Chapter 329

"Relax." Adrian Klein chuckled at Evelyn Langley's rigid posture.

She finally loosened up and sat across from him.

"Your cooking suits my taste perfectly." Adrian lifted his soup bowl, gently tapping it against hers. "This is the best thank-you gift."

He picked up a golden-brown fried chicken wing—crispy on the outside, tender and juicy inside.

"You won't find such authentic flavors elsewhere."

Evelyn smiled faintly. "Then the rest is all yours?"

Adrian's eyes curved slightly. "The honor is mine."

By the time they finished lunch, it was already 2 p.m.

After cleaning the kitchen, they left together.

Adrian headed to the lab while Evelyn went to the library—conveniently on the same route.

At the fork in the road, Evelyn instinctively followed Adrian left.

Suddenly realizing she no longer needed to go to the lab, her ears burned as she hastily turned and hurried toward the library.

......

The next day, Evelyn brought homemade pastries to the lab.

"Wow!" Natalie Blanchet gasped at the exquisitely shaped cakes in the box. "You made all these?"

"This Hello Kitty is adorable!"

"And a Transformer too!"

Oliver Lancelot immediately spotted the Stitch-themed cake. "Can I have this one?"

"Go ahead." Evelyn nodded with a smile.

Natalie teased with a wink. "For Camille?"

Oliver scratched his head sheepishly.

Vincent Macmillan couldn't wait to take a bite. "Perfect sweetness—not cloying at all."

Evelyn said softly, "My thesis is done. I might not come to the lab often anymore."

Natalie had expected this, just not so soon.

"Don't make it sound so final. We can still meet for meals."

Vincent sighed regretfully. "I'll miss having a mental math partner."

Oliver added, "You're always welcome back."

Camille Valrose glanced at the Stitch cake on the table, secretly relieved.

Finally leaving...

That evening, Adrian treated everyone to dinner.

They chose a Michelin five-star Chinese courtyard restaurant.

Evelyn wore a lavender dress with her hair in a bun and strappy sandals.

The pebbled pathway at the entrance made her tread carefully, but she still slipped—falling backward.