Chapter 43 1/2 As soon as Leslie entered the study, he took off his damp shirt and wrapped a towel around waist. His well–toned, slender silhouette cast a reflection on the glass window. He leaned casually against the desk and lit a cigarette. The wisps of smoke curling around him highlighted a hint of danger and nonchalance in his demeanor. After a while, he seemed to recall something. Leslie settled at the computer and launched a Google search. Daniel’s call came in coincidentally. “Mr. Synder, the headquarters had compiled Synder Corporation’s recent financial situation. As expected, it’s not looking good this year.” “The new product’s launch has been delayed due to chip issues. If we can’t find a replacement chip soon, the new product might end up as a failure,” reported Daniel with concern. “No rush. We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” Leslie replied, seemingly unfazed. “Huh? Mr. Synder, are you occupied right now?” Daniel was puzzled. He wondered if there could be anything more pressing than work for Leslie. “Yeah. I’m on Google,” replied Leslie, as he typed a query in the search bar while holding hist cigarette. “Google? What are you searching for? Do you need my help?” “How to install a shower head.” Daniel was at a loss for words. It was first about washing dishes, and now installing a shower head. He wondered if his boss, Leslie, was planning to switch his career and become a homely. good man. Aurelia finished her shower and walked to the study. With a gentle knock on the door, she said, “Mr. Synder, I’ve finished showering. I’ll head to bed now. Good night.” Leslie hummed in response–his voice devoid of emotion. After the previous incident, Aurelia refrained from asking further questions. She returned to her room to sleep. It was soon the next morning. Aurelia sluggishly stretched as the alarm chimed, urging her to wake up. As she freshened up in the bathroom, she noticed that the shower head, which had been on the floor yesterday, was now neatly installed on the wall. It was obviously fixed. She curiously turned on the tap and found the shower head functioning perfectly. Even though it was late last night, Leslie had managed to fix it on his own. It seemed that Linda was right. Leslie might have a cold demeanor with little words to say, and his words might even cut you like ice. But, he was undoubtedly efficient. Aurelia continued to brush her teeth after placing the shower head back. Suddenly, a pain Chapter 43 2/2 stung her lips and made her grimace. She looked in the mirror and noticed that her lip was chapped. Staring at the bright red injury, she remembered the scene where she fell down with Leslie last night. Her face flushed red instantly. “Stop thinking about that. Stop thinking about that,” she thought. Aurelia spat out the toothpaste and splashed her face with cold water until she finally calmed down. Taking a deep breath, she smiled at herself in the mirror and went to the kitchen. While putting on her apron, Aurelia noticed that Leslie had washed and tidied all the dishes in the sink. Even though they were living together, Leslie didn’t just go through the motions. His consistency in action made him much better than many other men. It made Aurelia believe that living like this wasn’t so bad after all. Aurelia happily opened the refrigerator to prepare breakfast–pan–fried ravioli. It was Ava’s favorite breakfast to make for Aurelia. Along with a specially made dipping sauce, it would set Aurelia up for a joyful day ahead. After setting the breakfast, she started preparing lunch for the day. Aurelia had always been in the habit of preparing packed meals. However, her current stay at Leslie’s place wasn’t the most convenient. Having already surpassed her monthly living expenses, she needed to cut it back a little bit. She sautéed an excess of broccoli, which was bought on sale at the supermarket yesterday. It had to be used and eaten by dinner. Aurelia also made an ample portion of beef stew. She accidentally thawed more beef than necessary and rendered it unsuitable for refreezing. Finally, she tossed up a large bowl of cucumber salad. It had been over a month since she last cooked. Staring at the pink lunch box on the table, Aurelia realized it wouldn’t accommodate so much food. But, she was hesitant to let the surplus go to waste. Her gaze fell on the blue lunch box beside it. It was an accidental purchase since it came as part of the supermarket deal discount for buying two lunch boxes. “Why not pack the extra food for him? After all, he wouldn’t know it was leftovers,” she pondered.