After noticing the strange look in Aunt Lucy's gaze, Charles withdrew his gaze nonchalantly and looked out the window with a calm countenance.
"... Mm." Sophia hesitated for a moment before agreeing. "I know my limits."
Aunt Lucy did not trust her and was still quite worried.
However, her sister-in-law, Victor's mother, had bombarded her with more than 20 messages on WeChat within five minutes, so she had no choice but to rush over and pick her up with Victor.
As soon as the door closed, the ward fell silent immediately.
Sophia was sitting on the hospital bed looking down at the ground without a word, whereas Charles looked down at her in silence. The atmosphere was slightly strange.
"Still want to drink this?" Charles walked over to the table more than ten minutes later and broke the silence.
Sophiaâs head remained lowered. She replied in a detached manner, "No. Thank you, Mr. Harris."
The ward fell silent again.
"Mr. Harris, please leave if there isnât anything else that you want to say. Iâd like to have some rest." Sophia grabbed the sheets and raised her head to look at him but quickly lowered her head again.
Charles walked to the side of the bed and raised her chin with his well-defined hand. "This seems to be your favorite excuse."
"You have gotten the wrong idea, Mr. Harris. This is not an excuse." Sophia stood up, took a few steps back, and widened the distance between them. Her head remained lowered. "How can people who are often sick compare to you, Mr. Harris? We get tired and drowsy easily."
The smooth sensation of her chin lingered on his fingertips. Charles twisted his fingertips calmly and took a few steps forward. The distance between the two closed up again to 20 centimeters.
"What else do you have apart from pulmonary edema and leg disease?" He bent his waist slightly, his gaze stopping on the scar on her eyebrow. He felt a pang in his heart as though he was being stabbed by needles.
Maybe... he did like her?
Just like what Leah, Zachary, and his mother said?
The two were very close, so close that Sophiaâs eyelashes would brush his face if she raised her eyelids. Heat sprayed on her face when he breathed, making her frown.
âWhether I have any other illnesses or not does not concern you, Mr. Harris." Sophia stepped back and opened up the distance between the two again until her back was up against the wall.
She looked at him and drove him away this time without the least bit of subtly. "I want to rest now. Please go back, Mr. Harris."
"Sophia." The color of Charles' eyes slowly darkened. He moved forward step by step, propping up his right hand on her side and calling out to her in a slightly cool manner.
Sophia licked her dry lips. The cold wall behind her and his blazing hot body in front of her made her extremely uncomfortable. She peered up at his indifferent and good-looking face, her eyelashes trembling uncontrollably.
Even though she refused to admit it, she was truly terrified of him.
Even though her rationality told her to not be afraid, her body remembered the pain he once caused her. Fearing him had become something that had been etched in her bones.
Click.
At this very moment, the door opened.
"Iâm here to see you, Sophia. Are you feeling better now?" Clara hopped in carrying flowers in her arms. When she saw the two who were almost glued together in the ward, she was first astonished and in utter disbelief. She then flushed crimson almost instantaneously.
Charles turned his head and glanced at her, then straightened up his body. He turned to face her. Sophia, on the other hand, pursed her lips, walked a few steps to the hospital bed, and sat down.
"You... You..." Clara was as red as a tomato. She looked at the two with twinkling eyes, and her face turned redder. She then gritted her teeth and said to Charles, "I came to visit Sophia today. You... should go and take a cold shower!"
Charles did not understand what she meant by that the first time she said it. He grimaced without a word.
"It's not what you think it is." Sophia rubbed the area between her brows. Her voice sounded a little hoarse. "Mr. Harris and I were just talking about something."
Having said that, she pointed to her neat patient gown, then pointed to her neck and her slightly chapped lips.
Charles' eyes moved with her movements. His eyes flickered while his Adam's apple rolled slightly.
"Ohâ" Clara responded in a long tone, darted Charles a timid glance in secret, then took tiny steps to the hospital bed. She stuck out her bottom, sending the flowers into Sophia's hands. "I hope you will feel better soon!"
At almost the same time the words left her lips, she quickly retreated to the door and glued tightly to it. Her face was pale, looking extremely nervous.
Sophia, "..."
Charles sauntered over to the side of the bed as though he had not noticed Claraâs fearful demeanor. He took the flowers from Sophia's hands and put it on the table.
"Oh my goodness!" Someone suddenly pushed the door open. Clara, who was glued tightly to the door, nearly fell to the ground.
Zachary walked in with fruits in his hand. When he saw his feeble-looking apprentice wearing a look of disbelief at the door, he did not know whether to laugh or cry. "What are you doing standing at the door?"
"Big Iceberg is here too. I was scared to death!" Clara retracted her neck and whispered, "Zachary, hurry up and make him go out. I don't have the guts to talk to Sophia if heâs here. Sob, sob, sob."
Zachary rubbed her hair that had been tied into a bun and said helplessly, "How old are you now? Why are you still sobbing?"
"I feel like sobbing!" Clara straightened her neck and said.
"..." Zachary chuckled. "I killed the sobbing monster in a single blow."
Then, under her exasperated gaze, he walked into the ward and set the fruit basket on the table, asking Sophia who was on the bed, "Clara has been nagging to me about Ms. White all day. Are you feeling better now, Ms. White?â
"Much better," Sophia answered.
"Glad to hear that!" Clara smiled after hearing what she said. Before she could expose her canine teeth, her smile vanished as she complained with a frown, "Iâve wanted to come and visit immediately after your accident. Zachary said that Mr. Harris said that I couldnât come. If I ever upset you, then it will not be helpful for your recovery!"
When she heard the last sentence, Sophia looked at Charles subconsciously only to realize that he was also looking at her. Their gazes happened to lock onto each other.
Charles did not budge. Sophia retracted her gaze first, her expression looking slightly grim.
Atrophy of Love: Mr. Harris, Stop Fooling Around!
ï¤Chapter 154 Itâs Hard To Say Whether Her Leg Will Heal Fully Would Charles even care about her? It was getting harder and harder for her to guess what he was thinking about now!
Was he afraid that she would die just like that and have it easy?
"I am so close to you. How can I possibly make you angry!!" Clara placed her hands on her hips, her cheeks bulging from anger. "If I must say, the person with the least qualification to visit you is Mr. Harris. He..."
Zachary pushed his glasses and pulled Clara into his arms with a smile, covering her mouth. "The little girl doesnât think before she speaks. She always speaks whatâs on her mind. She means no harm."
"She isnât young anymore. There will be disaster sooner or later if you continue to be so protective of her," Charles said flatly.
Clara's eyes widened with anger at his words. She wanted to say something, but her mouth was covered. All she could do was make muffled sounds.
"Iâm by her side to clean up her mess, am I not?" Clara bit Zachary. It was extremely painful, but all he did was raise his eyebrows slightly.
There was a flash of incomprehension in Charles' eyes. He opened his mouth but did not say anything.
He did not quite understand Zacharyâs overprotectiveness for Clara. If it was him, he would not go so far as to protect someone like that even if he liked her.
It was impossible for him to be by her side all the time, nor was he able to protect her from every single thing. It was far better for her to grow up on her own than to rely on him.
He frowned slightly at the thought of this. It seemed as though he had been thinking about the word âlikeâ quite often lately.