Chapter 35: Chapter 35 So awkward
Stephan frowned slightly at the chopsticks thrust into his hand by the girl.
What he wanted to eat were the dumplings she picked out for him, not ones he picked himself. The breakfast proceeded with an awkward silence.
Alana, having eaten her fill, glanced at the man still lingering in the room, her mind filled with puzzlement.
Wasn’t he leaving?
A man and a woman alone together in one room, how awkward.
Besides, they... weren’t exactly close, and the relationship was still so awkward.
If he wasn’t awkward, she certainly was.
Besides, if he had business to attend to, he could simply leave. There was no need for him to be so considerate towards her.
Alana was pondering this, just about to speak.
Suddenly, a female nurse walked in.
“I’m here to take the patient’s temperature."
Alana swallowed her words.
Stephan said nothing, stepping aside slightly to allow the nurse to approach Alana unhindered.
The nurse took the thermometer and helped Alana place it under her armpit.
“Thank you," Alana said, politely.
“You’re welcome."
The nurse smiled, then couldn’t help but glance at Stephan, who stood more rigidly than a door guardian.
His profoundly chiselled features, sword-like brows, starry eyes, and a high, straight
nose, were like a divine countenance meticulously sculpted by God, flawless beyond reproach. Not only was the man exceptionally handsome, but he carried an aura as cool as mist, exuding an innate sense of nobility far beyond the ordinary.
She withdrew her gaze and looked at Alana with envy.
“Miss, he must be your boyfriend, eh? He’s rather handsome."
“Not only handsome, but incredibly thoughtful and caring too. Last night, it was he who looked after you all night long."
Alana gasped, glancing at Stephan with a flustered expression.
He actually... looked after her all night?
The entire night, without leaving her side?!
Unbelievable.
As shock washed over her, Stephan happened to glance her way, his gaze deepening.
Alana flushed inexplicably, unable to meet the man’s gaze as she stammered an explanation,
“Er, you’ve misunderstood. He...he’s not my boyfriend..."
“Eh?"
Now it was the female nurse’s turn to be stunned.
To be so hands-on in caring for an ill woman, and he’s not even her boyfriend?!
The nurse felt awkward. "My apologies, I assumed you two were a couple..."
Alana felt equally awkward. "No..."
The nurse gave a low cough. "Though you’re not now, it doesn’t mean you couldn’t be in the future. You two seem rather well-suited."
Alana blinked.
How did this get so absurd?
Are nurses this gossipy too?
Stephan shot Alana a dark look before speaking flatly, "Nurse, five minutes are up. Has hermtemperature been taken?"
“Oh, nearly forgot."
The nurse tapped her forehead before instructing Alana to retrieve the thermometer.
Checking the thermometer, it read 36.5 degrees, back to normal body temperature.
The nurse gave Alana a few instructions, take medication on schedule, ensure adequate rest, before departing.
Once the nurse departed, the ward was left with only Alana and Stephan.
Alana met the man’s deep, dark eyes.
Remembering how the nurse had mistaken them for a couple earlier, she couldn’t help but feel awkward again.
“Er, the nurse mentioned you looked after me all night."
“Thank you..."
Stephan’s voice cut through the silence, cool and detached. "Is that reasonable?"
“Hm?"
Alana was baffled. What was reasonable or unreasonable?
Stephan remained expressionless. "You were ill and hospitalised all night. Not only did your boyfriend not come to look after you, but he vanished without a trace, showing no concern whatsoever. Is that reasonable?"
Wait, why was he so fixated on her non-existent ’boyfriend’?
Seeing her silence, Stephan frowned, utterly exasperated. "Has your boyfriend kicked the bucket?"
Alana stared at him in bewilderment, her doe-like eyes widening. "Why are you being so...aggressive?"
Stephan’s expression remained icy. "How am I being aggressive?"
He looked fierce while talking.
Alana considered for a moment. "Er, aren’t you leaving yet?"
Stephan’s expression grew even colder. "You’re kicking me out?"
After tending to her all night, nursing her back to health, she’d simply throw him out like this?
Was she really that ungrateful?
Alana panicked. Why was he misunderstanding her intentions?
“No, that’s not it. I just thought, since you’d been here all night yesterday, I was worried you might have things to
attend to, so..."
“If you have things to attend to, go ahead. Don’t worry about me."
Stephan snapped. “It’s fine.”
Alana choked on her words.
What on earth?
Why was the atmosphere growing increasingly awkward?
Stephan stared at her, his deep eyes fixed intently, as if he could bore a hole through her.
“So eager for me to leave?"
Alana stammered, "No, not at all..."
It was just that she wasn’t accustomed to having a man by her side.
And this man, was the man she’d been intimate with.
Stephan shot Alana a glance, seemingly seeing through her thoughts. His thin lips curved slightly. "I’ll wait until your boyfriend arrives before leaving."
He was rather curious to see just how utterly despicable her boyfriend was. Not only did he ignore her when she was ill, but he also made her cling to him so desperately.
Alana gasped.
Wait until her boyfriend arrived before leaving?
Then he certainly wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.
Alana glanced at the man and spoke slowly, "Well, I suppose I ought to be off..."
Meaning: Don’t wait. You would be waiting in vain.
Stephan grimaced.
His gaze fixed on Alana, dark and intense. Very well. This boyfriend couldn’t even be bothered to pick her up from hospital.
So this was the kind of irresponsible scoundrel she was dating..
Stephan’s thin lips twitched slightly, as if finding his own behaviour rather ridiculous. Why was he meddling in other people’s relationships?
Didn’t he look like a complete buffoon?!
Frowning, he refused to look at her again and turned to leave.
Seeing the man turn and leave, Alana froze for a moment. Then, as if remembering something, she hurriedly picked up the coat left on the bed. "Er, your coat..."
But the man had already vanished from her sight, seemingly not having heard her words.
Alana felt a pang of unease. Oh well, she’d take it back, give it a proper wash again, and return it to him properly.
After taking her medication, Alana proceeded to settle her hospital discharge paperwork. When it came to settling the medical fees, she was informed they had already been paid in full. She didn’t need to guess who had paid it.
A peculiar sensation flitted through Alana’s mind.
She’d assumed that once he’d left, that was the end of it, yet here he was, having settled her medical bills.
After all, her illness had nothing to do with him.
Why go out of his way to do this?
After pondering it, Alana inquired about the exact amount of the medical bill, then
transferred the funds to the man, noting it was for medical expenses.
She added an extra two hundred dollars as a token of gratitude for his care the previous night. Though two hundred dollars might not be much to him, it amounted to nearly her entire savings.
************
Stephan sat in the driver’s seat, his sharply defined fingers twirling a lit cigarette.
A faint haze of smoke drifted, veiling his sharply defined, cold features.
He didn’t particularly enjoy smoking; the acrid taste stung his throat and felt unpleasant.
Yet occasionally, the sharp sting of smoke as it slid down his throat offered a fleeting numbness to his nerves, allowing him momentary respite from troublesome matters and people.
Stephan drew on the cigarette, his thin lips slowly exhaling a smoke ring, slow and lingering. His mobile phone vibrated.
His slender fingers lightly swiped across the screen, revealing a transfer notification.
It showed Alana had transferred one thousand two hundred and fifty dollars.
The exact amount, with no change, clearly indicating she didn’t want to be in his debt.
Stephan’s lips twitched in an inexplicable way.
How could she possibly be anything but a bloody fool?!
Without much hesitation, he tapped to accept.
Since she didn’t want to be in his debt, he’d oblige her.
Stephan bit down on the cigarette butt, drew another drag, then stubbed out the remaining half in the ashtray.
He pressed his foot to the accelerator, preparing to drive away.
As his gaze drifted to the window, he caught sight of Alana emerging from the hospital.
She wore a long, orange-yellow dress, a remarkably bright colour.
The orange dress made her skin appear exceptionally fair, smooth and delicate, as if it could glow with its own light.
Her jet-black hair swayed in the breeze, the hem of her skirt fluttering lightly as she walked with such graceful steps she resembled a butterfly in flight.
Stephan found himself involuntarily following her with his gaze.
He watched as she slowly made her way to the bus stop sign at the hospital entrance, where she sat down on the bench to wait for her bus.
He frowned for a moment, tempted to simply press the accelerator and drive away.
But then he saw her, a girl standing all alone at the bus stop.
Perhaps his brain had short-circuited again, for he drove the car up to her.
“Get in."
The window slid down, revealing Stephan’s chiselled features.
Alana held her phone, having just sent a message to her boss requesting half a day off.
After all, arriving at the office at this hour would already count as being late.
Having just sent the message, she looked up and froze upon seeing him.
He hadn’t left yet?
Noting her dazed expression, Stephan repeated impatiently, "Get in the car."
Alana instinctively replied, "No need to trouble yourself. I’ll wait for the bus..."
Stephan pressed his thin lips together, his dark gaze fixed on her with an unyielding intensity that brooked no argument.
Alana felt a pang in her chest under his gaze.
The rest of her words died on her lips.
After a moment’s hesitation, she pulled open the door and climbed in.
Once seated, she remembered to fasten her seatbelt.
Stephan caught her flustered movements out of the corner of his eye. His thin lips twitched.
“Where to?"
Recalling she’d already taken leave, Alana replied, "Home."
Stephan pressed the accelerator without expression, setting the car in motion.
The car moved slowly.
Whenever she found herself alone with the man before her, Alana was overcome by an inexplicable sense of tension.
Her slender fingers fidgeted with the seatbelt as she asked, somewhat uneasily,
“Why haven’t you left yet? I thought you’d left long ago."
“Came out for a smoke."
“Oh."
No wonder there was a faint whiff of smoke lingering in the car.
Alana bit her lip. "Well, smoking isn’t exactly good for your health."
She recalled a relative from her childhood who had died of lung cancer due to smoking.
Stephan’s expression remained impassive. "Mind your own business."
That was rich coming from him though.
Alana eyed him.
She’d only meant to offer a well-meaning reminder.
If he didn’t want to listen, so be it.
“Er, thank you for paying my medical fees earlier."
“You’ve already thanked me, and you’ve even transferred me twelve hundred and
fifty."
After a pause, his slightly indifferent gaze swept over her. "Did you transfer an extra two hundred just to make it two hundred and fifty, so you could call me a two-hundred-and-fifty?"
Alana’s clear, beautiful eyes widened instantly. "No!"
Comments