Lina was rendered speechless.
“Mom, we owe a lot to Zeke today… He was busy all day and didn’t eat much, so I—”
“Just wait. Mom will train him!”
“Huh?”
Before Lina could say anything, Melissa abruptly opened the kitchen door with a loud noise and said sternly, “Zeke!
Bring the plate in!”
Zuko was taken aback and instinctively looked at Lina. The latter turned her face away, exasperated.
“Zeke, come in quickly!” Melissa beckoned.
Zuko reluctantly walked into the kitchen, holding the plate and a spoon.
Melissa had a smile on her face and raised her eyebrows as she looked at the sink. “Put them in there!”
Zuko did as she said.
“Wash the plates and also clean the pots!” Melissa instructed.
Zuko stared at her blankly.
Since he arrived, it seemed like he had not done any household chores. The last time he cooked for Lina, the
kitchen had turned into a battlefield, and Melissa had ended up cleaning it up.
What was Melissa planning to do now? Teaching him how to do housework?
Zuko was confused. It was not that he did not want to do housework, but he did not know how. From childhood to
adulthood, he had at least five or six housekeepers taking care of his daily life. Even when he came to Jangasas, he
lived in a villa area Zephyr had invested in during his early years.
He was a truck driver for the Grist Group in the day, but he returned to the villa at night and was served. He had no
idea how to wash plates or clean pots.
“First, get some water and add dishwashing detergent.” Melissa leaned against the kitchen door frame, directing
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇthim. “Yes, like that. Use that sponge!
“Hey, Zeke, turn down the water! Do you think water’s free?”
“Yes, wash it like that, inside and out. Make sure it’s all clean!”
Zuko was afraid of these greasy things, but his hands were now soaked in this greasy water with foamy dishwashing
liquid floating on the surface. He held a dishwashing sponge like a warrior and battled with the pots and pans.
Water splashed all over, some splashed onto his face, and he felt a sense of inside him like a volcano about to
erupt. He managed to suppress it in the end.
Zuko took a deep breath and followed Melissa’s instructions, laboriously completing the final step. He saw a
satisfied smile on her face by then.
“Lina, you should go rest!” Melissa signaled to her daughter with her eyes, then turned to Zuko and praised him.
“Look, even men can do housework excellently! You did a good job washing these dishes!”
Lina frowned and shook her head, but Melissa gestured for her to go back to her room. Lina reluctantly walked
upstairs, glancing back at Zuko with concern.
Zuko’s calm and composed face showed no trace of emotional fluctuations.
Melissa smiled as she leaned against the door and continued to chat with him. “Zeke, how old are you this year?”
Lina stood at the staircase, listening intently.
Zuko answered softly, “26.”
“Oh, so you’re six years older than our Lina.” Melissa looked around. “You didn’t go to college during the sentence,
right?”
Zuko did not know how to answer the question, so he remained silent.
“By the way, are there other people in your family?”
“I…”
“Are your parents still alive?”
“Of course!”
Zuko’s temples throbbed. Conversing with Lina was not as exhausting as this!
Melissa continued to stare at him and asked, “What do your parents do?”
Zuko glanced at her and felt his temples pounding even harder. With things coming to this point, he could only
make things up.
“My parents… don’t work. They stay at home,” Zuko said in a low voice.
It was true that they did not have to work since plenty of talented individuals in the company made money for
them.
“Oh, they don’t work?” Melissa furrowed her eyebrows. “Your parents should be around the same age as me…
They’re not retired yet at this age! They don’t work anymore?”
“Uh… Yeah!”
“So how do they live without working?”
“They…” Zuko broke into a sweat on his forehead. “Sometimes they go to the company…”
‘Just to take a look and check the accounts.’
Melissa suddenly realized something. “Oh, they do odd jobs in big companies? Like security or janitorial work?”
Zuko stayed silent.
“Zeke, are there other people in your family?”
Zuko mechanically replied, “I have a younger brother.”
Melissa’s frown deepened. “Does your younger brother also not work?”
“My younger brother’s still in school.”
“Oh?” Melissa’s expression relaxed a bit upon hearing that. “In university?”
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“Uh… It’s not a very good university,” he said.
Toph’s school was not impressive to Zuko as it did not make it into the top three among the most prestigious
schools.
“Oh, it’s good enough that young people are going to university. Who cares if it’s good or not?” Melissa laughed.
She was thinking that even though Zeke’s younger brother did not go to a good school, he was still a university
student. He would find a better job in the future, and there was a higher chance that their parents would follow his
younger brother.
This way, Zuko’s burden probably would not be too heavy.
After spending a few days together, she felt that this child was not bad at heart, and he looked good too. If he could
stay with them…
The more Melissa thought about it, the more she felt fondly toward Zuko. She looked at him with a kind and loving
gaze.
Zuko stood there, not knowing where to put his hands, especially avoiding Melissa’s gaze. For a proud Hamerton
heir like him, it was the first time he felt so intimidated by a middle-aged woman!
He heaved a sigh of relief, hesitated for a while, and stammered, “Ma’am, can I… go to sleep now?”
“Oh!” Melissa snapped back to reality and told him with a smile, “It’s already late. Go rest quickly!”
Zuko hurriedly ran to the porch as if escaping.
“Hey, Zeke!” Melissa’s voice, like a nightmare, came from behind again!
“What’s the matter?”
“Bring the bed to the living room. Don’t sleep outside! It may be a bit chilly in the middle of the night, even though
it’s hot now! Don’t catch a cold.”
“I…”
“Our family doesn’t have the habit of getting up at night, so you can sleep peacefully here!” Melissa warmly invited
him in. “Do you need a new set of sheets? I’ll get another one for you!”