Ch. 471..480
Chapter 471
As Catherine Batton spoke, she rotated her right ankle, drawing small circles in the air with her foot.
It was not too difficult for her to move around anymore.
"That's great." Josh Batton handed her the two large bags in his hands. "Speaking of which, I bought you some breakfast and snacks."
"I love you, Sixth brother!" Catherine happily hugged the things he brought in her arms, with a satisfied expression etched on her face.
Josh grinned at her reaction as he slid his hand into the pocket of his hoodie. He took out a signed photo of Morty Wayne and Jay Corben and passed it to Catherine. "There you go. You wanted this, right?”
Joy sparkled inside Catherine and her mood was elevated once more the moment she saw the photo. Delighted with her brother's surprise, she stared at the photo for a second or two before lifting her head to glance at Josh. "Thank you so much, Sixth brother. There isn't a single day that I stopped loving you."
Josh simply patted her head again. "It's not a big deal. Put your stuff down. I'll help you to wash up and we'll have breakfast first."
"Anything you say, Sixth brother... I'm so pleased to see their photo. I really do think that they are the perfect match. It's my biggest hope to see them end up getting married!"
Looking at her excited expression, Josh decided to keep his mouth shut and remain silent.
He knew very well that Catherine was a big fan of this on-screen couple and they were her life goals. He did not want to throw a wet blanket over her fantasy of the couple. Moreover, for a big fan like her, she would never believe his words even though he told her that the couple was just acting in front of the camera.
Therefore, it was best to let her continue living her dream.
It would not make any difference to her anyway.
***
Josh stayed with Catherine in her ward till every last bit of food was eaten before he left the room fully disguised again.
Keeping his head down, he scuttled along the aisle and went down the building by using the stairs to avoid the crowd.
However, several girls managed to recognize him as soon as he set foot at the lobby.
The girls went crazy instantaneously and gathered around him in a flash. Excited with their encounter, they gaped at his face with their eyes wide open such that they were going to faint the next second. They were constantly and uncontrollably clutching their hands and stomping in place while expressing their fondness to him.
"Josh... Josh Batton, I didn't expect to see you here. I'm a big fan of yours! By the way, you have a really small face."
"Oh my god... You're so tall and fit in person. Can I have your autograph?"
"Me too! I want it too!"
Josh was already used to the situation in front of him. He was neither shocked nor excited with their sudden confession in the middle of the lobby. However, his first reaction was to glimpse at the watch on his wrist.
He found out that there was merely an hour left before his flight would take off, which meant that he had to rush to the airport as soon as possible.
Without any delay, he quickly searched his pockets but he failed to find a pen inside any of them.
"I... I don't have a pen with me. Do you have it?" asked Josh.
The girls shook their heads in response.
Immediately, he reached out his hand to the girl standing in front of him. "Give me your phone."
She handed him the phone without hesitation.
Very soon, Josh found the memo on her phone and clicked open it. He swiftly typed his name 'Josh Batton' in the memo before adding, "I'm running out of time so this is all I can do... I have to rush to the airport right now."
Following the statement, he dashed out of the hospital without giving them a chance to speak.
After he left, the group of girls dropped their head and looked at the memo with excitement. When the two tiny words 'Josh Batton' hit them in the eye, they were all petrified instantly.
"Our idol has a unique mind indeed, doesn't he?"
"How did he even think of this? Hahaha... I can't help falling for him."
The girls blinked at his shrinking back before he disappeared completely in the crowd. Amazement and adoration glowed inside them.
***
Meanwhile in the ward, Stanley Batton was helping Xyla Quest to wipe her face.
Xyla was sitting on the bed with her eyes closed, looking very much like a doll.
While she managed to mostly maintain an indifferent and serene look on her exterior, she could feel her heart fluttering about like a baby bird trying to fly.
"Xyla..." Stanley broke the silence.
Xyla opened her eyes gradually. "Yes?"
Chapter 472
Chapter 472
"I won't be around for a day three days later. Will it be okay to let Georgie take care of you that day?" Stanley Batton asked.
There were some important tasks regarding the foreign branch of his company awaiting him. Therefore, he had to travel there to settle the issue on his own.
"No problem." Xyla nodded without asking for further details.
Stanley smiled at her before taking the basin of water into the bathroom.
At that instant, Xyla's phone vibrated.
When she saw the name 'Master' was displayed beside the call symbol, all the congeniality within her melted away and was replaced by indescribable, mixed feelings. Intense guilt kicked in and spread rapidly across her whole heart. It was like a pair of invisible hands that were constantly tearing her soul apart, without mercy.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to regulate her emotions and remained as calm as possible before she picked up the call.
"Hey Xyla, how are you?" The familiar voice of the old man flowed through her ears, the tone of his voice was as doting as ever.
"Couldn't be better. What about you?"
"I'm fine too. I mailed you some fine ginseng just now, three boxes of them in total." The old man on the other end of the phone continued, "The ginseng is perfect for a weak and cold body like yours. Just remember to add a little of them into your soup and drink them about twice a week, get it?"
His advice somewhat reminded Xyla of the days where she learned about medicine and medication under the guidance of Dr. Batton many years ago.
Back in those days, he always loved to prepare various arrays of tonics and supplements for her. Then, he would explain each of them to her in earnest and give her some helpful advice every single time. However, the more he cared for her, the more she felt guilty about what she had done.
Her master had been really nice to her but she had disappointed him in the end. She failed to control her feelings and allowed herself to fall in love with another guy when she had promised him to maintain a three-years-marriage with her husband.
Moreover, there was no way she could keep that promise because of her feelings for the guy which should never have existed in the first place.
"Xyla?" The old man spoke again, pulling her back from her deep thoughts.
The tip of Xyla's nose was slightly sore and her eyes were red. "Yes, I'm listening. I get it, Grandpa."
"Xyla... Grandpa misses you a lot. It's Grandpa's birthday in three days. Can you fly over to see me?" The old man asked.
"Sure." Xyla promised him without hesitation.
In fact, she had been thinking about sparing her time to visit her master before this. It was her initial plan to pay him a visit even if he did not call her today. She missed him very much too. Apart from that, there were a lot of things that she would like to confess to him as well as to apologize to him.
Besides, she was certain that she would be able to walk on her own without aid three days later.
She could ignore any other events but she could not risk missing his birthday.
"Great! Then I shall look forward to meeting you soon." He sounded delighted and excited on the other end of the phone.
Nevertheless, his tenderness and love pierced through Xyla and stabbed right at her spine, almost as though they were some sharp thorns. "Okay, I'll see you then," said Xyla.
The grin on her face did not falter despite the uneasiness in her heart was only amplified with each word she spoke.
Shortly after Xyla hung up the phone, she booked a flight ticket to Country Y through an app right away.
***
Three days later.
It was eleven o'clock in the local time when Xyla's plane arrived at Country Y.
Stepping out of the airport, she dragged her suitcase behind her and hopped on a taxi at the entrance, heading to the villa where her master was staying.
The villa was mainly timberwork. A large, tough species of tree called Phoebe zhennan made up the framework of the house. The combination of wood and Country Y style had brought a modest yet luxurious aura to the villa. Suddenly, the memory of her first arrival here to learn about medicine flashed across her eyes.
She was truly miserable and desperate that time.
If her master did not offer her a shelter and heal her with all his heart, she could not imagine herself having a future.
Chapter 473
Chapter 473
With a face like that, it would be difficult for her to live a decent life, not to mention revenge.
Ron Batton was Xyla Quest's life savior.
However, she broke the promise between them.
Her heart sank whenever she reminded herself of her irresponsibility and incapability. She found herself standing as rigid as a pole at the gate, her legs frozen to the ground. It took some time for her to recover from her dejection before she dragged her suitcase and strode into the courtyard.
The first thing that she saw as soon as she stepped into the villa was a traditional Chinese style courtyard decorated with different species of flowers and shrubs. It looked the same as it was before she left. Spring was definitely the most beautiful time of the year. The cherry blossoms in the courtyard were fully bloomed and the petals were dancing in the air as the cooling wind blew across the house, carrying a tinge of floral fragrance with it.
Stepping across the ground covered with fallen leaves, Xyla made her way to the entrance of the main building under the rustle of the leaves before pulling open the door.
When the maids saw her entering the house, all of them came forward to greet her. She returned their greetings one by one and headed to the living room.
In the living room, an old man was sitting on a sofa made of fine rosewood while enjoying his tea. Across the rosewood coffee table was a lit incense concocted by the old man himself, which helped to keep his mind refreshed.
Upon seeing Xyla, Ron Batton eagerly stood up and walked to her with a delighted expression. "Xyla, you're finally back."
As he spoke, his hands clasped firmly on Xyla's shoulders and his eyes studied her body from head to toe. "Come on, let Grandpa take a look at my good girl... Eh? Have you lost some weight?" "Your face looks pale too, like you've just had a surgery." Ron examined her face closely while mumbling to himself.
While Xyla tried to suppress the complex feelings in her heart, she forced herself to beam a smile at him. "No wonder you're my master. I really had a surgery about a week ago, a minimally invasive surgery. It was appendicitis."
"Nonsense! How can you travel all the way here to my place when you've just had surgery?" Ron's face went serious instantaneously.
"Because it's your birthday." And there were a lot of things she wished to tell him because she was tired of hiding them to herself.
The longer she kept them in her heart, the more terrible she felt.
"Quick, have a sit on the sofa and rest well." Ron carefully held Xyla's by her elbow and led her to the sofa, sitting down together with her.
"Give me your hand." He held out his hand at her.
Without any reluctance, Xyla placed her tiny wrist in his palm.
He felt the pulse at her wrist with full concentration for a moment. Then, he began, "Your body is recovering well but your qi and blood are still very weak. I'll cook some herbal medicine which can help with you post-surgery recovery later."
"Grandpa, it's your birthday today and you're supposed to enjoy and relax." Xyla rejected his offer.
"Do you think I can enjoy and relax when you're not fully recovered from your surgery?"
"I wouldn't have told you if I'd known you'll be like this."
"I'll find out about it too even if you refuse to tell me." Ron teased.
Xyla smiled in her helpless position. "Well, that's true."
Shortly after, she got up from the sofa and pulled her suitcase near to her feet before opening it.
She took out a classy square box made of rosewood from her suitcase and handed it to Ron.
Ron stared at the box with curiosity. "What is this?"
"Open it and you'll know. It's something you've always had in mind," Xyla responded.
Immediately, he placed the box on the coffee table and opened it carefully.
An exquisite 'Silver Censer with Openwork Design of Grapes and Flying Birds' came to his eyes as soon as the cover of the box was removed.
"I got this when I went to an auction last time. Didn't you always say that you wanted this so badly? I bought it for you."
"This must've cost a fortune! Why are you wasting money again, silly girl?" Ron started to nag her.
"It's okay for me to spend money on you. After all, you're my life savior." Xyla grinned. "By the way, happy birthday Grandpa!"
The smile on Ron's face beamed wider as his eyes filled with his love for Xyla. "Thank you so much, Xyla."
After that, Xyla walked around the living room and scanned the house before adding, "Is it the same as usual for today? I don't see any guests here."
Chapter 473
Chapter 473
With a face like that, it would be difficult for her to live a decent life, not to mention revenge.
Ron Batton was Xyla Quest's life savior.
However, she broke the promise between them.
Her heart sank whenever she reminded herself of her irresponsibility and incapability. She found herself standing as rigid as a pole at the gate, her legs frozen to the ground. It took some time for her to recover from her dejection before she dragged her suitcase and strode into the courtyard.
The first thing that she saw as soon as she stepped into the villa was a traditional Chinese style courtyard decorated with different species of flowers and shrubs. It looked the same as it was before she left. Spring was definitely the most beautiful time of the year. The cherry blossoms in the courtyard were fully bloomed and the petals were dancing in the air as the cooling wind blew across the house, carrying a tinge of floral fragrance with it.
Stepping across the ground covered with fallen leaves, Xyla made her way to the entrance of the main building under the rustle of the leaves before pulling open the door.
When the maids saw her entering the house, all of them came forward to greet her. She returned their greetings one by one and headed to the living room.
In the living room, an old man was sitting on a sofa made of fine rosewood while enjoying his tea. Across the rosewood coffee table was a lit incense concocted by the old man himself, which helped to keep his mind refreshed.
Upon seeing Xyla, Ron Batton eagerly stood up and walked to her with a delighted expression. "Xyla, you're finally back."
As he spoke, his hands clasped firmly on Xyla's shoulders and his eyes studied her body from head to toe. "Come on, let Grandpa take a look at my good girl... Eh? Have you lost some weight?" "Your face looks pale too, like you've just had a surgery." Ron examined her face closely while mumbling to himself.
While Xyla tried to suppress the complex feelings in her heart, she forced herself to beam a smile at him. "No wonder you're my master. I really had a surgery about a week ago, a minimally invasive surgery. It was appendicitis."
"Nonsense! How can you travel all the way here to my place when you've just had surgery?" Ron's face went serious instantaneously.
"Because it's your birthday." And there were a lot of things she wished to tell him because she was tired of hiding them to herself.
The longer she kept them in her heart, the more terrible she felt.
"Quick, have a sit on the sofa and rest well." Ron carefully held Xyla's by her elbow and led her to the sofa, sitting down together with her.
"Give me your hand." He held out his hand at her.
Without any reluctance, Xyla placed her tiny wrist in his palm.
He felt the pulse at her wrist with full concentration for a moment. Then, he began, "Your body is recovering well but your qi and blood are still very weak. I'll cook some herbal medicine which can help with you post-surgery recovery later."
"Grandpa, it's your birthday today and you're supposed to enjoy and relax." Xyla rejected his offer.
"Do you think I can enjoy and relax when you're not fully recovered from your surgery?"
"I wouldn't have told you if I'd known you'll be like this."
"I'll find out about it too even if you refuse to tell me." Ron teased.
Xyla smiled in her helpless position. "Well, that's true."
Shortly after, she got up from the sofa and pulled her suitcase near to her feet before opening it.
She took out a classy square box made of rosewood from her suitcase and handed it to Ron.
Ron stared at the box with curiosity. "What is this?"
"Open it and you'll know. It's something you've always had in mind," Xyla responded.
Immediately, he placed the box on the coffee table and opened it carefully.
An exquisite 'Silver Censer with Openwork Design of Grapes and Flying Birds' came to his eyes as soon as the cover of the box was removed.
"I got this when I went to an auction last time. Didn't you always say that you wanted this so badly? I bought it for you."
"This must've cost a fortune! Why are you wasting money again, silly girl?" Ron started to nag her.
"It's okay for me to spend money on you. After all, you're my life savior." Xyla grinned. "By the way, happy birthday Grandpa!"
The smile on Ron's face beamed wider as his eyes filled with his love for Xyla. "Thank you so much, Xyla."
After that, Xyla walked around the living room and scanned the house before adding, "Is it the same as usual for today? I don't see any guests here."
Chapter 474
Chapter 474
Ron Batton always kept a low profile as he preferred a peaceful and quiet life. He would never invite anyone to come over even on his birthday.
When Xyla Quest was staying with him, the two of them would spend his birthday together every year.
"Yeah. My son was here initially but he went back this morning after celebrating my birthday yesterday night." Ron said.
His son, who was her father-in-law...
As a matter of fact, she had never seen this man before in her life.
"Xyla? What are you thinking about?" Ron's eyes fixed on her face, attentive and brimming with curiosity.
Xyla gathered her thoughts immediately. "It's nothing..."
"Hold on. I'll boil the herbal medicine for you first before we have lunch. Let's have a little chat after lunch, okay?" Ron got up from the sofa right away, joy streaked through him like a comet.
Rising to her feet, Xyla pulled his wrist and argued, "Please don't make a fuss about it, Grandpa. I'm alright. Let's just dig in."
However, Ron pushed her hand away from his and headed straight to the kitchen. As he was walking to the kitchen, he demanded, "You just stay there alright. Don't follow me or I'll be mad." Xyla heaved a deep sigh in her helpless position. Having no other choices, Xyla simply sank into the sofa.
Nevertheless, uneasiness and guilt multiplied in her heart every second as she stared at his back, causing her to feel extremely terrible.
He was so considerate and kind to her. What would his reaction be if she confessed everything to him? He must be very angry, right?
***
After having their lunch, Ron helped Xyla to her room and insisted on her to have some rest.
Ron's nagging session seemed like an eternity before he was finally willing to leave her alone in the room.
Though she was currently lying in the familiar room where she used to stay, Xyla could not get rid of the mixed emotions that slowly overtook her heart.
She was very tired and sleepy.
Nonetheless, she could not sleep at all although she tried to keep her eyes shut. Her mind was in a mess and there was still a slight bitter feeling that remained stuck in her heart.
She had been tossing and turning in bed for a long time before sleepiness kicked in and eventually brought her to sleep.
Perhaps because she had returned to the familiar environment from her past, all the dreams she had were related to the past years she had spent as an apprentice here.
In her dream, she found herself learning medicine, medication and healing all over again.
It was as if her life had been replayed like a movie.
Suddenly, her eyes opened widely.
It was already evening when she woke up from her nap.
Images of her dream kept popping out in her mind, making her feel worse than before.
Knock knock knock...
There was a knock on the door when Xyla was drowning in her own thoughts.
Xyla slowly sat up before she turned to the door and called out, "Please come in..."
Shortly after, Ron pushed open the door and entered her room.
In his hand was a Phoebe zhennan cane inlaid with rubies. The old man made his way to Xyla's side and sat close to her. "How do you feel now? Do you feel better after taking my medicine?" Xyla nodded in response, "Yes, I feel much better now."
"Great. Get ready then and we'll go down for dinner," Ron continued.
Xyla simply nodded again.
"Xyla, is there something bothering you? I notice that you've been frowning and scowling the whole day." His face was full of concern. "Did someone bully you? Who is it? Tell Grandpa, I'll make sure he pays the price."
The more he cared about her, the more heavy-hearted Xyla felt.
In the next second, the tip of her nose was sore and her eyes went red and glazed with a glassy layer of tears.
Chapter 475
Chapter 475
"What's the deal? Huh? Tell Grandpa..." Flustered, Ron Batton tried to pry the details out of her.
Xyla Quest shook her head. "It doesn't matter."
She did not want to give him any trouble since today was his birthday.
It would be more appropriate for her to tell him the truth tomorrow.
However, Ron insisted on pursuing the matter. "That's not true, there must be something wrong with you. I know you very well. Are you afraid of giving me trouble because it's my birthday today? Come on, tell Grandpa! You're the one giving me a hard time if you refuse to tell me your problems."
Xyla, yet, shook her head once more while trying to maintain her calm facade. "You're imagining things. I'm just excited to see you because we haven't met for a very long time."
"Lies... Be honest with me!" Ron demanded as his face went dark again. "Did your sister bully you again? Or it is someone else?"
"No one bullied me, Grandpa. You're overthinking."
"Why are you so down then? You must've something on your mind. Grandpa is going to skip dinner if you don't be frank with me."
"Grandpa..." Xyla was as helpless as a baby.
Nevertheless, she really did not want to speak the truth today.
Who did not want to have a happy and enjoyable birthday?
"Spit it out, girl."
"Grandpa, I'm sorry." Xyla muttered with dread as she hung her head down and closed her eyes. Though she had a lot to tell him, the words seemed to stick in her throat. She did not know where to begin. She really did not want to talk about this matter on his birthday.
Despite that it was a bad timing, she knew that she had to confess to him no matter what. She was well aware of her master's temper. He would try all his might to get to the bottom of it.
He was not going to give in if he did not force the truth out of her.
"Why are you saying sorry to me? Hmm?" Ron's eyes were filled with curiosity and confusion.
"I think... I think I have to break the promise between us..." Xyla dropped her head as she forced herself to finish that sentence.
The bewilderment in his eyes mounted up instantly. "Break the promise?"
Xyla's response was to simply nod. She felt like there was a terrible storm brewing inside her and breathing became difficult every minute. "I... I have to divorce your grandson. I can't carry on with the three- years-marriage that I promised you. I'm terribly sorry."
As she spoke, she continued to keep her head down, too afraid to look up and meet his eyes.
"I really did try to keep our promise. I told myself I can't get a divorce no matter what happens."
"But I lost control of my feelings. I fell in love with someone else and betrayed my husband."
"Therefore, I want to end this marriage although it hasn't been three years. I don't know what to say besides sorry... I'm so sorry, Grandpa..."
"I didn't say these in the heat of the moment. My decision was very well thought out. I'm extremely sorry about it...I'm sorry..."
After blurting out everything on her mind, Xyla's head was hung even lower. Pure fear and guilt was all that was in her heart at that moment, her body was paralyzed with terror.
She thought, 'Grandpa must be really mad and upset with me.'
Years ago, she was the one who confidently told her Grandpa that she would definitely keep their promise. It turned out that she was the one who was going to break the promise, too.
She felt very much like a condemned prisoner who had committed a heinous crime. The guilt in her mind was so heavy that she could not lift her head at all.
Upon hearing that, Ron Batton's expression gradually became gentle and the corner of his lips curved up into a shallow arc. "Silly girl, the man must've meant a lot to you. He must be so important that you're willing to confess your feelings to me and request to break our promise for him."
Xyla nodded, "Yes. Sorry about it, Grandpa. I'm so sorry. Please don't be angry with me."
However, the smile on Ron's face did not falter.
"Why did you tell me about it if you think that I'll be angry? In fact, you could've left it out. Our agreement will expire in a few months anyway. Wouldn't it be better if you tell me that you want a divorce by that time? And be together with that man after that?”
"I didn't want to lie to you." Xyla continued to mutter in a serious tone, her eyes fixed on the ground. She was constantly picking the side of her thumb, refusing to lift her head. Her head was as heavy as lead and her face was burning hot. "Since I've betrayed my husband, it's better for me to get a divorce."
Chapter 476
Chapter 476
"Besides, I didn't just cheat emotionally. In fact, I had sex with that man once a few months ago, but it wasn't intentional.
"At the time, I didn't think about getting a divorce with my husband. That's why I didn't tell you the truth," Xyla Quest said seriously.
Ron Batton's smile widened as he gently patted Xyla's shoulder. "Xyla, look at me."
However, Xyla didn't dare to look up at him. Right now, his gaze was like a weapon that could pierce right through her.
He could see through the feelings of guilt in the depths of her heart.
After mentally preparing herself, Xyla slowly lifted her head and looked into Ron's eyes.
The look in his eyes was the same as usual. In fact, they seemed even gentler.
This was something Xyla hadn't expected at all.
At first, she thought she would be met with an angry reaction.
"Grandpa, there's still a lot of stuff I haven't told you, but I will eventually, bit by bit. I'm really sorry for what I've done," Xyla stammered worriedly.
"That's enough. I don't want to hear what you have to say about those things. I'm fine if you want to get a divorce, but you must meet with your husband and talk things out first," Ron said with a faint smile. Xyla couldn't believe what she was hearing.
It all sounded impossible.
After a moment of stunned silence, Xyla carefully examined Ron's face. "Do you really mean it?”
"Of course, I do," Ron said and nodded.
"Okay," Xyla said without hesitation.
Since she would get a divorce from her husband, it was probably a good idea to meet and clarify everything in person.
However, when she looked at her master's face, she felt a little upset at herself.
She would rather he yelled at her or beat her up.
At least, in that way, she would feel better about herself.
However, what was his reaction?
Not only did he not say anything, but he had even agreed to her request without hesitation.
This made Xyla feel even more guilty. Her eyes welled up.
"Grandpa, why are you so nice to me?" Xyla stuttered.
"That's because you deserve it," Ron said with a smile.
"I'm really, truly sorry," Xyla added. She wished she could slap herself twice on her cheeks.
"That's enough. I don't want to hear you apologize again. My ears are getting tired," Ron bemoaned.
"I thought you wouldn't agree to what I said," Xyla said, lowering her head. She felt very much like a criminal.
Ron didn't reply to her. Instead, his smile deepened.
"If you want to beat me up or yell at me, please do it to your heart's content. As long as it makes you feel better, you can do anything you want," Xyla said.
"But I'm not angry." Ron continued to smile.
"Grandpa, I owe you far too much. I will spend the rest of my life repaying your kindness. I'll treat you like my biological grandfather," Xyla said from the bottom of her heart as she looked at him. Whatever wrong she had committed against her master, she would spend the rest of her life trying to make up for it.
Ron patted Xyla gently on her shoulder before standing up. "Okay... I'll remember what you said. Let's go and eat. I'm hungry," he said.
Xyla was even more surprised by his relaxed demeanor.
She instantly stood up obediently. Without asking any further, she followed him down to the dining room.
By then, the servants had already prepared a full table of dishes for dinner. They were all her favorite dishes.
Xyla knew that her master must have asked the servants to prepare them, especially for her.
While looking at the dishes on the table, Xyla glanced at the kind, old man who stood next to her. She couldn't help but wonder what she had done to deserve such a good master.
The two sat down across each other.
Chapter 477
Chapter 477
After sitting down, Xyla Quest took the initiative to place food on Ron Batton's plate.
Ron ate a mouthful of rice before he spoke. "I'll arrange for you two to meet in one week. Once the time has been decided, I'll reach out to you."
"Okay," Xyla said as she gently bit on her chopsticks with an apologetic look on her face.
"Xyla, stay with me for a week if you can. I'll nurse you back to health," Ron said.
Xyla shook her head. "I can't, Grandpa. There's still a lot of work left back in the country."
Ron chuckled. "Very well. I shan't force you then. Later, I'll prepare some herbs for you to bring home. You can consume them on your own once you get back." "Thank you, Grandpa."
***
Back in the room, Stanley Batton sent a message to Xyla.
"I think I'll only be able to return to the country tomorrow afternoon due to a sudden delay," Stanley wrote.
"Okay. I'll look after myself," Xyla replied.
"Alright."
Stanley stopped sending her any texts after that.
Xyla did the same and cleaned herself up before going to bed.
The next morning, she bid farewell to her master and got onto a return flight to her home country.
By the time her flight landed, it was already two o'clock in the afternoon.
As soon as Xyla walked out of the arrival hall, she saw Georgie Clementine running in her direction.
Georgie grabbed her luggage right away and looked at her worriedly. "How did it go? How is your body feeling? And, what about your master..."
By the end of her sentence, Georgie was looking at Xyla curiously.
Xyla was still feeling a little upset at herself over this matter. She let out a long, helpless sigh. "My master has agreed. He said he would arrange for my husband and me to meet so that we could talk things out."
"Really? Did he actually agree?" Georgie seemed surprised.
"Yeah..." Xyla nodded.
Georgie didn't press on further. She held Xyla's hand and carefully led her outside.
Xyla didn't mention anything else, either.
After they entered the house, Stanley pushed the door open from behind and came in before they even changed into house slippers.
Seeing the luggage in Georgie's hands and Xyla's worn-out appearance, Stanley frowned slightly. "Where did you two go? Didn't you say you were going to rest in a quiet place? You're not supposed to be running around," Stanley said.
"I went to do something very important," Xyla said and chuckled.
'Once this is over and done with, I will be able to follow my heart and be with you.' Xyla thought to herself.
The thought itself gave Xyla mixed feelings.
"What is it?" He asked.
"You'll find out in the future." Xyla didn't give him a clear answer. Instead, she changed into her slippers and walked over to the couch before sitting down.
Stanley didn't ask any further. He, too, changed into his slippers before walking over and sitting down next to her. "How are you feeling?" "Hmm..." Xyla nodded.
After that, she looked up at his face and examined it carefully.
This man was the most handsome person she had ever met.
Her heart raced just from looking at him like this.
"Since Five Batton is back, I'll leave first..." Georgie said.
Before Xyla could say anything, Georgie had made her way out of the house.
Xyla and Stanley were the only two people left in their big world.
Chapter 478
Chapter 478
When their eyes met, Xyla Quest felt as if her heart was on fire.
Her ears couldn't help but turn red.
"Are you hungry?" Stanley Batton asked.
"No, but I'm feeling thirsty..." Xyla shook her head.
"What would you like to drink?"
"Lemonade."
Without saying anything in response, Stanley stood up, walked into the kitchen, and started getting to work in front of the kitchen table.
While Xyla watched him work from behind, she felt a warm sensation in her heart.
Suddenly, Xyla thought of his sister. She got up and walked to the door of the kitchen and leaned against it as she watched him slicing a lemon intently. "How's Catherine doing?"
Stanley glanced up at Xyla. He carefully dropped two slices of lemon into an expensive-looking acrylic crystal glass. "Yeah. She's already been discharged from the hospital and is now resting at home." "Where does she live?" Xyla asked.
"In my house," Stanley answered.
"Why don't we let her stay with us? We can look after each other," Xyla said.
"It's okay. Someone will look after her," Stanley said while adding honey and warm water into the glass before mixing the drink carefully.
Although it was a simple glass of lemonade, he made it seem much classier.
Xyla nodded without asking anything else.
"What do you want for dinner? I'll prepare it in advance," Stanley said before handing the glass of lemonade to her.
"I haven't decided. I'll let you know once I have," Xyla said.
"Okay. I've found out that the person who framed me for cheating on you is Mary Sullivan," Stanley said.
Xyla snorted coldly. It was just as she expected.
"What are you going to do about it?" Stanley asked.
"What else can I do? Send the evidence over to me. I'll get Georgie to hand it over to the cops. They'll give her a harsher sentence," Xyla said. "Okay."
"Thank you, Five Batton. I'm heading upstairs to get some work done. Send the stuff to me later," Xyla said before walking up the stairs with her honey lemonade.
Soon after she had headed upstairs, Stanley sent her the evidence she asked for. She immediately forwarded it to Georgie and told her what to do with it.
After that, Xyla drank half of the glass of lemonade at one go. She then leaned against her bedrest and began to deal with some work she had neglected a little recently.
Around an hour later, she felt a little tired and stopped working. She put her notebook aside.
Suddenly recalling that Stanley was still waiting for her decision on what to eat, and since she was feeling too lazy to go down and look for him in person, Xyla decided to call him on WeChat. Stanley was sitting in front of his computer, his back straight with his headphones on next door.
The people on his computer screen were all high-level executives from Dragon Group.
At this moment, they were having their group's quarterly meeting.
All the important members of the group were present.
Right then, a high-level executive from the marketing department was giving a serious presentation about his department's performance. Beep, beep, beep....
Suddenly, Stanley's phone began to vibrate. When he saw that it was a call from Xyla, he immediately removed his headphones and picked up.
His ice-cold expression suddenly melted away.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I've decided what I want for dinner. I want steak and spaghetti. I want the fillet steak medium rare, and I want a tomato-based sauce for the spaghetti," Xyla said solemnly.
Chapter 479
Chapter 479
"Okay. I'll make those for you in a bit," Stanley Batton said.
"Oh, right. I also want a bowl of cream of mushroom soup. Do you know how to make it?" Xyla Quest asked.
"I don't, but I can learn," he said.
"Oh, okay," Xyla said.
The high-level executives on Stanley's computer screen were all dumbfounded.
This woman had ordered their CEO to cook for her. She even said it matter-of-factly. It appeared as if their CEO cooked for her frequently.
Could the cold and distant Stanley Batton have a soft side like this?
Everyone looked at each other, as countless questions appeared in their minds. In the end, they all muted their microphones and began whispering among themselves.
"Did I hear that wrongly? Does our CEO cook in his private life? It's impossible to imagine our demon king wearing an apron and making soup."
"No way... Who is this woman? Our CEO has broken the rules for her more than once. Oh my god. Isn't she amazing?"
"I have no idea, and I dare not ask. My entire family is shocked! I can only feel that our CEO is a warm-hearted person when he spoke to this woman."
"We have agreed that nobody could pick up personal calls during a meeting. Why has he done so repeatedly? What does this woman look like?"
After carefully listening to Xyla's instructions, he hung up and shifted his attention back to his computer screen.
Everyone on the screen instantly turned on their microphones and seriously resumed the meeting. None of them dared to question him.
Stanley looked at them coldly as if nothing had happened. "Let's continue..."
After that, the meeting continued.
***
At noon, Stanley returned to his ancient, castle-like villa in the suburbs.
Since Wilson Batton was home, the villa was bustling with noise and excitement.
Josh Batton, Catherine Batton, and Sharon Lindt were all chatting with Wilson in the living room. Catherine continued to tell jokes to Wilson, making everyone laugh loudly in the process. When Stanley saw such a scene, he couldn't help but smile.
Regardless of the time, their house would be bustling with excitement whenever Catherine was around.
Ever since she first arrived, Stanley knew that she would be the source of joy and laughter in the family.
When Wilson saw Stanley, he immediately waved at Stanley. "Come here, Stanley..."
Wilson was beaming happily and had a lively expression on his face.
Stanley walked over and sat next to Josh.
"How have you and your wife been recently? Did you make her upset?" Wilson asked.
"No," Stanley answered.
"Are you really his biological father? People usually ask if their daughter-in-law bullied their son or something, isn't that so? Hahaha..." Catherine joked.
Wilson rolled his eyes at Catherine. "Does he look like the kind of person who would get bullied? If anything, he would probably be the one bullying Xyla. He has the face of a bully." "Haha. Are you sure Stanley isn't your adopted child?" Catherine couldn't resist teasing.
Stanley coughed awkwardly before picking up a lighter and lighting up a cigarette for Wilson.
Josh couldn't help but smile too.
In the next second, the glimmer in Josh's eyes faded away as he vaguely felt a pang of pain in his heart.
"If he dares to mistreat Xyla, he's my adopted son. If he's nice to Xyla, he's my biological son," Wilson said as he looked at Stanley with a serious expression.
"Do you get what I mean?" Wilson added.
Stanley didn't say anything. Instead, he silently lit another cigarette for himself and took a puff from it.
"Oh right, Stanley..." Wilson said before pausing.
Chapter 480
Chapter 480
Stanley Batton slowly looked up at Wilson Batton with a curious gaze.
"Didn't Xyla just go through a surgery? You should spend more time looking after her. Don't go to the office if you don't have to and make her more herbal soup so that she can recover sooner.
"Didn't your mother send some supplements over to Xyla? Make use of them according to the given recipes, do you understand?" Wilson said seriously.
"Okay," Stanley said calmly.
"Our loving father is also a loving husband," Catherine Batton said with a smile.
Wilson ruffled Catherine's hair gently. "Men should indeed look after their wives. Only men who are good to their wives will succeed in life."
Catherine chuckled. "Hehe... I hope I can meet someone like my father in the future."
"You will," Josh said.
"If the man you end up meeting doesn't treat you right, I'll hire someone to kill him," Wilson said.
"I don't care who he is, but if he dares hurt my sister, he will have to pay for it," Stanley added.
"That's for sure," Josh said.
Catherine smiled happily as she naturally rested her head against Wilson's shoulder and looked at everyone. "Hmm... I'm so lucky."
Wilson slowly shifted his attention to Josh. "And you... Do you plan on staying in the entertainment industry? Aren't you going to help out in the company?"
When this topic was brought up, Wilson's facial expression turned a lot more serious.
Josh waved his hands. "You know I'm not interested in this business stuff. My dream has always been related to the entertainment industry."
"What a useless thing," Wilson said with a slight frown.
Josh chuckled and looked at Stanley. "There are enough useful things in the family. There's nothing wrong with having a less useful thing like me around. Besides, I don't think working in the entertainment industry is useless."
Wilson took a slow puff at his cigarette before exhaling the smoke. "Just like I said before, I hope you won't regret this in the future."
Josh continued to smile. He didn't seem the least bit bothered. "Just like I said when I first decided on entering the entertainment industry, I'll finish what I started."
Wilson let out a long, helpless sigh without saying anything else.
Sharon decided to make light of the atmosphere. "Oh, come on. Let's not talk about this. Let's go and eat. I have personally prepared all the dishes for dinner tonight." After that, Sharon tugged Wilson along and into the dining room.
Stanley, Josh, and Catherine quickly followed them.
Sharon had prepared a full table of dishes. All sorts of delicacies were available, and each of them looked and smelled delicious.
The presentation of the dishes also appeared like what one would see in five-star hotels.
After everyone sat down, Catherine couldn't resist complimenting Sharon for her cooking. "Woah... Mommy's dishes are the best in the world."
Sharon was delighted. "You are very sweet, just like honey."
While eating, Catherine habitually scrolled through Weibo.
Very soon, she came across the top trending hashtag about Josh, '#Josh Batton is a living temptation#'.
Catherine looked up at Josh, who sat across from her, and proceeded to click on the link.
The first Weibo post that came out on top in the trending hashtag was from an account named 'Josh Batton Is My Husband'.
"There's something I would really like to share. Do you guys know what happened to me? A few days ago, I bumped into Josh Batton in the hospital. I then asked for his autograph. However, it turned out neither of us had a pen, and since Josh was in a rush to leave, he... He asked for my phone and wrote his name in the memo application. Hahahaha... Don't you find it hard to believe? However, when I recall what happened, I find that my idol is extremely funny!"
The person had even posted a screenshot of the words 'Josh Batton' from her memo.
This Weibo post was published less than an hour ago.