a little, as if her little scheme had been found out, and she answered softly.
Ethan looked at her serious yet kind of silly expression, and a complicated wave of tenderness welled up in his chest. He took a breath and finally said, gently, "Let's eat."
"Mm." Nora picked up her chopsticks and started nibbling at the rice in her bowl in small bites.
But Ethan quickly noticed something was off. Her chopsticks seemed almost glued to that one plate of shredded potatoes, never straying from it.
She didn't even dare look at the ribs or the fish sitting right next to it, let alone reach for them with her chopsticks.
Ethan instantly understood what was going on. No wonder she'd said in the car earlier that she could eat less—so that was why.
Without another word, he reached over and pulled the lonely plate of shredded potatoes toward himself. Under Nora's astonished gaze, he dumped the entire plate into his bowl, mixed it with his rice, and dug in.
Nora froze, chopsticks hanging in midair, staring at the table where now only the two "expensive" meat dishes sat—the ones she didn't dare touch—at a loss for what to do.
Ethan took a few more bites, looked up at her, and said, "I feel like eating vegetarian today. You don't mind, right?"
Nora shook her head.
He picked up her bowl and, without a word, piled several pieces of ribs and a big piece of fish on top, until it looked like a small mountain.
"You eat these. They're good for you. Eat all of it—if you can't finish it, you'll just have to throw it out. I've already had plenty."
Nora lowered her head and started eating. She knew exactly what Ethan was doing—taking care of her, making sure she ate something good.
With that said, he went back to focusing on his bowl of "extra vegetarian" potato rice.
Ethan didn't notice that Nora's eyes had already turned red, tears welling up without her realizing.
Nora looked at the pile of ribs and fish in her bowl, and her nose suddenly stung.
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