Chapter 184
Liam snapped out of it and cleared his throat lightly. "Nothing. I just... wanted to say that the soup smells good."
Noah blinked. "Soup? What soup?"
Suzy smiled. "Be good and let me finish the medicine. You’ll find out soon."
She continued carefully applying the medicine.
Liam didn’t leave. He leaned against the doorframe, watching her.
Noah’s arm was recovering well. The swelling had gone down significantly, and the pus had reduced. Suzy’s movements were gentle as she worked.
"Does it hurt?" she asked softly.
"No," the boy shook his head, his voice soft and sweet. "It doesn’t hurt at all when you do it, Suzy."
Liam’s lips twitched slightly as he watched from the side.
Suzy chuckled and ruffled Noah’s hair. "You’re very brave."
Noah beamed proudly, then snuck a glance at Liam. The latter was speechless.
Once the medicine was applied, Suzy packed up her things and stood. "All done. We’ll continue tomorrow. You should go eat the soup before it gets cold."
But Noah grabbed her hand and refused to let go. "Suzy, can you stay and eat with us?"
Suzy paused, then smiled and shook her head. "I’ve already eaten. You two go ahead."
The three of them moved into the living room.
Liam helped Noah into a chair by the table, then opened the insulated container.
Steam rose once again, the rich aroma of the soup filling the entire room.
The boy inhaled deeply, his eyes widening. "It smells amazing!"
Suzy stepped a little closer to Liam and lowered her voice. "It’s pre-made. I hope you don’t mind."
Liam blinked, then shook his head. "Of course not."
In times like these, even having hot pre-made food was a rare luxury. How could he possibly mind?
Since Suzy wasn’t eating, the brothers shared the soup.
Noah could barely contain himself. He scooped up a spoonful and hurriedly put it into his mouth.
Then he froze.
Both Suzy and Liam stiffened, asking almost at the same time, "What’s wrong? Is it too hot?"
Noah shook his head. He scooped another spoonful, this time eating slowly, as if savoring every bite.
"It’s so good..." he murmured, his eyes suddenly turning red. "Liam... it’s really good..."
It had been so long since he’d tasted something like this.
Dry biscuits, canned food, plain porridge... they filled his stomach, but compared to this warm, fragrant bowl of pork soup, they were worlds apart.
Liam watched him, his chest tightening.
He reached out and gently ruffled Noah’s hair. "If it’s good, eat more."
His brother nodded vigorously and dug in with enthusiasm.
Liam picked up his own spoon and took a sip.
"How is it?" Suzy asked.
He turned his head and met her eyes. They were bright and clear, reflecting the flicker of candlelight like tiny stars.
For a moment, his heartbeat quickened without warning.
He lowered his gaze almost hastily, avoiding her eyes. "It’s very good."
Suzy smiled, satisfied. "Then eat more."
"...Thank you," Liam responded quietly.
The two brothers ate the soup Suzy had brought, their manners calm and composed, while Suzy sat nearby, watching in silence.
They both carried themselves well, eating neatly without any bad habits.
And with their good looks, even something as simple as eating became pleasing to watch.
For a moment, Suzy even felt the urge to take a photo and capture the scene.
But reason prevailed, and she held herself back.
It would be a little too forward to start taking photos while someone else was eating. If it annoyed Liam, her carefully built goodwill might even drop.
She held back.
After a while, the two brothers finished the soup, though they both looked slightly reluctant to stop.
Liam took the initiative to gather the containers and set them neatly aside.
"Thank you. Truly," he said, lifting his gaze to Suzy.
"You don’t have to be so formal with me," Suzy replied lightly. "We all live in the same building. Who knows, maybe I’ll need your help someday."
"I’ll do everything I can," Liam said, his tone steady and sincere.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket.
She didn’t even need to check. It was either Leonard or Thomas, most likely urging her to come back.
She then glanced at her watch––time had slipped by faster than she thought.
It had already been an hour.
She looked up and met Liam’s eyes once more.
"It’s getting late. I should head back."
Liam paused.
...She had only just arrived. And now she was already leaving?
A faint sense of regret rose unexpectedly in his chest, along with something softer, harder to name. Even he was surprised by it.
"Alright."
He had no reason to ask her to stay. So he simply nodded.
Suzy smiled at him, then picked up the insulated containers.
Only then did Noah react. He shot to his feet, almost screaming, "Suzy, you’re leaving?"
Suzy turned toward him and smiled. "Yes. It’s getting late, I shouldn’t keep bothering you."
"You’re not bothering us!" Noah rushed over and grabbed her hand, then turned to Liam. "Right, Liam?"
He was clearly trying to get Liam on his side.
Liam followed naturally, "You’re not bothering us at all."
With his brother’s support, Noah grew even more enthusiastic. He tugged at Suzy’s hand, swaying it back and forth. "Suzy, stay a bit longer, please? Can you play Lego with me?"
The little boy knew exactly how to use his advantage. He blinked his big, watery eyes, putting on a pitiful expression as he pleaded.
It was too much.
Suzy felt her resolve melt instantly.
Honestly... staying a little longer wouldn’t hurt.
More time together meant more opportunities. More opportunities meant better chances to build goodwill.
She hadn’t suggested it herself because she didn’t want to seem clingy.
But if Noah asked, that was different. She was being invited.
Still, she didn’t agree right away. Instead, she looked at Liam, hesitating slightly. "Would that be alright?"
"It’s fine," Liam answered almost immediately. "Noah likes you. If you have the time... you can stay a bit longer."
A quiet spark of satisfaction lit up in Suzy’s heart.
Just as she thought, as long as Noah asked, Liam would never refuse.
Her roundabout approach was working.
"Alright, I’ll stay and play with you a little longer," Suzy said, gently patting Noah’s head.
"Yay! Suzy, come sit here!" Noah grabbed her hand and eagerly led her into the living room, guiding her to the sofa.
Then he plopped down right beside her, sticking close, and pulled out the Lego set she had brought him.
"Suzy, can we build this one together?"
After scanning the options, he had deliberately chosen the largest set.
Suzy didn’t think too much about it. She smiled and nodded. "Of course."
The two of them quickly got absorbed in assembling the pieces.
Meanwhile, Liam cleared the table in silence, occasionally glancing toward the living room.
From where he stood, he could see them sitting side by side, heads slightly bent together over the scattered bricks, their quiet laughter drifting through the room.