Niania got down from the taxi holding about four grocery bags in her hands. She turned towards her apartment and started walking. The grocery bags were almost weighing her down and she seemed to be struggling to walk in a proper balance manner.

Niania accidentally stepped on her sneaker lace and tripped. She gasped as she was about to fall down. Just down, a strong arm held her back and she crashed into the chest of that person.

​​

''Unreliable, uncoordinated and clumsy. Tsk! Tsk, tsk'' a familiar voice said to her.

Niania looked up and met the gaze of Thomas. She quickly stepped back and asked.

''What… what are you doing here?'' she stuttered.

''Shouldn't you be picking the vegetables on the ground first?'' Thomas asked and Niania turned.

When she saw the vegetables on the ground, she flushed and her face turned red. She bent down and started picking them up as she spoke.

''I stepped on my lace''

''You are always stepping on something. Can't you properly lace up your sneakers?'' Thomas furrowed his brows and bent down. He started picking the vegetables along with her.

''I do them well, but somehow, they just loosen up by themselves. It's like they have a mind of their own. Aye, sometimes can't be forced''

Thomas picked the apple and looked up. He looked at her face and a thought crossed his mind.

She seemed to be getting used to him. Just now, she was being herself. It felt good to be with someone who didn't have ulterior motives.

It was refreshing.

Thomas kept the apple in the bag and stretched his hand again to pick the cucumber and their hands touched. Niania had also stretched her hand to pick the cucumber so he placed his hand on her hand.

They both stopped and looked up, meeting each other's gaze. Niania retracted her hand away immediately and stood up.

''Sorry'' she muttered and Thomas almost missed it.

Since it was the last thing left on the ground, she picked the bags and stepped aside, blushing.

Thomas looked at her and squatted. ''Later on, I will teach you how to lace your sneakers. I'm afraid you will end up hurting yourself if you keep stepping on it. Luckily I was there and helped you''

Niania tried to step away when he touched her foot and he said to her.

''Don't mover'' he started tying her lace for her.

Niania looked down at him. Her face was red and her heart was beating faster. When he touched her leg her body shivered.

''Now, this makes it four meals'' Thomas stood up and looked at her.

''Uh huh?''

''I saved you again, so that makes it four meals. Do you have a problem with that, Gu Nian?''

''No'' Niania shook her head and turned like a robot, walking towards her apartment.

Thomas hurried to her side and snatched the bags from her hands. Niania didn't dare to turn and look at him. She was already embarrassed and knew her face probably looked like a ripe tomato at that moment.

When they got to her apartment, Niania kept her hand in her bag and took out her keys. She tried to open her door but her nervousness got the better part of her. Her actions were clumsy and she seemed to be missing the pinhole of the door lock.

Thomas held the bags in one hand and used the other hand to touch her. Niania almost jumped at his touch. She turned to look at him, blushing.

Thomas snatched the keys from her and opened the door first. He took out the keys and kept them in her bag before saying.

''After you'' he spoke softly and unhurriedly. He somewhat carried gentleness and Niania felt reassured.

''You can use this slippers'' Niania brought out a male pair of slippers and placed them in front of Thomas.

Thomas didn't immediately put them on. He looked at them for a moment and Niania noticed it.

''I bought them for my father when he came the last time but he wore them once'' Niania explained.

''Mm'' Thomas nodded his head before taking off his shoes. He wore the slippers and stepped into the small hall. He scanned the place that didn't seem to be even larger than his study room. He went to the couch and sat down, then turned to look at the bed which was located at a corner.

The room was divided into a bedroom, hall and kitchen. The hall and kitchen occupied the same area while a large blue curtain divided the hall from the bedroom.

Niania always felt her little space for large enough for her until the moment Thomas intruded her little space.

Watching the man in the hall from the kitchen, she suddenly felt like her apartment was just a cubicle. He seemed to take over all the space there was in there.

''Have you watched enough?'' Thomas asked, turning his gaze towards her.

Niania looked away and muttered. ''I wasn't looking at you'' she removed all the vegetables and started washing them. She added salt to the vegetables and washed them.

''How long have you stayed here for?'' Thomas asked as he picked her remote to turn on the flat screen.

''This is my third year of staying here. but, I don't really stay here as much. I spend most nights outside''

Thomas paused and looked at her when she said that. Niania sensed his gaze and explained further.

''I meant, I spend some nights at Alice's house, and sometimes outside the city when Alice has a shooting elsewhere''

Thomas didn't say anything. He simply nodded and turned to watch the TV again. Niania looked at him and smiled before concentrating on her work again.

Since Thomas showed her a lot of generosity, she felt obliged to pay him back with good food. She knew he was trying to help her the other time. He had sent her that amount of money because of the call she made that evening and she was grateful.

She had earlier in the day done a little check on the type of food he loved to eat and managed to get a few things. He loved to eat Chinese dishes so she planned to make him a lot of Chinese food tonight.

''By the way, Gu Nian. What are you preparing for me?'' Thomas asked.

''Fried eggs with tomatoes, braised tofu, stir-fried broccoli, stewed fish and Yangzhou Fried Rice''

''Those are all foods I love to eat. Did you run a check on what I love to eat?''

''Mm'' Niania didn't noticed he had walked over and was standing behind her.

''How did you find out about those?''

''I have my ways. I wouldn't be Alice's assistant if I didn't know how to snob arou…'' Niania turned and bumped into him. She flushed and stepped back.

''You…''

''I was bored, decided to come and see how the cooking is going'' Thomas said and stepped back, giving her enough space and distance. He looked at the vegetables on the table and asked, ''do you need any help?''

''No, you are my guest. I can't let you cook. You came here to eat, you should sit in the hall and wait. Let me tell you, I am quite fast in the kitchen. I will be done very soon''

''Then, I will take a look around the apartment. Since you don't want me in the kitchen'' Thomas turned and left the kitchen area with a downcast spirit.

Niania sighed as she looked at him. She wanted to tell him to return back decided against it. If he was going to be standing next to her, she was bound to make embarrassing mistakes. She felt nervous around him.

Thomas walked around the apartment. He stopped by the blue curtain and curiosity got the better part of him, so he touched it and pulled it aside, revealing the bed with orange coloured bedsheets. There was a pink teddy bear, the same size as the one she gave to Natalie at the hospital.

Thomas smiled and found the bed quite cute. It was very tidy. He closed the curtain and moved to her study desk. On the desk was her laptop and a small book shelf at the top with her study books on it.

Thomas pulled out the chair and sat on it. he picked one of her books and started going through. After flipping over a few pages, a picture fell out of the book to the table.

Thomas picked the picture and looked at it. He frowned. The picture was of Niania and another man. They were standing next to a kangaroo man in the middle. Judging from the background of the picture, they must have taken it at a ferry park.

Thomas face changed. In the picture, Niania's gaze was on the one taking the picture but the gaze of the man standing next to her was fixed on her.

Thomas could tell from the picture that the man had special feelings for Niania. He couldn't take it.

Thomas stood up with the picture and walked to the kitchen. Niania was stirring the broccoli when she felt her body being turned.

Thomas turned Niania to face him and he lifted the picture for her to see. Then he asked.

''Who is this man?''