They hadn't eaten much at the banquet, so both stomachs were still empty. The long street outside flickered with shifting lights and shadows, open-air food stalls lining both sides still doing brisk business, their mouthwatering aromas floating on the night air. They picked one at random and sat down.
"What do you feel like? It's on me," Evelyn said with a soft smile.
"Stir-fried rice cakes with egg and sausage, plus a marinated chicken drumstick and an ice-cold Coke."
"You little glutton." She raised her hand to wave the owner over, ordered everything Noah wanted, then chose a small bowl of wonton soup for herself.
Noah watched the owner walk away and couldn't help asking, "Eve, why do you always eat so little?"
"Guess. Maybe… your sister's on a diet?"
"You're already this skinny. Keep dieting and you'll end up with another stomachache."
"Oh? Now you're lecturing your sister? So this is how Nate grew up."
"I'm just worried about you."
Evelyn had only been teasing. She knew how to take care of her own body. She simply had a small appetite—two or three bites and she was full. It had always been that way, maybe a habit left from the days long ago when meals hadn't always been guaranteed.
She studied Noah's clean, slightly thin face, the smile at the corner of her lips curving with quiet amusement. "Your sister knows her limits just fine. But Nate, do you understand how bad staying up late really is?"
"Staying up late… Eve, how did you even know I—"
"What do you think? No matter how late I get up at night, I can still hear every sound coming from your room. Did you honestly believe turning the light off would fool me?"
Noah gave an awkward little smile. "I just couldn't fall asleep."
"Then why can't you get up in the morning?"
Unable to come up with a good excuse, Noah scratched his head. Right on cue the owner set their food on the table. He jumped at the distraction. "Eve, stop scolding me. Let's just eat first. I'm starving."
Evelyn let it drop. The clear, pale broth steamed gently, thin-skinned dumplings floating on top, dotted with bits of seaweed and tiny shrimp.
She scooped one up with a porcelain spoon, blew on it softly, bit through the skin, and ate slowly. A little broth clung to her pale-pink lips; the soft lower lip glistened like it had been glossed before her small tongue swept it clean.
Every subtle shift of her expression was mature and alluring, the kind of quiet charm that could tug a boy's heart with almost no effort.
She lifted her gaze and, exactly as expected, caught Noah staring at her in a daze. She smiled at him. "Why aren't you eating? Is your sister that good-looking?"
"It's too hot. I'll let it cool down."
"Too hot?" Evelyn scooped up another dumpling and blew on it gently. "Then try your sister's first. I cooled it for you."
The porcelain spoon came straight to his mouth without the slightest hesitation. The white dumpling showed tender pink filling beneath its thin wrapper. For some reason Noah's pulse stumbled—even though he had eaten straight from her mouth countless times before.
He could see clearly that her lips had touched the spoon when she blew.
When he stayed frozen, Evelyn blinked and leaned closer. "Hm? Disgusted by your sister now?"
"No… no."
Noah opened his mouth in a daze, swallowed the dumpling from the spoon, barely chewing before it slid down.
"Want more? Your sister can't finish all this."
"No, I'm good."
He shook his head quickly, then attacked the oily, savory rice cakes on his own plate in big bites, washing them down with gulps of Coke. His table manners stayed as casual as ever.
"After we finish, want to walk around a little or head straight home to sleep?" Evelyn had barely asked when she spotted two familiar figures approaching behind Noah. The girl was affectionately linking arms with the woman, strolling over from the front. Their eyes met.
Mrs. Vale waved, leading Lila Vale closer, her voice warm and kind. "Nate, Evelyn, you two are out here too?"
"Yeah. Good evening, Mrs. Vale."
"Good evening. Didn't expect to bump into you here. We just brought Lila out for a late-night bite. Mind if we join you?"
"Sure, but we're almost finished…"
"No problem at all. Let's chat. It's been months since we've seen each other." Mrs. Vale pulled over a plastic chair and sat. Lila settled into the one beside her. Their eyes met Noah's, but neither spoke.
"Lila, go order whatever you want. Mom wants to catch up with Evelyn for a minute." The woman turned her full attention back to Evelyn, smile gentle and motherly. "I heard from Mr. Vale you've got your eye on a boy. Where's he from?"
"I'll tell you about it later. Right now… it's not the right time."
"Not the right time? Aunt trusts your taste, but these days out there…"
The classic older-generation lecture rolled out again. Mrs. Vale spoke earnestly, worried Evelyn might misjudge and that such a wonderful girl would get hurt by the wrong guy.
Evelyn listened obediently and politely, nodding at the right moments. Her gaze kept drifting back to Noah, molars clenching tight in her mouth… The girl was touching what belonged to her again.
"Haven't seen you around much lately. Been staying home the whole time?"
"Yeah. It's been too cold. Not really in the mood to go out." Noah finished the last bite on his plate and looked up, a smear of oily sauce still clinging to the corner of his mouth.
He reached for a napkin, but a pair of slender hands got there first, gently wiping the residue away. Lila folded the napkin neatly and set it aside, then continued talking to him as calmly as if nothing had happened.
"Lila, you…"
"What?" The girl smiled sweetly, like the gesture was the most ordinary thing in the world.
Noah's Adam's apple bobbed. He looked puzzled and lost. Normally only Evelyn ever wiped his mouth for him. In his memory that kind of thing was something elders did for kids out of affection. When he was little he used to run around with sauce all over his face after meals, and Laura would always fix him up.
Now, staring at Lila's delicate, pretty face, he felt strangely off-balance.
"Where were we… They actually opened a new food street behind the neighborhood recently. The bubble tea shop we used to go to has new flavors too. Want to go check it out tomorrow?"
"I didn't even know about that."
"You've been cooped up at home the whole break, of course you wouldn't." Lila's big eyes fixed on him, catching the light and sparkling. "Come on. I'll treat you to bubble tea."
Noah glanced at Evelyn. Her peach-blossom eyes were calm and unreadable. But he could still feel exactly what his sister wanted—only one answer.
"I've got some stuff to handle at home these next couple of days. Probably can't make it. Maybe another time."
"Oh, busy." The sparkle in the girl's eyes dimmed little by little, her smile fading. She shook her head. "That's fine, no problem. Whenever you have time."
"Yeah. Sorry."
"It's okay, really." She gave a helpless little tug at the corner of her mouth, stood up, and called to her mother. "Mom, let's go. You promised to buy me new clothes."