Chapter 0229

“Alright,” Miranda nodded. “I’ll send the address in the group chat. I’ll head out to buy groceries first, and you guys can come over when you’re done.”

“Sounds good!”

Silas chimed in, “Should we let Paul know?”

Sandy replied, “You do it.”

“Okay.” Silas took out his phone. “I’ll check if he’s done with his class.”

At 2:00 pm, Miranda shut down her computer, tidied up her workstation, and quietly left. As soon as she stepped out, she ran into Paul.

“Going grocery shopping?” he asked.

Miranda was slightly surprised. “You knew?”

“Yeah, Silas texted me. Come on, let’s go.”

“Huh?”

“You’re heading to the supermarket, right?” Paul asked. “I’ll drive you.”

“Are you not busy today?”

“Not too busy.” He could be busy or not busy – it all depended on the person.

“Alright then, thanks.” Miranda had been considering calling a cab, but Paul showed up in a timely manner, saving her the cost.

As it turned out, Miranda not only saved money but also effort. Paul carried all the bags, big and small, throughout the entire shopping trip.

Miranda thought it was too much and tried to take some of the bags from him. But he stepped back, avoiding her outstretched hand. “No need, I’ve got it.”

Back at her place, Miranda put on an apron and got to work swiftly.

“By the way, do any of them have dietary restrictions?” she remembered to ask.

Paul answered, “Silas doesn’t eat shrimp, but the others aren’t picky.”

With that, he rolled up his sleeves and headed to the kitchen. “I’ll help.”

At 6:00 pm, Sandy, Silas, Bryan, and Elizabeth left the lab and headed to Miranda’s place.

“Dr. Quinton, did you inform Dr. Jefferson?” Elizabeth suddenly asked.

She hadn’t planned on coming, but when Silas mentioned that Paul had responded he’d attend, she decided to join as well.

Bryan assumed his persuasion finally worked, thinking he’d managed to convince Elizabeth to come along.

Silas said, “I did notify him. He should’ve finished class by now; not sure why he hasn’t returned to the lab. But he did say he’d come, so he definitely will – just not with us.”

Sandy remarked, “Oh? He’s really coming?”

Silas chuckled. “What, you don’t want him to come?”

Sandy clicked her tongue and said, “Don’t trap me like that. It’s just that when he’s around, everyone feels pressured and can’t really loosen up.”

“And how loose do you want to get?” Silas teased. “Like a wild horse off its leash? With him around, it just helps to keep things grounded.”

“Pfft! You’re the wild horse!” Sandy retorted playfully.

Passing by a flower shop, Sandy noticed some jasmine in full bloom and bought a bouquet as a gift.

Of course, Silas and Bryan didn’t show up empty-handed, either. Each of them had brought a beautifully packaged fruit basket; it did not look cheap.

What surprised Miranda was that Elizabeth had also brought a small gift.

“It’s a perfume I blended myself. The top notes are citrus, and the fragrance is quite light afterward. I think you’ll like it.”

“Thank you,” Miranda said, slightly taken aback. Nonetheless, she still smiled as she accepted it.

Noticing Paul’s absence, Sandy asked, “Can someone call Dr. Jefferson? Why isn’t he here yet?”

Mainly, she was worried his late arrival would delay dinner. The enticing aroma had already stirred her appetite; waiting even a minute longer felt torturous.

Silas pulled out his phone, ready to make the call. That was when Paul suddenly emerged from the kitchen, wearing an apron and carrying a pot of soup to the table.

The ease with which he moved made it clear this wasn’t his first time doing this.

Silas was bewildered. “Huh?”

Everyone else was just as stunned.