Chloe Comes to Visit

"Come on in, this is where I live," Jaxon said a few minutes later, leading Chloe back to his residence.

Chloe walked in without any hesitation, examining the room's environment as usual, which was completely different from Lily before. "There are three rooms here. Actually, I only rented one of them. Another room is also occupied, by someone from Goldenleaf University, and the other room is empty," Jaxon introduced to Chloe.

Originally, Jaxon wanted to let Chloe sit in the hall and not take her to his room. After all, his room was too small and cluttered with things, not suitable for showing to others. However, when Jaxon was about to go back to his room, Chloe followed directly, without intending to stay in the hall, apparently wanting to see Jaxon's room.

"My room is a bit small and messy," Jaxon said as he opened the door, leading Chloe inside. "You do barbecue?" Chloe said, seeing the barbecue rack in Jaxon's room.

"Yep," Jaxon replied, "It's on the street in front of your school. I've only been doing it for about a month."

Chloe nodded. She knew that street but had never visited it before. She was aware that it was filled with small restaurants and stalls selling inexpensive trinkets, mostly frequented by students from the surrounding schools. Perhaps she should take a stroll there sometime soon.

"Let's go to the living room. There's hardly any place to sit in here," Jaxon said to Chloe. "I'll whip up something for us to eat."

Neither Jaxon nor Chloe had eaten much at the restaurant, so they were both quite hungry. Hearing Jaxon mention food, Chloe's eyes seemed to brighten a bit. "Kong Hailin said your cooking is even better than the head chef at Kaillemen?"

"It's a bit better," Jaxon admitted without modesty. "So, you're in for a treat today. Haha."

Chloe let out a rare smile, something Jaxon hadn't expected. Her smile was warm and beautiful, and for a moment, Jaxon was taken aback. Chloe's face turned a faint shade of red, and her smile faded as she regained her composure. Jaxon coughed and quickly left the room to head to the kitchen.

After Jaxon left, Chloe let out a deep breath, seemingly relieved from the tension she had felt earlier. It took her a while to compose herself before she left Jaxon's room and sat down at the dining table in the living room. "Huh?" Sitting at the chair, Chloe noticed a pair of women's boots on the shoe rack by the door, something she had missed when they first entered. Her eyes flickered, though her expression remained unchanged.

"Dinner's ready!"

In no time, Jaxon brought out the dishes. His home was well-stocked with ingredients, and in just a short while, he had prepared two dishes and a soup. "Try it and see how it tastes," Jaxon said, sitting down opposite Chloe.

Chloe didn't hesitate and took a bite of the sweet and sour pork. Her eyes brightened, and the pace at which she chewed seemed to quicken. "How is it?" Jaxon asked. "Not bad!" Chloe praised after swallowing the bite. "It's better than most of the dishes I've had before."

Jaxon had already guessed from Chloe's demeanor that she didn't come from an ordinary family, and today's encounter with Kong Hailin had only confirmed that. So, he didn't doubt Chloe's words at all.

"Since it suits your taste, eat more," Jaxon encouraged. He then started eating as well. Chloe continued to eat, but after a few more bites, she casually asked, "Is the other tenant here a woman?"

"How did you know?" Jaxon looked at Chloe in confusion. "Yes, she is. She's a relative of my landlord, also from the capital. She came to Goldenleaf for university, and her family didn't want her to live off-campus, so she stays here. But she prefers not to live outside, so she rarely comes back. I get to have the place mostly to myself. It's like I'm living alone in such a big house. I guess I got a good deal, haha."

Hearing Jaxon's words, Chloe's eyes softened a bit. Then, as if remembering something, she asked, "Is she the one you helped with the registration the other day?"

Jaxon had indeed run into Chloe when he was helping Lily with her registration. "Yes, that's her," he confirmed. "My landlord had some errands to run and asked me to give her a hand."

"You're quite the helpful one," Chloe remarked.

Jaxon didn't catch the slight change in Chloe's tone. He smiled and said, "It was just a small favor, nothing major."

Chloe put down her chopsticks and announced, "I'm full. Let's go."

She stood up to leave, her movements quick and decisive. "You're full already? After eating so little? How about having a bit more?" Jaxon urged.

Chloe didn't respond and walked straight towards the door. "I'll see you out," Jaxon said, following her.

"No need," Chloe replied this time, her voice returning to its usual coldness. She declined the offer quite bluntly.

Jaxon thought about it and realized that Chloe's skills were probably better than his own at the moment. It seemed there was indeed no need to see her off. So, he stood at the door and said, "Be careful on your way."

Then, he closed the door and went back to finish his meal.

Downstairs, Chloe, seeing that no one followed her, let out a soft sigh of frustration and muttered, "What a fool!"

"Girls sure have small appetites," Jaxon remarked back at the dining table, still commenting on Chloe's eating habits. "She ate just a few bites and claimed to be full. Well, more for me then."

In the end, the two dishes and soup were mostly consumed by Jaxon, except for the few bites Chloe had taken. Jaxon noticed that since he had gained the ability to transport himself, his appetite seemed to have increased significantly. If others saw how much he could eat, they would probably label him as a "glutton" without a doubt.

After cleaning up the dishes and freshening up, Jaxon still had some time before midnight. He lay down on the bed and continued to look up information on timber, where he had left off previously.

Jaxon had already decided that the startup capital for his real-world business venture would come from the timber trade. To ensure his own interests and avoid being deceived, it was essential to gather as much industry information as possible. In addition to gathering information on-site, searching online was also very necessary. With the advanced internet nowadays, there was a wealth of information available. As long as he searched diligently, he could find a lot of useful information for himself.