After Miranda met up with the two, they went to the popular restaurant together. It wasn’t too crowded at noon, but they still had to wait for two tables before it was their turn. Madison had held back her curiosity all the way. Finally, she couldn’t stop herself from probing further.
She asked Miranda while they were waiting for the food to be served, “Miranda, do you know the handsome guy who sent you the flowers earlier? The huge bouquet of yellow roses looked beautiful; he has good taste.”
Miranda nodded and replied calmly, “I know him. He’s my ex-boyfriend.”
“Huh?” Madison hadn’t expected that answer. She immediately fell silent and didn’t dare to ask more. On the other hand, Sebastian gave Miranda a second glance.
After lunch, they headed to Christine’s office. Since there were no classes in the afternoon, Christine decided to bring them to the lab. Madison exclaimed, “Are we entering the lab already?”
She thought they would need to study for at least a year before being allowed to work on research projects. She hadn’t expected them to dive straight into the main course right away! Sebastian wasn’t that taken aback, but even he was surprised.
Only Miranda… She was the only person aware of how long Christine’s research had been delayed and how eager she was for a breakthrough now. By the time they finished, it was already dark outside.
Miranda arrived home at 9:00 pm, and she hadn’t had dinner yet. After a busy day, she didn’t feel like moving at all. Miranda collapsed onto the couch, her eyelids fighting to stay open.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. She mustered her energy to open it. “Dr. Jefferson?”
“While heading home from the college, I heard from Dr. Sanchez that Dr. Young took you all to the lab. Is that so?” Paul asked.
“Yes.”
“Have you just returned?”
“Yeah.”
“Have you had dinner?”
“No.”
Paul couldn’t help but chuckle. “Wait for me a moment.”
With that, he turned and went back to his home. He emerged shortly after with a lunchbox in hand. “It’s still warm. I hope you can make do with this,” Paul said with a smile as he handed it over.
Miranda blinked in surprise. “This is…” It didn’t look like takeout, but if it was a homemade meal, why was it in a lunchbox?
“My family brought it over for me.”
“No, no, I can’t take it. You should keep it for yourself.”
Paul said, “I’ve already eaten. This is an extra portion.”
“Oh, I see…” Miranda was a little tempted. She was exhausted, but she didn’t want to order takeout, and even less did she want to cook for herself. Paul’s offer was like a godsend.
“Alright then. Thank you, Dr. Jefferson. I’ll wash the lunchbox and return it to you after I’m done.”
“Okay.”
Miranda took the lunchbox inside and opened the lid, releasing a puff of steam. It really was still hot. The lunchbox had three layers. The first layer was filled with steaming rice. The second layer was packed with meat dishes such as pork ribs, beef brisket, and roasted chicken. The third layer was divided into two compartments, one filled with vegetables and the other containing soup. The balanced combination of dishes smelt incredibly appetizing.
Meanwhile, the lights were blazing brightly at the Jefferson manor. Susan sat down for a moment but quickly stood up again as she paced around the living room. After a few steps, she sat back down, only to stand up once more. She repeated this cycle over and over again.
Felix felt dizzy from watching her pace the room. “It’s already so late, yet you’re not going to bed. Why are you pacing back and forth? Are you trying to hit ten thousand steps?”
Annoyed, Susan snapped back, “It’s all because of your son!”
Felix was puzzled. “Which son are you talking about?”
“Who else could it be? Our third son!”
“Paul?” Felix was even more surprised. His youngest son had been independent since he was young and rarely caused any trouble. As he grew older, Paul became even more disciplined, more so than his own father. The friends Felix hung out with often complained about their kids being good-for-nothing or rebellious hooligans. However, Felix never had such concerns.