Chapter 429 A Bit Like a Proposal
Nathaniel picked the largest one, and when the clerk was about to peel it for him, he stopped them.
At the checkout, he triple-bagged it before putting it in the car.
He usually hated the smell of durian, but to please Aurelia, he could overcome these minor difficulties.
When they reached the parking spot, he opened the car's back door and let Aurelia in first, then followed and sat next to her.
"Aurelia, I'll peel it for you."
Nathaniel put on a pair of disposable gloves and carefully pried open the durian shell, revealing the plump, golden flesh. The car was instantly filled with the aroma of durian.
Aurelia swallowed, remembering how, back at the Bloom Villa, she once brought home a durian mille crepe cake, and he had made her eat it on the balcony, insisting she clean up immediately afterward.
Now, the same person who used to despise her for it was peeling durian for her with his own hands.
Nathaniel placed the peeled pieces into a Tupperware container he had taken from the supermarket. The durian he picked was quite good, yielding a lot of flesh. In no time, several containers were filled.
He tidied up the seat, placed the containers on the center console, and handed the disposable gloves to Aurelia. "Princess, your meal is served!"
Aurelia couldn't help but laugh. "Where did you learn to be so cheesy?"
Nathaniel scratched his brow. He had gone all out, learning a popular phrase from the internet to please her. But now, being called cheesy, he wished he had chosen different words.
"Never mind that, just eat."
Aurelia slowly put on the gloves, picked up the largest piece, and just as she was about to eat, she remembered something. "Aren't you forgetting a step?"
Nathaniel looked puzzled. "Forgetting what?"
Aurelia gestured with her eyes towards the spiky durian shells. Nathaniel had said an hour ago that he would kneel while watching her eat.
Nathaniel understood and said, aggrieved, "Aurelia, do I really have to kneel?"
"I didn't ask you to kneel; you offered. A man should keep his word."
Nathaniel's lips curled into a smile. "I will! But can I kneel on the bed next time?"
As he spoke, Nathaniel placed a piece of durian shell under his knee and knelt on one leg.
Aurelia looked horrified and reached out to pull him up. "Are you serious?"
"I'm a CEO; I can't break my promise to my girlfriend, can I?"
Nathaniel remained kneeling on one leg. Aurelia didn't know if he was in pain, but the pose looked a bit like a marriage proposal.
It inexplicably made her feel pressured. "Get up!"
Nathaniel looked at her intently. "Are you still mad?"
Aurelia, feeling a bit flustered, cleared her throat. "Stop it, get up."
Nathaniel glanced down at his position, realizing why she was uncomfortable, and sat back down. They both fell silent for a moment.
She had said she didn't want to get married, but he still held onto some hope. Just kneeling on one leg made her uncomfortable, making Nathaniel feel like he had no chance.
How could he make her not fear marriage? This question stumped him.
"Aurelia, eat."
To ease the awkwardness, Aurelia started eating voraciously, finishing two large pieces in a row.
With her taste buds satisfied, Aurelia's mood improved. She took off the disposable gloves and noticed Nathaniel watching her eat.
"Do you want to try some?"
Nathaniel shook his head, and Aurelia tried to persuade him.
"I'm serious. Foods like durian may smell bad, but they taste amazing. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so popular. Just try a bite; you might love it and beg me to buy durian for you in the future."
Nathaniel continued to shake his head. "You eat; it's all yours."
In reality, he still couldn't stand the smell. He was already at his limit, not opening the car door or windows. Eating it was out of the question.
Aurelia sighed. "Alright, your loss. It's really delicious."
She glanced at his right leg and noticed his suit pants had some marks from the sharp durian shell. "Does it hurt?"
It took Nathaniel a moment to realize she was asking about his knee.
"No, it doesn't," He said, feeling a bit sweet inside.
Nathaniel couldn't explain it, but he felt like he was turning into Zack, a lovesick fool. Even a simple concern from her made him ridiculously happy.
"You're not bothered by the durian smell anymore?"
Nathaniel felt like a walking durian, covered in its smell, even in his nose. He endured the discomfort and didn't dare to tell the truth. "It's okay."
Aurelia opened the car door, letting fresh air in. "I wouldn't force you to smell it. Why hold it in if you can't stand it?"
Nathaniel didn't dare to speak up. "You're not mad at me anymore, right?"
Aurelia nodded, her anger dissipated. "Are you hungry? I'll go eat with you."
Nathaniel thought about it. He was tired of the restaurant food. Going to a restaurant wasn't as good as eating at home, where it was quiet and they could talk, enjoying their time together.
"Aurelia, can we eat at home?"
"Do you have food at home?"
Nathaniel thought about his empty fridge. "No, but we can steal some from my grandpa's fridge downstairs and cook."
He checked the time. Reed should be out for a walk in the nearby park after dinner.
Aurelia smiled. "Hard to guard against a thief at home!"
They agreed. Nathaniel got into the driver's seat, buckled her seatbelt, then his own.
Home wasn't far, about a ten-minute drive.
They first went to Reed's house. As Nathaniel expected, Reed wasn't home.
He restocked Reed's fridge with vegetables and fruits every two days, so it was well-stocked.
Nathaniel took a few eggs and tomatoes, then asked Aurelia, "Are you sure you don't want to eat more?"
Aurelia wasn't hungry. Durian, being high in sugar, was quite filling. "I'm not hungry; you eat."
Nathaniel thought for a moment, then put the eggs back, took two more tomatoes, and some greens. He also grabbed a pack of pre-cut beef brisket from the freezer. "Let's go, time to cook."
Locking the door, they carried the "stolen" food upstairs, feeling like a married couple returning home.
Nathaniel had improved a lot recently, learning to cook many dishes from Betty, especially Aurelia's favorites.
At the Bloom Villa, her favorite was Betty's tomato beef stew.
He had planned to make something simple for himself, like noodles. But seeing her slender figure, he remembered Joe mentioning that she had been anemic since having the baby.
To treat anemia, more iron-rich meat was needed. This beef stew would be good for her.
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