Kevin drove as fast as he could. He was running later than expected, Leena was alone in his apartment, and he worried about her. Was she okay all on her own? Had she eaten? Would she cry because no one was there with her? All these questions weighed on his mind. He sighed heavily. He had adjusted to the new role of husband faster than he thought. They were literally loving newlyweds. To be honest, Kevin wasn't sure whether it was a good idea to bring her to his apartment, especially when he might be gone for ten days or even longer because of the upcoming military exercise. She would be left alone again; he really worried about her.
It was already dark when he finally got home. He couldn't wait patiently for the elevator so he ran upstairs. Beads of sweat streamed down his forehead as he ran.
He took a few deep breaths before opening the front door with his key. As soon as he pushed the door open, he could smell a delicious odor wafting through the air.
Surprised, he looked around for the source of the smell until he saw a woman in the kitchen through the glass wall. He approached and saw a few dishes already on the dinner table. Kevin rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Leena could cook? How amazing! Young girls hardly cooked nowadays, let alone a well-born girl like Leena. Were those dishes really prepared by her? Were they even edible? Kevin shivered at the thought. It seemed he would be eating something horrible for dinner tonight. He hoped his stomach was strong enough.
"Kevin, you're home. Just a second, I'm almost done here. Just one more dish." Hearing the noise coming from the doorway, Leena looked around and saw Kevin staring at her stiffly. 'Is there something on my face?' Leena wondered as she touched her face to check, 'Why is he looking at me like that?'
"Did you make all these?" Kevin walked up to the table and was once again stunned. These were no ordinary dishes, every single course required a lot of effort to prep and cook. How did she make them? Did she order takeout?
Yes. I hope you like them. I didn't have time to shop, so I just used what was in your fridge. Are you mad at me for not checking with you first?" Leena wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead and stole a nervous glance at Kevin.
What's that look on his face?' Leena thought, 'is he mad because I rummaged around his fridge without permission? Maybe he doesn't like what I cooked up?'
"No. I'm just surprised. I have no idea you can cook." Kevin muttered as Leena smiled nervously at him. She was a girl full of all kinds of surprises.
"Go wash your hands. I'll be done in seconds." The last dish was pork ribs in garlic sauce. Some sauce accidentally spilled on her hand as Leena moved them from the pan to the plate. The pain was sharp; she gasped with a frown. But it soon went away, so she didn't take it seriously. Kevin was none the wiser -- he was still in the bathroom.
After placing the pork ribs in the center of the table, Leena gazed at her handiwork and heaved a relieved sigh. She did it! However, she hadn't cooked for a long time; she wasn't confident that Kevin would like them.
"They smell good. I wonder how they taste." After washing his hands, Kevin returned to the table and sat next to Leena. He looked at the dishes and then fixed his eyes on Leena with great interest.
"They should be good." In fact, Leena wasn't sure. It had been over a year since last time she cooked.
Kevin raised his chopsticks and looked around the table; he then reached for the eggplant stewed with minced meat. 'It's amazing!' As soon as he put it into his mouth, he couldn't help crying in his mind. However, he pretended to frown and swallowed with difficulty as if he were eating dry cotton. Sitting beside him, Leena clenched her fists nervously as she watched him eat.
"How is it? That bad?" Leena asked while reaching for the eggplant. 'It can't be that bad, can it?' She thought. Though she hadn't personally cooked for a long while, she still remembered how to cook. Or was she too confident about herself all the time?
"Why don't you try for yourself?" Kevin's face was still twitching as if he'd swallowed a mouthful of poison. Leena didn't notice the glint of slyness flashing through his eyes. 'She should be more confident about her cooking skills.' Kevin thought.
"I think it tastes fine. Don't you like it? Is it salty enough for you?" Leena swallowed and looked at Kevin doubtfully. Was something wrong with her taste buds?
"Hahaha! Just kidding. It's delicious! You really surprised me!" Kevin decided not to tease her anymore. Too much frowning would cause serious wrinkles on her pretty face.
What? I was wondering how rusty my cooking skills had gotten. But it turns out you're just making fun of me!" Knowing that Kevin was satisfied with her cooking, Leena didn't say anything else and started eating quietly.
Where did you learn how to cook?" Kevin asked her the question that had been burning in his mind ever since he set foot into the house. Leena was a well-born lady; her every need should have been taken care of by the servants. How could she know anything about cooking?
"Well, I was bored when I was in college, so I took a cooking lesson to kill some time. But it became more interesting than I expected, and I really loved it in the end." Leena beamed. She was a fast learner.
"It seems that I don't have to worry about you going hungry when I'm not home. I really didn't know you could cook." Apart from Daisy, Leena was the first woman who had ever cooked for him. Kevin felt genuinely happy at this moment.
"Why would I go hungry? Even if I don't know anything about cooking, there's a little thing called cash. I can always order takeout." Leena was an optimistic woman. She always looked on the bright side of things.
"Right. So I suppose you could survive in the jungle as long as you have cash." Kevin couldn't help teasing her again. His new wife was so cute and interesting.
If Leena knew what Kevin was thinking about, she would probably get pissed. She never got teased before; she was the one who made fun of others.
"Kevin, are you kidding? Jungle? I won't be needing cash in that case. I'll need guns. And bullets. Otherwise I'll be what's on the menu." Leena rolled her eyes at him. She might seem sweet and innocent, but she was not stupid. How dare he treat her like a silly little girl?
Okay. So you knew that, huh? I thought you'd be fine as long as you have cash in hand." Kevin ate slowly but gracefully, unlike other ordinary soldiers, who were rough and wild. Leena got his point. So she was only a spoiled well-born lady, who knew nothing in Kevin's eyes. Was she really that ignorant?
Whatever. I won't argue with you, because it will do me no good. I never waste my energy on such things. So go ahead, laugh at me as much as you like." Leena shrugged and continued eating. Only fools would get mad at such things; and she was no fool. She couldn't force Kevin to change his opinions. Why would she argue with him instead of enjoying the delicious meal?
Kevin let out an adoring smile at Leena. At this moment, he finally knew why everyone around Leena was devoted to her, affectionate toward her. Her innocence was her greatest quality. Who wouldn't like a sweet innocent girl? Despite her status, she behaved like a nice girl living next door.
Justin might disagree with him about the 'nice' part, for Leena had always been so mean to him.
Leena was laid-back and always went with the flow. It wouldn't take long for her to adapt to a new environment. She quickly became familiar with Kevin's apartment. The house was her new home, and she unpacked her things and set them next to his.
In the bedroom, bathroom and even in the study, there were Leena's things all over, which kept reminding Kevin that he had become a married man, who live happily with his wife.
After dinner, Kevin took a quick shower. Like every man did after a shower, he went out of the bathroom with only a towel tied around his waist. But to his surprise, as soon as he walk into the room, he heard a terrified scream.
AHHHHH! Kevin! What are you doing in my room? Blushing, Leena grabbed the clothes she had just taken off from the floor and tried to cover herself. She got used to shedding all her clothes before entering the bathroom at home, for the whole floor was owned by her. But she forgot she wasn't alone anymore. Kevin lived in the house too.
"No need to hide. Ive seen everything already. This is my bedroom as well. Did you forgot that we are married? Kevin smiled devilishly at her and untied his towel, revealing his body in front of her, and put on a casual outfit. Leena scream again when she saw him naked.
Kevin! Are you a pervert? Leena immediately turned around and flung her hands over her eyes. Her backside was totally exposed. A few seconds later, Leena realized that she was almost naked as well. She let out another terrified scream while dashing towards the bathroom, her eyes covered. Kevin froze in astonishment. What the devil just happened?