Felix Sinclair fell silent.
He didn’t know if he should make the promise, because he had a gut feeling that he might not be able to follow through.
’Live for yourself.’ It sounded so easy.
Looking back at the first dozen or so years of his life, he had initially lived for his parents.
He hadn’t enjoyed studying from birth. As he slowly got used to that way of life, he supposed that, in a way, was also living for himself.
After all, before meeting Mia Grant, he really had trouble finding another hobby besides mathematics that could so completely absorb him.
It was only after meeting Mia Grant that he began to learn how to pull himself out of his own world.
So, over the past years, he had already managed to live for his parents and for himself.
In the time he had left, he eagerly looked forward to achieving a spiritual resonance with the one he loved.
His silence said it all. ’If my life were threatened right now,’ Mia Grant thought, ’Felix Sinclair would follow me without a moment’s hesitation.’
It turned out this rigid boy before her was also exceptionally obstinate.
He seemed to have a one-track mind. He was so brilliant in his daily life, but on this matter, it was as if he had fallen into a timeless abyss, unable to find an exit, stubbornly determined to walk a dark path to its very end.
Perhaps this was a form of romance unique to him.
But it wasn’t what she wanted.
"Have you made any progress with your research recently? You’re always flying back and forth, it must be exhausting."
At her words, he gently shook his head.
’It’s not exhausting.’
"There’s been progress, but I’m still too far from the answer I’m looking for."
Mia Grant brushed the back of her hand against his cheek. "If you promise me you’ll behave from now on, I can answer you in place of all that data."
The boy stopped walking and gazed at the peach blossoms blooming vibrantly on the branches ahead, lost in thought.
After just a few seconds, he started walking again, his steps firm and brisk. He said, "It’s alright. I can wait."
’Wait for what?’
’Wait for that tedious data to give him the answer he wanted.’
’It would be a long process.’
’But luckily for him, he could afford to wait.’
Exasperated, Mia Grant pinched the cheek her hand had been resting on and gave it a tug. "Why are you being like this?"
"The answer is right in front of you. Would it kill you to just agree?"
"I just don’t want to make a promise I can’t keep. I don’t want to lie."
The boy’s tone was as normal as ever, as calm as if he were discussing which of the peach trees beside them had the prettiest blossoms.
Mia Grant both loved and hated him for it.
"Do you have to go to class later?"
"Mhm."
"And tonight?"
"After evening self-study, I have to fly to Portia."
"When are you coming back?"
"I land tomorrow at noon."
"..."
"How much longer do you have to keep running back and forth like this?"
"Not for much longer. It’s just that this month is particularly busy. It’s not usually like this."
"..."
Mia Grant took a deep breath, patted his shoulder, and told him to stop.
Felix Sinclair did as she asked, turning his head to look at her.
Mia Grant ignored him and jumped right off his back.
Felix Sinclair froze for a second, then turned to face her. His gaze swept past her eyes, finally settling on the corners of her lips.
He was observing her expression, unsure if she was truly angry.
For him, placating Mia Grant was a difficult subject.
He wasn’t good at comforting people, and even worse at placating them.
Usually, at home, whenever their mother got angry, it was always Ian Sinclair who would calm her down.
Ian Sinclair was a sweet-talker; with just a few words, he could coax their mother into beaming with delight.
Of course, Ian’s methods also worked wonders when placating Mia Grant.
But he just couldn’t imitate him.
’He had always thought of himself as a fast learner, but it seemed he could never grasp the essence of it.’
So, when faced with an angry Mia Grant, he was truly at a loss.
All he could do was clumsily try to resolve the conflict at its source.
But this time, he was unwilling to compromise on the root of the problem.
Mia Grant was wearing a light jacket today. After walking for a while, she was starting to feel a little warm, so she simply took it off and carried it in her hand.
She stood before him, looking troubled, while he, on the other hand, looked perfectly frank.
As their eyes met, she slowly let out a sigh.
"Don’t go," she said.
"You look like you’re in worse shape than me, and I’m the one who just got out of the hospital."
"Just get some proper rest."
"I can give you the answer you want."
"After your classes today, go back to your dorm and get a good night’s sleep. I’ll come find you after my classes tomorrow."
For once, Felix Sinclair sounded urgent. "Can’t you tell me now?"
Mia Grant scoffed. "I could. But I don’t want to."
He thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."
"Aren’t you going to ask why?"
He didn’t need to ask; he knew perfectly well. "You’re angry. This is my punishment."
Mia Grant placed a hand on her hip and tilted her chin up. "So next time, you’d better choose some nicer things to say."
Felix Sinclair understood what she meant and immediately asked, "So, can we have dinner together tomorrow?"
"Depends on my mood tomorrow."
Despite her answer, he asked, "Well, what do you want to eat?"
Mia Grant watched him quietly for a few seconds, then countered, "What do you want to eat?"
"Noodles?"
"I was asking you."
"Mhm, I want to eat noodles."
"..." Mia Grant pursed her lips. "Noodles it is, then."
Felix Sinclair smiled. "Thank you."
The next afternoon, Mia Grant saw Felix Sinclair as soon as her class let out.
They both had classes in the afternoon, and their classrooms happened to be on floors right above and below each other.
As Mia Grant packed her things and slung her bag over her shoulder to leave, she couldn’t help but ask curiously, "How did you get down here so early? Don’t tell me you snuck out the back door?"
Felix Sinclair shook his head. "I already spoke to the professor. I said I had something to take care of, and he let me go."
"..." Mia Grant glanced at the boy in front of her. ’Of course,’ she thought, ’good students always get special treatment.’
"Let’s go."
"Where should we eat? That place by the campus gate?" Mia Grant asked.
"Let’s go to my place," Felix Sinclair said.
"I recently learned how to make seafood noodles, so I want to cook."
Mia Grant stared at him in surprise.
"Really?"
"Mhm." Felix Sinclair checked the time. "Let’s go to the supermarket and buy some ingredients first."
"Oh..." Mia Grant followed him in a daze.
In her memory, while Felix Sinclair wasn’t as picky as Ian Sinclair, he was still a pampered young master whose hands had never touched kitchen work.
He rarely ate in the cafeteria, either; most of the time, he ate meals delivered from the Sinclair family’s home.
’Cooking... This was probably the first time, as far as I can remember.’
At the supermarket, Mia Grant followed beside Felix Sinclair, having no idea what he planned to buy.
Felix Sinclair was incredibly organized. Even for a simple trip to the supermarket, he would prepare a detailed shopping list the night before. He moved with a practiced ease, getting the exact quantities and weights on his list.
The whole time, Mia didn’t even get a chance to help.
’You couldn’t tell at all that he was a novice in the kitchen.’
"Is there anything else you want to eat?"
Felix Sinclair asked her after they had bought all the ingredients on his list.
Mia Grant raised an eyebrow. "You know how to make other things?"
Felix Sinclair thought for a moment. "I can try, but I can’t guarantee it’ll be a success."
Mia Grant laughed, grabbing two bags of potato chips off a shelf. "Let’s go."
Felix Sinclair stared at her for a moment. "You can tell me first. I’ll go back and research it, and I’ll try to make it for you next time."
"Is there anything you want to eat?"
"I’m fine with anything."
"Then I’m fine with anything, too."
"..."
Mia Grant was showing him through her actions that love is a two-way street.