Chapter 222 Honey, Eat More
The mountain breeze brushed the man's face, making the wilderness feel almost magical.
Ashley had no choice but to approach. She cleared her throat. "Mr. Hearst..."
Damian turned quickly, striding toward her with a gust of wind and a hint of Tahiti. "You're here."
'What did that mean?' She thought.
Before Ashley could ask, Damian's hand was at her waist, pulling her close. "This is my wife, Ashley, whom I mentioned."
Ashley glared at him. "What are you doing?"
Damian ruffled her hair. "Surprised? Say hello to the lady."
Ashley saw an elderly woman emerge from the kitchen with a basin of vegetables. The woman, in her seventies, had a face full of wrinkles and hands like dried bark, showing a life of hard work.
Ashley's heart softened. "Hello, ma'am. How are you feeling these days?"
Damian whispered, "She has trouble hearing. Speak louder."
Ashley repeated, "Hello, ma'am! I'm Mark's friend, here to visit you!"
Damian smirked.
Mark's mother reacted but stayed serious. "I know why you're here."
Ashley glanced at Damian. "She's talking to you. Why are you here?"
Damian whispered, "Now's not the time to argue. She's very guarded. It took me half a day to get her to accept me. Whether we can get what we want depends on your skills."
Ashley asked, "Why did you lie about my identity?"
Damian shrugged. "Are you mad? Fine, I won't say it next time."
"You..." Ashley wanted to argue but focused on the task at hand.
Damian continued, "Ma'am, my wife is Mark's friend and works in Rochester City. Mark had things he didn't get to tell you before he passed, so she's here to relay them."
Ashley was speechless.
Damian lied so smoothly, like an actor.
Ashley bumped the gift she brought into Damian. "Ma'am, let me help with the cooking."
Damian smiled, hearing Ashley offer to help. "Can you handle it?"
Ashley rolled up her sleeves. "If you can, go ahead."
Damian, too tall for the small house, smirked. "I don't need to prove myself this way."
Ashley muttered, "Shameless!"
Damian sat on the hillside, watching Ashley in the kitchen. She wasn't much help but wanted to chat with Mark's mother.
The smoke made her cough several times.
Damian wanted to pull her out but decided against it, knowing her stubbornness.
Finally, the food was ready. Ashley came out with two plates, looking proud.
Damian looked at the plates, holding back his thoughts. "It's fine."
Two simple dishes with basic ingredients and traditional cooking methods didn't look too appetizing.
Ashley had gathered some info from Mark's mom and was in a good mood, walking lightly and humming.
Damian suddenly grabbed her chin. "Don't move."
Ashley wanted to snap at him, but his warm hand covered her forehead and nose, gently rubbing, sending shivers down her spine.
She wanted to lash out, but Damian said, "What are you doing? Want her to see us arguing?"
Ashley glared. "You!"
Damian replied, "What? Do you want to gather evidence or not?"
Her hands were full, or she would've punched him. Instead, she stomped on his foot, leaving a black shoe print.
Damian looked at the print, then at her swaying back, and smirked.
The house had no dining room, just a worn round table covered in old grease. They had to ignore it.
Ashley could handle it, but it was tough for the cleanliness-obsessed Damian.
Knowing his temper, Ashley teased, "Can you handle simple country food? You don't seem hungry. Want to go outside and enjoy the view?"
Damian picked up a greasy fork, frowning deeply. Unsure what to do, he asked, "What dish did you prepare?"
Ashley didn't answer.
Mark's mom remained indifferent. "Do you even know if your wife can cook?"
Ashley had mostly caused trouble rather than helped.
Damian said, "She never cooks at home. I do all the cooking."
Ashley was speechless.
Mark's mom eyed Damian. He had an air of nobility, not an ordinary person. She considered herself a good judge of character.
As for Ashley, she was beautiful and smart, except for her poor cooking skills.
Mark was just a country boy. How could he know such refined people?
Mark's mom said, "You say you know my son, but he never mentioned his friends in the city. How could he be friends with you?"
Ashley said, "To be honest, he was Mark's superior. Mark was diligent and highly valued. They were about to promote him when the accident happened."
Damian smirked. She was good at making things up.
Ashley smiled back. So were you.
The simple food tasted delicious to the weary Ashley, and she ate heartily. "Ma'am, your cooking is amazing! Mark was lucky to enjoy your meals."
Mark's mom thought of her son, her eyes moistening. "Mark... my poor son."
To avoid making her sad, Ashley quickly said, "Ma'am, is the stone path outside convenient for you? It's full of potholes and dangerous."
Mark's mom sighed, "What can be done about it?"
Ashley volunteered. "We'll help you fix it. He's very strong and will make sure it's smooth."
Suddenly tasked with labor, Damian smiled. "No problem."
Mark's mom noticed Damian hadn't eaten much. "Come on, eat up. You're picking at your food like a cat. How will you have any energy?"
Damian sat there with the fork untouched, unable to eat due to his cleanliness obsession.
Ashley smiled and put some food on his plate, drawing out her words. "Honey, eat more! You'll need the energy!"
