When fate plays its hand

Paul asked, “Had lunch yet?”

“Not yet. You?” Miranda asked in return.

“Funny, neither have I.”

They then exchanged glances, and a quiet understanding settled between them.

20 minutes later, Paul and Miranda were sitting in a barbecue restaurant.

The meat sizzled on the grill, releasing its delicious aroma as he grilled it to perfection. Once the meat was browned and slightly crisped, he wrapped the meat with a piece of vegetable and handed it to her.

Miranda, who was busy replying to messages on her phone, paused as she was momentarily surprised.” Dr. Jefferson, I can do it myself.

But Paul held it out insistently. “Open up.

Miranda froze, feeling unsure.

He chuckled, “Aren’t you still replying to messages? Are you sure you want to do it yourself?”

She quickly put her phone down and reached for the food. “I’m done now. I can do it myself.”

Paul placed it on her plate instead. “Then wash your hands first.”

Miranda glanced at her hands, realizing he was right; her fingers had been all over her phone. From that point on, her only task was to eat, while Paul managed the grilling, placing each perfectly cooked piece onto her plate.

“Dr. Jefferson, don’t just serve me–eat something yourself!” she said, a bit flustered.

“Alright,” he replied. Yet her plate was never empty.

When she bit into a piece of beef that was so juicy it nearly burned her, she sucked in a sharp breath as the heat stung her tongue.

Paul quickly handed her a cold drink. “Take it easy.”

She took a few quick sips, finally feeling some relief.

“Feeling better?” he asked, amused by her rare moment of clumsiness.

She nodded, “Much better, though my tongue still feels a little numb.”

“Open your mouth, let me see. His tone was so casual that she instinctively did as he asked and stuck. out her tongue. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

After a few seconds, she suddenly realized what she was doing. Her cheeks flushed, though she wasn’t sure if it was from the warmth of the room or the heat of the grill. She quickly straightened in her seat, sitting rigidly upright

Paul leaned back. “It looks fine. The heat has irritated it a bit, but there’s no blistering. Some more cold

water should help.”

“Th–Thank you, Dr. Jefferson,” Miranda stammered, taking a couple more gulps of ice water to cool her face.

“Ooh, what kind of mushroom is this?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

*Almond mushroom, also called mushroom of the sun, he replied.

“They’re tiny and cute… she murmured as he placed a few more onto her plate.

“Yeah,” Paul replied.

“Yeah?” Miranda thought, puzzled.

He glanced at her, “Yeah, pretty cute.”

She blinked, feeling momentarily confused. She’d been talking about the mushroom–but why was her face getting hot again?

By the time they finished lunch, it was already 2:00 pm Paul didn’t have any urgent work, and Miranda -wasn’t too busy either, so neither suggested heading back. Instead, they strolled leisurely down the street,

chatting as they went

The sun was out, which was rare and precious on such a winter day.

The streets around Dunham College were even more winding and intricate than those around Bedford College, with an old–world charm and a lively, bustling atmosphere. Alongside the restaurants and food stalls, there were vendors selling handcrafted trinkets.

Miranda wandered from one stall to the next, examining anything that caught her interest and asking for. prices on a few small items.

Paul followed behind at a relaxed pace. She was looking at the crafts, while he looked at her. At that moment, time felt as sweet as if it were sugar–coated–why else would every passing second taste so sweet?

Paul could even hear his own heartbeat. It was thumping so steadily and clearly.

He felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness, with sweetness tinged with a faint, unfamiliar bitterness. He couldn’t quite describe what this feeling was, but in his entire 28 years of living, he had never experienced anything like it.

It was new, exhilarating, something he wanted to resist yet couldn’t escape. It was as if… something. within him was stirring, ready to break free at any moment.

“Dr. Jefferson, come look at this- Miranda suddenly waved him over, snapping him out of his thoughts.

After quickly regaining his composure, Paul walked up to her. Miranda pointed at a small clay figurine and asked, “What does this remind you of?”