Green really was a cursed color when it came to love…
Apparently, if life wanted to screw over your relationship, it painted you green first…
Whenever Evan thought of the Hulk, his mind inevitably filled with one green themed relationship joke after another.
Come to think of it, Bruce Banner really did have terrible luck whenever the color green was involved.
While he was being chased all over the world by his girlfriend’s father, his girlfriend had gone and found herself a new boyfriend.
Then, once he finally stopped having to run for his life, he ended up getting involved with Natasha.
And Natasha Romanoff was one of the world’s greatest spies.
Using her looks as a weapon certainly wasn’t anything new for her.
Banner’s love life really did have far too much “green” in it.
The more Evan thought about it, the more pityingly he looked at Banner, who was sitting properly at the counter.
Man, how are you this bad at picking girlfriends?
Banner grew increasingly uncomfortable under Evan’s stare.
He shifted in his seat, looked away, and finally asked, “Is there something wrong with my name?”
“No, nothing.” Evan shook his head.
“I was just wondering if there’s anything you don’t eat.”
“No. I’ll eat pretty much anything,” Banner replied quietly.
Years of drifting from place to place had given him a strong stomach.
He’d stopped being picky about food a long time ago.
After all, the places where he hid were rarely prosperous cities with advanced infrastructure.
They were usually poorer, less-developed regions, where the food couldn’t exactly be expected to be perfectly clean or delicious.
“I see.” Evan studied Banner’s sallow complexion.
He was obviously somewhat malnourished.
Congee, then.
Having made up his mind, Evan cut the prepared Galala Gator steak into evenly sized cubes.
Then he took out some rice, rinsed it thoroughly, and placed everything into a pot in sequence.
After adding the right amount of water, he began simmering the congee.
Banner said nothing.
He simply sat quietly and watched Evan cook.
Evan likewise stopped talking and focused on the pot.
Half an hour later, the congee was ready.
The fragrance of cooked rice mingled with the rich aroma of meat, accompanied by faint traces of fresh vegetables.
Evan inhaled deeply, savoring the lingering aroma in his nose, then nodded in satisfaction.
It had turned out perfectly.
He ladled out a bowl, placed it in front of Banner, and swept one hand toward it.
“Enjoy.”
Banner glanced at Evan as he returned to the kitchen, then lowered his gaze to the steaming bowl of meat congee.
Slowly, he leaned closer to the table and took a cautious breath near the rim.
The rich aroma immediately made his mouth water.
“That smells incredible. I’ve been alive for decades, and I’ve never smelled congee this good.”
Banner couldn’t help praising it.
And he wasn’t exaggerating in the slightest.
He genuinely had never smelled food this fragrant before.
If the years he’d spent practicing emotional control hadn’t produced at least some results, he might already have been hugging the bowl and licking it clean.
He picked up the porcelain spoon, scooped up a heaping spoonful of congee, and put it into his mouth.
Banner’s eyes instantly went wide, looking as though they might pop straight out of their sockets.
“Gulp.” He swallowed. The source of this chapter is g.com.
Then he said absolutely nothing.
Banner simply lowered his head and started eating with single minded intensity, throwing his previous composure completely out the window.
How can food possibly taste this good?!
Heat and overwhelming savory richness filled his mouth, bringing an almost indescribable sense of satisfaction.
Every cell in his body seemed to be screaming the same thing.
Eat it!
Eat it!
Evan smiled at the sight.
Food capable of relieving physical exhaustion naturally made the body crave more after the first bite.
The body instinctively understood that what it was eating was beneficial.
“Slow down. It’s hot.”
Evan placed a glass of freshly mixed fruit juice beside Banner’s bowl, then sat down next to him and watched him eat.
For a chef, there were few things more satisfying than watching a customer genuinely enjoy something you’d made.
Even if Evan wasn’t exactly a professionally trained chef, watching Banner abandon all concern for appearances just to keep eating still gave him an undeniable sense of accomplishment.
And it made him happy.
Then another thought occurred to him.
Come to think of it, Banner’s basically homeless right now, isn’t he?
Should I just hire him?
Sure, Banner turned into an enormous mountain of muscle and violence whenever he became the Hulk, but Banner himself was a world-class genius with seven doctorates.
Physics, chemistry, biology, whatever the field, Banner was among the best.
If Evan ever got his hands on some high tech equipment from Tony in the future, having Banner around would mean he wouldn’t have to worry about having no idea how to use any of it.
And Banner was a genuinely decent person.
Good character, good temperament, and plenty of strength.
He checked every box Evan wanted in an employee.
As Evan’s thoughts wandered further and further in that direction, his eyes gradually lit up.
He started looking at Banner as though he’d discovered buried treasure.
Years spent on the run had made Banner extremely sensitive to people watching him.
Feeling Evan’s increasingly intense stare, Banner finally stopped halfway through happily devouring his congee.
“Boss, is there something you need from me?” He placed his now spotless bowl on the counter.
“There is, but there’s no rush.” Evan shook his head and picked up the bowl.
“Want another?”
“Yes!”
Evan refilled it and set the bowl back in front of Banner.
Then, just as Banner took his first bite, Evan casually said, “Banner, interested in working for me? Room and board included, and you won’t have to keep running anymore.”
“Cough—cough!” As expected, Banner nearly choked.
He hurriedly grabbed the fruit juice and took a drink, forcing down the irritation in his throat.
“You… what did you just say?” Banner stared at him.
“You want me to work for you? You’re offering me a job?”
“That’s right.” Evan nodded.
“I want to hire you. You won’t have to keep running from place to place anymore. If someone comes after you, I’ll deal with them. All you need to do is settle down and work for me.”
He smiled.
“What do you think?”
That was Banner’s immediate thought.
But he didn’t say it aloud.
Instead, he began wondering what exactly Evan saw in him.
Evan wasn’t some ordinary restaurant owner.
He was someone capable of connecting entirely different worlds.
Compared to a man like that, Banner couldn’t help feeling like small fry.
What could someone like Evan possibly want from him?
“You don’t have to overthink it,” Evan said.
“When I hire someone, I care about three things: their character, their temperament, and their strength.”
He looked directly at Banner.
“You’ve got all three.”
Evan couldn’t literally read minds from facial expressions, but Banner’s thoughts weren’t particularly difficult to guess.
“If you’re willing to go that far,” Banner said after a moment, “then I don’t see any reason to refuse.”
Free food.
A place to live.
And no more worrying about soldiers hunting him down.
Banner genuinely couldn’t think of a reason to say no.
“Good.” A faint smile appeared on Evan’s face.
“I’ll show you where you’ll be staying. I think you’ll like it.”
Evan opened the Dimensional Door and brought Banner to the apartment building he’d rented.
“You can stay here for now. If there’s anything you need, just ask.”
“I don’t need anything else.” Banner looked around the room.
“This is already more than enough.”
He was satisfied.
Extremely satisfied.
“As long as you’re happy with it.” Evan nodded.
“Get some rest for now. We’ll talk about your job tomorrow.”
“All right.”
Evan opened the Dimensional Door again and returned to the restaurant.
Banner, meanwhile, slowly began wandering through the apartment.
He carefully examined every corner.
His palm brushed over the sofa.
His fingers ran across the curtains.
Then the television.
The refrigerator.
The lamp.
The wall.
The sink…
Everything.
Eventually, Banner dropped backward onto the sofa and stared up at the pure white ceiling.
A long breath escaped him.
“This is nice…” He smiled faintly.
“Not having to run anymore.”
For a while, he simply lay there beneath the quiet ceiling.
“This is really nice… not having to run anymore.”