Chapter 173

It didn't seem impossible. Charles was skeptical, but remained optimistic. "Hahaha! It doesn't matter if it's a mistake or not. What matters is that these past two days have been amazing!"

Soon, Skylar had washed and prepared all the ingredients, including the marinated meat. After checking the time, she called Joe.

"What time will you be home?" Skylar asked Joe, who was playing basketball with a few friends.

After wiping the sweat from his forehead, Joe glanced at the time and replied, "I'm getting ready to head back now. I'll be home in about an hour."

"I'll leave first," Joe said to the group, including John.

"Why are you leaving so early? Let's play for another hour," John suggested. It was rare that everyone had time to gather for basketball today.

Joe shook his head. "I have plans tonight."

Raising an eyebrow, John immediately guessed, after seeing Joe's smile. "Are you heading home?"

John whispered, "Didn't you say you didn't like her? It doesn't seem like it."

Joe suppressed a smile. "You don't understand," he replied, then walked away.

John raised an eyebrow. Who was talking?

Joe caught a whiff of delicious food as soon as he reached Galaxy Villa. Perhaps because he was tired from basketball, his stomach had begun growling on the way back. Now, the enticing aroma made him impatient.

In the dining area, Joe saw several dishes already on the table. Though Skylar's cooking might not be as fancy as a five-star chef's, her dishes had a homely charm. They were simple yet delicious, and he always ate more than he intended. After playing basketball all afternoon and burning many calories, a little extra wouldn't hurt.

Skylar brought out the seared salmon she had just finished cooking and saw Joe had returned. "You're back!"

He seemed to have returned ten minutes earlier than she expected. She still had two dishes to prepare, which would take ten minutes.

"The traffic was smooth today," Joe said with a faint smile, his tone relaxed. He seemed to be in a good mood. Skylar smiled too. "There are two more dishes. Just wait for ten minutes."

"Sure, take your time," Joe nodded.

Looking around the table, he counted nearly twenty dishes. Though there were various dishes, the portions were small; nothing would be wasted.

Ten minutes later, Skylar completed the last two dishes. Peeking out from the kitchen, she asked Joe, "Mr. Martin, would you like something to drink? We have red wine, and there are other beverages in the fridge."

"Red wine then," Joe replied.

"Alright."

An hour later, Skylar's cheeks were flushed from the wine. She hadn't expected to get drunk, but her eyes were misty as she looked at Joe.

Joe was only slightly tipsy; this amount of alcohol meant nothing to him. He knew Skylar had a low alcohol tolerance, but now it was clear she was a lightweight. Even a little alcohol intoxicated her.

However, in her current state, Skylar seemed defenseless, with a hint of coquettishness and cuteness. Her lips were stained with red wine gloss, and she bit her lip—an unknowingly playful gesture.

"Don't just drink with anyone in the future," Joe said, his voice slightly husky.

Skylar felt rebellious, especially drunk and foggy-brained. "No, I can drink with anyone I want. Do you know how much I can drink? It could scare you to death if I told you."

"How much can you drink?" Joe's eyes deepened; he couldn't suppress his smile. Could she really scare someone to death with this low tolerance?

Skylar extended a hand, her index finger glistening. "Guess what this means?"

Joe's gaze fell on her finger. "Oh? What does it mean?" The drunk Skylar was behaving like a lazy kitten. "The answer is so obvious, and you still can't guess?"