Chapter 36

Suzy lingered inside the space for a while longer before finally withdrawing.

The moment she returned to her room, she did a quick kip-up off the bed, landing lightly on her feet.

The space was back.

And upgraded.

She felt energized, brimming with motivation.

After the upgrade, her daily time allowance inside the space had increased by an hour—now she could stay for two full hours each day.

More importantly, the space could now accommodate small animals.

Behind the wooden cabin, several fenced enclosures had appeared automatically, which meant she could buy chicks and ducklings and raise them inside.

The thought alone made her eyes sparkle.

After a quick wash and a change into casual clothes, Suzy went downstairs.

She had woken up early, and Leonard was still home, just about to start breakfast.

"Up so early?" he asked.

"My alarm went off, so I got up."

"Come eat."

He was still dressed in home clothes, relaxed but composed.

Suzy sat down and asked curiously, "Uncle, aren’t you going to work today?"

"I’m taking the day off."

She nodded inwardly. He deserved it. After everything that had happened, he needed time to process.

Suddenly Leonard added, "Since I’m free today, I could take you out somewhere nearby. A little walk, maybe."

Suzy’s expression stiffened for a fleeting second. She would have loved to go out with him.

But today she had plans—deliveries to receive, supplies to stockpile, and a factory visit already scheduled.

She hesitated, unsure how to explain.

Leonard, perceptive as ever, caught it immediately. "Made plans with friends?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Already arranged. Sorry."

He sighed lightly. "Ah. Then I won’t interfere."

After breakfast, Suzy wasted no time.

Several large deliveries had already arrived—an entire truck’s worth—waiting at the warehouse.

Now that the space had expanded, her previous worries about capacity had evaporated.

This batch included the third shipment from the supermarket supplier, along with wholesale packages ordered online.

She directed everything to be unloaded into the warehouse.

Once the workers left, she swept it all neatly into her space.

The final shipment from the frozen food factory also arrived.

Most of the goods had been delivered the previous day; this was simply the last portion.

After everything was stored, her collection task for the day was complete.

Without delay, she headed straight to the pre-made meal factory.

***

Meanwhile, Leonard sat at home watching television for a while before boredom crept in.

On impulse, he called Adam and invited him out for lunch.

When Adam heard he was taking the day off, there was a brief pause before he replied, "Alright."

By the time Leonard checked the time, it was nearly noon.

He drove to the restaurant Adam had chosen, and when he saw the address, he was mildly surprised.

The place was quite famous—a trendy restaurant popular with young women for photos and social media check-ins.

He hadn’t expected Adam to pick somewhere like this.

Still, he assumed perhaps Adam simply wanted a change of pace. The reviews did say the food was good.

When Leonard arrived, Adam was already seated.

Leonard approached with a smile, idly twirling his car keys in his hand, and looked him up and down.

"Dressed young today, aren’t you?"

Adam was indeed dressed more casually than usual.

A well-cut light-colored short-sleeve shirt paired with relaxed trousers. The fit emphasized his broad shoulders, softening his usual sharp edge and giving him a fresh, effortless look.

"Not really," Adam replied evenly.

Leonard chuckled. "If I’d known you were dressing like this, I’d have tried to look younger too."

He pulled out a chair and sat down.

Adam’s gaze drifted past him briefly—searching.

But there was no familiar figure behind Leonard.

Leonard took a sip of lemon water and noticed the look. "Looking for someone?"

"No."

Leonard raised a brow but didn’t press.

He glanced out the window at the glaring sunlight and muttered, "What’s wrong with this weather? It’s almost winter. Why is it still this hot?"

When he turned back, Adam was looking at him.

"What is it?"

Adam asked casually, "You took the day off. Why didn’t you bring her out?"

Leonard didn’t think much of it. "I wanted to. But Suzy said she had plans with a friend. So I let it go."

He sighed faintly. "Don’t even know which friend managed to steal her away from her uncle. A boyfriend, maybe?" he joked lightly.

He laughed at his own speculation... Then looked up.

Adam was staring at him.

Leonard’s smile faltered instantly. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Adam shifted his gaze away. "It’s nothing."

Leonard took another sip of water. For some reason, something felt... slightly off.

The waiter brought over the menu.

Leonard ordered his dishes, then flipped further through the pages.

"This place has a lot of desserts."

The dessert section alone spanned over ten pages. Elaborate names, fancy plating. From the pictures, they looked impressive.

No wonder so many girls came here to take photos. A group nearby was already snapping pictures enthusiastically.

Leonard glanced at Adam thoughtfully. "Why did you pick this place?"

Based on what he knew, Adam typically avoided restaurants like this.

"I heard the food was good."

Leonard nodded slowly. As he turned another page, a particularly whimsical dessert caught his eye.

He chuckled. "Suzy would definitely like this."

The words left his mouth before he realized it.

He froze. Then suddenly looked up at Adam.

"Wait... did you choose this place because you thought Suzy was coming?"

Adam didn’t respond.

Leonard smirked. "Silence means yes."

Adam remained quiet.

Leonard sighed dramatically. "You’re more thoughtful than I am. Too bad she didn’t come today."

Adam still didn’t say a word.

They shifted to other topics.

But before long, the conversation drifted back to Suzy.

"She’s been busy lately, but I don’t know what she’s doing," Leonard remarked.

Adam glanced at him. "She didn’t tell you?"

Leonard shook his head.

Though Suzy always returned home before he did, he knew she had been out frequently.

Her car was linked to his phone, and occasional notifications revealed she had been driving around constantly these past few days.

But since she hadn’t volunteered the details, he hadn’t asked.

He believed in giving her space.

The two men exchanged a quiet look.