After that, Renee ran through the dark streets and arrived at the restaurant nearby.

Normally, restaurants didn�t operate during that hour, especially not so late at night. Hence, she wasn�t quite sure if the Aeos restaurant was still open.

After ten minutes or so, she reached the restaurant and noticed the storekeeper cleaning up and was about to close the store.

�Miss! Please wait!� Renee panted. �I want a bowl of seafood dumplings.�

�Joan, why are you so late? We�re just about to close up,� The storekeeper said regretfully as she greeted her regular customer.

�You can still make one more, right? Please, Miss, just this once!� Renee begged with sincerity.

�You can come back tomorrow. It�s just some dumplings. People won�t die just from not having one, right?�

�No, no, someone might really die without those dumplings� Basically, it�s super important, so please make one more! I�m a regular, aren�t I? You wouldn�t let me go back empty-handed, would you?�

�Oh, you, alright, alright! Come on!� The storekeeper shook her head helplessly and opened up her kitchen again just to fulfill Renee�s request.

In actuality, the storekeeper wasn�t the only one who cared for Renee. The entire town loved her and would do anything to help her out.

Naturally, they sympathized with her because she had to take care of a disabled man, despite her fragile figure.

However, she managed to win them over with her sincere and adorable nature, along with her diligence. She had always helped many elderly who lived alone with technology, so everyone thought of her as a lovely companion.

As the storekeeper started wrapping the dumplings, she made some small talk with Renee. �Who�s this person dying over dumplings? It�s not Van, is it? I remember he doesn�t like carbs, though?�

�It�s not him.� Renee helped out with wrapping the dumplings as well, swiftly placing the filling into a dumpling skin and pressing the edges together.

�Not him?!� The storekeeper froze, and her tendency to gossip was piqued. �My my, did I find out some kind of big secret? These dumplings aren�t for Van, but someone else?�

�It�s� for an old friend I knew back in my hometown,� Renee said mysteriously.

�Then this old friend must be quite important to you. You bought so many dumplings every day without fail. And now you�re begging me to make another despite it being so late! Why do I feel like� they�re more important to you than Van?�

�Haha, why would you ever think that, Miss? You know me and Van are the model couple in the town. Are you doubting our relationship?� Renee jokingly quipped.

To the public, they would always present themselves as lovers, which was why many thought they were deeply in love and were quite envious of their relationship.

However, behind closed doors, they seemed more like lonely companions, merely living on for their purest desires.

�That�s because Van only seems like a responsibility to you. I can tell you�re tired. However, your feelings towards this person feels more like genuine love, as you�re very passionate about their well-being.� The storekeeper replied straightforwardly.

Renee was stunned to hear this. After a moment of silence, she tried to justify herself by speaking philosophically. �Well, isn�t the purest form of love�responsibility?�

Soon, the dumplings were done cooking, with their amazing fragrance permeating through the air. This time, most of them were wrapped by Renee herself as well. Although they didn�t look as good, she found it rather meaningful.

The storekeeper put the dumplings in a small container and handed it to Renee. Just as she was about to pay, the storekeeper refused.

�Joan, you made these dumplings yourself, so I�m not taking any of your money. I just hope these dumplings will bring you a smile, a genuine smile.� The storekeeper patted Renee on the shoulder, her words strangely cryptic. JrNovels.com