Oops, My Boyfriend

第11章

As the phone screen flashed the unfamiliar number, Caleb quickly shut his phone and slipped it into his pocket, smiling at me, "Perfect timing for dinner."I've been watching romance dramas since I was eight. Triangles, quadrangles, love squares, the home-wreckers, those with wandering hearts, the third parties—a strange number, a number Caleb neither looks at nor answers, what could it mean?Pretending not to care, I asked him, "Who is it that's trying to reach you so urgently?"He replied, "Just a friend from back home."I suggested, "They called you so many times; it must be urgent. Maybe you should call back."He nodded, "Yeah, if they call again, I'll answer."I wanted to ask if the caller was male or female, but I held back.We found a quaint little restaurant for dinner. As we waited for our meal, I idly plucked rose petals, half hoping the phone would ring again. When it finally did, I looked up sharply at Caleb. He pressed the answer button.I strained every auditory cell in my ears, but couldn't make out what the caller was saying. Yet, I was certain it was a young woman. Caleb's expression was neutral, his voice low, almost as if he barely knew the person.I stretched my neck, trying to eavesdrop.Caleb pushed my head back gently."It's something about school," he said calmly, "Yes. Yeah. Goodbye." and hung up.He teased, seeing my outstretched neck, "Are you part turtle?"I snorted, "Was that your mistress?"Honestly, I felt quite pathetic.Seeing how calm and collected Caleb was during the call, and judging by his tone, I guessed he was innocent, so I dared to ask. If I really thought there was something going on, I wouldn't have dared to be so bold.Caleb crossed his legs, "Don't worry, you're the main one."I grabbed his hand, about to bite it.He casually remarked, "I see you're part dog too. Go ahead and bite, but remember, biting means no special gift."I retorted, "I hate being threatened!"Then I let go of his hand.He laughed.I glared at him, "Tell me the truth, who was that?"While stirring his tea, Caleb explained, "She's a neighbor from my hometown. She didn't see me over the New Year, so she called to check in."I glowered, "If you dare to keep a fox spirit, I'll castrate you!"Caleb choked on the tea he had just sipped.That night, under a dark tree, Caleb delivered on his promise of a special gift, and even threw in a bonus. By the end, seeing his content expression, I couldn't tell if the gift was more for me or for him.The last few hours of Valentine's Day, I lay in bed, inevitably thinking about that strange woman's call. Caleb's character and today's events reassured me there was nothing to worry about. Yet, there was a small knot in my heart, though tiny.Maybe it's because it's my first relationship and I've never encountered such a situation before, making me overly sensitive.Life is full of little surprises.Like a split nail on my left middle finger.Like the noodle shop downstairs suddenly turning into a lingerie store.Like my aunt's chicken unexpectedly laying two eggs in one day.Such trivial surprises.I figured, as time goes on, that tiny knot in my heart will eventually disappear.Back then, I didn't realize that not all little surprises in life are trivial.Like that time long ago when I demanded a refund for a movie ticket, leading to an unexpected event.So, that very small knot might just have the potential to grow into a huge tree