Independence

Chapter 0301

In reality, Sam wasn’t much help in the kitchen.

Not only were his actions clumsy, but he also squeezed dish soap onto every single plate and bowl. When Miranda gave him a pointed look, he asked innocently, “Isn’t this how you’re supposed to wash them?”

Miranda was at a loss for words.

Sam cleared his throat. “Maybe you could teach me if you don’t mind? Back when I was abroad, I only used one or two plates when cooking for myself, so I’d just squeeze a bit of soap on each one…”

“Well, there’s no fixed way to wash dishes, and there’s no single right way to use dish soap. Everyone has their own method, and it’s fine as long as the dishes are clean. However…”

Miranda paused for a moment before continuing, “From the standpoint of being conservative, it’s better to squeeze soap into some water and mix it. Then, use a sponge to wash the dishes. After that, rinse them with clean water, let them air dry, and put them away.”

“Is that so?” Sam listened carefully and followed he instructions.

Just as he was about to dilute the dish soap with water, Miranda suddenly said, “Wait!”

Sam was slightly taken aback.

“Use hot water,” she spoke.

“Oh, alright!”

They stayed back a little longer after tidying up. Both of them bid goodbye to Christine as it got late.

“I drove here. Let me give you a ride,” Sam offered.

Miranda didn’t refuse since the subway had already stopped running at this time. “Thank you, Mr. Cooper.”

When both of them got into the car, Sam said, “If you don’t mind, I’d prefer if you call me by my name instead. Or would you prefer Cooper?”

“Alright, Mr. Cooper.”

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

Miranda feigned innocence. “I’ve gotten used to calling you that. It’s hard to change at once.”

“Fine, call me whatever you want,” Sam sighed. He was sure he could make her willingly change how she addressed him sooner or later.

Half an hour later, the car pulled up at the campus‘ main road.

Miranda said, “Just drop me off at the main entrance of Bedford College.”

“Aren’t you going back to your place?”

“I need to stop by the lab. There are two sets of data that haven’t come out yet, so I’ll have to work late.”

+25 BONUS

“Alright.” Sam didn’t ask further. He pulled over at the entrance of the college.

Miranda got out of the car and thanked him again. He waved it off. “Go ahead and be careful.”

“Okay.”

It was 10:00 pm when Miranda arrived at the lab. After waiting for the data to be ready, she compiled the results and cleaned up the lab. It was nearly midnight by the time she was done.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Miranda turned off the lights and checked all the power outlets before locking the door behind her.

Elgerson had entered the rainy season just before the peak of summer. It had been continuously drizzling since the day before yesterday.

The raindrops looked like fine threads, illuminated by the hazy glow of streetlights.

There were almost no pedestrians on the streets since it was so late. Only an occasional car passed by, making the dark night appear more ominous.

Miranda opened her umbrella and walked in the rain. It as so silent that all she heard was the sound of her footsteps.

On her walk home, a gust of wind suddenly picked up out of nowhere. An eerie yowl of a stray cat from a corner startled Miranda. Her hand trembled, and she almost lost her grip on the umbrella.

Luckily, she managed to steady the umbrella in time. However, half of her body got soaked by the rain in that brief moment.

Suddenly, Miranda heard footsteps behind her. It sounded like the muffled thud of leather shoes hitting the wet asphalt.

At first, she didn’t think much of it, but soon Miranda noticed something strange. When she picked up the pace, the footsteps behind her quickened. When she slowed down, the footsteps followed suit.

This meant that someone was trailing her!