Chapter 18
There was actually a child safety seat installed in the back of the Alpha.
Last night I was still warning myself to stay away from Jason, to learn to let go, yet now my heart was racing uncontrollably.
I opened my mouth to say something, then saw Jason naturally pick up Jessica and settle her into the child safety seat, carefully fastening the seatbelt.
Jessica didn't say a word throughout the whole process. But the way she looked at Jason was especially serious and bright.
Jessica really liked Jason.
Even though she'd told me earlier she didn't want a daddy anymore, when she actually saw Jason, the affection would still shine through her eyes.
I forced down the ache in my heart and casually took the passenger seat, pretending nothing was wrong.
Jason got in the driver's seat, started the car, and drove smoothly.
"Want to listen to some music?" Jason suddenly asked.
I shook my head gently. Right now, my mind was full of thoughts about Jason's attitude - how could I be in the mood for music?
"I want to listen!" Jessica suddenly spoke up, her excitement impossible to hide.
Jason looked at her through the rearview mirror and patiently asked what she wanted to hear.
Music flowed through the car as Jessica hummed along to the melody in her childish voice.
My heart gradually calmed down, and the corners of my lips curved up slightly.
Whatever, at least this moment was nice.
Jessica was happy too. That was enough.
Jason glanced at me while waiting at a red light, but didn't say anything.
Before long, we arrived at the repair shop.
The shop was huge, but I spotted my car right away.
The damaged parts had been completely fixed. A staff member smiled and handed me the car keys, then turned to leave.
I hesitated a bit, then moved closer to Jason and asked, "Do I need to pay any extra repair fees?"
Jason looked at me deeply, his tone sounding a bit odd. "No need, but you should at least buy me a meal, right?"
I really had no reason to refuse.
Jason had definitely helped me out big time this time.
I discreetly studied Jason's expression, nodded in agreement, and asked, "What do you want to eat?"
"Up to you." Three short words came out.
I froze, my thoughts suddenly pulled back to the past.
When I was with Jason before, whenever we decided what to eat, Jason would always say, "up to you."
"I got paid today, let's go have hotpot?"
"Up to you."
"I want to eat Western food."
"Up to you."
"I heard the new ramen tastes really unique, and there's a new ramen place that just opened with it. Should we try it?"
"I'm fine with anything, up to you."
My thoughts were suddenly pulled back to reality.
"Auntie! This car has the same child safety seat as the one in his car!"
Jessica pulled open the car door, her eyes lighting up as she called out to me excitedly.
Snapping back, I quickly walked over and looked up to see a brand new child safety seat, frozen in place.
I instinctively turned to look for Jason.
He was talking to a staff member not far away.
He was tall with an upright posture, particularly eye-catching in the crowd.
Jason turned to look back, our eyes meeting.
I stared, lost in thought, my heart beating wildly out of control.
Years ago, he was just like this, striding toward me, helping me pick up scattered documents.
When I took the documents, my heartbeat also sped up uncontrollably because of him.
"He bought this safety seat." Jessica caught on quickly.
She looked up at me, her eyes sparkling.
I knew what she wanted to say. And I was also confused at that moment.
What did Jason mean by this?
Shouldn't he hate me? So why would he buy Jessica a child safety seat?
Jason finished talking and walked toward us.
I stopped overthinking and asked, "How much was the seat? I'll transfer you the money."
Jason's steps paused slightly. He raised an eyebrow and glanced at me, ignoring the question.
With his long legs, he stepped past me, picked up Jessica, gently placed her in the safety seat, and carefully fastened the seatbelt.
Jessica was very well-behaved throughout, cooperating with Jason's movements.
Even through her star-shaped sunglasses, I could feel her incredibly eager, burning gaze.
She really, really liked Jason as a father.
I pressed my lips together, trying hard to suppress the ache in my heart, and turned to get in the driver's seat.
I'd transfer Jason the money for the safety seat on my phone when I got back.
The next moment, the passenger door was pulled open, and Jason got in with his long legs.
I turned my head and saw him with a dark expression, clearly not in a good mood.
I silently swallowed back the question about the safety seat's price that was on the tip of my tongue.
"Since you're treating me to a meal, why not go now?" Jason's one sentence decided our next plan.
I didn't refuse. I thought that after treating him to this meal today, we wouldn't see each other again in the future.
But then I looked at him sideways.
Jason had driven here, so why was he now sitting in my car so matter-of-factly?
As if seeing my confusion, Jason raised an eyebrow and said, "My car needs maintenance anyway. No problem riding in yours, right?"
All I could say was, "No problem."
But I felt like something was off.
I started the car and slowly drove out of the repair shop.
I asked, "Where should we eat?"
"What do you want to eat?" Jason asked back.
I shook my head lightly to indicate I didn't know.
After coming to Seaside City, I'd been busy working and making money all day.
Forget about going to nice restaurants - if conditions allowed, I'd bring my own lunch. I wouldn't give the ramen shop downstairs from the company a single penny.
I said, "Mr. Cooper, you decide."
Jason didn't hold back. He nodded in agreement, then made a phone call.
When the person on the other end heard Jason was looking for a good restaurant, they immediately got interested and rattled off several recommendations at lightning speed.
I could vaguely hear some of what they were saying.
I pressed my lips together lightly. That person was probably the woman Jason loved.
Jason ignored their teasing and, after getting a satisfactory result, hung up.
"Let's go to this place. I'll set up the navigation for you." Jason said, operating the car's built-in navigation system.
His slender fingers tapped on the screen methodically. "Ryan says this place is good. Let's try it."
"Okay." I suppressed that sense of loss in my heart, focused on driving, and smoothly took several turns in a row.
Jason looked thoughtful. He propped his head up with one hand and tilted his head to look at me. "Your driving skills are pretty good now."
"I've practiced over the years," I answered softly.
Maybe because Jason's temper had been good these past couple of days, I was emotionally excited, which made me more talkative. "I was scared when I first started driving, too. One night, Mr. Ethan got really drunk at a business dinner and couldn't reach anyone else, so I had no choice but to bite the bullet and drive. Didn't expect I'd get good at it that way."
Jason's originally mild expression gradually darkened.
The corners of his lips curved up mockingly. "He even makes you drive? You're just that willing to serve him?"
My brows furrowed, dissatisfaction rising in my heart. "It's work."
Jason's mocking smile became more obvious. He half-closed his eyes and looked me over, speaking word by word, "You really are dedicated and responsible!"
I fell silent. Jessica, sitting in the back, spoke up, "Why do you always have such a cold face? Aren't you afraid you won't find a wife?"