Chapter 406

A knowing smile touched Quincy Evans's lips.

"Still claiming you don't have feelings for Sophia? Your reaction just gave you away."

"..."

"If you have doubts, just ask her directly. A man should be straightforward. You know Sophia dislikes beating around the bush."

Alexander Laurent's gaze flickered slightly.

"Stop dawdling! Keep hesitating and your future wife really will run off with someone else! I doubt you can focus on work until you sort this out."

"Who says I'm not focused?"

"Hah, you even miscalculated the baseline data. Still claim you're focused?" Quincy pointed to a spot on the screen. "You're just stubborn."

Alexander scanned the screen, a flicker of embarrassment in his eyes.

Quincy clapped him on the shoulder. "Good luck, brother!"

He then turned and walked toward the lab bench.

"When did you notice?" Alexander asked suddenly.

Quincy paused, turning back with a smile. "The way you look at Sophia. The exceptions you keep making for her. Even your tone is gentler with her. It's obvious. You think I'm blind?"

Alexander's expression stiffened slightly. "That obvious?"

"What do you think?"

"What are you talking about? Can I listen?" Lillian Lopez approached with a smile.

Alexander immediately schooled his features, shooting Quincy a warning glance.

Quincy faced Lillian, but behind his back, he gave Alexander a quick 'OK' sign.

Lillian smiled. "Professor Evans, what secret project can't even I hear about?"

Her words were for Quincy, but her sidelong glance went to Alexander.

Quincy shook his head with feigned seriousness. "Lillian, since it's a secret, of course I can't just tell you…"

He then turned and walked off, hands clasped behind his back.

He couldn't miss the look in Alexander's eyes, and he understood Lillian's intentions perfectly.

"Professor Evans, morning!" Simon Lowell walked towards them, holding two breakfast bags.

Tsk tsk...

"Morning, Simon. Thanks for your hard work."

Simon: ?

The lab hadn't been busy lately. No one was working overtime. What hard work?

...

Night deepened. Alexander went home early.

Standing below the apartment building, he looked up at Sophia Sullivan's window.

It was dark. She wasn't home yet.

He turned and went upstairs. After entering his apartment, he opened the refrigerator but lost all interest in cooking.

He just made a cup of hot tea and went into his study.

He opened his laptop and pulled up his unfinished thesis, starting to work.

Half an hour later, he checked the time.

Another half hour passed. There was still no movement next door.

He closed the document and tiredly rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Picking up his cup, he found it empty. He stood up to get water in the living room.

As he drank his tea, his gaze unconsciously swept over the wall clock. The hour hand already pointed to ten.

So late, and she still wasn't back…

Suddenly, the sound of an engine came from outside the window.

Alexander immediately walked to the balcony. Sure enough, he saw Sebastian Evans's car parked at the mouth of the alley.

Sophia got out of the car. Sebastian also got out from the driver's side. They were talking.

"Let me walk you up."

Sophia shook her head. "No need, I didn't bring much today. It's late, and you have work tomorrow. You should go back and rest early."

"Alright." Sebastian didn't insist.

"I'll go up then."

"Sophia, wait—"

"Yes?" She turned, her gaze questioning.

Sebastian was momentarily stunned. Under the streetlight, her look was focused and pure, but it wasn't the way a woman looks at a man.

"Grandmother said she was very happy today. She hopes you can visit often when you have time."

"Okay."

Sophia turned and entered the building. Sebastian watched her shadow until it disappeared.

Only after the light turned on in Sophia's apartment did he get back in his car and leave.

Sophia had spent the day with the elderly couple, eating, chatting, playing chess, and fishing.

Sebastian had accompanied them the whole time.

She had indeed enjoyed herself, but the late hour brought inevitable fatigue.

She took a shower first thing after getting home. She was about to dry her hair and go to sleep when she suddenly heard a knock.

"Who is it?"

"It's me." Alexander Laurent's voice.

Sophia quickly wrapped her wet hair and ran to open the door. "Professor?!"

She was surprised to see him.

Alexander rarely came to see her so late.

In his view, knocking on a woman's door late at night was very impolite.

So… was something urgent wrong?

When the door opened, seeing Sophia in her pajamas with her hair wrapped, a look of regret flashed in Alexander's eyes.

"Sorry for disturbing your rest."

"Professor—" Sophia called out to him, smiling. "No disturbance at all. Please, come in."

The man was silent for a moment.

He finally entered,changing into his slippers.

Only…

Next to the pair he usually wore, there was a new pair of slippers.

His gaze darkened.

He didn't need to ask to know they were Sebastian's.

"Professor, please have a seat. I just need to dry my hair. Ten minutes."

"Mm, dry your hair first. Don't catch a cold."

Sophia had originally planned to dry her hair in the bathroom, but it was still full of steam from her shower.

She usually dried it in the living room. This time, she decided to do it in her bedroom.

She unplugged the dryer and was about to walk inside when Alexander suddenly stopped her.

"Dry your hair here in the living room. I'll go check on the plants on the balcony."

He stood up and walked towards the balcony.

A warmth spread through Sophia's heart. Watching the man's back, an indescribable softness bloomed in her chest.

It felt like being包容, being accommodated, being cared for at every moment.

She had only ever felt this way from her father before.

"Professor, the few pots on the left haven't been watered in a week. Could you please help me water them?"

"Okay."

Ten minutes later—

Sophia put away the hair dryer and walked to the balcony. "Professor? Finished?"

Alexander stood up. "Finished."

He hadn't just watered them. He had also weeded.

He had even tended to the pots on the right.

Sophia: "Thank you. Come in quickly, it's cold outside."

"Okay."

Alexander went to wash his hands. When he came out of the bathroom, he found Sophia sitting on the sofa, looking at him.

Her small face was faintly pink. Her hair was down, not completely dry yet, still slightly damp but exceptionally soft.

Her eyes were dark and bright, sparkling under the light. The moment her gaze met his, Alexander froze completely.

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, his voice a bit hoarse. "...What is it?"

Sophia: "Professor, did you need something?"

Alexander looked down. He walked to the sofa and took a stack of materials from his bag.

He had indeed been carrying a bag when he came in.

"Last time, your father mentioned wanting to find interdisciplinary papers on biological genetics and physics. It's a relatively niche field. There aren't many research成果. It took some time to find them. I just finished compiling them today. Could you pass them on to him for me?"

Sophia was stunned. "Professor, you're so busy, yet you still found time to look up papers for my dad? No, I need to talk to him tomorrow. If he has questions, he should solve them himself or ask me. He can't keep troubling you like this."

"It's no trouble. I have access to more paper resources. Your father is eager to learn. If he could find them himself, he wouldn't have asked me. Don't worry about it. This is between your father and me. Let's keep our relationships separate."

"This…" Sophia took the materials, thanking him earnestly.

Alexander didn't leave immediately. He hesitated for two seconds before suddenly asking, "Do you have any food at home?"

Sophia: "??"