Juniper stared at her. Though she didn''t know her, she didn''t dislike her. "Why are you giving me cake?"


    "I like you," Celine answered bluntly, repeating, "I''ve seen you before, on..."


    She thought for a moment, then made a gesture like a screen and answered excitedly, "I saw you on screen, and I liked you."


    On screen? Juniper lowered her gaze. She''d been on the news plenty of times. Who knew which appearance this was? At the end of the day, she was just another fan.


    "Oh." Juniper''s frown rxed, and she took the cake, ncing at it. "Thanks for the cake."


    It was her favorite brand and her favorite vor. Her fans really did their homework. "Miss, how old are you?" Qadir craned his neck, asking curiously.


    "Six," Celine replied enthusiastically, holding up six fingers, her smile free of any cunning or care.


    Juniper, Qadir, J, and Queenie all froze. So, this beautiful woman really did have an intellectual disability? Nature had given her beauty but had taken something else. What a shame.


    Once he realized her situation, Qadir''s heart filled with pity. "Miss, how did you end up out here all by yourself? It''s too dangerous," he asked with concern.


    With the mind of a six-year-old, she could easily be led astray.


    "My husband..." Celine held nothing back, pointing to the nearby coffee shop. "My husband is in a meeting, so I''m eating cake while I wait for him," she exined earnestly.


    Qadir breathed a sigh of relief. At least she had family with her.


    "So what now?" he asked, scratching his head and looking at Juniper. "Juniper, it


    looks like she ns on sticking with us. Should we send her away?"


    "Have you eaten?" Juniper looked at Celine for a few long seconds, then asked politely, "Want to join us?"


    "Okay!" Celine nodded vigorously, her eyes shining as she began rattling off a list of dishes. "I want the spicy chicken,tro meatballs, steamed sea bass..."


    17.


    "Is she faking it?" Qadir gulped in astonishment, hearing her reel off the menu items so fluently. "Could she be a bad person trying to get close to us on purpose


    Juniper didn''t say anything. Her fingersnded on Celine''s wrist, carefully taking her pulse.


    The result confirmed her suspicion—she really did have the mind of a six-year-old.


    "Give your guardian our location," Juniper said, then gestured with her chin. "Come on in."


    "Okay!" Celine picked up her phone and, after a flurry of taps, walked over and took Juniper''s hand. "Let''s go, let''s go!"


    At the mention of food, she was just as excited.


    Juniper nced down at the hand that had taken hers. She had been about to pull away, but the girl was already pulling her inside. >


    At the table, Celine sat right next to Juniper, watching her intently as she looked


    over the menu.


    "I want this one."


    "And this one."


    "Can we try this?"


    "The ice cream looks really yummy."


    Watching her point enthusiastically


    at a dozen different items, Juniper turned to her with a deadpan


    expression Does your husband


    starve you or something?"


    "Huh?" Celine blinked, her expression genuinely innocent. "What does ''starve'' mean?"


    Juniper''s gaze fell on the designerbels of Celine''s clothes and the diamond on her finger. She dismissed her earlier thought.


    Never mind. Perhaps Celine was simply a fellow foodie, just like her.