The next morning, Cherie was still half asleep when she heard Boyle asking her what she wanted for breakfast.
Then, she heard a light scuffle as Boyle got out of bed.
It was already 10 a.m. when Cherie woke up. The early autumn sun was shining bright outside.
Cherie washed up and went to the kitchen. Boyle was heating up milk for her.
The bottle of milk was newly opened. Boyle must have bought it from the supermarket this morning.
It took her over 10 minutes to get here from the town yesterday. Did he go all the way to town to get her milk this morning?
“Sorry for troubling you.”
Boyle handed her a cup of warm milk and said, “There’s some fried dough sticks on the table. Go have some.”
“Oh.”
Cherie realized that Sonia was not at home after having breakfast. She asked, “Where’s auntie?”
“She went to the vegetable garden.”
Cherie looked at the bright sun and blue sky outside the window. On a whim, she said, “Boyle, let’s go to the vegetable garden and help auntie with her work. We can go for a spin at the field as well.”
Boyle let out a faint laugh. “It sounds more like you want to go for a spin instead of working.”
Cherie was speechless.
She was exposed mercilessly.
Boyle put a straw hat on Cherie’s head before they went out.
Cherie took it off a few times and said, “I don’t want to wear it. I’m not afraid of the sun.”
“The sun is blazing. You might get a sunburn.”
Her skin was fair and soft. A light pinch would make her skin turn red and the mark would last for a long time.
The 18 year old lady acted like a kid. She took off the hat every time Boyle put it on for her.
“I look ugly in hats.”
“Nobody will stare at you. Nobody knows you here.”
“You know me and you’ll stare at me.” She stubbornly took off the hat again.
The two of them kept arguing over the hat.
Some of the neighbors knew Boyle. An old man was smoking in front of his house while he looked at them. He smiled kindly and asked Boyle, “Boylie, is that your girlfriend? Your mother must be elated!”
Boyle let out a faint laugh and greeted him.
The old man blabbered on, “Your mum even asked my wife to set you up on a blind date a few days ago. It turned out you have such a beautiful girlfriend. It seems like your mom has no idea about this.”
Cherie put her hands behind her back as they walked away. She let out a faint hum and said, “It seems like you go to blind dates a lot in your hometown. How many girls have you met?”
“People at my age in my hometown should be married and have kids by now. My neighbor is the same age as me and his child is turning two soon.”
Cherie gave him a side glance. “You sound like you want to get married and have kids now.”
Boyle looked at her face filled with jealousy. His lips curled upwards and he purposely asked, “I shouldn’t have that idea?”
“No, because I’m your girlfriend and I haven’t reached the legal age to get married yet. Who do you want to marry then?”
Boyle’s teasing smile turned wider after listening to what she said. “Do you want to marry me that badly?”
“No, I don’t!” Cherie blushed.
Boyle held her hand and said, “It doesn’t matter if you're young now. Let’s just wait for two more years.”
Cherie smiled. Eyes turning into little crescent moon, she puckered her lips and said, “Maybe I won’t like you anymore after I grow up.”
Boyle simply laughed calmly. He did not look nervous at all.
Boyle grabbed her wrist and stopped her. His handsome face darkened as he said, “Do not scratch it.”
“But I feel so itchy.”
Boyle took out the medicine. It was a green transparent cream. It gave off a cool and refreshing sensation after applying it.
Sonia was shelling her edamames by the door as she looked at the two people sitting on a bench not far away. Cherie had her red face lifted up while Boyle was patiently applying the cream on her rashes. The scene looked especially harmonious and cheerful.
Sonia simply smiled.
Cherie looked at her red face covered in the cream through a mirror after they were done applying it. She frowned and thought she looked very ugly.
Boyle stood beside her. He bent down and looked at her ugly yet cute face through the mirror, “Green faced monster.”
“I’m not a green faced monster!”
She turned around and started thumping her fist on him.
Sonia looked at the both of them playing with each other. She asked, “Cherie, what do you want to have for lunch? I’ll make you some food.”
It was only then that Cherie noticed Sonia was still preparing the vegetables at the door. She immediately stopped fooling around. She turned around and asked politely, “I’ll eat everything you cook, auntie. I’m not a picky eater.”
However, Boyle exposed her the next second, “Mom, don’t listen to her nonsense. She doesn't eat onions, corianders and garlic.”
Cherie was stunned. How did he know that?
Sonia looked at her son with a meaningful look. “I never knew my son would take notice of other people’s preference in food. Do you know that I don’t eat onions and garlic as well?”
Boyle clenched his fist, put it against his mouth and coughed lightly.
He never noticed that.
Sonia laughed heartily and said, “Look at that, Cherie. He doesn’t even know that I don’t eat onions and garlic.”
Cherie looked at Boyle with a huge grin on her face.
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