She’s still injured, still in recovery. Ava Sterling rolled her eyes directly upon hearing this: "What do you think? Just because you have good lung capacity doesn’t mean I do." "No, wait, my lung capacity isn’t bad either, but someone as insane as you, even if I were good, it wouldn’t help." "Next time, I’m not kissing you; I still want to live a few more years." If he kisses like that, she’ll have a short life, a short lifespan. Poe Vaughn looked at the person in his arms; her cheeks were flushed from the recent kiss, and her eyes were misty as if she were a declawed little tiger, lacking any intimidation, instead, she was extremely cute. However, she wasn’t cute, not even a bit bashful. Instead, she spoke about kissing so brazenly, without blushing, without her heart racing, or even panting. In fact, she didn’t have any of the reactions you’d expect after a kiss. Rather, she was filled with intense dissatisfaction towards him. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ N0v3l.Fiɾe.net Such dissatisfaction was just for listening, nothing more. Taking it seriously would truly be foolish. He withdrew his arm, slipped it into his pocket, but still kept one arm around her waist, supporting her. Ava quickly sensed freedom, and hurriedly got out of his embrace, not forgetting to glare at him as she stepped away. Kissing this person felt like a death sentence. If she were to date him, she’d be exhausted to death, revived, and exhausted again—such a life, too terrifying. The mere thought was hair-raising. Ava immediately stood two steps away from him, watching him warily as if he were something terrifying. But Poe Vaughn didn’t react to her gaze at all; he reverted to his previous abstinent demeanor, emotionless and indifferent, as if he wasn’t the one who had just kissed her. Seeing that cold face of his, Ava cursed internally. How could he recover so quickly, acting as if nothing happened! It’s simply... simply infuriating! Ava glared at Poe Vaughn, as if her eyes were about to shoot fire. Poe Vaughn pressed the button for a different floor, this time for the basement, not the first floor. Before long, the elevator stopped at the basement, the underground parking. The driver was already waiting in the car. Poe Vaughn had sent a message to the driver from the elevator, so the driver promptly drove up to the elevator entrance upon receiving instructions. The elevator doors opened, Poe Vaughn stepped out, walking at a normal pace—not hurried, not delayed. Ava stood inside, watching the composed figure ahead as if nothing had happened, itching to punch him twice to vent her frustration; otherwise, she’d genuinely get sick from holding it in. The chubby little child from last night’s dream, laughing so sweetly, so brightly, came to mind, brightening up the whole world. The blazing fire in her heart extinguished instantly, leaving not a spark. Ava immediately stepped on her stilettos and caught up quickly. "Poe Vaughn, I’ll treat you to a meal!" The driver had already opened the car door; Poe Vaughn sat inside. Hearing this from behind, he paused slightly before getting in the car. Ava quickly walked to the other side, opened the door herself, and sat inside. "What do you want to eat? My treat!" She looked at him, beaming, with no anger left, as bright as can be. Poe Vaughn’s eyes were focused ahead, and a noble monosyllable escaped his throat: "Mm." Ava’s eyes immediately smiled into crescents: "I’ve never treated you to a meal before; you can choose anything, anywhere you want to eat, I can afford it!" Poe Vaughn didn’t answer her, but instead, gave an address to the driver. The car quickly exited the underground parking, merging into the traffic. At this moment, two receptionists on the first floor finally reacted, and quickly whipped out their phones, fingers tapping rapidly. Before long, news of Poe Vaughn and Ava Sterling kissing spread within Celestial Holdings. The whole company was abuzz with excitement. The address Poe Vaughn gave was a seafood restaurant, a bit far from Celestial Holdings, it took half an hour by car. However, upon arrival, Ava knew what Poe Vaughn wanted—seafood. When it comes to seafood done right in Aurelia, it’s only this place by the sea. This restaurant isn’t a Western restaurant; it’s a seafood Chinese restaurant. It’s made according to our Asian domestic style, and it’s done very well, Ava had eaten here before. And she liked seafood, too. Unexpectedly, he liked it as well. However, she had previously asked Mrs. Wei about his preferences; she said he wasn’t really into seafood. Mrs. Wei said he preferred imperial cuisine, those traditional old dishes passed down over hundreds, even thousands of years. Don’t underestimate these imperial dishes, they may seem simple—just an ordinary Chinese dish—but they’re very complex to make, involving many processes, just like the egg fried rice an emperor once ate, which involved countless steps. He has a picky palate. Surprising that he’s now choosing seafood, but it fits his taste. Although it’s not in the European way, the taste here is very authentic and, though not as good as the imperial dishes he loves, it’s still excellent. As soon as they got out of the car, Ava hooked her lips and said to Poe Vaughn: "The seafood here is nice, especially the spicy shrimp and Clear Water Crab, they do it really well." Poe Vaughn’s eyes subtly moved as he stepped inside: "You’ve had it before?" Ava slightly raised her chin, her smile widening: "Where in Aurelia with good food haven’t I eaten? Besides those private chef cuisines which I haven’t tried, any good stuff made for open business, I’ve tried them all." Life’s pleasures are just eating, drinking, playing, and having fun. Ava wasn’t much into playing or having fun, which left eating and drinking. And she wasn’t passionate about drinking, only eating. Poe Vaughn asked no more, walking in. Someone inside quickly came out to greet them, personally leading Poe Vaughn and Ava upstairs, stealing a second glance at Ava, who was walking beside Poe Vaughn, but nothing more. Poe Vaughn had reserved a private room, the best kind, with a view, a chance to appreciate flowers, an excellent environment, and of course, excellent service. The person welcoming them handed the menu to Poe Vaughn, who said: "Give it to her." He spoke as though he were treating Ava, not the other way around. The greeter understood, handing the menu to Ava with both hands. Ava didn’t stand on ceremony, directly ordering several milder, lighter seafood dishes: "Alright, just these few." As the person was about to leave, Poe Vaughn said, "Add a portion of spicy shrimp and a Clear Water Crab." Ava hadn’t ordered these two, and hearing this, she was surprised and said: "You can’t eat spicy, why are you ordering spicy food?" Poe Vaughn said, "Just these." Those words were directed at the person receiving the orders, who understood: "Alright." Taking the menu, they quickly left. Was he ordering that for her?