Before heading back, Suzy stopped at a small noodle shop by the roadside and ordered a bowl of beef noodles.
Maybe it was because she hadn't eaten properly all day, but the noodles tasted unbelievably good.
Especially the pickled vegetables.
The sharp, savory flavor suited her taste perfectly, and the shop offered unlimited refills.
Without hesitation, Suzy asked the owner to pack ten servings of beef noodles for her.
After thinking for a moment, she added several more dishes to the order—stir-fried rice noodles, soup noodles, and a few other varieties.
Ten portions of each.
The owner stared at her in surprise.
The woman looked to be in her early forties, with a gentle face and kind eyes. Seeing Suzy order such a massive amount of food at once, she instinctively double-checked.
"Miss, are you sure you need this much?"
Suzy answered casually, making up an excuse on the spot.
"I'm buying food for people at my company."
Understanding immediately dawned on the owner's face.
"Oh, I see! Alright then, just wait a little while. We'll have everything ready soon."
Suzy paid first and sat down to wait.
The shop worked quickly, and the portions were surprisingly generous.
When the food was finally ready, the owner even found a large cardboard box and carefully packed everything inside for her.
Noticing how much Suzy liked the pickled vegetables, she stuffed several extra bags into the box as well.
"These are homemade," the owner said warmly. "Since you enjoy them, take some extra. Come visit again next time."
A quiet warmth spread through Suzy's chest.
"Thank you, Auntie," she replied with a smile. "I'll get going now."
She bent slightly, preparing to lift the box herself.
But the owner immediately stopped her.
"You're carrying all that alone? Didn't your coworkers come with you?"
Suzy paused before shaking her head lightly.
The owner frowned with concern the moment she got a clear look at Suzy's face.
Ever since moving into the rental apartment, Suzy had been wearing a mask whenever she went outside.
She had removed it while eating earlier and simply hadn't put it back on yet.
Now, her pale complexion was fully exposed.
One glance was enough to tell she wasn't healthy.
Suzy was already slender to begin with, and paired with her bloodless complexion and delicate features, she looked heartbreakingly fragile.
The owner's expression softened immediately.
"Oh dear, no, no—you shouldn't be lifting heavy things," she said hurriedly. "Wait here. I'll call my son over to help."
She raised her voice and called toward the back kitchen.
A teenage boy soon came jogging out.
He was tall and broad-shouldered, probably still in high school, and he quickly helped Suzy carry the box to her car.
"Thank you," Suzy said warmly.
The boy didn't even dare meet her eyes directly.
His ears turned bright red as he muttered an awkward "No problem" before hurrying back into the shop.
"Drive safely, miss!" the owner called after her.
After thanking her again, Suzy drove away toward a nearby milk tea shop.
The weather was too hot.
While eating the noodles earlier, she had suddenly developed an intense craving for milk tea.
She ordered one cup for herself first.
Then she placed another large order.
Every flavor she liked—five cups each.
By the end, the total came to well over thirty cups.
Honestly, it wasn't even that much.
She was mostly worried the staff would become overwhelmed and make her wait too long.
Otherwise, she might have ordered one of every flavor available.
According to Suzy's original plan, stockpiling milk tea wasn't supposed to happen this early.
But cravings were cravings.
By the time she arrived at the shop, the drinks were already prepared and neatly packed.
The moment she got into the car, she stored all the boxed milk teas directly into her spatial dimension.
Then she picked up the extra cup she had kept out for herself and took a long sip.
Instantly, every part of her body seemed to relax.
So satisfying.
After running around the entire day, Suzy leaned back in the driver's seat and rested briefly.
It was already four in the afternoon.
She picked up her phone and began contacting the supermarket suppliers Malcolm had recommended earlier.
The call connected quickly.
A sales manager answered.
Suzy skipped the small talk and went straight to the point.
Claiming she was preparing to open a new supermarket, she explained that she needed to purchase a large amount of inventory and listed the supplies she wanted in detail.
But after a brief silence, the manager replied apologetically,
"I'm sorry, Miss Kale, but all of our current stock has already been reserved. Even future shipments have been fully booked. We really can't accept additional orders right now. You may need to contact another supplier."
Then the call ended.
Suzy frowned slightly.
Something about the situation felt strange.
But she couldn't immediately figure out why.
She contacted several more suppliers in succession.
Every single one gave her almost the exact same answer.
All major inventory in A City had suddenly been purchased in advance.
Did this mean she would really have to buy supplies directly from retail supermarkets instead?
That would be an enormous loss in both time and money.
Suzy's brows tightened gradually.
Just as frustration began creeping into her chest, her phone suddenly rang.
The caller ID displayed a familiar title:
Uncle.
Suzy froze briefly before answering immediately.
"…Uncle."
"How have you been lately, Suzy?"
A familiar male voice sounded through the speaker, gentle and warm as always.
The moment she heard it, Suzy's nose stung unexpectedly.
"I… I'm fine," she answered softly.
Even so, her voice still betrayed a slight tremble.
On the other end of the call, Leonard Kale immediately noticed.
His brows furrowed faintly.
"Did something happen?" he asked at once, concern filling his tone. "Were you bullied? Tell your uncle."
"N-No, really. I'm okay."
Suzy quickly denied it before changing the topic.
"Uncle, why did you suddenly call me?"
"Malcolm Brone contacted me," Leonard replied gently.
Suzy paused for a moment.
"So… you already know?"
"Yes."
Leonard's voice remained calm and patient.
"Suzy, have you encountered some kind of problem recently?"
After a short pause, he added carefully,
"Or did someone say something to you?"
Ever since Elisabeth passed away, Leonard had practically acted as one of Suzy's guardians.
He and Malcolm Brone had also been close friends for years.
The more Malcolm thought about Suzy suddenly liquidating all of her assets, the more uneasy he became.
In the end, he told Leonard everything.
Leonard had been shocked after hearing the news.
Why would Suzy suddenly decide to sell every asset under her name?
As her uncle, he respected her decisions.
But at the same time, he couldn't stop worrying that George Kale might somehow be manipulating or deceiving her again.
That was why he had called personally—to make sure she was safe.
"Don't worry, Uncle," Suzy said softly.
"I'm really okay. I just happen to need a large amount of money right now to handle some things."
She quickly added,
"It has nothing to do with George. And no, I'm not being scammed either—if that's what you were worried about."