Chapter 63 Sweet Moments
Chapter 63 Sweet Moments
Emily carefully placed the last cranberry cookie into a small container decorated with tiny flower patterns. The warm yellow light from the kitchen counter illuminated her movements perfectly for the camera mounted on the stand, capturing every detail of her baking process.
While editing the footage, she made sure to add a special note at the bottom right corner of the screen: [The better you soften your butter, the better your odds of baking great cookies.]
Within minutes of posting the video, notifications started appearing. Emily smiled as she read the comments.
"Emily's tutorials are so detailed! Buying ingredients tomorrow to try this recipe."
"Can you share a low-sugar version? I want to make these for my mom who's watching her sugar intake."
She replied to each comment patiently. Once she finished responding, Emily began preparing Yoyo's dinner. She minced the chicken breast, mixed it with steamed carrot bits and egg yolk, then shaped them into the small balls that Yoyo loved so much.
The thought of visiting Morris tomorrow suddenly made her feel a peculiar nervousness.
The next morning, Morris's Maybach arrived punctually outside her building. Emily grabbed her container of cookies and Yoyo's food before getting into the car.
The interior was quiet except for the soft hum of the air conditioning. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Morris's fingers fidgeting slightly on the steering wheel. His knuckles were distinct, and even his grip on the wheel displayed the same meticulous precision he showed when discussing business matters.
"I watched your video last night," Morris suddenly said, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. "Your video quality keeps improving, and your followers are increasing rapidly. You'll become a major content creator soon at this rate."
"There's still much to improve. I'm actually pretty satisfied as it is," Emily felt warmth spreading through her chest, realizing he had been watching her videos regularly.
She now had over five thousand followers. While not a huge number, it was enough to attract some sponsorship deals, providing her with additional income. She felt genuinely satisfied with her current situation.
Morris spoke again, his voice sounding unexpectedly plaintive. "I haven't had breakfast yet."
He sounded completely different from his commanding presence in the business world, more like a child waiting to be fed.
Emily couldn't help but laugh as she handed him the container. "Here you are. These are the cranberry cookies from last night's video. I brought them especially for you."
"Thank you," Morris accepted them happily.
He pulled over and popped a cookie into his mouth. The buttery aroma immediately filled the car. The crisp texture melted on his tongue, with the tart-sweet cranberries perfectly balancing the richness of the butter, better than anything he'd tasted at any bakery.
Emily watched him eat, her large eyes blinking, long eyelashes casting faint shadows on her cheeks.
Morris felt a surge of tenderness and held out a cookie toward her lips. "Try one yourself. See if the sweetness is just right today."
Looking at the cookie he offered, Emily instinctively opened her mouth, but as she took the cookie, she accidentally caught his fingers between her lips.
The warm sensation shot through Morris like an electric current. He froze instantly, his face turning red with remarkable speed, even the tips of his ears turning pink. He tried to withdraw his fingers but found his body wouldn't obey his brain's commands.
A rush of heat surged from deep within him, and certain parts of his body responded involuntarily. Alarmed, he quickly pulled his fingers away.
The lingering warmth of her lips remained on his fingertips as his breathing became more rapid.
"I-I'm so sorry!" Emily stammered, recovering from her shock. "Please don't be angry. I brushed my teeth before leaving. If you're concerned, I can find you some sanitizing wipes."
She knew Morris was fastidious about cleanliness. Now that his fingers were covered with her saliva, she worried he might be upset.
Morris took several deep breaths before restarting the car.
His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles losing color. His Adam's apple bobbed several times before he finally spoke. "I'm not angry.
His voice was remarkably hoarse, carrying an unintentionally sensual quality completely different from his usual composed self. Unfortunately, Emily beside him was completely oblivious to this.
"Are you okay? Your face is so red. Should we stop at a hospital?" Emily asked, stealing glances at him and noticing his flushed face.
"No need," Morris replied with a hint of pleading in his voice. "Just... don't talk for a moment. I need to concentrate on driving."
He feared that hearing her voice again would make him lose control of his thoughts. Those few seconds of contact had already stirred up a tempest inside him, filling his mind with images of her flushed cheeks and soft lips.
The atmosphere in the car became extraordinarily tense. Emily stared out the window, lost in thought about what had just happened.
When they arrived at Crimson Leaf Villas, Morris practically fled from the car the moment it stopped, rushing toward the house with unmistakable panic in his movements. "I need to get something upstairs. You can go see Yoyo in the garden first."
Emily was puzzled but didn't dwell on it as she took Yoyo's food to the garden.
As she entered, a white ball of fur came running toward her. Yoyo had grown noticeably since her last visit. Its fur was fluffy and soft, gleaming like pearls in the sunlight. Its long tail stood high, clearly indicating it was well cared for.
"Yoyo, did you miss me?" Emily crouched down and poured the food into the cat's special bowl. Yoyo immediately approached, eating while purring contentedly, its tail gently brushing against the back of her hand.
Emily smiled and scratched under its chin, her fingers touching the soft fur as the tension gradually dissipated from her mind.
Half an hour later, Morris finally came downstairs. He wore light gray loungewear, his hair still slightly damp as if he'd just showered. The redness had mostly faded from his face, though his eyes still carried a hint of evasiveness.
He walked into the garden and saw Emily thoroughly enjoying her time with Yoyo. She flashed a gentle smile, with sunlight falling on the tips of her hair, giving them a golden edge.
For some inexplicable reason, Morris felt a twinge of jealousy in his heart. Never in his life had he envied anyone, but now, he was actually jealous of a cat.
Every time Emily came here, it was to see Yoyo, never specifically to see him. She always smiled so happily at Yoyo, while maintaining a certain distance with him.
"It seems to be getting more attached to people," Morris said as he approached, trying to sound casual.
"That's because you're always busy working and don't have time for it," Emily looked up at him, her eyes curving into crescents. "But you're taking excellent care of it. Its coat is much shinier than last time—you must be feeding it very well."
As Morris gazed at her smile, the jealousy in his heart instantly melted away, replaced by tenderness.