chapter21 Ambiguous

Until he walked out and slammed the door behind him, Scarlett still looked dumbfounded. Did he really just kiss her?

His lips barely grazed her forehead, leaving behind a strange warmth, dreamy and unsettling. Did Asher actually like her?

After a moment, Scarlett forced a bitter smile, wondering what the point of those questions was. So what if he did like her? If he wanted to kiss her, he could, and she couldn't refuse. Talking about love seemed too pretentious for someone who couldn't control their destiny, and overthinking it only led to unnecessary trouble. Going with the flow would be better.

She reached over and flicked off the bedside lamp, wrapping herself in the covers. The soft blankets brought her comfort, like a snail finding solace in its shell, fragile yet providing a temporary refuge for her tender heart.

The next day, the doctor came to check on her. There weren't any major issues, just advised her to rest in bed for a few days. Asher stood by, looking serious, then grilled the doctor about various precautions. Scarlett's health was still solid at its core, and two days later, she was back to her old self. She didn't want to take any more medication, and Asher wasn't keen on having too many people around either. Seeing her regain her energy, he didn't insist on keeping the doctor and nurse around.

After seeing off the visitors, Scarlett took a stroll in the courtyard, stretching her muscles. The storm the previous day had scattered rose petals all over the ground, turning them into a muddy mess. The remaining petals on the branches had lost their vibrancy, fading to a dull white, but the leaves below were even more vibrant. The sunlight peeked through the clouds, casting a soft glow on the green leaves, refreshing and lively, revitalizing the entire garden.

There were plenty of brown leaves and twigs floating on the surface of the swimming pool, indicating it needed cleaning too. She went back inside, flipped the switch to let the water slowly drain out. Tonight, the water would be completely drained, and she'd clean the pool tomorrow. She cleared the grass, leaves, and branches on the garden path, then stood in front of the house and surveyed the area. The villa hadn't been cleaned since she injured her hand, and it was a bit messy. Now that she was healed, she couldn't be lazy anymore. She started tidying up the rooms, especially the living room, which was an important area. Asher spent a lot of time there, enjoying the spaciousness and high ceilings. Opening the windows let in a faint floral scent, and even though he had a TV in his room, he usually watched it in the living room. So Scarlett had to make sure it was kept clean.

She picked up the scattered magazines and cups, putting them back in their respective places. These were tasks Asher didn't enjoy doing. He sat on the nearby couch, leaning against the armrest, the TV flickering in the background, but his attention wasn't on it, it was on Scarlett. Watching her bend over to tidy up, her purple dress accentuating her fair skin, her slender waist and full hips, the skirt swaying gently with her movements, like blooming petals, she was a sight to behold.

His expression softened as he quietly watched her. He liked Scarlett caring about his life, remembering what he liked and disliked. It seemed like everything about him was her whole life, which made him very satisfied.

As Scarlett cleaned up, she almost finished with the living room and moved to another room. As she was about to disappear behind the door, Asher quickly called out, "Scarlett."

She stood at the doorway and looked back, with a questioning look in her eyes.

"Don't clean up anymore, you've just recovered from being sick, don't tire yourself out."

"I'm already fine, it's okay."

"Come over and watch TV with me," he said.

It seemed like Asher was feeling bored. She put down what she was holding, washed her hands, poured some tea, placed it on the nearby table, and brought some snacks over, sitting next to him on the couch.

Asher couldn't find any TV programs he was interested in, so he tossed the remote control to her. "Just find whatever you like to watch."

Scarlett randomly changed the channel, finally settling on a popular idol drama. The storyline was good, and the male lead was a popular star, extremely handsome, with excellent acting skills. His dark eyes were mesmerizing, driving countless fans crazy.

When Scarlett had nothing to do, she often watched TV. She had been following this drama recently, so she was engrossed in it, occasionally giggling, forgetting about the person next to her.

Asher didn't find these fabricated TV dramas interesting, but seeing Scarlett's smiling face, his heart felt light.

But Scarlett was too engrossed in the drama, she didn't talk to him. He didn't like her attention being completely diverted by other things. He tilted his head slightly and asked, "Is it very interesting? What's so special about it?"

Scarlett pointed at the TV screen, her eyes sparkling with admiration, and praised, "This man is so handsome, so charming, I really like him!"

Asher's mood soured when he heard this. He turned cold, stood up, took the remote control back, and switched channels, staring expressionlessly at the stock market chart on the TV screen.

Scarlett's lips parted in surprise, then she lowered them into a disappointed expression, leaning back in the chair, no longer paying attention to the TV.

Asher glanced at her indifferently, his expression turning even colder. "Do you really like him?"

"What?" Scarlett didn't react at first, then after a moment, she realized what he was referring to. "That drama is quite good."

"I mean the man."

Seeing him unhappy, Scarlett hurriedly said, "It's not like I really like him, I just think he plays his role well."

Without looking at her, Asher stared at the TV screen coldly. "Anyway, you can't like anyone."

Scarlett's expression dimmed at his words, her eyes losing their sparkle as she stared at the delicate pattern on the porcelain cup on the coffee table, the red and green lines blurring in her vision, not cute at all!

She said, "I'll go do some work. The house hasn't been cleaned for many days, and it'll take a while."

Asher raised an eyebrow and turned to look at her. "The house doesn't need to be cleaned so thoroughly. It's just the two of us, we can clean it every ten days or so. You should rest more during this time."

"Okay." Her voice sounded muffled in her nose, Scarlett said, lowering her head, still staring at the translucent pattern on the porcelain cup, a line extending from both ends, then suddenly disappearing.

The awkward atmosphere lingered, making Scarlett uncomfortable. She stood up, "I'm going to make some coconut milk sago dessert."

Asher didn't say anything, watching her slump her shoulders as she walked to the kitchen.

As she closed the kitchen door, Scarlett felt uneasy. Asher was actually very good to her, she shouldn't have any complaints. But losing her freedom under someone else's roof was always a thorn in her heart, pricking her whenever she encountered it.

She lit the fire, half filling a pot with water. Soon, the pot started bubbling with the sound of water. She washed the sago and, when it boiled, added it to the pot, stirring carefully with a long spoon.

The door creaked open, and Asher walked in. He stood next to her, silently watching the sago pearls boil and bubble in the water, occasionally casting a sideways glance at her.

Scarlett didn't speak first, focusing on her task.

As the sago gradually turned translucent, Scarlett was about to scoop it up when Asher grabbed her arm. His movements were somewhat awkward. "You're being petty. I changed the channel for you, and you're still not happy!"

Scarlett lowered her gaze, trying to cover up her unease. "I'm not unhappy, I just wanted to cook something for you. You've been taking care of me for the past few days."

"You think I can't tell?" Asher's face showed displeasure. "Do you really like that man?"

Scarlett gave him a look that said, "Are you an alien?" and said, "I don't even know him, I just found the TV show interesting."

Asher snorted through his nose and moved to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Scarlett froze, her hand holding the spoon stopped in mid-air.

Asher held her simply like that, his fingers brushing against her dress, feeling the warm skin underneath the soft fabric, even sensing the blood flowing beneath, a word came to his mind — intimacy. Holding her felt good, like holding something beloved firmly in his hands.

Scarlett's spine stiffened, her heart pounding loudly. Her face felt like it was burning under the moonlight, her cheeks blushing intensely, she didn't know how to handle this situation.

He chuckled softly in her ear, "Scarlett, your waist is so soft."

The intimate gesture made her cheeks blush even more. She stood there awkwardly, stuttering, "I... I..."

She didn't know what to say, her brain stuck in a loop, not knowing how to respond to this situation.

He laughed softly in her ear, "I find holding you very special."

The sound of bubbling water filled the air, the white steam rising, foggy. Scarlett stared blankly at the boiling pearls of sago, slightly squirming, murmuring, "I... I'm done cooking!"

She reached out to turn off the fire, but before she could retract her hand, Asher grabbed it. He held her soft, fleshy palm in his, absentmindedly saying, "Once it's cooked, we'll eat it another day. Be careful not to burn yourself."

He was a head taller than her, and it felt like his whole body was enveloping her. Her soft hair brushed against his jaw, carrying the scent of gardenias, warm on his chest, there was a wonderful feeling blossoming in the depths of his heart, gradually expanding, filling his chest. He let go of Scarlett's hand, ran his fingers through her hair, lowered his head, and rubbed his chin against her neck, his lips touching her slightly red earlobe.

Scarlett's face flushed even more intensely, feeling like she was about to ignite. She stammered, "I... I..."

She didn't know what to say, her hands weakly supporting herself on the stove.

Asher liked seeing Scarlett blush, he hugged her from behind, laughing softly in her ear, "Why do you blush so much? Like a red lantern."

He tightened his grip on her waist, and Scarlett felt suffocated. She moved her hand and accidentally knocked the steel spoon to the ground, making a loud clang, followed by a couple of echoes on the floor.

The sudden sound brought Scarlett back to her senses, and she took advantage of Asher's distraction to struggle out of his embrace, standing aside, stuttering, "I still have to do this, I want to eat it."

She pointed at the pot of sago.

Asher's lips curved in a playful smile, full of flowing light. "Go ahead, I'll watch you do it."