Elena had long known that Luke was indifferent to art, and she never expected that she would fall for someone without the art bug.
If it were anyone else, she would’ve just smiled politely and never interacted with them again.
But looking at the lazy and sunny smile of the young man who was driving, she found it impossible to be angry. Instead, she wanted to laugh. “Don’t you know that it’s very common for a painting to take a few months?”
Luke shrugged. “You were so quick to sketch me back then. I only sat for a few minutes, and you… ugh.”
Elena covered his mouth with a smile. “Swallow it. There are some words you should hold back.”
Naturally, Luke acquiesced.
What he didn’t know was that Elena’s drawing hadn’t been going very smoothly recently.
She had initially planned to sketch a few scenes from when she was with Luke, but when her brush moved, she was suddenly inspired and drew… a man with a smiling face in a cloak.
After drawing this strange “masterpiece,” she was very sure that she had never seen this person, whether in real life or someone else’s work.
Even though the smiling man’s face and figure were covered, she felt he was familiar.
She subconsciously felt that she had probably seen the smiling man in her dream.
Now that Luke asked her about her painting, what could she say? That she had wanted to draw him, but had “fallen for” and sketched someone else instead?
She wasn’t an idiot.
It was better to wait until she figured out this odd thing before she told Luke. She also had to hide that drawing.
Making up her mind, she stopped discussing her drawing and asked, “Where are we going?”
Luke didn’t notice anything.
When he was with a friend, he did his best to avoid using Mental Communication, so that his life wouldn’t turn into a police drama.
He just suggested, “Do you want to take a look around here and then have a picnic somewhere?”
Naturally, Elena was happy to do so.
She had been feeling stifled at school for a long time, so coming out would help her relax a little.
Actually, as long as Luke was happy to chat with her like this, anywhere they went was fine.
They stopped every now and then.
North Bergen was close to New York on the south side, and was fairly crowded. The outskirts to the northwest were mostly empty, and was pretty much the wilderness.
The weather here was much better than in New York. It was a rainy day, and there were no high-rises in the outskirts. Layers of white clouds stretched out over their heads, giving them a sense of wide open spaces.
The scenery here was quite nice for people who had been in a big city for a long time. For example, Elena was looking around with great interest.
But for someone like Luke, who had grown up in Texas, this place was nothing.
This tiny bit of space was common in Texas, and lacked the desolate and rough air of the Texan wilderness. It also didn’t have the charm of livestock or horses. At most, the air here was a little better than in New York.
So, Luke took on the task of taking photos while they were out sightseeing.
He was using the camera on his Titanium phone, which was very suitable for a “photo killer” like Luke.
Elena, on the other hand, had brought a professional camera, and she took photos of landscapes she liked as source material for future works.
Naturally, Luke was the one who had given her the camera, in the name of her contribution to the people and the arts.
Elena was well aware of the implications. She hit him a few times, but eventually accepted it.
When they had been out at sea in Marseilles, Luke had taken a lot of photos under her personal guidance, and the memory cards were still in Luke’s inventory.
Close to noon, Luke found a place.
Dozens of meters away was a supermarket that was hundreds of square meters in size. The two of them had a picnic on the grass opposite the supermarket.
He chose this place because it was the supermarket that Carol had visited before, and the only supermarket within a few kilometers of here. It also had a fast food restaurant.
This was the most convenient place for residents who wanted to buy stuff or didn’t want to cook.
The supermarket wasn’t crowded, either. Aside from customers who were here to shop, there were few people around.
They had a much more authentic picnic here than in the park in New York.
They ate slowly and chatted as they ate.
They didn’t leave after lunch, but sat and rested.
Luke marked out the areas he had searched today on his phone.
Elena, on the other hand, examined the photos she had taken today and sorted them. She asked Luke’s opinion every now and then, and wasn’t bored.
Suddenly, Luke raised his head and looked at the supermarket not far away.
The car’s surveillance system sent an alert notification.
He saw two young girls enter the fast food restaurant and sit down to order.
One of the girls was about 1.55 meters tall and was quite thin. If one didn’t look carefully, they would think that she was a child, but it was definitely Carol.
Thinking for a moment, Luke said something to Elena, before he walked to the fast food restaurant.
He pushed the door open, and the bell over the door rang. It wasn’t loud, but was distinct enough.
The plump middle-aged waitress at the counter looked over and nodded at him.
She didn’t have to, but Luke was very nice to look at; it was just like how older women appreciated good looks online.
In one corner, Carol’s back was to the door, and she didn’t notice Luke.
The girl faced the door and looked at Luke warily when she heard the bell. She felt that Luke was just a handsome and bright boy, and looked away.
Luke walked over unhurriedly, and sat down under the girl’s astonished expression.
His movements didn’t look fast, but they were smooth and natural. Before Carol could react, someone had sat down next to her.
She quickly turned around and was stunned. “You…”
Luke smiled. “Hello, Carol. It’s been a while.”
Carol looked at him in disbelief. “Luke? Why are you here?”
Luke chuckled. “I’m on a picnic with a friend. I was right across the street. I thought I was seeing things when I saw you.”
Carol was still surprised. “What a coincidence.”
She didn’t notice that the girl had become even more vigilant.
Luke, however, had long noticed it. After all, he was a detective.
The girl had the look of a criminal fugitive or an unlucky b*stard with debtors on her heels. She looked ready to explode at any moment.
He simply stretched out his hand with a smile. “Nice to meet you. You can call me Luke.”
The girl hesitated, but still shook his hand without giving her name.
Only then did Carol sense that the atmosphere was strange, and she explained to the girl in a low voice, “Luke is my friend. He helped me a lot. Also… he knows about me.”
The girl was stunned for a moment, before she dropped her guard, but she still didn’t say anything.
