After cutting a few green onions and some garlic shoots, leaving the roots in the soil to regrow, Sophia prepared to head back and make her pancakes. To her surprise, she saw Livinus jogging toward her. He was dressed in a T-shirt and long pants, looking like he had just finished his morning run.
“You’re here?” she asked, surprised.
“I came to see what you have for breakfast,” he replied.
What kind of excuse was that? Before Sophia could respond, he took the knife from her hand. “What else do you need to harvest?”
“Lettuce and eggplants, I guess.”
As it was already autumn, there weren’t many vegetables she could grow. She had considered planting tomatoes and cucumbers, but the cooler weather made it difficult, so she had opted for fall eggplants, which were now ready to eat.
“You didn’t run all the way here, did you?” she asked, noticing his attire.
“Yes,” he replied matter-of-factly.
Stunned, Sophia watched as Livinus skillfully harvested lettuce and picked eggplants before heading straight to the kitchen. With practiced ease, he started making pancakes, even pulling out the electric griddle from the cupboard like he was more familiar with the house than she was.
The realization startled her. When had Livinus gradually infiltrated her life? And at six in the morning, just as the sun was rising, he had run at least an hour from the Scott household just to check on her breakfast habits.
Her expression grew complicated.
After breakfast, an urgent patient arrived, and Tobias came over to call her to assist.
“Go on,” Livinus said.
Sophia had initially planned to keep her doors closed for the day. She had brought some seeds and intended to finish planting her vegetable garden. Once covered with plastic sheeting, the garden would supply fresh vegetables throughout the winter, sparing her the hassle of going down the mountain to buy groceries. While it wasn’t ancient times, and food delivery was just a phone call away, the remote location meant there were no open vegetable shops late at night. Growing her own was simply more convenient.
Noticing her reluctance, Livinus said, “Leave it to me.”
“You? Are you sure?” Sophia raised an eyebrow.
Twenty minutes later, Felix and Joanna arrived to deliver some documents. They were shocked to see a man working in the garden outside Sophia’s house.
The man, wearing a black tank top and long pants, with a scarf around his neck, was wielding a hoe with expert skill.
“Scott … Scott President!” Felix stammered, utterly stunned. “Why are you farming?”
“Sophia is busy. Someone has to plant these,” Livinus replied casually.
Felix was dumbfounded. A dignified CEO, dressed like a farmer, skillfully tending to a vegetable garden—was this some new executive lifestyle trend?
“Boss Livinus,” Felix finally managed to ask, “Why does this garden need to be planted? You can buy vegetables at the market every day.”
Without pausing, Livinus struck the soil with his hoe and replied, “If you don’t grow vegetables, what will you eat in the future?”
Felix was speechless. He gave Livinus a thumbs-up.
“High-level! Truly high-level! Our Boss Livinus is on another level. Even farming is this impressive.”
But this wasn’t just farming—no, no, no! This was an investment!
Thinking about the return on investment, spending a little time farming now to marry a beauty in the future was a profit with an astronomical return rate.
“Boss Livinus, I could never match your brilliance!” Felix exclaimed, full of admiration.
Joanna, standing nearby, pressed her lips together to suppress a laugh.
“Our Boss Livinus is slowly boiling the frog in warm water. By the time Dr. Smith realizes it, she’ll already be in the pot!”
Felix smirked. “Why not say he’s making an investment? What we’re seeing here isn’t a farmer but a savvy investor calculating his returns.”
“Dr. Smith better watch out! With Boss Livinus’s personality, he’ll demand double the interest in return.”
The two exchanged a look, imagining how Livinus might collect his “interest” in the future. Wouldn’t Dr. Smith be left utterly at his mercy, day after day?
And knowing Livinus’s personality, he’d likely claim it in the most meaningful place—like the bedroom.
Livinus smirked but didn’t stop them from making cheeky remarks.
