Chapter 538 - 534: An Iron Tree in Bloom?

The moment he spoke, Jasmine Sterling knew he’d gotten the wrong idea. She quickly explained, "No, no, Mr. Jennings is sick. I just came over to look after him."

’Mr. Jennings?’

Matthew Jennings mulled over the title. It sounded far too formal and distant.

He might not know Jasmine Sterling, but he certainly knew his brother. Randall hated having strangers in his home, which was why he’d never even hired a housekeeper.

Now, seeing this Ms. Sterling in his brother’s apartment, cooking for him and eating with him... Matthew Jennings refused to believe there was nothing going on between them.

He turned to his brother. "You’re sick? What happened?"

"Just a bit of a fever. I just got back from the hospital; they put me on an IV drip," Randall Jennings explained, then motioned to what his brother was holding. "What’s that you’ve got there?"

"Oh, dumplings!" Matthew Jennings remembered, swinging the bag in his hand. "Your sister-in-law made them this afternoon. They’re your favorite—beef and celery. They’re all raw, so I’ll just pop them in the freezer for you. When you get hungry, you can boil some for yourself. Stop eating so much takeout. Even food from the fanciest restaurants isn’t as clean as a home-cooked meal."

Jasmine Sterling had said the exact same thing.

So when they heard this, Jasmine Sterling and Randall Jennings instinctively glanced at each other and shared a smile.

This subtle little interaction only confirmed Matthew Jennings’s suspicions that the relationship between these two was anything but ordinary.

’Could it be? Is my brother’s love life finally about to blossom?’

With Jasmine Sterling present, Matthew Jennings didn’t press the matter. His mission now was to drop off the dumplings and get out of there as quickly as possible. He didn’t want to be a third wheel.

He strode over to the fridge as if he owned the place, deftly arranged the dumplings inside, and reminded his brother not to forget to eat them. "Finish them within two weeks."

"Alright, I’m heading out. Don’t get up. You two continue your meal." Matthew Jennings waved a hand and, just before leaving, gave Jasmine Sterling a knowing smile.

After he left, Jasmine Sterling let out a sigh of relief. Seeing this, Randall Jennings said sheepishly, "Did he scare you? Only my older brother and my younger brother know the code to my apartment. They usually just drop things off when I’m not around. They let themselves in, leave the stuff with a note, and then take off."

They both sat back down. "So there are three of you brothers?" Jasmine Sterling asked, a little surprised.

Randall Jennings nodded. "That’s right. The man who was just here is my oldest brother. He had poor health for many years and only started getting better recently, so he was never really involved in the company. My father handed the corporation over to me directly."

"He has a very bright son, though, who’s in his twenties now. Oh, right, my nephew lives in Hearthstone Villas. I actually bought his house for him when he got married. His name is Kael Jennings, and he’s the successor I’m grooming to take over the corporation."

Jasmine Sterling had never met this Kael Jennings.

Randall Jennings continued, "I also have a younger brother. He’s quite young, only twenty-seven. He’s currently the head of our corporation’s AI department. Actually, Cecilia met him and worked with him when she approached us for our partnership."

There was a pretty big age gap between the three brothers. The eldest, Matthew Jennings, was already in his fifties, while Randall Jennings was only thirty-seven, and his younger brother, Reginald Jennings, was twenty-seven.

This was the first time Jasmine Sterling had heard Randall Jennings talk about his family. Still, for their parents’ generation, having three or four children was completely normal.

Jasmine Sterling herself was one of four children; besides her younger sister, Yvonne Sterling, she also had an older and a younger brother.

The two of them finished all four dishes. Thankfully, she hadn’t made too much of anything, worried there would be leftovers.

Whether it was the IV drip taking effect or the delicious meal, Randall Jennings felt noticeably better after eating. The aching in his muscles, in particular, had eased considerably.

Jasmine Sterling took out the medicine the doctor had prescribed. She read the instructions and portioned out the pills one by one, then poured a glass of warm water and handed it to Randall Jennings. "Take your medicine and get some sleep."

Randall Jennings took the water and medicine. He looked up at Jasmine Sterling slightly and asked, "Are you leaving now?"

"I’ll leave once you’ve had some sleep and I’m sure you’re all right."

A glint appeared in Randall Jennings’s eyes. He took the medicine, and then Jasmine Sterling shooed him off to the bedroom to lie down.

The door closed, its excellent soundproofing blocking out any noise from the rest of the apartment. This time, as Randall Jennings lay in bed, a sense of peace washed over him. He closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

He slept more soundly than he had in a long time, his dreams light and ethereal. When he opened his eyes again, the room was completely dark, with only a little light from the scattered city lights filtering in.

A pang of nameless loneliness hit him, but he didn’t dwell on it. He sat up and checked the time. He had been asleep for over six hours.

He had sweated profusely, but the discomfort was completely gone. His body felt light and refreshed, as if every muscle had finally relaxed.

He got out of bed, went into the bathroom for another shower, and only pushed open the bedroom door after he had changed his clothes.

The living room was brightly lit, and he could faintly hear sounds coming from the kitchen.

Jasmine Sterling hadn’t left. A sudden, unconscious joy instantly washed away the loneliness he’d felt just moments before.

He walked to the kitchen doorway. Jasmine Sterling had her back to him, her head bowed as she tended to a clay pot on the stove.

Randall Jennings didn’t make a sound, just watched her with a calm expression, becoming lost in the sight.

He stayed that way until Jasmine Sterling turned around. "Oh? You’re awake?"

That snapped Randall Jennings out of it. "Yeah. I was out for a while."

"You were. For about six or seven hours."

"I thought you’d left."

Hearing that, Jasmine Sterling looked up at Randall Jennings and smiled. "Didn’t I say I’d wait until you woke up and was sure you were okay before I left? So, are you feeling any better?"

A lump formed in his throat. He was suddenly tempted to lie and say he wasn’t better, but he immediately quashed the thought.

"I’m much better. The fever’s gone."

"Looks like the IV and the medicine worked, then. But remember to take another dose before bed, just to be safe. Fevers can come back easily, so don’t let your guard down." As she spoke, Jasmine Sterling turned off the gas stove. "I made some vegetable and lean pork congee."

"I saw some fresh pickled vegetables in the fridge. Did your sister-in-law make those, too?" Jasmine Sterling asked.

Randall Jennings nodded.

Jasmine Sterling used her chopsticks to place some of the pickled vegetables into a small dish, then ladled congee for them both. "Let’s eat. I’ll head home after this. You need to get some proper rest."

"Thank you for staying and taking care of me today," Randall Jennings said suddenly.

Jasmine Sterling gave a casual smile. "Don’t mention it. We’re friends, aren’t we?"

Randall Jennings smiled, too, but his eyes held a glimmer of emotion that perhaps even he hadn’t yet recognized.

By the time everything was cleaned up, it was already past nine o’clock. Jasmine Sterling only let Randall Jennings walk her to the door. As she put on her shoes, she reminded him, "Don’t forget your medicine before bed. And those dumplings your brother brought—boil some for yourself when you wake up tomorrow."

She glanced back, asking uncertainly, "You do know how to boil dumplings, right?"

Randall Jennings nodded with a smile. "I do."

"Alright, I’m off. Get some rest."

"Okay. Text me when you get home."