Even though Jean had been upset with John earlier, she walked forward to help him with the bags since he had bought food for them all.
Jean took the big bag from John's hand and began to take out the bentos.
"I spoke with the doctor. Since Maranda suffers from gastritis, she can't eat food that will upset her stomach more. So I bought her a bowl of porridge." John looked at Jean as he spoke. He couldn't make out if she was still angry with him or not.
"Oh." Jean said before nodding. Then she opened the packing box with the porridge. Seeing that it was a bowl of nutritious minced pork congee with preserved egg, Jean looked at John in amazement.
John was a little embarrassed by how Jean was looking at him.
He hurriedly picked up a bento and went outside.
"Maranda, have some porridge." Jean spared John a fleeting glance before taking the porridge to Maranda's bedside.
Maranda had been staring at the ceiling. She didn't want to see Jean and John together. She sat up when Jean came closer. Then she shook her head, "Don't treat me like I'm incapable. I can feed myself."
"Okay. This is what John bought for you. You should gulp it down!" Jean joked.
"Jean..." Maranda was embarrassed when she heard what Jean had said. She hurriedly took the porridge from Jean's hand, and ate it in a fluster.
These past few days had taught Jean an important lesson. She had realized that she was wrong to have tried to mediate between Maranda and John. Having learned her lesson, Jean vowed not to interfere in their decisions or try to match them again.
Maranda's love for John had been deeper than that she had imagined.
And Maranda had been so sad when she found out that John had fallen in love with another girl. Unable to handle the sorrow, Maranda had fainted!
Maranda's love for John was not without consequence to herself.
'I should eat as well, ' Jean thought.
Zed's reaction had left Jean feeling uneasy. Jean found that even though she hadn't eaten since they had left the hotel, she had lost her appetite. And so, she picked at the food in the bento box that John had bought for her.
John had been on the balcony ever since his return. He hadn't come back into the room. Jean looked at Maranda as she wondered what John had been doing outside for so long. Having finished eating, Maranda laid back on the bed. She also fixed her eyes on the ceiling. Jean couldn't help repeating what she had said earlier, "Maranda, you should rest now. I will go out for a while."
"Okay." Maranda nodded and slowly closed her eyes.
Jean walked toward the balcony. She was astonished to see that John was smoking a cigarette. She immediately walked over to him.
"John, why didn't you come back inside th
“Who does she think she is? I won’t marry her even if she is the last woman on earth,” said Hiram Rong.
“Marry into a family with tens of billions of assets? How lucky I am! I won’t be so foolish as to break off the engagement. At worst, I can receive money as part of the divorce settlement,” said Rachel Ruan.
Their great-grandfathers made a pact about their engagement a hundred years ago...
"You should return to the hotel and rest tonight! I will stay here with Maranda." Noticing that it was late, Jean took the initiative to ask John to go back to the hotel.
Since Maranda was a girl, it was improper for John to stay at the hospital with her. It would be better if Jean stayed. Also, given the situation between Maranda and John, it would be uncomfortable for Maranda to spend the night alone in his company. She would be more relaxed if Jean stayed.
"Okay." John understood what Jean was trying to say. He didn't disagree with her because it made sense for him to not be here. Once he agreed, he looked at Jean with concern and said, "Thank you for tonight. When I reach the hotel, I will call to check on you. Please don't hesitate to call me if something were to go wrong, okay?"
Jean nodded, smiled, and waved goodbye to John.
John looked at Jean for a while before turning and leaving.
'Goodbye, Jean.
Thank you for your wishes and understanding tonight. I finally understand how kind-hearted and excellent you are.
If my love will be a burden to you, then I will never let you know how I feel.
I know that Zed is your husband and lover, and I know how you feel about him. I will not interfere.
You and Zed are perfect for each other. This is what I feel from my heart.
I also sincerely wish you all the happiness in the world.
However, if he isn't good to you and hurts you, I will unhesitatingly stand by your side and protect you.
And when that happens, I will tell you how I truly feel.
And I hope that you will feel the same for me.'
John walked away as he made this silent vow. After a few steps, John saw a tall and strong man walking anxiously toward the ward.
As soon as the man passed by him, John clearly heard the man's excitement as he said, "Jean..."