Chapter 195 - 194: My Boyfriend
Joanna didn’t notice the change in him. She was in a hurry to find the first-aid kit.
No one had lived here for a long time. Joanna looked around, then opened a drawer. She remembered the first-aid kit was kept inside.
After opening it, she did indeed see a small black box. But before she could feel happy, she discovered all the medicine inside had expired.
"Isn’t there a small clinic around here?" Joanna wiped her tears dry and pulled the man’s hand, heading outside.
Kyle Aldrich hadn’t held back with that punch. A dark bruise marred the man’s handsome face, looking especially jarring. Joanna’s heart ached just looking at it.
Simon Lockwood took in all of the girl’s actions without moving. He gently pressed the corner of her reddened eyes and, meeting Joanna’s confused gaze, said, "The clinic closes at six."
It was already almost seven. Joanna’s expression changed instantly, and she looked like she was about to cry again.
Simon comforted her in a low voice, "It really doesn’t hurt. It’ll be fine by tomorrow."
’How could it not hurt?’
Joanna knew Simon was just trying to reassure her. Looking at the injury on his face, she blamed herself. "This is all my fault..."
"Your fault for what?" Simon sighed, a little exasperated.
Joanna mumbled, "For holding you back..."
The girl looked guilty and upset, her beautiful, large eyes moist and shimmering, the corners red. Simon’s heart softened, but he feigned indifference and said, "Yeah, it’s your fault."
Joanna grew even more upset, hanging her head without a word.
"Next time something like this happens, you need to listen to me. Stay away from the ’battlefield’ on your own. Your safety is the most important thing, understand?" The man’s deep, pleasant voice sounded from above her.
Joanna froze, then slowly raised her face. "When you said it was my fault, is this what you meant?"
’Not that I was being a reckless, impulsive burden who overestimated her own abilities?’
"What else?" As if to punish the girl for overthinking, Simon reached out and gave her cheek a light squeeze. His gentle, calm dark eyes met hers as he spoke softly, "Joanie, what on earth goes through that head of yours all day...?"
It was part question, part helpless sigh.
Joanna’s eyes stung, and she couldn’t stop herself from hugging him, burying her face in his chest. A moment later, she remembered something, lifted her head, and said stubbornly, "I wasn’t thinking about anything."
After saying that, she went right back to snuggling against his chest.
Simon: "..."
Simon was both exasperated and amused. Seeing that she was more or less placated, he spoke nonchalantly. "It’s our money. We can do whatever we want with it—"
"Simon!"
Joanna realized what he was quoting. Her face instantly flushed beet red. She stood on her toes to cover his mouth but, afraid of hurting him, she hesitated for a few seconds.
In those few seconds, Simon had already finished: "—whether we toss it around for fun or set it on fire, that’s our business..."
Joanna: "..."
Meeting the man’s smiling eyes, Joanna was both mortified and angry. ’Did I really say that?!’
’Help me, what kind of cringey, arrogant, shameless line is that!’
’What does he mean, "our" money? It makes it sound like I’ve already accepted that Simon and I are a family, but we’re not even married.’
’We’re not married, and I’m already thinking about taking over his money. What a shameless thought! AAAAAH, if there were a hole here, I’d bury myself in it without a second thought.’
’Oh, right, I still owe Simon 300,000. He’s not trying to call me out, is he??’
Joanna’s mind raced, thoughts sprouting up like a runaway horse. But the man’s unhurried words stopped the "wild horse" dead in its tracks.
Simon: "You’ve got some nerve, talking about burning renminbi."
Joanna: "??!!"
Joanna: "..."
Simon seized the opportunity for a little legal lesson: "Joanie, burning renminbi is illegal. Did you know that, hmm?"
Joanna: "..."
’I don’t know, and I don’t want to know.’
Her face crimson and wooden, she turned around, walked to the wall, and stood motionless in a small corner.
Simon: "..."
It was the very picture of someone facing the wall in shame.
Looking at the girl’s pitiful, miserable back, Simon pinched the bridge of his nose.
A message came through on his phone. He glanced at it, then looked over at the girl.
Joanna was still sulking. She felt the man approach and heard his deep voice. "Done sulking? Are you hungry?"
’Who’s sulking?’
Joanna silently retorted. After a moment’s hesitation, she bit her lip and answered honestly, "I’m hungry..."
"Want to go get something to eat?"
Joanna nodded obediently.
They walked out of the alley and a short distance further, where they could see a few small restaurants. The sky had completely darkened. Simon found a noodle shop that looked relatively clean.
There weren’t many people inside. When the proprietress saw them come in, she immediately came forward to greet them.
"Two bowls of beef noodle soup, one mild and one spicy." Joanna glanced at the menu on the wall and said to the proprietress.
After she finished ordering, she found it strange that the proprietress hadn’t left. Following the woman’s fixed gaze, she saw Simon, who was wiping down a stool.
Joanna: "..."
"Ahem..." Joanna coughed twice and repeated her order more loudly.
The proprietress snapped out of her daze, blushing as she said sheepishly, "Coming right up. It’ll just be a moment, you two."
With that, she headed to the kitchen, walking very slowly, looking back every few steps with a bashful expression.
Joanna: "..."
Simon finished wiping the stool and told Joanna to come sit. When he didn’t get a response, he looked up and saw the girl glaring at him, her pretty face full of displeasure.
Simon was puzzled. "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing~" Joanna pouted, her tone strange and sarcastic. "Just admiring how handsome you are."
’His face is all bruised, and he’s still such a charmer.’
Joanna’s tone was sour. "So handsome. I wonder if the proprietress will give you your meal for free."
Simon: "..."
After her tart remark, Joanna took out her phone and secretly started searching for a pharmacy nearby.
The chef in the back was fast. In no time, two bowls of noodles were made and brought to their table.
Even though it was just a small restaurant, the beef noodle soup wasn’t bad at all. There were a few slices of beef and some bright green baby bok choy, and the noodles looked perfectly chewy.
The proprietress also brought a complimentary side dish, deliberately sliding it closer to Simon. "Handsome, this is our chef’s specialty side dish. It’s on the house for you two to try. If you like it, come back again, ya hear?"
Though she said it was for both of them, her eyes were glued to Simon, not even budging.
Joanna felt a flare of anger erupt. She took a deep breath, pulled the side dish toward herself, and, under the proprietress’s displeased gaze, flashed a perfect smile. "Ma’am, this side dish has vinegar in it. My boyfriend has a cut on his lip, so he can’t eat it."
The proprietress: "..."
Only then did the proprietress notice the bruise on the corner of the man’s mouth. Girls in their twenties might look at a man’s face, but a woman her age was mainly looking at his build.