After Jack Brown and his assistant left, only two people remained in the silent kitchen.
Gululu...!
Adrian's stomach growled embarrassingly.
Ethan frowned. Where was Butler Ray? Did he want to let Liam starve? Forget it, he'd feed him himself.
He whispered to Adrian, "Are you hungry? Do you want some broccoli?"
Broccoli and lettuce were the things Liam Hayes always clamored to eat. To maintain his figure, he would starve himself to the point of being skin and bones. Ethan was frustrated but never dared to say much. If he objected, Liam would make a big deal out of it and threaten to harm himself.
"Broccoli?" Adrian shook his head in disgust, rubbing his flat stomach. "No, I want real food with meat! If I eat that, I'll be as thin as a stick."
Ethan's eyes widened in surprise.
This... was the first time the stubborn Hayes heir had asked for meat!
"Okay! Wait a minute!" Ethan quickly put on gloves, afraid Adrian would change his mind.
Adrian looked at Ethan's back and smiled. Yes, he had made the right decision.
In his past life, Liam Hayes would always order light meals, starving himself half to death to look like a woman. But that wasn't what he truly wanted, nor was it what Ethan wanted.
Moreover... the life-saving dish earlier, with ginger juice, cayenne pepper, and pure milk, was actually an idea Ethan had come up with in his past life. Adrian had just been one step ahead and made it first.
He wasn't showing off.
He was doing it so that... from the very beginning, he could stand by Ethan's side.
That way, when Jack Brown posted online seven years later, sighing that "2015 was the year Ethan Forrest saved me," he could add, "Ethan Forrest and Liam Hayes saved me."
Thud…!
The sound of knocking on the table pulled Adrian back from his thoughts.
"Hey, it's done!" Ethan brought over a bowl of steaming meatball pasta and hastily placed it on the table. He sucked on his finger, which had been reddened by the heat, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, it's so hot!"
Adrian stared at him, feeling a warmth in his heart. 'He's just too cute,' he thought. Ethan was so adorable... Being able to be reborn and be so close to him was truly the greatest gift from heaven.
"Come on, eat while it's hot," Ethan said, sitting down across from him, stretching out his legs and unexpectedly touching Adrian's feet. He pretended to be nonchalant and didn't pull back his own leg.
He turned his head and whispered, "I've called you 'Liam' three times today. Why didn't you correct me and say your name is Lilian like you always do? Or threaten to kill yourself again?"
"Huh?" Adrian was taken aback.
Yes, the old Liam would have freaked out, shouting, "Call me Lilian! Otherwise, I'll die!"
How silly... Adrian smiled and shrugged. "Because you liked women, I forced you to call me Lilian. But I thought about it, and maybe you'd agree to my marriage proposal even if I'm Liam."
Ethan almost choked.
Adrian nonchalantly picked up a meatball with his fork and put it in his mouth, pretending like he hadn't just drop a bomb. But in his heart, he had already made up his mind that this lifetime, he would cling to Ethan and stubbornly pursue him until he got him, married him, and take him to bed!
"How's the taste?" Ethan stared at him, his eyes shining, trying to ignore the sudden flutter in his chest.
"Haha! It's so delicious! This is the best pasta I've ever had!" Adrian laughed.
As he ate, he chatted with Ethan about the future. "You know, in three years, you'll be cooking for the president and a group of dignitaries."
Ethan rolled his eyes. If it was that easy, he wouldn't have left his father's conglomerate to cook. He'd just do it at the comfort of his mansion's kitchen! "You're talking nonsense!"
But still Ethan laughed at the joke, reaching out to lightly flick his fingers at Adrian's forehead. "You're such a dreamer. How dare you dream big for me when I haven't dreamt that big for myself even."
But Adrian felt a warmth in his heart. In this moment, he saw the real Ethan; the man who would laugh, joke, and show his true smile in the kitchen at midnight.
Not the cold, distant genius from his past life, burdened by pressure and consumed by marriage, only able to force a fake cold smile on TV.
"Ethan Forrest?"
"Hmm?"
"Can you let me stay with you forever?" Adrian asked cautiously, his voice as soft as the wind. "I won't cause trouble or think about dying. I'll help you with cleaning, mopping, washing dishes, and even your clothes. Just don't kick me out. I just want... to be with you."
Knock knock—the door was knocked on. It was the glass door, and from Ethan's angle, he could recognize that it was Ray the butler standing outside. But for Adrian, who was facing away from the door, it was unknown.
"Haha! You're kidding, right, Liam Hayes?" Ethan laughed, with a hint of sarcasm. "Someone like you, from your background, would do laundry and cleaning? Don't be ridiculous."
His smile hid his true feelings, but his heart felt a pang. He came from a higher and richer background than Liam, but he had always kept it hidden, never letting anyone know.
"Your butler is here. It's time to go."
"No, Ethan, I'm serious," Adrian said suddenly, his eyes burning with intensity. "If I leave today, I won't come back to see you for a long time."
Ethan's brow furrowed, but his heart skipped a beat. This wasn't a threat, was it?
Of course it wasn't a threat! It was what would happen!
Liam Hayes' home wasn't a safe haven, but a prison. With Lilian's memories, Adrian knew their fates were destined to be apart. If he took a step out the door today May 5th, 2015 they would never meet for years.
By 2019, when they met again, he would no longer be "Liam" but "Lilian." Then, Ethan would fall in love with that "woman," not knowing it was the same person as the young man in front of him.
It was Complicated. It was utterly ridiculous. But fate was like a tangled mess, and even Adrian couldn't untangle it. But one thing was clear and that is that he didn't want to leave Ethan.
Adrian's hand quietly covered Ethan's, which was resting on the table, and grasped it tightly. "What do you say? Should I leave or stay?"
Ethan's heartbeat was offbeat. He met Adrian's determined gaze and almost lost himself. But reason eventually overcame the flutter in his chest.
He slowly pulled his hand back, avoiding Adrian's gaze. "Liam Hayes, you should leave."
His eyes were low, and his voice was trembling slightly. "Perhaps we need some distance. Because... it seems... you're developing feelings for me that aren't right."
"It's wrong," he said, taking a deep breath.
With that, he turned away and signaled to Ray the butler outside the door to come inside.
The door swung open, and a cold breeze swept in, dispelling the warmth and intimacy in the air.
Ethan didn't look back at Adrian again. He just uttered his final words softly: "I don't think I can love a man."