Help! My One-Night Stand Is Examining Me?!

Chapter 168: Chapter 168 For a long moment

Grandma sighed. “Ah, my granddaughter is the only one who cares about me enough to buy me breakfast. Those two? They’d love to see me die in my bed.”

Alana’s face paled, and she said anxiously, “Grandma, don’t say that, you’re going to live to be a hundred!”

Grandma was comforted. “All right, all right. I’ll live to be a hundred. You’re the only one who wants me to live a long life.”

******

For the next few days and nights, Alana cared for her grandmother nonstop.

She handled everything on her own, feeding her, washing her, and taking care of her bodily needs.

She even stayed up at night to keep vigil and care for her grandmother.

The other relatives either didn’t come at all, or they’d drop by for just a quick look before leaving.

Anyway, since Alana was taking care of her, they felt completely at ease.

Alana had been pulling all-nighters to care for her grandmother; she wasn’t getting enough rest or eating properly, and she’d lost a lot of weight.

Grandma watched her with a heavy heart. “Oh, Lana, you must go home. Don’t worry about this old woman! If you keep looking after this old woman, they’ll feel even more justified in letting you take care of me!”

“Go book a flight home right now. I don’t believe they’ll just abandon me!”

Alana’s eyes were red, with visible bloodshot veins.

“Grandma, I’ve already taken more than a week off work. Since I’ve already requested the time off, I can’t just cancel it. Let me take care of you for this week, and we’ll see what happens after that.”

Grandma sighed deeply. “Oh, you stubborn girl, you’re even more stubborn than a mule!”

Alana gently smoothed out Grandma’s blanket. “Grandma, don’t worry so much. Just rest up. Only when you’re feeling better will everyone feel at ease.”

Grandma couldn’t help but sigh, “Lana, you’re so sweet and sensible, you deserve a wonderful man! Remember, when you’re looking for a man, you have to keep your eyes wide open. Don’t be like your mom, the one she ended up with was a good-for-nothing.”

“When you look at a man, it’s not just about his looks. What’s more important is his character, his inner qualities, and his values, see if he treats you well and if he’s truly devoted...”

Alana listened patiently to her grandmother’s endless chatter and smiled. “Okay, I’ll remember that.”

********

That evening.

Once Alana saw that her grandmother had fallen asleep, she quietly slipped into the bathroom and called Stephan for a long chat.

The young couple hadn’t seen each other in nearly a week, and they were both thinking of each other constantly.

So the man’s first words were:

“Lana, I miss you.”

Hearing the man’s deep, husky voice on the other end of the line, Alana couldn’t help but feel a lump in her throat; her longing for him had reached its peak. “Me too.”

Stephan lowered his voice. “Want to video chat? I want to see you.”

Alana bit her lip. “I’m in the bathroom...”

Stephan coaxed her softly, “It doesn’t matter where you are. I just want to see you.”

Alana’s heart softened, and she nodded.

He quickly sent a video call invitation.

Alana tapped “Accept.”

The phone screen flickered, revealing the man’s chiseled, handsome face.

His sharp, chiseled features, deep-set eyes, and high, straight nose immediately caught her attention.

Alana stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words.

It felt as though she hadn’t seen him in ages, evoking a familiar yet unfamiliar sense of nervousness.

Even though they texted and talked on the phone almost every day, this was their first time video chatting.

So it was inevitable that they’d feel a little awkward.

Stephan, however, didn’t feel that way. As Alana looked at him, he was looking at her too, his eyes deep and intense.

He stared at her fair, beautiful face, his thin lips parting slightly. “Lana, you look thinner.”

Alana bit her lip. “Really?”

Stephan replied, “Yes, your jawline has become sharper. Have you been so busy taking care of Grandma that you haven’t been eating properly?” Hearing the concern in his voice, Alana’s nose stung again. “No, I’ve been eating on time.”

Stephan furrowed his brow, his eyes betraying his concern. “If you’re eating on time and still losing weight, then you must not be getting enough rest. Look at your eyes, they’re very red, with obvious bloodshot veins.”

Alana took a closer look at her reflection on the screen; her eyes did seem a little red. She couldn’t help but reach up and rub them, they turned even redder and felt damp. Still, she reassured the man on the screen, “It’s just a little redness. It’s nothing. I’m not tired.”

Stephan had eyes of his own; he didn’t believe a word of her nonsense.

“Have you been taking care of your grandmother all this time? What about your grandmother’s children? Don’t they take care of her?”

Alana said, “They’re all busy; they haven’t had much time to come over and take care

of her.”

Stephan laughed bitterly. “So, they just let you handle it all on your own?”

Alana spoke softly, “It’s fine. Don’t worry.”

“I’m only taking a week off. I’ll be back in a couple of days, so it’s no big deal if I look after Grandma for a couple more days.”

Besides, her grandmother had raised her all her life. She wouldn’t mind taking care of her for a week, or even for the rest of her life.

Stephan frowned deeply. “But I’m worried about you. I can’t stand seeing you so exhausted.”

As soon as Alana heard this, her heart felt as if it had been struck hard, and a stinging mist gradually welled up in her eyes.

For so many days, she had cared for her grandmother day and night, not daring to let her guard down for a moment, her body tense to the point of exhaustion.

She had built herself up into an impenetrable fortress, impervious to any hardship.

Even when she was exhausted, she never admitted it; she only pushed herself to be stronger, just a little stronger.

She’d just tough it out.

But the man’s single expression of concern instantly brought down all her defenses. No matter how strong she pretended to be, deep down, she was still fragile.

She bit her lip hard, trying to stop the tears from falling.

But now, her tears spill out like pearls on a broken string.

One after another, they slid down the corners of her eyes.

Afraid that Stephan would see, she quickly turned the camera away, not wanting him to witness her in such a vulnerable state.

Seeing the camera suddenly shift direction, Stephan frowned deeply, his heart filled with silent anxiety.

“Alana!”

Alana took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

She fought desperately against the overwhelming wave of pain and heartache.

In the mirror above the sink, the girl’s eyes were already red from crying. Her fingers trembled slightly as she clutched her phone, holding back her emotions and

trying to steady her breathing.

“I’m fine. I’m okay.”

“It’s getting a bit noisy here. I don’t want to wake Grandma. Let’s leave it at that for now. We’ll talk properly when I get back.”

Without giving the man a chance to reply, the girl hurriedly ended the video call.

Stephan saw the call suddenly cut off, and his expression darkened slightly.

**********

After hanging up, Alana couldn’t help but cover her lips, which were trembling slightly. Her shoulders trembled violently as she struggled to contain the surging emotions within her.

What was going on?

How pathetic of me?

How could she suddenly lose control of her emotions in front of Stephan?

She had been pretending so well up until now. But his single expression of concern had caught her off guard, and in an instant.

How could someone suddenly lose control like this?

How embarrassing.

He wasn’t going to laugh at her, was he?

Alana stayed in the bathroom for a long time.

She washed her face over and over again, only stepping out once the redness in her eyes had somewhat faded.

As she emerged, she saw a dark figure darting out of the ward.

“Who was that?” Alana rushed out in a panic, but by the time she stepped out of the ward, the figure was already gone.

She stood there, stunned, for a long moment.