Echoes of Unrequited Love

At this moment, Hogan’s appearance must have made Cecilia the happiest.

When I glanced at the young girl’s almond eyes, they sparkled involuntarily, revealing an fleeting hint of happiness.

Well, no wonder, her knight in shining armor had arrived. That would also make me happy. But Hilary caught that detail as well. She snorted coldly and grumbled, “Does Rainbow Capital have a lot of downtime? The big shot isn’t at the office handling business but makes a beeline for the hospital instead. Would you be here because someone unappreciative invited you over?”

After saying that, she threw Cecilia a look. Seeing the girl keeping her head down and silent, she continued, “If those old fossils on the board were to know this, who knows what kind of trouble they’ll stir up. Do I really need to teach you these things?”

Although she was speaking to Hogan, anyone with discernment could tell that Hilary was actually directing her words at Cecilia.

Cecilia of course understand, she bit her lip tightly, an expression revealing that she was trying hard to restrain her feelings.

Hogan saw all this and his tone was laced with helplessness as he said, “If you know I’m busy, why can’t you spare me some troubles at night?” All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

At his words, Hilary immediately sat up in her sickbed, glaring at Hogan, she snapped angrily, “I wouldn’t bother you at night if I could, but why don’t you see what kind of turmoil your chosen one is causing me?”

This time, Hilary didn’t hide her annoyance at Cecilia, instead giving her a sharp look.

The young girl’s eyes instantly filled with tears, she said carefully, “I really had no idea about the white pepper in the fish soup.”

“What do you mean? Are you saying Xaviera put it there?” Hilary, in her agitation, even slipped into her hometown dialect. “She knows my tastes like the back of her hand; she wouldn’t make such a rookie mistake!”

After her statement, both Hogan and Cecilia turned their gazes towards me. Cecilia still had that look of a deer caught in headlights, while Hogan’s eyes, apart from a touch of surprise, also held a hint of suspicion.

Yes, how well I played up to Hilary, Hogan should have seen it all clearly.

How could he forget Hilary’s preferences?

After a brief exchange of looks, I let out a sneer inside.

What was I expecting, anyway? No matter how much that apartment’s layout and decoration reminded me of our old home, it had nothing to do with me anymore.

Maybe it was just Hogan’s personal preference.

Nothing more.

Turning my head, I forced a smile and calmly said, “There’s been a misunderstanding here.”

At that, Hilary turned to me with a puzzled look and asked, “Xaviera, what do you mean by that?”

I didn’t answer her question, instead continuing, “Auntie, the white pepper, I was the one who added it.

At this point, I had to play along.

The next second, I walked to the thermos, gently pouring soup into the bowl, and while doing so, I explained, “Don’t you remember? The last checkup, the doctor warned you about your cold constitution, telling you to take care of it. So, I consulted with a physician who suggested adding a bit of white pepper to fish soup, saying it could moderate and warm the center, benefiting the spleen and stomach.”

I finished explanation, picked up the soup bowl, and looked earnestly at Hilary, saying, “You can’t just prioritize taste.”

Hilary looked at the fish soup brought to her lips and frowned, murmuring with reluctance, “But Xaviera.”

“You need to listen to the doctor,” I cut her off and said gently, “White pepper also has the effect of dispelling dampness and reducing swelling. By tomorrow morning, you’ll see that your face is no longer bloated.”

Hilary was a beauty–lover, even once unhesitatingly using Hogan’s scholarship money for aesthetic treatments. So beauty was the most persuasive argument when it came to her.

Sure enough, with just a few words from me, Hilary finally picked up the fish soup and gulped it down, despite her distaste.