SWNOVELS Chapter 103: He had Mentioned Me?
The light was not switched on in the room. Hayden could only see a shadow sitting on the couch from the light shined from
outside when she pushed the door open. Joseph was holding a cigarette between his fingers. He took a puff and the smoke
faded into the darkness. She closed the door in hesitance and headed towards the couch. “Why did you leave so suddenly? Is it
because you don’t like the wontons?”
“Yes.” Joseph gave a curt reply and it had stopped her from asking questions that she wanted to ask. Hayden waved her hand
gently to try to dissipate the cloud of smoke. Although she had been holding her breath, she still could not help but cough.
Joseph’s expression froze and he stopped smoking for a few seconds. He then extinguished the cigarette in the ash tray, stood
up and opened the window a little to let the cold wind entered. It was raining outside the window and the stuffiness of the room
was gradually alleviated.
“We’ll leave straight tomorrow morning, as for the guy you’ve hit, I’ll arrange for a hospital transfer, and we’ll return to Nanking
together tomorrow morning.” He sounded exceptionally dull with his deep voice mixed with the sound of the rain. Hayden actually
felt relieved and she nodded. Having realized he was having his back faced against her and he could not see her response, she
then let out a soft reply.
“Great. Our work here is actually all done, if not for the rainstorm alert, we should have gone back now.” Joseph nodded and
entered the bathroom. The splashing sound of the water is heard from the inside. Hayden stood for a while in the room. She
walked out and closed the door, going downstairs.
The customers beneath had all returned to their rooms in groups. The resting area regained its silence. The worker was cleaning
the table, seeing Hayden, she then asked, “Why didn’t you and your boyfriend finish the wontons? Is it because the taste is
awful?” Hayden quickly shook her head and without even explaining her relationship with Joseph, she explained evasively, “He’s
not feeling well, therefore he’s gone back to the room to have a rest. Sorry about that.”
“Nah, there’s nothing to be sorry about. Is it because he has caught a cold due to the rain today? There’s medicine at the
counter.”
“It’s okay.” Hayden smiled. “I would like to use the kitchen, can I cook a bowl of noodles?”
“Huh?” The worker was startled and she looked slightly awkward. “Sure.” A gentle voice was heard from the kitchen entrance.
Hayden turned around and saw the boss lady who was wearing a plain dress. She was lifting the tie-dyed curtain of the kitchen
up and there was vague eagerness from her cold and indifferent eyes. “Thanks you.” Hayden thanked and followed her into the
kitchen.
The boss lady was over fifty, yet her eyes were still limpid, looking amiable and kind. She only felt her familiar back then, yet from
Joseph’s look just now, it was not hard to guess the relationship between them after relating the clues. Joseph’s father had
passed away when he was thirteen. After that, his mother had left the Beckham family which had caused great unhappiness in
the family. Although Joseph had not mentioned that clearly before, she still managed to hear some rumors.
The woman before her had great temperament and she did not look like a flirtatious woman which was described in the rumor.
“What do you need?” The boss lady’s voice interrupted Hayden’s thought and she reacted. “I’ll be fine just cooking a bowl of
noodles. Do you have flour? I’ll roll the dough.”
“I’ll help you.”
“No, thanks. It’s okay.” Hayden quickly rejected. Seeing the disappointment in her eyes, she frowned. “I don’t mean it...”
“I know what you mean.” The boss lady let out a self-deprecating smile and her hand slid down from the flour bag. “You’re
worried that he would refuse to eat anything I make.” Hayden pursed her lips and felt slightly awkward. It was the Beckham
family’s own business after all and she could not possibly ask too much about it. To her, she actually had no idea what to do
either. “It’s just that I don’t want to bother you, I’ll be alright by myself, since I don’t have anything to do anyway.” She still
managed to give her an out.
“Then I’ll leave you to yourself, do call me if you need any help.” After saying that, the boss lady turned and was ready to leave.
“Ma’am.” Hayden stopped her and continued, “If you have nothing else to do, could you teach me the ways you used to make
noodles?” The boss lady was startled and as if instantly understood something, she nodded in delight, pulling a chair over and
sat beside her.
As Hayden was rolling the dough, she taught her carefully some of the things to be noted for like when to add the water. The
dough was quickly formed and it was stretched in Hayden’s hands. She cut it and stretched it more to form thin strands. The
noodles were then put into the boiling water in the pot. “I knew you’re an ST worker before, but I didn’t expect that you have such
close relationship with him.” The boss lady stared at her. The ‘him’ she was addressing to was understood without the need to
explain.
“I also thought you only inquire about his recent situation out of curiosity in the first place.” The boss lady was startled and she
suddenly asked, “He had mentioned me in front of you?”
“What do you mean? Ma’am.” Hayden did not answer her. Joseph would not hate his own mother without a reason. She was an
outsider and it was better for her not to gossip about that. “Don’t call me ma’am.” The boss lady looked at her and said, “My
name’s Rebekah Beckham, if you don’t mind, you can call me auntie.” Hayden was slightly confused. “Your last name is
Beckham too?”
“No one’s mentioned this to you before?” The boss lady was surprised. Hayden shook her head with a serious look. Having
thought about that, although the boss lady was Joseph’s mother, it was not an unusual thing for her to have the same last name
too. As if having understood something, the boss lady let out a wry smile. “That’s true though, who would mention someone
who’s left for so many years.”
She looked up and stared at Hayden. Her eyes were so limpid and pure as if she was still a young lady in her brightest age. She
continued with a composed tone, “I was adopted by the Beckham family and I grew up with Joseph’s father when I was a child.
We got married before I’ve even graduated from college. After all these years, I suppose father did not mention this to you too.
Oh yes, is father still healthy now?”
Hayden hesitated for a while and only realized the ‘father’ she mentioned must be the old man of the Beckham family. “I only met
Mr. Beckham once, but he’s still looking fit and healthy. But ma’am, I think you’ve misunderstood something, President Beckham
and I actually...” Without finishing her words, she suddenly realized if she clarified their relationship, the fact that they had slept
in the same room would be even weirder, especially when she was facing Joseph’s own mother. She then swallowed the last
words she was going to say.
“We’ve only been together for not long, therefore I’m not really familiar of the family things you ask.” Having heard that, the boss
lady retrieved her baffled look. “Is that so.” Hayden nodded in embarrassment and evaded her look. She continued to scoop the
noodles from the pot. “The noodles are almost ready, thank you for letting me use the kitchen.”
“No problem, it is me who should thank you.” From her words, she had clearly treated her as Joseph’s girlfriend and that gave
her creeps. “Can I have your contact details?” The boss lady then further asked.