Chapter 3

My efforts to win over Linda finally hit a slump.

At this point, all that was left were the routine, half-hearted “good morning” and “good night” messages every day.

Even my once-overflowing urge to share things had completely dried up. I genuinely had nothing left to talk about.

I originally wanted to study her social media posts for clues, but unfortunately, her account was private.

So in the end, I had no choice but to turn to David for help.

“You care about her that much?” he asked, raising a brow as he pulled me into his arms.

“Mia, I’ll get jealous.”

I turned around and wrapped my arms around his neck.

“But I’m doing all this for you. For the sake of the three of us getting along harmoniously.

“It’s not easy for me, you know!”

As I spoke in a sweet, coaxing tone, I rubbed my thumb against my index and middle fingers.

After all his years in business, David understood this signature gesture instantly.

So, just like that, I received another large transfer.

At the same time, I also learned about Linda’s preferences. She liked old, vintage, and traditional things.

After thinking it through, I realized the place I used to live was full of those things.

So that very day, I packed up a whole pile of trash and shipped it off to her.

No, not trash! They were nostalgic vintage items.

A few days later, she sent me a photo.

In a woven sack were all the carefully selected “cultural treasures” I had sent.

[This is the gift you sent me?]

I eagerly took credit. [Of course, I spent a long time gathering all of these.]

She started typing again.

After a while, she sent another photo of a pair of women’s crystal plastic slippers.

[This, too?]

I had bought those at a small convenience shop downstairs from my old apartment. The original price was ten dollars, and I had bargained it down to four and a half.

[Of course. Don’t you like them? I picked them very carefully. I thought this rose-red color would really suit your temperament.

[You don’t like them?]

I followed up with a crying emoji.

[It’s not that I don’t like them. They just don’t fit.]

She sent another photo. Sure enough, the slippers looked a bit tight.

[Next time you buy me shoes, remember I wear size 43.]

I was shocked.

Before I could even process that, she sent another photo.

[This is also from you?]

In the picture, her slender fingers were holding the tail of a sardine.

Sardines in olive oil, so delicious!

Over the next hour, she kept pulling out all sorts of old items.

Enamel mugs, enamel basins, kerosene lamps, thermos flasks, palm-leaf fans, canned fruit, military coats, peony-print bedsheets…

If it hadn’t been so expensive to ship, I would’ve even sent her an old-school bicycle.

[You really went through the trouble of collecting all of these, one by one.

[Mia, do you even have a heart?]

Now that was just unfair! All of this was based on the preferences David had told me!

I spent quite a while carefully drafting a long explanation. But before I could send it, she messaged again.

[Mia, I didn’t expect you to have thoughts like this.

[To go this far for me, I’m very touched.]

As a reliable sugar baby, I took the opportunity to boost David’s image as well.

[You’re welcome. David was the one who told me all this.]

Linda replied, [He’s that kind?]

[Of course. After all, the three of us will be living together in the future.]