Chapter 229: Ch 229: Research Work - Part 3

Daniel’s mood looked sour, but he did not say anything. He simply welcomed Noah inside and plated dinner.

The food looked home-cooked, and Noah could see Alan working in the kitchen.

The atmosphere felt nice, but Noah could not help feeling as though he was intruding on the pair’s privacy, which made him hesitate.

A hand patted his back, and it also acted as a propeller, urging him to move forward. When he looked behind him, Daniel had a bashful look on his face, and the other guide decided to tug Noah inside himself.

"We finished early today and decided to clean up the kitchen because Alan wanted to cook you dinner. Ugh, the whole place was infested with mould because we never used it. Just thinking about it sends shivers down my spine."

The mould remover and other cleaning supplies on the kitchen counter proved Daniel’s point.

But Noah had a feeling those supplies had been left out deliberately for him to see.

It was this pair’s way of telling him that he was not intruding on their space and that they were happy to include him.

But he still could not help feeling like an intruder in their space.

"Daniel, give Noah a tour of this place while I finish preparing dinner. It’s best if I serve it hot so that it has the best flavour."

Alan yelled from the kitchen, causing the smile on Daniel’s face to freeze. The other guide made an irritated expression before sighing and pulling Noah along.

"I am going to do that even if you don’t tell me to. Noah, follow me. I will show you around."

The apartment complex looked more like a penthouse with too many rooms. But only two showed signs of being lived in, which meant that Daniel and Alan had been living separately.

There was a second pantry in the house that looked untouched, as well as a garden and other amenities. But most of the house looked as though it had never been used before.

Seeing his expression, Daniel could not help but sigh and defend himself.

"We don’t usually use this space beyond sleeping since it’s uncomfortable to be in each other’s space. But now that you are here, we will likely spend more time here."

Noah tried to pretend the butterflies in his stomach did not exist. But judging by the way Daniel was beaming and how hot Noah’s face felt, he had a feeling he had failed.

...

Dinner was nice. Alan was a perfect chef, and the food tasted amazing.

The garden walk was also nice and cool. Noah could not help feeling as though he could forget all his burdens as his feet touched the fresh grass.

And soon, it was time to sleep.

Noah was led to a bedroom that was definitely bigger than Alan’s and Daniel’s. Even the bed was double the size of a normal bed, which made Noah hesitate to step forward.

"What are you waiting for? We are going to sleep here from now on. Or do you have a problem with the bed? If so, then I can get it replaced and bring in a new one—"

"No, the bed is fine. But do we truly have to share it? You both have your own rooms, and I would like some privacy of my own as well."

Noah pointed this out, trying his best not to show how unsettled he felt. But he was sure he had failed as soon as he heard the uncertainty in his voice.

He did not mind sleeping together, but he did not want Alan and Daniel to feel uncomfortable sleeping in such a cramped space.

And before Daniel could say anything, Alan decided to silence him and speak up.

"It’s fine. This is not a problem at all. You can sleep alone today so that you can get used to this place."

Alan smiled when he said this, but Noah did not like the way he said ’today’.

Still, he was too tired to argue today, so he decided to go to sleep.

Alone.

But in the middle of the night, he felt a movement around him. He was lucky he did not wake up because of it.

The movement stopped after a while, and Noah continued sleeping peacefully, unaware of the two figures standing beside his bed and watching him with complicated expressions.

Alan looked down at Noah’s sleeping face, his usual smile nowhere to be seen, while Daniel stood behind him with his arms crossed, clearly displeased with the situation.

"He looks exhausted. Did you see how pale he was when he came back? I think we should have asked him about his assignment earlier instead of letting him brush it off."

Daniel whispered, his voice softer than usual.

Alan’s expression darkened at the reminder, but he did not immediately respond.

He had already heard enough from Noah to know that something was wrong, and the fact that Noah had spent the entire day away from them without asking for help only made him more concerned.

"He will tell us when he is ready. And if not, then I will start digging around."

Alan finally replied, although the words sounded more like an attempt to convince himself than Daniel.

Daniel looked as though he wanted to argue, but he eventually sighed and pulled the blanket higher over Noah’s shoulder, making sure that he was properly covered before stepping away.

The two of them had intended to sleep beside Noah, even if it meant sharing the enormous bed and putting up with each other’s presence, but seeing how deeply he was sleeping made them reconsider their plans.

Neither wanted to disturb him, especially when he had finally managed to relax after such a difficult day.

So they quietly left the bedroom and returned to their own rooms, deciding that they would speak to Noah in the morning.

However, neither of them knew that Noah’s peaceful sleep would not last much longer, because something had already begun to change within the depths of his consciousness.