Chapter 541
When There Is Nothing Left But Love
After all, she was old and had been living a comfortable life, so it was only natural that she suffered
backaches after being out in the yard for too long.
She was clutching her waist while sitting limply on the bamboo chair in the yard, frowning in pain.
After clearing away the few weeds left in the yard, I washed my hands and handed her the pain-
relieving medicine.
She frowned, unwilling to accept it.
I pursed my lips. âThese are painkillers. They are not harmful.â
Having said that, I put the medicine in her hands. Then, I went inside and fetched a cup of warm water
for her.
She seemed stunned. Perhaps unable to bear the pain, she accepted the cup of water and took the
medicine.
As I kept the rest of the medicine aside, I said, âThis medicine has few side effects. If the pain is
intolerable, you can take one or two tablets to relieve the pain.â
She glanced at me with her lips pursed and turned her eyes upon the yard, saying, âYour voice sounds
so nasal. If you have a cold, please donât pass it to me.â
I couldnât help letting out a laugh. She was obviously concerned about me, but she just had to put up a
mean front.
Forget it.
She is, after all, an arrogant lady of a privileged upbringing.
Being childless and way past half her life, perhaps she was thinking of spending her twilight years
alone in peace.
âYeah, Iâll go back and take some medicine.â It was commonplace to get the flu during the winter
months.
She then got up and went into the house. When she came out, she held a bag of Isatis tinctoria root in
her hand. âMake drinks with this using hot water, twice a day. Youâll get better in a couple of days. Itâs
not bitter.â
Nodding, I took it and smiled, saying, âThank you, Aunt Sally.â
She grunted in reply without saying anything.
It had stopped snowing in K City. The sun was out, and most of the snow had melted. With the sun high
in the sky, it was not very cold.
Besides, Sally had started a fire in the yard, which warmed up the place.
At noon, she looked at me and asked, âWould you like to stay for lunch? Itâs been snowing for a few
days, so I only have some dry rations.â
I nodded. âAnything would do!â
A personâs life could be refined or simple. Although it was only dry rations, it wasnât going to stop us
from enjoying ourselves.
There was already a fire in the yard, so she brought out some potatoes and sweet potatoes for me to
peel. Then we cut up some meat and washed some vegetables.
In no time, we were having a barbeque in the yard.
I always felt that a barbeque for two was too quiet. However, when she brought out some red wine from
the cellar, the atmosphere of the meal was elevated.
Silence was the best way of interaction for some people. Although there was not much conversation
between Sally and me, some things need not be said as long as we understood each other.
Lately, I had not taken any proper meals, so my tummy felt bloated as I had eaten a lot of snacks today.
When Ashton arrived, fresh charcoal had been put into the fire. Seeing the cutlery, his handsome face
displayed a smile as he held my hand, asking, âDid you enjoy the food?â
I let out a faint smile. Truth be told, I did not really like it, but I ate some nonetheless since I was in a
good mood.
âWhy donât you try it?â My taste buds were not the same as his, so he might not enjoy what I liked.
With a smile, he took the half-eaten baked potato from my hand. After taking a bite, he raised his
eyebrows and said in amazement, âGood cooking skills!â
I laughed. âAunt Sally barbecued it.â
Sally looked at him and said, âOkay, there is some more. Go home quickly after eating. You guys are
causing a racket here.â
When people get old, they tend to keep their true thoughts to themselves.
Both of us understood that.
Exchanging glances, we smiled. Ashton took a chair from the house and sat by my side, holding my
hand. Then, he asked Sally about her health.
Sally gave curt replies while passing the barbecued meat to him. While handing over the sauce to him,
I explained, âIt tastes better with this sauce.â
He smiled and did as he was told., then nodded and appraised, âYes.â
As dusk approached, Sally asked us to leave, âMy home is too small to accommodate the two of you,
so please leave when youâre done.â
Ashton merely let out a faint smile and after bidding her goodbye, he led me by my hand to his car.
On the way back to the villa, I stared mindlessly at the passing scenery outside the windscreen.
Before I knew it, I blurted out, âAshton, thank you.â
As he drove along the dimly lit road, he smiled. âThatâs not good enough. Can I have something more
affectionate?â
I laughed. As I tilted my head to come up with the right words, my eyes fell on his face, which was
illuminated by flashes of light.
I have to come up with something better, or he wonât be satisfied.
Soon, the car stopped at the door of the villa.
After I got out, he turned off the engine and walked toward me. âGot it already?â
I smirked. âNo, not yet. I always feel that youâre making things difficult for me. You know Iâm not poetic.â
âJust try!â
I thought for a while and looked up at the sky before shifting my gaze to him. âIn the journey of my life,
Mr. Ashton is my steadfast dream.â
He was stunned for a moment, and then he grinned and took me by the hand into the villa,
overwhelmed with emotions.
âWhere did you pilfer that from?â
Obviously, he was asking me about that cheesy line I just said. I looked up and pointed at the starry sky
as I replied, âFrom the sky.â