Chapter 249

Marshall said, “How does Japanese sound?” Then, he turned to the two beside him, “What do you two want to eat?”

Stella said, “Sure. There’s a pretty good Japanese restaurant at Elias Street.”

“How about you, Keegan?” Marshall asked Keegan.

Keegan did not answer. Instead, he asked Stella, “I thought you didn’t like Japanese food?”

Marshall was a little surprised.

“If you don’t like Japanese food, we’ll have something else. I was just suggesting.”

Stella rolled her eyes at Keegan, “Nope, don’t listen to him. He doesn’t even know what I like. I love Japanese food.”

Keegan frowned as his gaze darkened. Then, he stopped talking and had a tense expression.

‘Marshall loves Japanese food. I can tell from his extensive knowledge of Japanese cuisine. Besides that, his dining etiquette is incredibly elegant. Previously, we ate together at a cheap eatery in front of my college, but I didn’t feel a thing. It was probably due to the environment at the time. Now we’re dining at a Japanese with an elegant environment, and he’s throwing me for a loop. He actually uses cutlery to peel shrimps!’ thought Stella.

Marshall first used a fork to hold the bottom of the shrimp and remove it. Next, he used a knife to slit a small opening on the back of the shrimp. Then, he used a fork to take out the shrimp meat within.

Finally, he used a knife to cut the shrimp meat into smaller slices before putting them into his mouth and savoring them.

The shrimp shells he had peeled were neatly placed in a row on the table.

‘I used to think the actors on TV exaggerated the table manners of the wealthy. But it looks like all of it were real. In the past, I never thought the way I ate looked bad, but compared with Marshall, I’m like a person who fled from famine and had never seen food. I peel shrimps with my mouth, scoop caviar with a spoon, and downed the entire bowl of soup at once……’ she thought.

Marshall watched as Stella stared at the shrimps he had peeled in a daze. He laughed and said, Is it really that unappetizing to eat with me?”

Then only did Stella realize she was openly observing him. She coughed and said, “That’s not it. It just feels like I’m watching a tutorial.”

Marshall laughed.

“I grew up in a family with a strict upbringing. There were rules for eating, sleeping, and everything.

Once you get used to something, it’s hard to change your habits,” he said.

Stella smiled with her eyes, “It isn’t. Get yourself a girlfriend who eats appetizingly, and you’ll fix it after having meals with her for a few years. When Keegan and I got married, he ate noodles with a fork.

Nowadays, he even uses his hands when eating fried chicken.”

Right after she spoke, Keegan choked on his food and started coughing. He had a dark expression as he said, “I used my hands because you used my fork to dig the soil for your flowers!”

Stella defended herself.

“Didn’t I get you a new one after that? But you still didn’t use it.”

‘And she has the nerve to bring it up! How could I use a fork that costs nine ninety?! She’s even saving money on this!’ he thought.

The truth was, it was not that Stella was saving money. So she searched online for forks with the same designs as Keegan’s. The one that popped up was the nine-ninety design. Besides, it looked the same as the original fork.

Stella only learned after the incident that Keegan’s cutlery set was a custom-made design. One fork already cost a few grand.

Marshall asked curiously, “You grow flowers?”

At the mention of flowers, Stella felt particularly proud.

“I’ve grown dozens of species; our balcony is almost full.”

Ever since Stella was a child, she loved gardening. She enjoyed the fresh scent natural plants.

emanated.

“Have you grown Clivias before?”

“I have; there are two pots of Clivias at home. They grew their flower buds this year, so they’ll bloom in a month or two.

Marshall said, “I’ve got a Clivia at home, but I don’t know why its leaves suddenly started wilting and growing spots on a large scale. It won’t seem to go away.”

“Is it Anthracnose?”

“I’m not sure either. Does Anthracnose show these symptoms?”

Stella earnestly educated Marshall.

Since Marshall was the type of person who was open to learning, he would carefully listen when others were speaking and ask questions from time to time. A positive interaction like this would make the speaker feel at ease.

Stella spoke in detail about every aspect of the Clivia plant, from its growth habits to the frequency of watering and fertilizing it and ways to control its various diseases.

Meanwhile, Keegan sat beside them and could not join the conversation.

‘Previously, when she wanted a divorce, she still watered the flowers when she ran away from home.

Why didn’t she have this much to tell me?” thought Keegan.

“Based on the things you said, it should be Anthracnose…”

However, Stella did not dare to conclude since she had not seen the plant.

“Why don’t you bring the plant and show it to me whenever you’re free? Then, if that’s inconvenient, you could snap a photo too.”

“It’s not inconvenient; I’m just worried I’ll trouble you.”

“What’s there to trouble?”

‘If you feel bad, you could give me a discount for the lawyer’s fees,’ she thought.

However, Stella could not say so because Keegan was also present.

She said, “It’s nothing. You’re Keegan’s friend.”