His way of thinking was always different from everyone else's. Just having a meal with someone else, and in his head an entire drama about being cuckolded could already be playing.
"Today probably won't work," I said very seriously, deliberately slowing my tone and sounding more cautious than usual. "You know I'm married now. I need to discuss this with Captian first, and only then can we decide on a suitable time."
Halley frowned slightly. Clearly, he'd heard quite a few rumors about Captian. A notorious madman like that ending up as the husband of… a little angel, he must have saved an entire galaxy in a past life.
No matter how dissatisfied he felt inside, Halley could only smile, his voice softening.
"Alright, then I'll wait for good news from the little angel."
"When I find a suitable day, I'll message you first."
Seeing his warm smile, I couldn't help but smile back.
Halley nodded repeatedly, looking just like a puppy that had been promised a bone, eyes shining, full of anticipation.
After settling that matter, I finally noticed that Hezze was sitting quietly beside us, chin propped on her hand, wearing an unusually serious expression, as if lost in deep thought. Suddenly, she clapped her hands with a sharp smack and blurted out:
"Oh, right! On the first day you asked for leave, that wheelchair-bound older brother came to the hospital looking for you, but you weren't there. He looked so disappointed, my heart almost broke, I nearly ran over to hug him."
"So… did you hug him?" I asked, amused.
"I wanted to," Hezze immediately hugged herself, her voice full of regret. "But I didn't dare. Even though he's in a wheelchair, his presence is no joke. How could I just rush up and hug him?"
I nodded solemnly.
"True. That kind of aura… definitely gives off a 'keep your distance' vibe."
Just as we were talking about the "wheelchair-bound older brother," a small head quietly peeked in through the classroom doorway. The girl scanned the room, and when she spotted me, her eyes lit up instantly.
"Doctor Bailey, come out for a moment."
Emma waved at me, a large bag slung over her shoulder.
I was a little surprised. We'd just met that morning, why was she here again in the afternoon? But curiosity won out, and I stood up and walked outside.
Only Hezze stayed seated, eyes sharp as an owl's. One glance was enough for her to spot the hamster pattern on Emma's bag, one of those extremely popular mixed-nut gift packs lately. Her instincts told her that very soon, that bag would definitely end up in my hands.
Sure enough, just as expected.
Emma practically stuffed the huge bag into my arms. Inside were not only all kinds of nuts but also colorful dried fruits, beautifully packaged, just looking at them made you hungry. Hezze, standing nearby, swallowed hard.
"Rosy, that's a lot of nuts…"
She looked just like a hamster that had caught the scent of food, on the verge of pouncing.
Holding the gift bag, I didn't know whether to accept it or not, so I could only smile awkwardly.
"It really is… a lot. There's dried fruit too."
Hezze licked her lips, her face practically screaming: I want to eat it, I really want to eat it.
"But nuts and dried fruit are expensive," I said a little awkwardly, looking at Emma. "Senior Emma, is it really okay for you to give all this to me?"
Emma waved her hand generously, exuding the air of someone tossing money around like trash.
"Doctor Bailey, don't you know? Our Franco family runs a food company. These nuts are all our products, there's plenty more in the warehouse."
I froze.
So that was it. No wonder she could casually bring such a huge bag. With that explanation, I accepted it without worry.
Hezze, on the other hand, was completely stunned.
Since when did her Rosy become acquainted with a tycoon from the Franco family, who owned a food company? Was she some kind of descended immortal?
"Doctor Bailey, want to go to the cafeteria together for lunch?" Emma suggested shyly, cheeks slightly red, her eyes sparkling with admiration and sincerity.
"Sure."I nodded, not refusing.
Watching this, Hezze felt that something was definitely off but when lunchtime came, she finally understood.
It turned out that I had cured Emma's long-standing acne inflammation. No wonder she'd given such a big gift bag, and that admiring gaze now made perfect sense.
The three of us chatted while eating, quickly growing close.
"Let me tell you," Hezze said proudly, hands on her hips. "Rosy even cured my menstrual cramps. Now when my period comes, I don't feel a thing, super comfortable!"
Emma's eyes widened.
"Really? That can be treated too?"
"Of course!" Hezze lifted her chin. "Our Rosy is a miracle doctor."
"Right, right!" Emma nodded vigorously, pulling out a mirror to inspect herself again and again. "Look at my face, it's almost all gone now, just a few faint marks left. I look so much better."
My ears burned.
"Alright, eat your food. Stop talking!"
The two of them immediately fell silent, obedient as could be.
After eating, Emma invited us to her classroom to hang out. There was still plenty of lunch break left, it would be good to kill some time. Hezze and I both agreed.
But as soon as we reached the classroom door, we heard mocking laughter and a cold voice drifting out.
"Emma? That acne-covered, ugly mess? If it weren't for her family's money, do you think I'd bother hanging out with her?"
The voice belonged to Rachel.
Ivy, sitting across from her, chimed in, "Really? You two seem pretty close."
"Close, my ass," Rachel groaned, clutching her head. "It's just socializing. Her face is disgusting every time I'm with her, I have to endure those judging stares. It pisses me off."
Ivy shuddered.
"Yeah, it's pretty gross… but hasn't her face improved recently?"
Rachel sneered.
"She probably just got lucky. What matters is I need to find a way to get Emma to invest in my family's company. Our stock's been tanking lately."
"Will Emma agree?" Ivy asked softly.
Rachel let out a cold laugh.
"She's stupid. She'll definitely listen to me."
Hezze and I stood outside the door, stunned.
This was the "shy best friend" Emma had mentioned? She was clearly the standard vicious supporting character straight out of a novel.
I tilted my head to look at Emma. Her face was deathly pale, eyes wide open, her body trembling uncontrollably, as if she might collapse at any moment.
"Senior Emma…" I tightly grasped her wrist, lowering my voice. "Don't mind them."
Emma forced a smile.
"Sorry you had to see that… I'll handle this myself. You two should go back to class first."
We understood and didn't say more, quietly leaving.
Once we reached the empty hallway, Hezze couldn't hold it in any longer. She was so angry she was practically panting.
"Oh my god, is Rachel even human? She's clearly just after people's money!"
I nodded.
"People like that aren't rare. But seeing it with your own eyes still feels awful. I hope Senior Emma handles it well."
After school, I got into the familiar Rolls-Royce and returned to the villa. On the way, my thoughts were tangled like a mess of yarn, constantly wondering how I could get Captian to let go. After all, "switching identities" was no small matter.
And he was far too perceptive. Just thinking about it gave me a headache.
When I got home, I looked around the living room and saw that he hadn't returned yet. I let out a sigh of relief… but there was also a faint sense of emptiness in my heart.
"Madam, did you go grocery shopping?"Nanny Lenka came out of the kitchen, her gaze landing on the pile of nut bags in my hands.
I set them on the coffee table. My hands were red from carrying the heavy bags. As I rubbed them, I smiled.
"I didn't buy these. They're thank-you gifts from a former patient. Nanny Lenka, feel free to take a bag to eat yourself or give one to your family."
Nanny Lenka smiled kindly, while I thought to myself that perhaps… peaceful days like these truly wouldn't last much longer.