Chapter 271\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian skillfully rolled up his sleeves, took the bowl and\u00a0<\/p>\n
chopsticks from her, and carefully rinsed them with hot water\u00a0<\/p>\n
from a kettle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was so used to seeing him handle test tubes and reagents\u00a0<\/p>\n
for experiments that now, watching him with a bowl felt like he\u00a0<\/p>\n
was in a lab, his movements a pleasure to watch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca stared blankly for a moment, then couldn\u2019t help but\u00a0<\/p>\n
ask softly, \u201cAdrian, when did you start liking me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian gathered the sterilized bowls and chopsticks, placed\u00a0<\/p>\n
them in front of Rebecca, and corrected her:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should be asking when I started to like you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs there a difference?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course there is.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian gazed into her eyes, full of affection. \u201cBeing taken with\u00a0<\/p>\n
someone is a moment\u2019s notice, but liking someone\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He raised an eyebrow, his gaze behind his glasses calm and\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 271\u00a0<\/p>\n
focused.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLiking is a continuous state. It has a beginning, but no end.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca was dizzy from his strange words, a little speechless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t play with words, I\u2019m asking for a specific time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He shook his head slightly, the corner of his mouth curving into\u00a0<\/p>\n
a faint, almost helpless smile:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat phrase \u2018being taken with\u2018 is too unfair.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfair?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMhm.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He picked up the teapot and slowly filled the cup in front of her, the sound of the water trickling. \u201cIt\u2019s too casual, like judging the\u00a0<\/p>\n
quality of an object, deciding in a single glance whether you\u00a0<\/p>\n
want it or not.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian spoke very slowly, pausing only when the teacup was\u00a0<\/p>\n
full.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked up, his eyes fixed on her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you\u2019re not an object, Rebecca. My feelings for you weren\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
a split\u2013second judgment.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 271\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was a long, continuous, and ever\u2013strengthening commitment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, you should ask when I started to notice you uncontrollably,\u00a0<\/p>\n
when I couldn\u2019t help but try to understand the meaning behind\u00a0<\/p>\n
your every expression, when I started to turn liking you into an\u00a0<\/p>\n
ongoing project I have no intention of ever finishing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Understand?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca was stunned by his words.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyes were dazed, as if she hadn\u2019t understood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Were those words of love?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Probably\u2026 How else could she explain her racing heart?\u00a0<\/p>\n
She instinctively lifted the cup he had just filled, bringing it to\u00a0<\/p>\n
her lips, hoping the warm liquid would calm the strange panic in\u00a0<\/p>\n
her heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the tea touched her lips, her tongue burned, and she couldn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
help but hiss softly, almost dropping the cup.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you burn yourself?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian frowned, got up to get a cold drink from the fridge, and\u00a0<\/p>\n
twisted it open for Rebecca to take a couple of sips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 271\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca was rarely cared for so attentively, and she waved her\u00a0<\/p>\n
hand to show him he didn\u2019t need to be so worried.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2026 I can get it myself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She took the water, nodded at Adrian, feeling completely\u00a0<\/p>\n
awkward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian didn\u2019t say anything and went back to his seat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His phone on the table vibrated. Adrian glanced at it but didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
open the notification, quickly flipping the phone face down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After they finished eating, Adrian checked the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy lecture is at seven tonight. We still have three hours to\u2026 go\u00a0<\/p>\n
on a date.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s ears grew hot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you want to do?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know. I have no experience. What do people usually do\u00a0<\/p>\n
on dates?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian\u2019s lips curved into a smile, perhaps pleased to hear Rebecca say she had \u201cno experience.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 271\u00a0<\/p>\n
They got in the car and both took out their phones to search for what young people do on dates these days.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGo to the movies?\u00a0<\/p>\n
That seems to be the number one date activity.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca nodded, buckling her seatbelt. \u201cOkay, I\u2019m not picky. I\u2019ll\u00a0<\/p>\n
watch anything but romance movies\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After saying that, she realized she was now dating Adrian and quickly corrected herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRomance movies are fine, too. I watch them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian chuckled. He glanced at the options and picked a well-\u00a0<\/p>\n
reviewed mystery movie.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The movie itself didn\u2019t matter. What mattered was who he was\u00a0<\/p>\n
watching it with.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before they left, Adrian had one more thing to do.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned his head, one hand resting on the steering wheel.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou burned your tongue earlier. Is it feeling any better?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay, just a little numb right now. It\u2019ll probably take a few\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 271\u00a0<\/p>\n
days to heal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian paused for a moment, his gaze locked on Rebecca\u2019s lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWill it affect kissing?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca had been answering him seriously, but her face\u00a0<\/p>\n
flushed hot when she heard that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She subconsciously pressed her lips together, and the slight\u00a0<\/p>\n
numbness on the tip of her tongue seemed to be magnified by\u00a0<\/p>\n
his words, becoming incredibly distinct.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you even thinking about?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAssessing potential risks and feasibility before engaging in\u00a0<\/p>\n
intimate activities is a necessary step.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
Night Carved Paths Into Silence by Zyrel Ash ` 271 Chapter 271\u00a0 Adrian skillfully rolled up his sleeves, took the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-heart-surgeons-last-patient-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29568"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29568\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}