As the lady left, Ashton walked over to the chair next to them and sat down, his eyes looking blank. “Why hasn’t the food arrived?”
Devon needs some time to prepare,” answered Jared before turning to me. “Are you hungry?”
After a quick pause, I shook my head.
Joe wasn’t impressed by how Jared treated me. “Why are you acting so fragile? It’s just an abortion, for God’s sake. Why did we have to go out of our way to get a world-renowned chef like Devon to cook for you? What a waste of his time.”
Before Jared could stop him, I merely smiled. “The view here isn’t bad. I’ll go take a walk.”
My words were meant for Ashton and Jared.
Ashton gave me a cool glance and said nothing. “The courtyard looks stunning. Go take a look,” Jared suggested. “There’s also a bonsai garden with a lake full of fish in the middle.”
With a smile and word of thanks, I headed outside.
“Are you insane, Jared? Why are you caring so much about that woman? Have you lost your mind? If she hadn’t married Ashton through underhanded means, Rebecca and Ashton would’ve long been happily married by now.”
Those words clearly came from Joe. I couldn’t help but hear them even if I didn’t want to. From how loudly he spoke, pretty much everyone in the building could hear him.
Not wanting to hear them anymore, I picked up my pace. It was indeed a different sight as I arrived in the courtyard.
Considering how this huge courtyard was located in the heart of a glamorous place like J City and even had an enormous plot of land for planting an array of greenery, there was no doubt that the owner of this restaurant was filthy rich.
As I strolled along the pebble path, I spotted a man in his mid-thirties plucking some branches with a child next to him.
Upon walking closer, the man noticed me too. “Hello,” he greeted, dropping whatever he was doing.
I returned a smile. “Hi.”
The child, who seemed to have just learned how to walk, began trotting over to me. He seems to be quite friendly.
Unable to speak, the little boy stared at me wide-eyed and gave me the yellow flower he was holding.
I was instantly overjoyed and couldn’t help but want to pick him up, only to be stopped by the man. “Be careful! He’s a playful one. I don’t want you getting hurt while you’re pregnant.”
I stared at the man in disbelief. “How…” How did you know I was pregnant?
The question never left my mouth.
Still, the man responded, “Don’t be surprised. I know a little about medicine and could guess that you’re pregnant from the way you subconsciously held your belly while walking.”
I nodded, feeling amazed by this man.
“This courtyard is really unique,” I remarked. “It’s like a vegetable garden.”
The man couldn’t help but chuckle. “Well, to be exact, this is a medicinal herb garden. There are over two thousand different species of medicinal plants here. They’re on the brink of extinction, so they’re being cultivated here.”
Feeling stunned, I glanced at my surroundings carefully. Indeed, there weren’t many vegetables here, but there were lots of unrecognizable plants as well as an unusually tall cactus.
“This place is called Herb Garden. J City is the most suitable area in the whole country to cultivate these plants, and that’s how Herb Garden became the center of our country’s medicinal herbs. There aren’t many, but every species is being preserved.” After sorting out the branches he had plucked, the man began to leave with his child.
I nodded, gaining a newfound liking for this place as I watched him and the little boy walk away.
Suddenly, the man stopped and called out to me, “Don’t hang around too long, Mrs. Fuller! Some herbs here aren’t good for the child.”
Feeling taken aback, I returned to my senses only after they had walked far away. He knew who I was?
Soon, Ashton came out and saw me kneeling by a stream looking at ants. “Let’s go,” he called out, standing next to me.
I was so focused on whatever I was doing that I nearly slipped upon hearing his voice. Thankfully, he helped me up with his quick reflexes.
“Did you leave your brain at home?” Ashton asked, frowning.
I smiled sheepishly. “I spaced out.”
The man turned and walked away without a word.
I couldn’t help but notice that Ashton had been treating me less coldly for the past two days.
Following him from behind, I mustered up the courage to ask, “So Herb Garden isn’t actually a restaurant?”
“Yeah,” he answered briefly, clearly not interested in holding a conversation.
The man walked so quickly that it didn’t take us long to return indoors, and the table was already filled with an array of dishes. Furthermore, apart from the four of us, there was now a family of three at the table too.
It was the man and little boy I had just met, along with a woman, who was the man’s wife.
The man smiled as he saw me and turned to his wife. “Bring Mrs. Fuller some cuttlefish stew from the kitchen. It’s good for the baby.”
I paused briefly before thanking them. “The baby’s already gone. What’s the point in serving her that?” Joe muttered resentfully.
The way Ashton glanced at me made me feel anxious. Worried that he would infer something from the man’s words, I hurriedly turned to him. “You haven’t introduced me to this man!”
