Chapter 99 Aurelia stared blankly at Leslie. “Don’t want it?” Leslie asked. “I do.” Aurelia took a sip of the milk and paused. It was cold, which helped relieve the burning sensation in her mouth. “There’s another cup here.” Leslie pointed to another paper cup in the shopping cart. “Thank you.” Aurelia couldn’t help but grip the cup tightly to control her emotions. It was nothing much, just Leslie being a gentleman. But she still felt touched for a moment. Many of her female colleagues at the company often complained that men were thoughtless and didn’t care about others. It seemed like these traits had become stereotypes of men. So, when Seth ignored her feelings in the past, she also thought that all men were like that. Now, she realized that people had been brainwashed. Men could be gentle and caring, even more so than women. “What do you want to buy?” Leslie’s voice brought her back to reality. She quickly put down the cup and began to pick out vegetables. “Mr. Synder, is there any specific dish you’d like to eat? We’ve been busy lately, so I’ll buy more and keep it in the fridge.” Leslie looked at Aurelia, who was picking out vegetables and pursed his lips. “I don’t mind.” “Alright, I’ll buy a bit of everything, and if you see something you don’t like, just let me know. Aurelia naturally pulled over a nearby plastic bag and started selecting vegetables. After weighing and checking the prices, she said, “The prices here are slightly higher than outside, but the quality is good. It’s convenient too.” After the back–and–forth conversation, Aurelia also relaxed and became more talkative. “Mr. Synder, let’s go and take a look at the meat section up ahead. I saw beef there.” “Mr. Synder, what is that section over there for? You’re tall. Can you help me take a look?” “Mr. Synder, what are all those people doing over there?” “Mr. Synder…” Leslie narrowed his eyes as he realized Aurelia was quite talkative in private. Once Aurelia noticed his expression, she immediately pursed her lips. “I’m sorry; I used to accompany my parents when shopping, and I tend to talk a lot.” Chapter 99 2/2 “Alright.” Leslie nodded. Aurelia thought the conversation would end with her chattering. But she was surprised to hear Leslie’s voice again. “Too many people are buying beef right now; let’s check out something else to avoid the crowd. “That section over there is where they sell desserts; they must have new items. “I’ll buy a new dishwashing liquid later. The one you bought made my hands itch.” After speaking, Leslie continued pushing the cart forward. Aurelia stood in place like she’d been struck by lightning. She could tell that Leslie didn’t particularly like excessive talking. But he always responded appropriately, even though his tone was cold. After returning to her senses, Aurelia followed Leslie. She couldn’t understand why someone like him, with a good job, good looks, and an open–minded mother, couldn’t find a girlfriend. Could it really be because of his parents‘ divorce? Then he must be quite pitiful. When parents divorce, apart from the mutual harm between the parents, the first person to get hurt was usually the child. Although she didn’t know the full story of Linda’s divorce, the fact that Linda was unwilling to talk about her ex–husband indicated that the divorce was likely unpleasant. At that moment, Aurelia noticed Leslie staring at the steaks in the freezer. Could it be that he wanted to eat steak? She immediately picked up two steaks and placed them in the shopping cart. “Mr. Synder, how about having steak for lunch? I haven’t had it in a long time.” Leslie’s eyes flickered, and he nodded slightly. “In that case, I’ll also get some salad dressing to make a vegetable and fruit salad,” Aurelia smiled. “Okay,” Leslie replied, his expression remaining unchanged as he continued to push the cart, his thoughts drifting far away. This brand of steak was the first thing he had on his birthday after leaving the Synder family with his mother. He had not seen this brand again since then, so it was surprising to find it here. Seeing the steaks brought back a lot of memories. Noticing that Leslie seemed lost in thought and possibly not in the best mood, Aurelia decided to stop talking and focus on selecting the groceries she needed. When they reached the checkout counter, Aurelia naturally took out her phone to pay but was surprised when Leslie paid for their groceries ahead of her. He then carried the two large bags of items and walked away. Aurelia received the receipt from the cashier and quickly caught up with him, matching his pace.