Free Web NovelChapter 474: Chapter 266: Blushing Morning
Her ears, from the earlobes to the auricles, were red as if they were about to drip blood.
Max stared at that undeniably embarrassing redness, and for the first time felt completely unfamiliar and slightly amused with this body he had studied countless times.
She splashed some cold water on her face to fully wake up. Then she took out a brand-new disposable toothbrush and towel from the cabinet and neatly placed them where Lin Yu’an would see them on the sink.
After doing all this, she walked into the kitchen to start preparing breakfast.
As a meticulous scientist, her breakfast was like an experimental procedure — two slices of whole wheat toast from the fridge, one avocado, one egg. Precise and efficient, but soulless.
Lin Yu’an was awakened by a slight sound of pots and pans.
He opened his eyes, the headache from his hangover causing him to frown. He looked around, saw familiar bookshelves and unfamiliar ceilings, and the fragments of memory began to slowly piece together.
He remembered whiskey, secrets, and... lastly, it seemed like the two of them simply leaned on the sofa talking until they blacked out.
Lin Yu’an sat up, saw Max busy in the open kitchen, and jokingly raised his voice to ask.
"Hey, Dr. MacKeez, was the liquor you served last night expired? My brain feels like it was trampled by a herd of moose."
Max turned around, holding a slice of avocado cut too perfectly, with a playful smirk on his face: "Let me think, that bottle is probably as old as your birthday."
"Oh, then it’s definitely expired." Lin Yu’an concluded, shakily walking towards the bathroom.
When Lin Yu’an finished freshening up and walked out feeling rejuvenated, Max had already placed breakfast on the small dining table.
Lin Yu’an looked at the plate in front of him and fell into a long contemplation.
A slice of toast topped with a few avocado slices, beside which lay a lonely boiled egg. That was all. A survivalist’s style of breakfast.
"What’s wrong?" Max was puzzled, "This is healthy and provides quality fats and proteins."
Lin Yu’an looked up at her, then at her extremely functional kitchen, and suddenly laughed: "Give me ten minutes."
Without waiting for her reply, he walked straight into the kitchen and scanned the area. His gaze finally locked onto a paper bag.
"Do you have flour?"
"Yes, I tried to make pizza last time and failed."
"Any more eggs?"
"In the fridge."
"How about vegetables?"
"...Only those." Max pointed to a small pot of cherry tomatoes on the windowsill.
"That’s enough."
In the following ten minutes, Max witnessed magic.
Lin Yu’an took off his jacket, wearing only a dark T-shirt, revealing his smooth and firm arm muscles. He skillfully poured flour into a large bowl and added water, his actions fluid and seamless.
The kitchen space was small, and when he turned to get the eggs, his arm almost brushed against Max, stirring up a little breeze.
Max instinctively wanted to step aside but found herself trapped between the countertop and this man, surrounded by the scent of male hormones.
Kneading dough, rolling it out, slicing it. Without an extra rolling pin, he used a wine bottle as one.
When he lifted the stretched noodles in the air, some tiny flour particles flew up, one of which landed on Max’s nose tip.
"Don’t move." Lin Yu’an’s deep voice came from above her head.
She froze, only to see him lower his head, extend his thumb, and gently wipe away the flour from her nose tip with his fingertips.
His focused eyes, close enough for her to see her reflection in his dark pupils.
At that moment, time seemed to slow down.
"It’s done." He casually straightened up and continued his work, while Max felt her ears start to burn again.
On the other side, cherry tomatoes were halved and tossed into the pan with the eggs, becoming a vivid tomato and egg sauce after a simple stir-fry.
When a bowl of steaming, bright red broth-drenched handmade noodles was placed in front of her, Max was completely stunned.
"Try it."
She twirled some noodles with a fork and put them in her mouth. The noodles were chewy and smooth, with the sweet and sour tomato perfectly blending with the savory eggs.
The warm and simple flavors immediately soothed her whiskey-tormented stomach from the night before.
"Oh my...," she mumbled in awe, "is this a Chinese-style spaghetti?"
Lin Yu’an was amused by her quirky analogy and shook his head without explaining.
After a whirlwind meal, Max’s phone buzzed with an email from her assistant.
Her expression immediately returned to professionalism as she quickly scanned it: "Well, good news, December’s mood is very stable this morning, and its appetite has returned."
"The bad news is..." She paused, looking up at Lin Yu’an, "It’s treating those ten red balls as treasures, baring its teeth at anyone who approaches, even the keepers."
"But that’s also good; it can help develop a food-guarding habit, which is beneficial for its survival when returning to the wild."
"Also, there was something uncertain about whether it is good or bad, which I only mentioned to you yesterday; you should be prepared."
"That is, December may not complete the rewilding training. Rewilding training has a failure probability, nobody can say for sure, it’s up to December itself."
"If the comprehensive assessment concludes it truly cannot complete the rewilding training, it will have to spend the rest of its life in the Arctic Ocean Aquarium."
Upon hearing this, a soft expectation flashed in Lin Yu’an’s eyes but was soon replaced by heavy concern.
Max saw through his thoughts, stood up, and began tidying up the dishes.
"Hey, don’t put on that worried look again from last night." Her tone was relaxed yet carried an undeniable firmness.
"Since you made a choice, you must accept all the scenery along the road, whether sunshine or storms. You need to trust it more and... trust me."
She held the plates, stopped at the kitchen door, and winked back at him.
"After all, I am a scientist about to create miracles."
Looking at the unwavering light in her eyes, the last shadow over Lin Yu’an’s heart completely dissipated. He leaned back in his chair, softly laughing.
The curve of her smile deepened, a smile from the heart. She said nothing more, just nodded to him, then turned and walked into the kitchen, leaving him with a neat and determined back.
The faucet turned on, and the sound of running water followed.
After breakfast, Max went to work, and Lin Yu’an left, preparing to return to Wiseman.
Wearing a well-tailored suit jacket, he instantly transformed from the man nursing a hangover on the carpet, kneading dough in the kitchen, back into the globally admired brand ambassador.
"I should leave now." Lin Yu’an said to Max, who was changing shoes in the entryway, "Back home... they are still waiting for me."
The "they" had taken on a completely different significance after last night’s exchange of secrets.
Max paused her shoelace-tying, then naturally stood up and said, "I’ll walk you to the door."
Together they walked out of the apartment building, the morning breeze filled with frosty air immediately clearing the hangover fog from their minds.
Stopping beside the rented Ford F150 in the parking lot, Lin Yu’an turned around.
"Max," he looked at her, his gaze turning immensely serious, "regarding the project funding, you don’t need to worry."
"If there are ever funding issues, tell me anytime. All you need to do is... as you promised, create miracles."
"You just need to focus on managing your complex family life, Mr. Lin."
Max also smiled, teasingly returning his statement. It was as if last night’s secrets were sealed away in a carefree manner.
She extended her hand to him.
Lin Yu’an was slightly stunned, then also reached out to shake it. Her hand wasn’t as soft as expected, with calluses left from years of experiments, the handshake was firm and strong.
"Then, project partner." She said.
"Partner." He responded.
No hugs, no extra goodbyes. After releasing the handshake, Lin Yu’an opened the car door and sat in the driver’s seat.
Max didn’t immediately leave; she merely stood there, arms crossed, quietly watching him.
Lin Yu’an started the car, and as he drove out of the parking lot, he glanced in the rearview mirror, the determined silhouette still standing there like a lighthouse.
He retracted his gaze, stepped on the accelerator, and headed for Anchorage International Airport.
After returning the rented F150 pickup, Lin Yu’an didn’t enter the main terminal; instead, he went to the area on the other side of the airport reserved for small private planes.
