Chapter 313 Scarlett, How Do You Plan to Handle It?

Chapter 313 Scarlett, How Do You Plan to Handle It?

After everyone left, the place was a complete mess.

Nora was clearing the dining table.

Steven came over and took her hand, "Don't clean up, just leave it. I'll have someone come over tomorrow to take care of it."

"No, I at least need to pour out this soup."

"I'll do it. Where should I pour it?"

"Into the garbage disposal." Nora continued tidying up other things.

Steven took the soup to pour it out, then came back and said, "Leave the rest alone. It's already very late, let's shower and go to bed."

"That's what I was thinking too. New Year's as a married person is so exhausting." Nora patted her lower back and went to the guest bedroom to get her pajamas.

Steven pulled her hand, looking at her suggestively, "Sleep in the master bedroom tonight."

Nora blushed slightly, "No."

"The bed in the guest room is too small." He sounded quite disdainful.

"Then don't come sleep there." Nora dodged away to take a shower.

After her shower, she found Steven sitting at the computer desk in her room, looking at her notebook. His black shirt made him look elegant and dazzling.

"Why are you looking at my notebook?"

"I saw you always writing in it, so I took a look." The book was full of cooking notes. Steven flipped through it.

Nora didn't really mind. She dried her hair and said, "Aren't you going to shower?"

"I'm going now."

He glanced at her, saw she was drying her hair, got up and left, then came back with a hairdryer. "Sit still."

Nora saw the hairdryer in his hand, knew what he meant, and smiled, "You're going to blow-dry my hair?"

"Yes." He responded, turned on the hairdryer, and slowly dried her hair.

Nora opened her online shop on the computer. She'd been on vacation recently and hadn't replied to any of the shop's messages.

After replying for a while, something came to mind, and she said to Steven, "Aria said I have a real talent for cooking and wants to take me as her apprentice."

Steven had almost finished drying her hair. He turned off the hairdryer and looked at her, "What do you think?"

"Did you know she used to be a famous chef?"

"I know." He knew all about the Bennett family. "She was originally a very famous chef with dozens of restaurants under her name. Several of them got three Michelin stars. She had quite an achievement in the culinary world."

"But over twenty years ago, after she had her child, her health wasn't great, so she didn't come out much. She's been living in Thalassia for years. She also has many restaurants there. After all, Thalassia has the most Michelin restaurants and is a paradise for chefs to settle down."

So that's how it was.

Nora finally understood why Aria settled in Thalassia - it was related to cooking.

"She wants to take you as her apprentice. What do you think?"

"I don't know." Nora shook her head, holding a stress relief toy in her hand, squeezing it. "That day I said I'd think about it, and she hasn't mentioned it again since. I don't know if she was joking."

Things that are only mentioned once - sometimes thinking too much about them makes you seem like you're "overthinking." What if she was just saying it casually?

So they didn't talk about this topic anymore.

After Steven finished drying her hair, he started unbuttoning his shirt, looking elegant and relaxed.

Nora blushed, "Why are you taking off your clothes?"

"To shower." He smiled.

"Why don't you go to the bathroom first?"

"I want to tempt you a little." Steven took off his shirt. His body was well-defined and perfect, without a bit of extra fat.

Nora couldn't help but swallow.

Steven laughed, his voice pleased, "Mesmerized by my body?"

Nora snapped back to reality, her eyes fixed on his V-line. She froze for a moment, quickly looked away, her face and ears red, "No, I just zoned out for a second."

"I have a good body, right?" Steven leaned over, resting against the desk edge, looking at the freshly showered woman with her pink, tender skin.

"It's okay." Nora didn't dare look him in the eye. She suddenly felt thirsty.

Steven bent down to look at her, "Other women stare at me directly, but you always avoid my eyes."

Nora thought to herself, that's because they don't know you're exceptionally gifted.

Otherwise they'd be scared and wouldn't dare anymore.

"Go shower already." She pushed him away, went to pour herself a glass of water, and stood in the living room drinking it. Her face felt a bit hot.

While he was showering, Nora called Olivia.

Olivia had visited a supplier in Everglade City and then went to Harbor Island for vacation.

In the video call, Nora asked her, "Isn't it lonely traveling alone during New Year's?"

"Not really. It's rare to be alone, nice to relax." Olivia was sitting in a bar. During the day she'd taken many beautiful photos in the small town. At night with nothing to do, she wandered the night market and had some drinks.

Loneliness - yes, there was some, but it was also relaxing, better than going back and being questioned by relatives.

"You know Kai and his family came to South City for vacation, right?" Nora asked Olivia.

"Yeah, Wayne even called me specifically, told me not to come back, to avoid them asking about my divorce. He was worried it would be awkward and that I'd embarrass him."

Nora looked speechless, "How could he do that? So many women get divorced now, does that mean none of them can go back to their parents' home?"

"That's how many older generation people think. Even if we think it's nothing, in their eyes it's unacceptable." Olivia took a sip of her drink. "So I just came out to travel. Otherwise if I'm in South City and relatives come, it would seem rude not to see them."

Relatives are those people you're not very close to normally, but have to see and visit during holidays. They're relationships from the previous generation, and you can't tell your parents not to see them.

Olivia did feel melancholy. After the divorce, she felt like the whole world was looking at her through colored glasses.

The question she got asked most was: Why did you get divorced?

Some sleazy businessmen in the market, knowing she was divorced, seemed to think she was easy to get, and would send her obscene messages late at night from time to time.

"Olivia, is it really that bad after divorce?" Nora asked in a low voice.

Olivia seemed to hear something in her tone and raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong with you? Did you have a fight with Steven?"

"Not exactly..."

"Don't I know you? What's been happening recently?"

Nora stuck out her tongue. Olivia's observation skills were too good. She told Olivia about everything that had happened recently.

After listening, Olivia said, "So what does Steven think now? Does he still have feelings for that woman?"

"He said he doesn't want to be with her anymore." Nora said.

Olivia thought for a moment, "Then if that's the case, it's just past feelings, right? Ask Steven - if he really wants to live a good life with you, then stop overthinking it."

"After all, you hadn't even met him back then. You can't expect him not to have known anyone before, right? Falling in love is easy, marriage is hard. Couples who can stay together and maintain good feelings are actually quite rare. So if you've met someone like that, cherish it. If you really can't make it to the end, then end it properly. At least they were someone you loved - there's no need to make things so awkward."

Nora nodded, "I understand."

She didn't want to divorce casually either, but she needed Steven to make his position clear, otherwise she felt wronged too.

When Steven came out of the shower, he saw Nora sitting in the swivel chair talking on the phone with Olivia.

"Talking to Olivia?" Steven leaned against the doorway, wearing a black robe with the collar slightly open, looking sexy and lazy.

"Yes." Hearing Steven's voice, Nora didn't dare continue chatting with Olivia. She said quietly to Olivia, "Olivia, Steven's done showering, I'm hanging up now."

"Time for bed." Steven walked over and scooped Nora up from the swivel chair.

Nora was startled, finding herself in Steven's arms. Nora's sweet fragrance mixed with Steven's cool scent.

Steven placed her on the big bed and leaned down to kiss her.

He took her earlobe in his mouth.

Nora's body trembled slightly, wanting to curl up.

"Don't be so nervous." Steven held her down, admiring her flushed face in the light.

Nora felt like her heart was about to jump out. She instinctively covered her face, "Why are you looking at me?"

"You're beautiful." Steven smiled, then pressed his body firmly against hers.

Nora's body tensed up, instinctively grabbing the collar of his robe.

"Relax a little." Steven coaxed her, kissing her soft lips. Nora couldn't handle it, her face full of charm, trapped in his arms.

"I'm not nervous."

"If you're not nervous, why is your body so tense? Take a deep breath, relax." Steven taught her.

Nora slowly relaxed her breathing, her moist eyes looking at him, "I want to ask you something."

"Ask." He said while kissing, lingering and tender.

Nora's breathing tightened. She blocked his chest, "Stop kissing me first, I need to ask you something."

"Go ahead." Seeing the seriousness in her eyes, he stopped kissing and lay behind her, holding her waist.

Nora blinked, "Scarlett - what are you planning to do about her?"

She didn't want to sleep with Steven in a confused state without resolving the Scarlett issue.

"Didn't I tell you? I don't want to be with her. It's just that we've known each other for over ten years, and she saved my life, so when she has difficulties, I should help her solve them."

"But what if she wants to be with you?" Nora looked at him.

Steven smiled gently, "I chose you, and I'll keep walking with you. I won't think about anyone else."

Nora's heart wasn't without conflict.

His confession was touching.

But his personality - when he went crazy, it was really scary.

Nora frowned and said, "But when you get angry, you're really frightening."

"That's only because you keep talking about divorcing me." Steven's voice was low and husky as he kissed her bare back. "Wouldn't it be fine if we just don't divorce?"

Nora's back was being kissed, her breathing tightened.

Her back had always been one of her sensitive spots. Her toes curled, the corners of her eyes red.

Steven held her tighter, kissing her, biting her, "You're my first woman, and from now on, I only want you..."

Nora's eyes were seductive, reduced to nothing but gasps under his kisses.

"Earlier you said you didn't like me bullying you." His thin lips pressed against her neck, his voice tinged with laughter, hoarse enough to make one's heart race. "Look, you're enjoying it so much now."

Nora's face was so red she wanted to crawl into a hole, her voice soft and sweet, "I already said, I don't like it when we're fighting."

Besides, when it comes to intimate life, women can enjoy it too.

It's not just a man's privilege.

Both men and women should feel pleasure for it to be harmonious.

"During the cold war, weren't you also enjoying it, but just too stubborn to say it?" Steven teased her.

Nora's ears turned red, "No way! If a woman isn't into it, it's not that comfortable."

Sometimes Nora felt she was just silly - Steven would trick her a couple times and she'd say what was on her mind.

Now he could use it to tease her again next time.

"Is it comfortable now?" Steven's lips brushed over her skin, whispering gently.

Nora blushed and didn't answer.

"Is it comfortable?" He pinched her waist, his fingertips caressing the soft flesh there.

Nora let out a soft moan. Hearing it made his heart itch unbearably, his eyes deep and burning. "Is it comfortable? You still haven't answered."