Chapter 148: Turns Out They Were a Bowl Short
’Even an unreliable nanny like that is gone now. What am I going to do?’
’How will I arrange for Ian?’
’The upcoming shoot is still going to take two months, no matter what.’
Melody Monroe felt a wave of anxiety. And then there was Evan Fairchild, which was a whole other headache. She had no idea how he planned to handle this situation.
"Mommy, what are we eating?" Ian Monroe looked up at Melody Monroe.
Ian Monroe’s voice pulled Melody Monroe back from her thoughts.
"Mommy will take a look."
Melody Monroe rummaged through the freezer again and found some meat, some green vegetables, and a bundle of dried noodles.
’Making the great President Fairchild eat noodle soup... That doesn’t seem right!’
’But she didn’t have the ingredients to make anything else. There was no choice. They would just have to make do for one meal.’
"Sweetheart, can you help Mommy wash the vegetables?"
"Mhm." Ian Monroe nodded immediately, deftly putting on his little apron and standing on a stool.
Melody Monroe took out the vegetables, and Ian Monroe broke them off leaf by leaf, washing them carefully.
Melody Monroe began to prepare the other side ingredients.
Evan Fairchild sat in the living room, watching the scene unfold. A sense of satisfaction, the likes of which he had never felt before, suddenly filled his heart. The warm, yellow light cast a gentle glow on them, touching the softest part of his soul.
He stood up and walked toward the kitchen.
The mother and son were busy at work, completely oblivious to the figure standing just outside.
After the noodles were ready, Melody Monroe took out her and Ian Monroe’s bowls to serve them. She discovered that besides the nanny’s bowl in the cupboard, the only others were two bowls she’d gotten for free with a yogurt purchase at the supermarket last time.
She hesitated for a moment, but still took one out, washed it, and gave it to Evan Fairchild to use.
Melody Monroe was holding the bowl when she turned around and was startled to find Evan Fairchild standing right outside the kitchen.
"President Fairchild, the food is ready. There wasn’t much left in the fridge, so I just made some noodles. I hope you don’t mind."
Evan Fairchild sat down at the dining table, his actions making it clear that he did not mind at all.
He could smell the aroma. The scent whetted his appetite; he had been standing outside, looking forward to this for quite a while.
Melody Monroe placed the three bowls of noodles on the table.
She and Ian Monroe sat on one side, with Evan Fairchild sitting across from them.
Evan Fairchild noticed that the three bowls on the table were a bit odd.
Melody Monroe’s and Ian Monroe’s were a matching set—one large, one small—shaped like little cat heads, complete with two ears.
And his...
He picked it up for a look and saw the large words "Free Gift" on the bottom.
’This doesn’t seem like a proper bowl for a meal, does it?’
He understood now. It wasn’t that they were short a bowl of food for him; they were short a proper bowl for him to eat out of.
"President Fairchild, the bowl is clean. No one has used it," Melody Monroe explained hurriedly.
"What did you buy to get this for free?" Evan Fairchild asked.
Melody Monroe’s face flushed as she replied awkwardly, "Yogurt."
Evan Fairchild found it barely acceptable. He put the bowl down, picked up his chopsticks, and started eating.
The noodles were soft, the broth was fragrant, and the few strips of meat and leaves of green vegetables somehow combined to create such a delicious flavor.
Melody Monroe and Ian Monroe had only taken a few bites when Evan Fairchild’s bowl was already empty.
"Is there more?"
"Yes! There’s still some left."
Evan Fairchild stood up, walked to the kitchen, and, without any ceremony, helped himself to another bowl as if he owned the place.
"You shouldn’t come to my house for dinner anymore," Ian Monroe suddenly said.
"Why?"
"You eat too much!"
Evan Fairchild: ...
"Ian, hurry up and eat your noodles. They won’t be as good if they get cold," Melody Monroe said, placing the chopsticks in Ian Monroe’s hands.
"Are you leaving after you finish eating?" Ian Monroe asked Evan Fairchild.
"Why don’t you ask your mom if she’ll let me leave?" Evan Fairchild tossed the question back to Melody Monroe.
Ian Monroe immediately looked toward his mom.
"Mommy still has some things to discuss with our guest. Be a good boy, Ian. After you finish eating, go to your room to read and play by yourself, okay?"
Evan Fairchild watched Ian Monroe’s expression, the corners of his lips curling up slightly. "You hear that? Your mom doesn’t want me to leave."