Overprotected By My Tsundere CEO-Chapter 649 - 397: Passionate Heart, Embracing the World
Nora turned her head aside, not giving him a promise, but picked up the packed night snack instead.
She asked, "Wanna eat?" ๐ฏ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ต.๐ฌ๐ธ๐
Pedro stretched out his long legs, kicked away some parts blocking his feet, and asked sideways, "Made by Humphrey?"
"Yeah," Nora replied, raising her eyebrows, "Not eating?"
Earlier, she told Humphrey she would bring some night snacks back to eat, and he made it for her on the spot. It was clear that Pedro wasnโt on good terms with Humphrey. If Pedro acted all prideful and refused to eat the night snack, it wouldnโt be surprising.
"Iโll eat."
Pausing his work, Pedro answered without hesitation, getting up leisurely.
Nora chuckled lightly, "Had to ask him, are you into him?"
"... "
Pedro was speechless.
While kicking the obstructing items aside and clearing a path to the door, Pedro stood in front of Nora, raised a hand, and unexpectedly ruffled her hair.
Nora frowned, just about to pick a fight when the night snack in her hand was snatched away, followed by Pedroโs leisurely voice drifting ahead, "A night snack offered by a rival must be eaten."
With those words, he had already walked away.
Trailing behind Pedro, Nora sneered, "Do you see everyone as a rival?"
"Yeah." Pedro didnโt point out her low EQ, speaking slowly, "Guard against men and women, young and old. With a girlfriend this pretty, canโt let any of them slide."
"Crazy." Nora laughed softly, swearing, walking over to help him drag a dining chair, "So, people liking me is all because Iโm โprettyโ?"
"Maybe," Pedro placed the night snack on the table, paused deliberately, then swept over with a teasing gaze, "also because of your interesting soul?" After saying that, he cheekily added, "...though thatโs a bit hard to find."
"Youโve grown up, huh!"
Nora was so angry she kicked the dining chair behind him.
Just as the chair was about to fall, Pedro, as if he anticipated it, reached back and caught it steadily.
Smiling, he casually pulled open a chair next to him, then tugged Nora by the hand to sit her beside him, pressing her arms down to make her sit.
He said, "Please, my dear, enjoy the night snack."
"Whoโs inviting whom?"
"The rival invited me, and I invite you." Pedro said, totally serious.
"... "
Nora couldnโt stand it anymore, kicked him on the calf.
The force wasnโt strong; Pedro got the last laugh verbally, allowing her to kick him.
Besides an array of flavorful barbecue, the night snack included a quite bland-tasting pumpkin porridge.
Pedro used to be quite into healthy living, with three meals a day, maintaining regular sleep schedules, living like a little old man at a young age, just short of not using goji berries in his tea.
But somehow, in recent years, heโs been slacking off, developing a bit of a stomach problem. He never mentioned it, and Nora found out by chance while spending time with him lately. She feared him eating just barbecue would upset his stomach, so she had Humphrey prepare some porridge.
"Why modify a drone?" Nora poked at the grilled eggplant flesh with chopsticks, speaking slowly, "Itโs not waterproof, cold-proof, or wind-resistant. In terms of performance, isnโt any drone on the market better?"
Pedro popped open a cold beer for her, eating the bland porridge himself, lips curving, "Didnโt you take a different approach and add mechanisms?"
"The question is," Nora sipped the beer and retorted, "Can you do it?"
"... "
He really couldnโt.
"Making some small changes, adding an automatic operation program..."
Pedro reached out for the beef skewer, only to have Nora smack his hand away. His hand paused, eyebrows raised, looking at Nora with a half-smile.
Nora was enjoying the food, catching sight of his expression, she warned, "Finish the porridge before eating... Then what?"
Grinning, Pedro obediently retracted his hand, saying, "To attend the drone exhibition in July."
"Oh," Nora was calm, didnโt think much of it, just felt a bit nostalgic, "Havenโt seen you doing things yourself for a long time."
Pedro used to love tinkering with these on his own, just like Joseph and Oliver, always tinkering with those things whenever he had free time.
Nora never visited Pedroโs place, but once, at Butler Loxleyโs, she saw an album filled with photos of Pedro winning various tech awards, from elementary school to university, all preserved by Butler Loxley. Nora had spent an entire afternoon flipping through the album back then, the more she looked, the more she found this man captivating, yet sheโs never mentioned it to Pedro.
"Miss it?"
"Once he starts fiddling, he gets obsessed, whatโs there to miss?"
Nora grumbled, not in a good mood.
This man had a one-track mind. Early in their relationship, one weekend, Nora wanted to invite Pedro for a mountain climbing and camping trip, but he vanished, only showing up the next weekend. This guy was quite strange, didnโt even realize she was angry, excitedly took her to a place to unveil several robot puppies, able to bark, jump, and run, claiming they were for her.
Turns out, all the time he disappeared was spent researching these puppies.
Nora almost hammered him on the spot.
If she liked puppies, wouldnโt she buy real ones?
Expressionless, cold, unemotional robot dogs, what was there to flaunt?
She wasnโt dating for those reasons; if she were interested in robot dogs, why not hang out in the labs at the vast Capital University of Technology researching things?
โโOver these years, Pedro Langley has made some progress. I wonder if he realizes why she got angry.
But, when she thought about itโโ
In the midst of her thoughts, she heard Pedro Langley say reassuringly, "This time itโll be resolved soon."
She lifted her eyelids, gave him a steady look, then extended two fingers, tapping them along the table until they reached Pedro Langleyโs hand, gently poking his arm.
"Hey."
"Hmm?"
Pedro drank the last sip of pumpkin porridge.
"If you really like it, you donโt have to worry about me," Nora Scott pinched his wrist, her fingers caressing the bone, resting her chin on her hand, and said unhurriedly, "I wouldnโt throw them all out when youโre not around."
Chuckling softly, Pedro covered her hand and patted it, speaking earnestly, "Youโve grown up."
"..."
Nora shot him a sidelong glance.
"No need," Pedro laughed again, with a hint of laziness, his eyes slightly deep, "The company has a dedicated research team. Iโm just a businessman; enjoying the results is enough."
Momentarily stunned, Nora smiled, "Youโve changed."
"Have I?" Pedroโs eyebrows twitched slightly, tightening his grip on her hand as he said softly, "A technician canโt change the world."
"What can change it?"
"Leading technology," Pedro said, "It canโt be achieved by one person."
"..."
Nora paused for a moment.
From passion to responsibility.
You claim to be a profit-driven businessman, but in reality?
With a fervent heart, caring for the world.
The steady, mature, profit-driven exterior still harbors the sincere and pure heart of a young man.
When we were young, we pursued things recklessly, the answer wasโpassion.
When we mature, we still pursue those things, but why?
Passion doesnโt last.
Responsibility does.
Actually, he hasnโt changed at all.
"Here."
Nora handed him the beef skewer he wanted to eat.
Pedro took the beef skewer and, seeing her bright eyes, teased, "Your gaze has changed."
Gazing at him, Nora held his hand, leaned back, slightly tilted her head, thought for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, "Is it love?"
Pedro chuckled, almost choking, turned his head, his shoulder gently shaking.
Then, under Noraโs warning gaze, he stifled his laughter and earnestly agreed, "Yes, it is."
Entwining her fingers with his, swaying them lightly, Nora smiled and said, "My mentor once said, in every industry, though it may seem chaotic, with all kinds of people, there are always new entrants with dreams who may be disappointed. But there are always a group of sincere and innocent people, capable and believing, standing at the forefront, always pure, truly loving the industry. They may be let down by others, but never themselves."
"What about you?"
Thinking carefully, Nora casually said, "I donโt have anything I particularly like."
"What about comics?"
"I donโt know," Nora smiled slightly, "A sense of achievement is too easily gained, leading to a loss of passion."
She knew many people, including herself, who were calledโnaturally gifted in their field.
Deemed as geniuses.
In reality, in their field of expertise, they indeed pick things up quickly.
It seems they were born for this line of work.
And, people like them, more or less, have a bit of rebellion in them.
"Is this why you canโt let go of the bamboo flute?" Pedro asked teasingly, with a look of sudden realization.
Nora glared at him, "Canโt the food plug your mouth?"
Pedro laughed, taking it further, "Your acting is an eyesore, playing the bamboo flute hurts the ears, can we find something youโre not good at that doesnโt affect others?"
"..."
Nora wanted to retort.
But after thinking about it, she had to admit he made sense, and couldnโt help but laugh first.
She withdrew her hand, pushed the almost-cold midnight snack towards him, "Hurry and eat, then go cuddle with your code overnight!"
