75 A Taste of Warmth


    No matter what others thought, several people had already rushed forward, eager to add her as a friend


    The rest, who were just starting to react, were stunned.


    “Seriously? You already added her?”


    “Shameless<b>.</b><b>” </b>


    “Hey, wait up. I want to add her tool:


    After they all added her, Professor Hugh immediately gave the order to convene a televised conference with medical personnel from across the province to discuss the virus.


    These experts were all busy people. Before leaving, Professor Hugh gave Scarlett’s shoulder a pat.


    “Little girl, if you ever need anything, you cane to me.”


    Scarlett nodded, but inwardly, she remained calm. She had lived with the Joyner family for six years without receiving the slightest bit of kindness. She had long since stopped expecting goodwill from


    strangers.


    Of course, there were exceptions.


    She couldn’t help but nce over in Jasper’s direction.


    The man was walking toward her, his tall frame casting a shadow over the blinding fluorescent lights above. The glow outlined him in a soft halo. His sharp, cold features looked as though they were softened by ayer of warm light.


    People said Mr. Fletcher was cold and ruthless, a natural–born executioner best kept at a distance. But now, Scarlett thought he resembled a lone warrior, noble and unyielding. There was a scale in his heart–if he thought someone was worth it, he would help them without hesitation. If he thought they weren’t, he’d cut them down without mercy.


    Around someone like that, there was no need to study social cues or navigate politics. All she had to do was be herself. When two people shared the same frequency, they would naturally walk in step.


    “The red circles in your notebook were nicely done,” he said.


    His voice was low and steady. If one listened carefully, they might even catch a hint of amusement in his


    tone.


    Scarlett’s ears turned slightly pink. She had wanted to thank him–for helping her get this opportunity and for giving her the confidence to do what she believed in–but before she could say a word, he had spoken first.


    It took her a moment to realize what he meant. Marking anomalies was simply a habit of hers, one she’d developed from elementary school all the way through graduate studies. It helped her review and sparked new ideas.


    Jack leaned in. “Pixel, how do you manage to focus on so many things at once? You <b>really </b><b>blew </b>those old fossils away. That was satisfying to watch.”


    Scarlett turned her face away, inadvertently exposing the blush on her ears to <b>Jasper</b>. Her voice <b>was </b>calm,


    but her heart pounded so hard it made her chest ache.


    “Just practice.”


    A glimmer flickered through Jasper’s eyes, and the corners of his lips curved slightly. <b>He </b>waved <b>his </b><b>hand </b>and the robot cat trotted in through the door, hopping into his arms.


    A small ck pouch was strapped to its back. Jasper’s long fingers unzipped it and pulled out <b>three </b>breakfast boxes. He tossed one to Jack, then ced another in front of Scarlett.


    The box was still hot, the steam forming droplets on the inside of the lid–tiny and clear.


    Scarlett was surprised. If she wasn’t mistaken, this was from the most popr breakfast ce outside <b>the </b>school–the kind of ce where lines wrapped around the block. Sinceing to this city, she’d only <b>eaten </b>there once. Back then, someone from the Joyner family had craved it, and she had gotten up in the <b>middle </b>of the night to wait in line. But after all that, they had taken one look and called it unhygienic, durnping <b>it </b>all in the trash. She had eaten her share in tears.


    She remembered wondering at the time why something that tasted so good wasn’t good enough for them<b>. </b>Now she understood. The Joyner family didn’t care about the food. They only cared about who was eating it.


    Jack opened his box and eximed, “Whoa, this smells amazing. Jasper, you’re the best!”


    The aroma pulled Scarlett from her thoughts. She quietly opened her own lid. Inside were crab roe buns- plump and glistening, enough to make anyone hungry.


    She took a bite.


    The vor filled her mouth with warmth and richness<b>. </b>


    So this was what it felt like to be around the right people–someone who treated the things she cherished like treasures, and held them out to her like they were treasures too.


    “Hey, Pixel,” Jack said, “good, right? Wait–yours was spicy? Why are your eyes red?”


    Scarlett quickly turned around, taking a few deep breaths topose herself.


    “Uh… it’s a little hot.”


    Jack, ever the simple one, didn’t notice anything odd and was soon distracted again. He turned to the robot


    cat.


    “Jasper, you had the robot cat go get breakfast?”


    Jasper’s gaze slowly drifted away from Scarlett’s back. His eyes were calm again, unreadable.


    “Yeah,” he replied.


    Jack picked up the robot cat.


    “Hey, little guy, how’d you manage that? Let me see. What, now you’re ignoring me?


    The robot cat darted off, and Jack chased after it. “Hey, don’t ignore me. You’re asking for it <b>now</b><b>!</b><b>” </b>


    Theb quieted down again.


    Scarlett finished a dumpling, her mood settling, her expression rxed and at ease.


    “Mr. Fletcher,” she said, “next time it’s on me. There are some pretty good spots around here.


    4