Noon.
11:40 AM.
Sarah was busy in the kitchen, washing vegetables and preparing lunch.
After helping her prep two stalks of celery, Johny Lee found himself with nothing to do. He idled in the living room, staring blankly at the TV.
In reality, Johny was desperately hoping the day would fly by.
He needed to get to tomorrow to test if his ability to reverse time was still functional. If it was a one-time fluke, all this excitement would be for nothing.
Ding-dong. Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang.
Johny walked over and twisted the knob. Before the door was even fully open, a gentle scent of perfume wafted in.
Through the security gate, a face of breathtaking beauty appeared...it was Maggi from next door, Apartment 302.
Her soft eyes, long eyelashes, and fair complexion were captivating.
Today, Maggi was dressed in a light-colored professional business suit.
The skirt curved gracefully over her ample hips, and her long legs were encased in sheer stockings ending in white high-heeled shoes. She exuded the irresistible charm of a mature woman.
"Uh, please, come in." Johny didn't dare look at her for too long and hurried to open the gate for her.
"Hehe, I just came over to visit." Maggi stepped inside. Clack, clack—the sound of her heels on the floor was soft and rhythmic.
Sarah walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands.
"Maggi? You're here? Are you off work today?"
Maggi's large, charming eyes glanced toward the kitchen.
She smiled warmly. "Just one day off.
Sister Sarah, are you cooking? Don't bother. Why don't you and Johny come over to my place for lunch?"
Sarah was slightly taken aback.
"No, no need. The vegetables are already cut."
Maggi lowered her eyes in thought.
"Then... I actually just bought some groceries on my way back.
I'll bring them over and cook a few dishes here. We can all eat together."
Before Johny or his mother could protest, Maggi turned around without a word and clicked her heels back to her apartment.
She returned moments later carrying several bags of meat and vegetables.
From another bag, she pulled out a white shirt.
She held it up against Johny's chest to compare the size, revealing a deep dimple as she smiled.
"I bought you a shirt. I don't know if it fits. Mm, not bad, not bad.
Hurry, try it on. If it doesn't fit, I'll go exchange it."
Johny felt his face heat up. "How can I let you buy me clothes?
Really, there's no need."
Maggi batted her eyelashes, smiled, and reached out to lightly flick his nose.
"Hurry up. Go change."
In the past, Maggi would occasionally sit and chat with Johny, but she had never made such intimate gestures.
Johny's face flushed red.
But the thought of spending a day this close to the goddess of his heart made him secretly excited.
Unable to resist Maggi's urging, Johny awkwardly peeled off his old T-shirt and buttoned on the crisp, casual white shirt.
Maggi smiled and stepped in close to button the collar for him.
"Mm-hmm, it fits quite well."
Virtuous, considerate, gentle—these were the words that defined Maggi.
Although Johny sometimes politely called her "Sis Maggi," she was only a few years older than him.
She was unmarried, simply carrying herself with a mature demeanor.
The year his father passed away, Sarah had left Beijing to teach in the countryside to earn money, leaving Johny alone in the apartment.
During the darkest time of his life, it was Maggi's smile that brought light into his world.
She would bring him stewed meat, chat with him, and offer guidance and encouragement.
Johny was eternally grateful, and that gratitude had gradually blossomed into feelings.
However, he was self-aware. He knew his poor circumstances made him unworthy of a beauty like Maggi, so he kept his admiration buried deep in his heart, telling no one.
Watching Maggi dress her son, Sarah was a bit bewildered.
She knew that when she wasn't in Beijing, Maggi would sometimes check in on Johny. But wasn't that just being a good neighbor? Bringing food and chatting casually was normal.
But Maggi's current enthusiasm went beyond Sarah's understanding.
Could Maggi have feelings for my son?
Sarah dismissed the thought immediately. Impossible.
They weren't a match at all.
Even as Johny's mother, Sarah had to admit that her son was punching far above his weight class with Maggi.
Moreover, a woman like Maggi wouldn't fall for a broke college graduate without a reason.
Thinking this, Sarah blinked suspiciously. "Maggi, look at you... bringing food, buying clothes... what is this all about?"
"Johny, didn't you tell Sister Sarah?" Maggi turned her shapely figure toward him.
"Mm." Johny mumbled.
He was afraid his mother would worry, so he hadn't mentioned the accident.
Sarah was startled. "Tell me what?"
Maggi sighed, her eyes suddenly growing moist. "The day before yesterday, at the intersection downstairs... an old man and I were almost hit and killed by a truck.
Johny bravely stepped forward and saved both of us.
You didn't see it, Sarah. It was incredibly dangerous.
We survived by a hair's breadth..."
She shed a few tears, unable to continue. In that instant during the accident, her mind had gone blank.
Her legs had felt like lead.
She had accepted death. She never expected that Johny—who usually seemed so timid and quiet—would rush into the jaws of death to save her without a second thought. Maggi was truly shaken by it.
Sarah gasped.
"That happened?!"
Maggi wiped her eyes and gently stroked the back of Johny's head, her bright red lips slightly pursed.
"Johny, I won't say thank you anymore.
From now on, you're my dear brother.
Sister Sarah, don't treat me as an outsider either. If your family needs anything in the future, just tell me."
Johny smacked his lips awkwardly. "Oh, please don't be so polite."
"What?" Maggi looked at him playfully. "Do you dislike having me as a big sister?"
Johny quickly waved his hands.
"No, no, that's not what I meant."
Cough. Why sister and not wife?
Johny thought heartlessly.
Sarah finally understood.
After asking a barrage of questions about the accident, she patted Maggi's hand. "Phew, that was too dangerous.
It's good that you're both okay.
Maggi, these past few years, Johny has really relied on your care.
We haven't treated you as an outsider for a long time. Nowadays, kind girls like you are rare. It's Johny's good fortune to have a sister like you."
Sarah really liked Maggi.
She was gentle to her core.
Moreover, Sarah was due to return to the countryside next month; knowing someone like Maggi was looking after Johny put her mind at ease.
Maggi shifted her hips, moving closer to Johny on the sofa.
She stroked his head again and smiled brightly. "Don't say that. It's my fortune."
As she moved, her plump thigh subtly brushed against Johny's knee.
The smooth, electric touch of the sheer stockings was incredibly tempting.
Johny immediately felt an unbearable itch in his heart.
To hide his embarrassment, he dodged his head away and rolled his eyes.
"Maggi, I remember you're not that much older than me, right?
can we please stop petting my head like a puppy?"
Actually, Johny felt sweet inside.
Her fingers were soft, and her thigh... Ahhh, I can't take it!
Sarah and Maggi both chuckled at his reaction.
After a while, Maggi and Sarah went to the kitchen hand-in-hand, chatting happily as they cooked.
After tasting Maggi's unparalleled cooking, the virtuous guest insisted on washing all the dishes herself.
In the afternoon, while Johny and his mother weren't looking, Maggi grabbed a rag and started wiping the windows.
In the evening, Maggi again volunteered to cook dinner and do the dishes. No matter how much Johny and Sarah tried to stop her, it was no use.
Around 7:30 PM.
Maggi rinsed the soap off her hands and came out of the kitchen.
"The dishes are done. I'll head back now?"
Johny was genuinely afraid she was overworking herself.
"Okay, okay, you should go rest. Look how tired you are today, I feel really bad."
"I don't have many hobbies.
Cooking and cleaning are two of them. Hehe, what's so tiring about this?" Maggi's smile was like candy—sweet enough to cause a toothache.
Like a housewife, she reached back and untied the apron around her slender waist. Under Johny's confused gaze, she walked into the bathroom.
When she came out, she was holding a plastic basin filled with dirty clothes—all the clothes Johny had taken off yesterday.
"Your mother's back isn't good, don't let her get tired.
I'll wash your clothes and bring them back tomorrow when they're dry."
Sarah jumped up.
"How can you do that! No, no! Let him wash them himself!"
Johny's face instantly turned tomato red. He rushed forward to grab the basin.
"I can wash them myself! Give it to me!"
Maggi didn't listen.
She pulled the basin away.
Seeing that Johny wouldn't let go, she smiled and raised her hand as if to slap him playfully.
"I'm going to hit you, okay? Let go! I wouldn't wash these for anyone else! I just want you to have more time to review for your exam! Aren't you taking the civil service test soon?"
With that, Maggi snatched the basin away forcefully, kicked the door open, and escaped to her apartment.
Johny stood there, mortified.
His socks... and his underwear... were in there!
But amidst the embarrassment, Johny felt a profound sense of the impermanence of life.
If he had been a step late during the accident the day before yesterday, he definitely wouldn't be seeing Maggi's smiling face now.
Instead, he would be facing her cold body, regretting it for the rest of his life.
Authors Note:-
That's end of chapter 3
Support with power stones.