Chapter 504 You Knew and Still Came?


    Mindy immediately got the hint and didn’t continue speaking.


    What she had originally wanted to say was


    The entire menu <i>tonight </i>had been <i>personally </i>nned by Asher


    Finished


    He used <i>to </i><i>be </i>indifferent about food and <i>social </i><i>asions </i>like this<i>, </i>but this <i>time</i><i>, </i><i>he’d </i><i>gotten </i><i>involved </i><i>with </i><i>every </i><i>detail</i>.


    At the time. <i>I’d </i>wondered if maybe <i>he </i>had finally reached the stage <i>where </i><i>he </i><i>was </i><i>thinking </i><i>about </i><i>rtionships</i>. <i>He </i>seemed so… engaged.


    But back then, <i>neither </i>of us had known-


    That the mysterious Ginger <i>daughter </i><i>he </i>was <i>supposed </i><i>to </i><i>meet</i>… was <i>actually </i>Jean.


    I had no idea what Asher was thinking <i>right </i><i>now</i><i>. </i>


    As he got older, <i>he’d </i><i>be </i>even <i>more </i><i>reserved </i><i>andposed</i><i>. </i>


    <i>That </i>calm exterior <i>of </i><i>his </i><i>made </i><i>it </i>almost <i>impossible </i><i>to </i><i>read </i><i>his </i><i>emotions</i>.


    <i>Is </i><i>he </i>feeling <i>awkward </i><i>at </i><i>this </i><i>very </i><i>moment</i>?


    <i>I </i><i>can’t </i><i>say </i><i>for </i><i>sure</i><i>. </i>


    <i>But </i><i>one </i><i>thing </i><i>is </i><i>certain- </i>


    <i>I </i><i>genuinely </i><i>like </i><i>Jean</i>. A <i>lot</i>.


    Across the table, Jean was quietly scanning the dishesid out in front of her, a flicker of surprise lighting up her gaze.


    <i>Most </i><i>of </i><i>the </i><i>food</i><i>… </i><i>Is </i><i>stuff </i>I liked.


    <i>Is </i>it <i>just </i><i>a </i><i>coincidence</i><i>? </i><i>Or </i><i>could </i>it <i>be- </i>


    Jean looked up, almost unconsciously, and her eyes met Asher’s steady gaze.


    But unlike earlier, when he’d seemedposed and collected, this time there was something else in his eyes–a flicker of panic. He quickly looked away, breaking eye contact.


    <i>I </i>must <i>be </i><i>overthinking</i>.


    Jean shook her head in her mind.


    <i>There’s </i><i>no </i><i>way </i><i>Asher </i><i>knew </i><i>the </i><i>Ginger </i>girl <i>tonight </i><i>would </i><i>be </i><i>me</i><i>. </i>


    <i>He </i>shouldn’t <i>have </i>known.


    <i>But</i>… <i>we’ve </i><i>known </i><i>each </i><i>other </i><i>for </i><i>a </i><i>long </i><i>time</i><i>. </i><i>He </i><i>does </i><i>know </i>what Hike <i>to eat</i><i>. </i>


    <i>Maybe </i><i>he </i><i>just </i><i>got </i><izy </i><i>and </i><i>built </i><i>the </i><i>menu </i><i>around </i><i>my </i><i>tastes</i><i>? </i>


    Jean let the thought go and began enjoying the food, thanks to the warm hospitality of Madam Lawson and


    Mindy.


    The atmosphere <i>of </i><i>the </i><i>dinner </i>was <i>far </i>more pleasant <i>than </i><i>I’d </i><i>imagined</i>.


    Finished


    There were no awkward conversations. <i>Everyone </i>kept <i>things </i>light, <i>chatting </i>casually <i>about </i><i>everyday </i><i>things </i>and <i>family </i>


    stories.


    <i>It </i>was <i>clear </i>that-


    No one brought up the real reason behind this <i>dinner</i><i>. </i>


    And honestly? <b><i>I </i></b>was d.


    If anyone had said it <i>out </i><i>loud</i><i>, </i><i>I </i><i>would’ve </i><i>been </i><i>mortified</i><i>. </i>


    Falling in <i>love </i>with a ssmate? <i>That </i><i>might </i><i>sound </i><i>normal </i><i>for </i><i>other </i><i>people</i><i>, </i><i>but </i><i>I </i><i>wasn’t </i><i>ready </i><i>for </i><i>any </i><i>of </i><i>that</i><i>. </i>


    Not even <i>close</i>.


    After the dinner wrapped up, Jean hesitated for a moment, then decided to ask Asher to step outside.


    I <i>want </i><i>to </i><i>talk </i>to <i>him</i><i>–</i><i>alone</i><i>. </i>


    They walked to a quiet corner of the estate, where it was just the two of them, surrounded by the soft shadows of trees and blooming flowers glowing under the garden lights.


    “You know what this dinner was really about, don’t you?”


    Jean didn’t bother with small talk. She got straight to the point.


    They sat side by side, and from where Jean was, she could see the sharp profile of his face–like it was carved from stone.


    <i>When </i><i>did </i><i>the </i><i>height </i><i>gap </i><i>between </i><i>us </i><i>be </i><i>this </i><i>dramatic</i>?


    <i>He </i><i>used </i><i>to </i><i>be </i><i>that </i>kid I <i>had </i><i>to </i><i>slightly </i><i>look </i>up <i>to</i><i>. </i>


    <i>Now </i><i>he’s </i>grown <i>so </i><i>tall</i>, <i>and </i><i>even </i><i>though </i><i>there’s </i><i>still </i>a <i>hint </i><i>of </i><i>boyishness </i><i>on </i><i>his </i><i>face</i><i>, </i><i>I </i><i>have </i><i>to </i><i>crane </i><i>my </i><i>neck </i><i>to </i><i>meet </i><i>his </i>


    eyes.


    “I knew.” Asher didn’t hesitate. He nodded.


    Jean raised her brows slightly.


    “You knew and still came? What if the Ginger daughter hadn’t been me? You would’ve been walking into a blind date with aplete stranger.”


    She teased him lightly, then tilted her head.


    “So how are you feeling now? Embarrassed? Disappointed? I mean, finding out your blind date turned out to be an old ssmate you already know…”