Under the twilight's afterglow, Isabella Harris hurries away, her cheeks tinged with the rosy hues of the setting sun.
Victoria strolls over, a smirk playing in her bright eyes.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Sebastian asks, his gaze flickering away slightly, as if feeling guilty.
"Even though I don't know the reason," Victoria says, her head turned to watch Isabella's retreating figure, a playful smile on her lips. "But, Seb, showing off that you're a playboy as a warning for me to back off really does put a damper on the mood."
"Did I?" Sebastian laughs, feigning ignorance.
Victoria looks at him; Sebastian looks back, his eyes innocent and clear.
Did he? He can't admit it even if it were true. Clarifying would only complicate their relationship further, a headache he prefers to avoid.
That night in the car, he notices that Victoria's gaze towards him is off, her feelings seemingly too intense.
This isn't the scenario he wants, so he makes some preparations.
To his surprise, Victoria sees right through him.
Victoria stares deeply into Sebastian's eyes, then after a moment, her face breaks into a smile, "Let's get going, I'm actually quite hungry."
Sebastian looks at her, puzzled by her tone, which sounds playful but also a bit distant, lacking the natural ease of before.
"Sebastian? Shall we?"
"Yes, let's go. My place is just up ahead," Sebastian says, pointing towards a nearby neighborhood.
A few minutes later, the door opens to a cozy forty-square-meter apartment.
Victoria steps in and can catch sight of the kitchen pots and the living room TV in one glance. It is a one-bedroom apartment.
"Do you live here alone?" Victoria asks curiously.
"Yes, the studio has a lot of work that requires a quiet environment, so I moved out," Sebastian says as he rolls up his sleeves and smiles. "I'll cook; feel free to look around."
"Really? I can look around?" Victoria asks.
"A grown man doesn't have many secrets," Sebastian replies, then heads to the kitchen.
In the morning's communication, Victoria had already ordered the menu, and he has all the ingredients ready.
Victoria surveys the surroundings; the small room is clean and tidy. A sofa, TV, appliances—everything one would need at home seems to be there.
She wanders around and then pushes open the bedroom door.
The bedroom is even simpler, with just a single bed and a computer desk crammed in. A dark green duvet lies on the bed, showing a grey corner.
Victoria's eyes sparkle with curiosity.
She tiptoes over and reaches out her hand.
A few minutes later...
"Is it hot in here?" Sebastian looks at Victoria's flushed face, confused, as he himself isn't sweating even in a shirt.
"No, it's nothing. It's just that autumn is coming, and my skin feels a bit dry," Victoria replies, her gaze flitting away.
Sebastian doesn't notice, and politely, he opens a window.
"It's a crisp autumn day, indeed a good time for some fresh air!"
Having said that, he puts on a navy-blue apron and goes back to the kitchen.
Cooking can splash grease, and for a bachelor, that is a nuisance best avoided.
"Spicy sauce steak?" Victoria follows the sound of frying and asks about the enticing aroma, her eyes lighting up.
"Vic, you can just wait in the living room; the kitchen's smoke isn't good for your skin," Sebastian kindly reminds her.
Then, vegetables hit the pan, and a burst of steam envelops Sebastian.
"It's okay; I liked to watch and learn when my sisters cooked," Victoria says, then bursts into laughter seeing Sebastian surrounded by the greasy smoke.
"But you're laughing at me when I'm cooking for you?" Sebastian feigns sorrow.
"I can't help it, pfft!" Victoria struggles to contain her laughter, but seeing Sebastian's soot-blackened face makes her laugh out loud.
Sebastian's expression grows even more woeful, like a forlorn young wife.
"Actually, a man who cooks really has charm," Victoria, feeling stared at, suppresses her laughter and comes forward with a tissue to wipe the grime off Sebastian's face.
"Forget it, too late to save. Food is almost ready and I'll go wash up and change clothes before serving to the table," Sebastian's lips twitch slightly, having not only stained his clothes with grease but now his face as well.
"Please, go rest for a bit; there's drinks in the fridge. I'll go change," Sebastian says, closing the bedroom door.
Soon after, he hears the sound of chopping in the kitchen.
"Does Victoria cook as well?" Sebastian stands at the doorway, surprised to see Victoria's skilled knife work.
In his mind, these gals rarely have time to cook.
"Just sometimes when I'm off, at the dorms."
Victoria has her long hair simply tied up, falling along one side of her neck, exposing her pale neck in his direction, giving off a domestic vibe.
She smiles, "Like my sisters in PG always say, cooking can calm your mood, so sometimes I use it as a relaxation method."
As she speaks, she looks up and then quickly looks down again, her cheeks burning.
"I'm sorry, there aren't many clean clothes left in the house."
Sebastian quickly explains, "But don't get the wrong idea; I'm wearing a tank top underneath."
He is wearing an old-fashioned grey tank top that, in the dim light and covered by the apron, makes him appear as though he is shirtless on top.
"Oh, it's fine," Victoria's cheeks flush a little, and even when Sebastian passes by, she feels almost dizzy from the scent emanating from him.
"Sorry, the kitchen seems a bit small," Seb says apologetically.
"It's nothing; the rooms in the dorm are much smaller," Victoria explains, her inner flutter of excitement barely contained, stealing a glance.
Under the soft lighting, Sebastian's profile seems to glow with an orange hue, the healthy sheen of his strong muscles visible, his lips adorned with a light smile, almost like a fatally alluring poison.
Victoria can't bring herself to look away.
"The chopped carrots can be handed to me now," Sebastian says.
Victoria, snapping out of her reverie, passes them over.
Soon, the round table is set with four simple dishes.
Sebastian takes off his apron and sits down, then remembers something and stands back up to retrieve a bottle of red wine from the fridge.
"You are the first person who get to be treated like this."
Sebastian boasts somewhat proudly, "This is a ten-year-old bottle of Romanée-Conti; even my dad rarely indulges in it."
"Why do you have it, then?" Victoria asks curiously.
"Well, that's a long story."