"Taylor Astoria." Mia answered for her aunt.
"The last name is Astoria..." Jake muttered to himself.
"Jake, what's wrong with you? Of course my mother's sister's surname is Astoria!" Mia put down her chopsticks, looking like she was full.
Taylor Astoria's watery eyes looked at the handsome Jake with interest through the lenses. Her pretty face was particularly charming because of a few drops of sweat from cooking.
"Teacher Astoria, have you ever taught at Sunshine Middle School?" Jake asked tentatively.
Taylor was surprised and said, "How do you know? I did teach there when I was young, and later I transferred to MCB."
Jake was overjoyed when he heard this and said excitedly, "Teacher Taylor, I'm Jake. Do you remember me? I'm the monitor of Junior 2, Jake."
Taylor was stunned for a moment, and her dusty memories were awakened like a tide, and the fragmented memories were pieced together at this moment.
"You are Jake. It seems to be really you. How come you are so tall now? I remember you were the shortest kid in your class in junior high school."
Mia was confused by what she heard. She didn't expect that her boyfriend had such an experience. It was such a coincidence.
Jake couldn't hide his excitement and didn't even pay attention to Mia's confused "inner voice."
Taylor was also surprised that the smart student she once had high hopes for had grown into a handsome young man and even became Mia's boyfriend. What a wonderful fate.
As Taylor and Jake talked, more and more details were recalled by the two, including some embarrassing things that happened to Jake during his student days.
When Mia heard about her boyfriend's scandal, she quickly joined in, and the three of them had a great time talking during the meal.
During the conversation, the topic turned to her aunt Taylor Astoria, and Jake wisely went out to smoke a cigarette, leaving some space for them.
Mia had mentioned before that she had a very good relationship with her aunt, so they talked even longer during this meeting. If Jake hadn't sent a message to remind Mia that he had to go to work tomorrow, Mia would have even agreed to stay overnight.
At 11:30 in the evening, Jake and Mia said goodbye to their aunt, saying some polite words before leaving.
On the way home, Mia looked unhappy. When Jake asked her about the matter, she told the truth.
Her aunt and uncle were on the verge of divorce, so she moved out of her uncle's house.
Mia felt sorry for her aunt, so she waved her fist at the air and threatened to beat her uncle-in-law.
Jake listened patiently to Mia venting. This kind of thing was not something he, an outsider, could get involved in, but he also felt sorry for the former teacher Taylor.
It was already early morning when Mia was sent home. Before she said goodbye, Mia asked Jake: "She will go to work tomorrow. I hope he can help my aunt move all her things over during the few days off. Don't mention a word of what I told him in front of my aunt."
Jake was thinking alone on the way home, and finally took out his phone, opened the WeChat of his aunt he had just added, and sent a message.
Jake got up late today. In the past, he almost never slept in except on weekends because of work. He worked very hard at his aunt's house yesterday and returned to the rental house late. He accidentally missed the alarm.
Jake was brushing his teeth while reading WeChat messages.
After trying to refuse for a long time yesterday and even bringing up the teacher-student relationship, his aunt reluctantly agreed to move again. However, his aunt had classes today, so she sent the original address to Jake, made a list of things, and went to school early.
After Jake washed up and dressed himself, he drove to his aunt's original home.
This was a residential area near Jalvethan University. Although it was not as big as the villa of the president's mother-in-law, Jake, who once studied at Jalvethan University, knew that the housing prices here were not low!
Jake was quite familiar with the road here. After searching for a while, he finally arrived at his aunt's house.
Jake stood outside the door and knocked politely. After a while, a young girl in sportswear opened the door.
"Who are you looking for?"
"Hello, I'm here to help Teacher Astoria move." Jake deliberately changed his address.
When the girl heard the words "Teacher Astoria", she showed displeasure on her face and shouted to the inside of the house: "Brother, move."
After saying that, the girl twisted her plump big butt and walked towards the inner room in a very coquettish manner.
After a while, a middle-aged man with a gentle and scholarly look came out and said to Jake, "Is this the worker that Taylor called?"
Jake did not explain and replied: "Yeah."
The middle-aged man pointed to a pile of packed things on the balcony of the living room and said, "Everything is there. Can we finish it today?"
"Okay." Jake didn't waste any words, put on shoe covers, and started working.
Jake originally thought that the young girl was his aunt's daughter, but when he heard the way the girl addressed the male host, he felt something was wrong.
Sure enough, when Jake was moving things for the third time, he accidentally heard the quarrel between the young girl and the male owner in the house.
"Didn't you agree to divorce her?"
"I'm not lying to you. I'll get a divorce when she moves out!"
"This is what you promised me, and our child!"
"All right, all right, my darling, I love you most."
...
Jake didn't dare to stay for long. No wonder his aunt wanted to divorce. It turned out that her husband had a mistress. He wondered if his aunt knew that the mistress was pregnant.
Alas, this man doesn't know what's good for him. With his aunt's looks and figure, there are a lot of men out there vying for her, but you found a plain-looking girl who is inferior to his aunt in every way except her youth.
These were all Jake's heartfelt words. His aunt didn't have much stuff, but as he went up and down the stairs, the sky darkened unknowingly.
By the time the last trip was over, the vehicle that Jake rented was actually packed full!
On his way back, he talked to his aunt on the phone. She had changed her class time and was waiting for him at home.
After a busy schedule, she finally moved all her things into his aunt's new home, which may mean that his aunt had to say goodbye to her past life.
After moving, Jake wanted to leave, but he couldn't resist his aunt's enthusiastic invitation. The teacher-student acquaintance last night made the two of them not seem so strangers even without Mia as the middleman.
The moon was high in the sky, and the stars were shining.
The summer night in Jalvethan was beautiful. Jake stood in the living room on the 13th floor, looking at the beautiful scenery in the distance through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
His aunt had excellent aesthetic taste. She chose a geographical location where she could enjoy the moat of Jalvethan. The river was clear and long, and the moonlight poured on the sparkling water, reflecting the mysterious and hazy beauty of the bright moon.
A pedestrian promenade was built around the moat for nearby residents to take a walk, walk their dogs, and enjoy the view. It was just before dinner time.
Residents walking in groups of three or four on the sidewalk were also preparing to go back.
When Jake saw this scene, he felt homesick, but he didn't have a real home. It was just an orphanage filled with children of all ages.
"Jake, it's time for dinner!" He heard his aunt calling from the kitchen.
Jake's heartstrings seemed to be plucked, and he felt a long-lost sense of warmth.
This reminded him of the director who was like a father to him in the orphanage. His appearance somewhat made up for the fatherly love that Jake had lost.
Jake walked over, smelling the aroma, praising her generously: "Aunt, the food you cook is so delicious. I can smell it from far away."
Taylor came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of home-cooked food. "It's just a home-cooked meal. Thank you for your hard work. After all, I am the head teacher of the graduating class, so I can't leave. You have been moving for a whole day. It's really troublesome."
"No, it's my duty." Jake hurriedly and politely took the dish from his aunt's hand.
Taylor handed it over, and during the process, Jake accidentally touched Taylor's fingers. The cool yet smooth feeling made Jake's heart skip a beat.
Taylor didn't seem to care. She turned around and continued to work on the stove, reminding: "There is one last dish of shredded potatoes. It will be quick."