CHAPTER 68: CHAPTER 68-THOUGHTFUL

Besides, it was cold outside, and if he took her home now, the food would be stone cold by the time he returned—how could he even eat then?

Bert paused, looking at her. His gaze was deep, like a still, fathomless pool. Catherine spoke softly,

"I can go back on my own..."

Catherine hadn’t really intended to let him send her. At first, she’d said Riley was waiting for her, but unexpectedly, Riley had betrayed her halfway.

"Letting a girl go home alone late at night isn’t something a gentleman should do."

He said it calmly, without hurry or anger, simply looking at her with steady eyes.

He had his own principles, and Catherine chose to respect them.

"Then you eat first. I’ll wait here for a little while."

When Catherine finished speaking, she saw a faint, warm smile flash in his eyes, though it vanished almost immediately.

He then set down his keys and came over. Looking down at her, his voice was low and gentle.

"Then go read in the study for a bit."

Catherine nodded.

"All right."

He took the lead and walked to the study, with Catherine following silently behind, quietly absorbing his thoughtfulness.

While the other three were eating in the dining room, she sitting alone in the living room would have felt awkward no matter what. His suggestion to move her to the study eased that discomfort perfectly.

From this, Catherine couldn’t help but acknowledge that he was a considerate man. Seeing him cook for his sister, care for and pamper his pregnant sister, her impression of him had grown significantly.

Though Gerald had spoken poorly of Bert’s reputation outside, at least what she had seen with her own eyes was entirely positive.

In her eyes, he was a man who loved his sister and valued family, a gentleman who was attentive and thoughtful. Even when he teased her a little during conversation, it seemed to be for her own good.

Having seen firsthand how he would roast Lucca and the Channings, she knew the words he said to her were completely harmless.

Bert’s apartment was spacious, and the study was located a little further down another corridor. His tall, upright figure moved steadily ahead of her, each step measured and composed.

Catherine felt awkward staring at his back, so she lowered her gaze, letting her mind wander to all sorts of random thoughts, unaware that the man in front of her had already reached the study door and paused. Distracted, she accidentally walked straight into his solid chest.

Because she bumped into him, he instinctively raised a hand and lightly rested it on her waist. His broad, warm palm pressed against her through the thin cashmere sweater—just a gentle support, polite and not intrusive—but Catherine felt her waist suddenly heat up.

He still carried the faint scent of the kitchen, but instead of feeling unpleasant, Catherine thought the smell made him feel more down-to-earth, more approachable, stripped of the usual aloofness and superiority.

Embarrassed, she quickly stepped back.

"Sorry..."

He said nothing, simply opened the study door and, in his deep, pleasant voice, told her,

"Feel free to read any of the books inside."

"Okay..."

Catherine nodded and entered the study, naturally drawn to the large bookshelves filled with volumes. Many of the books were ones she had long wanted to buy but could never find, some even rare editions.

Autobiographies of famous designers, classic works on design philosophy—books she had been eager to read but couldn’t get her hands on.

She immediately forgot the earlier awkwardness, even the man standing outside, and eagerly pulled one of the books from the shelf. Bert glanced at her focused expression, smiled faintly, and quietly left after closing the door.

He had known she would be interested in these.

Bert returned to the dining room to join Morrison and Lilian for dinner. Morrison glanced at him, calm and unruffled as ever, and couldn’t help but tease:

"Say, could you smile for once? Or at least soften your expression a little?"

"Look at the poor girl over there—she’s too scared to speak because of your face."

Bert, dining with his usual composure, glanced at Morrison’s beaming face and replied bluntly,

"I’m not as silly as you."

One sentence, and Morrison’s smile immediately faltered.

Well, there went his good intentions, treated like nonsense. He had wanted to point out that a friendly, smiling demeanor would make the girl more comfortable, but instead, Bert called him silly. Morrison didn’t want to deal with Bert’s antics anymore. To make matters worse, Lilian, his wife, didn’t defend him at all—she just laughed from the side. It was infuriating.

Morrison lowered his head and continued eating. Bert glanced at Lilian next to him.

"I see you’ve gained quite a bit recently. You’d better watch your diet—don’t wait until after giving birth to spend half a year getting your figure back. Remember, you’re a fashion model."

Lilian had just reached for a piece of braised ribs and quickly withdrew her chopsticks, slightly embarrassed.

Bert deliberately provoked Morrison, and Morrison, predictably, couldn’t stay calm, glaring at him in protest.

"What do you mean by that? Why should Lilian control her diet? You made all this delicious food for her!"

Bert calmly replied,

"I made all this so she could get a balanced diet, not to let her eat everything in excess. She can try a bit of everything, but she should eat each in moderation."

Morrison took the piece of rib Lilian had just reached for and placed it on her plate.

"Don’t listen to him. Eat whatever you want. I don’t care whether you’re fat or thin. There’s beauty in a little plumpness, just as there’s beauty in a lean figure."

For Morrison now, he no longer cared about her figure. All he wanted was for Lilian to eat well, enjoy her meals, and stay happy every day.

Recently, Lilian had experienced some pregnancy-related discomfort—nausea, dry heaving, sometimes even vomiting what she had just eaten. Mealtimes had been a real ordeal, and Morrison felt heartbroken seeing her suffer. Now that she was finally past that stage and able to eat normally, Morrison wanted her to have whatever she wanted. So for Bert to insist that she control her diet, Morrison couldn’t help but feel angry.

Thinking to himself, as expected, a brother can’t be relied on—women need their husbands to care for them.

Bert spoke seriously to Morrison,

"Nowadays, doctors advise controlling a pregnant woman’s diet. Eating too much doesn’t bring benefits and can result in a baby that’s too large. Most recommend natural delivery, and if the baby is too big, the birth will be difficult."

Lilian quietly added,

"The doctor did say that..."

Of course, Morrison already knew all this. He always accompanied Lilian to her prenatal checkups and was fully aware of the doctor’s advice—even more than Bert. But seeing how hard pregnancy was for Lilian, he hated to make her feel restricted when it came to food, so he always indulged her cravings.

Now that Bert was invoking the doctor’s advice, Morrison felt a little under pressure but stubbornly replied,

"You know so much—it’s like you’ve given birth yourself."

Bert remained calm as ever.

"Many things are only truly understood through experience. But just because you haven’t experienced them doesn’t mean you can’t understand or handle them."

Lilian quickly stepped in to smooth things over and shift the topic.

"By the way, brother, I see Catherine is really thin. In the future, you’ll need to cook more for her to help her gain some strength."

Between her husband and her brother, Lilian felt caught in the middle. Normally people have in-law issues, but here it was a clash between her husband and brother. God is fair—where life goes smoothly in one place, it will cause trouble elsewhere.

Bert softly picked up on her words,

"How many people who’ve been hurt are truly carefree and healthy? When you first went to the U.S., didn’t you lose a lot of weight too?"

Lilian had meant to divert the conversation, but unexpectedly, she ended up putting Morrison in an awkward spot. Bert’s remark hit Morrison where it hurt. He didn’t want to recall his past mistakes, yet Lilian’s words had prompted Bert to bring it up.

Deciding it was better to quietly eat his meal, Morrison kept silent, while Lilian, realizing she had said something she shouldn’t, stuck out her tongue and lowered her head to eat.

Meanwhile, Catherine was completely absorbed in the study. The room was well-appointed, with a wall of tall bookshelves neatly filled with all kinds of books—not just design, but also history, geography, art, and music. It was clear Bert’s reading was both broad and encyclopedic.

A thick white carpet covered the floor in front of the bookshelves, with a low table that looked like his usual reading spot. Catherine sat down comfortably on the thick, soft rug with a book in hand, enjoying the cozy, pleasant environment as she read.