A Love Trap

Francis looked down at the vegetable in his hands. 'Did I do something wrong?'

"What's wrong?" he asked innocently.

Looking at his handsome face, Ellie couldn't find the words.

"Ellie, what's the matter?" Ashley came in from the living room. When her eyes fell on the vegetable in Francis's hands, her mouth twisted. She had been away to fetch something just for less than a minute. How could he mess up a simple job of washing vegetable?

Only the stems remained in his hands and the leaves were torn into pieces and scattered all around.

"Can you tell me what kind of vegetable you are washing?" Ashley came over and looked at the stems in the basket. She stared at his innocent face resisting the urge to punch it.

"Isn't this how you're supposed to wash it?"

"Then what is it?"

Francis looked at the pile of leaves in another basket and said, "Oh, you meant these? These can't be eaten, right? I have removed all the leaves. I will throw them away."

"Who told you those can't be eaten?" asked Ashley.

"But I have never eaten those. Can they really be eaten?"

Judging from Ashley's and Ellie's expressions, Francis could tell that he must have goofed up.

Ashley slapped her forehead. "Okay, I will take it from here. You go rest in the living room," she said in resignation.

And this time she didn't listen to Francis' explanations. She just pushed him out of the kitchen. If she allowed him to stay in the kitchen any longer, there wouldn't be any dinner today.

Francis was puzzled at being pushed out of the kitchen. He asked Ashley for the name of the vegetable and searched it online.

also called water convolvulus, angiosperm, known to

could cook the leaves, or you

"So

and looked delicious. Francis got a whiff of the aroma, and he took a deep breath.

His eyes lit up. He turned to

briefly but didn't say

more if you like. We have work

He was totally immersed in the food.

had tasted all kinds of delicacies but for some reason, he still felt that the food he ate today was the

much for free. Are you going to do something to repay us?" asked Ashley.

replied immediately, "I'm always at

on the dinner table and flashed an

Ellie sat on the couch comfortably and started watching TV. Ashley stroked her stomach and said, "I think I ate too much. My stomach

you compete with him at the dinner table?" Nevertheless, she started rummaging through the drawer trying

Francis eating so much and so fast, she, too, was infected by his zest. She ended up eating more than she usually would and it became a bit too

the direction of the kitchen from time to time. She was amused.

her eyes at Ashley and said, "Why would I worry about him? I'm just worried about my kitchen and my

washing the dishes.

loud crash from the

her sentence, there was another

almost a slap

Francis standing in front of the

"Ashley, your dishes are poor in quality. They break as soon as they are dropped to the floor. Next

her head. Francis was a genius in coming

dropped to the floor? What the hell