Keaton steered with easy confidence, his long, sculpted fingers resting loosely on the wheel as he gazed into the distance.
"I used to be in love with this girl. Really in love. I believed every single thing she said. When she told me she''d never marry anyone but me, I bought itpletely!"
"And because I trusted her so much, I ended up dragging two innocent people into my mess..."
Keaton''s brow furrowed, as if recalling those unhappy memories.
He fell silent for a moment before continuing, "Then she dumped me. And when she left, she really twisted the knife, you know?"
"Basically, she hurt me pretty bad. Just like Zane hurt you."
"After I finally crawled out of that rtionship, I realized getting emotionally invested was pointless. It''s much easier to just keep things physical. You get your needs met without getting hurt. It''s a win-win."
"I don''t want to get torn to shreds by a woman ever again, and I really like the life I have now. So, I''m definitely not getting married."
Winona looked at him,pletely surprised. "!"
She had no idea Keaton had a history like that.
The Keaton she knew had always been a charming, carefree yer.
He spoke about it so casually, but Winona still frowned in concern.
A wound as deep as the one Zane gave her? That was a soul-crushing kind of heartbreak.
Keaton added, "You know why you and I click? It''s because we''re in the same boat. We''re both shipwrecked souls."
"And you know why I liked Shifra? Because she reminded me of that girl. Not in looks, but in the vibe she gave off."
"Do you know why Shifra had the guts to break up with me first?"
"Because she knew she was like her. Shifra thought I couldn''t live without the feeling she gave me, that I''d definitelye running back to her."
"She overestimated her ce in my heart, and she overestimated how much I needed that feeling."
"How should I put it? It was exciting, suddenly finding that first-love feeling again. But honestly, I could take it or leave it. I mean, I''ve gotten by all these years without it."
Winona: "..."
She had nned to go straight home, but after hearing all this, her heart softened. She couldn''t bring herself to just leave him alone.
He knew how to look after his parents; he was a good son. And he''d been hurt by love before; his past was heartbreaking.
Winona swallowed the frustration that had been caught in her throat and suggested, "Drinking on an empty stomach is never a good
idea. Should we grab somethin
eat on the way?"
"...Sure. What do you feel like? My treat."
Winona pulled out her phone and
There''s a street with a
bunch of food stalls up ahead can just grap something t
"Okay."
About ten minutester, the car pulled over at the entrance to an alley, and they both got out.
Keaton looked at the bustling, smoky atmosphere of the alley and asked, "You''re a big star. Can you eat this kind of stuff?"
Winona retorted, "You''re a silver-spoon type. Can *you* eat this kind of stuff?"
Keaton said, "I''m a grown man, not some primadonna. Of course I can eat it."
Winona pulled on her face mask. "I''m even less of a primadonna."
She strolled into the alley, heading for the food stalls.
Keaton put on his mask and followed her.
Winona bought a lot of food-everything from crispy skewers to steaming dumplings and savory pancakes.
She stopped at various stalls, and Keaton followed behind, paying for everything.
Finally, Winona stopped in front of a stand selling candied fruit skewers and asked Keaton, "You want one?"
Keaton shook his head. "Not a fan."
The old man running the stall said
with a smile, "My candied fruit is the best! You should buy a couple to try. One for you and one for your girlfriend"
Winona politely corrected him, "You misunderstand, sir. I''m not his girlfriend."
The man was surprised. "Oh? You''re not? I saw you two, a handsome couple, you look just like lovebirds!"
Winona just smiled. "You must be mistaken."
The man was a bit embarrassed. "Well, if you''re not his girlfriend, then you''re his..."
Before Winona could answer, Keaton spoke up with a grin, "She''s my venerated ancestor."