Chapter 61: Are You an Idiot?
The eighth floor of the South Wing, an inpatient area, consisted entirely of private rooms. Each room featured air conditioning, a television, an individual refrigerator, and a small private living room.
Stephanie’s palms were sweating. She had hurried home from school that afternoon, changed her clothes, carefully applied makeup, and then followed Lawson to the hospital to visit a relative from Nemmington, someone said to be of extremely high status. Although the Stark family was wealthy, they couldn't compare to the upper echelons of Melcester society, let alone Nemmington.
So, when they heard Lawson mention that the person they were visiting was young but the darling of the entire Cooper family—someone even Celia had to coax and pamper—they knew this was a little ancestor who couldn’t be offended. She was so nervous that even Lawson noticed.
Before entering the ward, he gently squeezed her shoulder and comforted her in a soft voice, “Don’t worry, you’ve prepared so many toys for Alfi. You’re so kind, he will like you.”
“Besides,” he added, “I was right there with you. What was there to be afraid of?”
Stephanie, with her delicate and fair complexion, felt slightly relieved. She shyly lowered her eyelids, took his arm, and whispered, “I’m afraid I might not do well and embarrass you.”
Lawson loved her complete dependence on him—something Myrna could never achieve. He lowered his head, gently hooked the girl’s nose with his finger, smiled slightly, and exuded masculinity: “Silly girl. Aren’t I here? My mom and brother are inside; let’s go in.”
“Mm-hmm,” she replied.
Every time Stephanie thought about encountering Celia again, she recalled their embarrassing encounter at the Office of Academic Affairs that day, which made her feel uneasy. The smile on her face seemed somewhat forced as she held Lawson’s hand and they opened the door to the ward.
In the ward, a little boy of about five sat on the hospital bed. His beautiful face, as if meticulously carved, looked adorably like a snowflake. However, the malice in his eyes was very strong. Celia had always been attentively focused on him.
“Mom, bro. I brought Stephie here. Is Alfi okay?” Lawson greeted those in the room.
Celia and Neilson turned around simultaneously. Celia merely gave a nonchalant “hmm” and paid no further attention to Stephanie. Clearly, he was still angry with her about what happened at Melcester Central High School that morning.
Stephanie felt lost and wronged. It wasn’t her fault; who knew Myrna would take matters into her own hands? Celia herself hadn’t even told them that her relative was a spoiled rich kid who hung around the streets.
Fortunately, Lawson spoke to her softly, helping her out of the awkward situation: “Stephie, didn’t you buy a pear for Alfi? How about peeling a pear for Alfi?”
Stephanie, struggling to find a way to present herself well, nodded hastily. “I’ll go right away.”
In no time, she had peeled the pear, thoughtfully leaving some of the skin on. She used the remaining skin to shape the small pieces of pear into adorable little rabbit figures and confidently presented them.
“Aunt, I peeled some fruit for Alfi.”
Celia, who had never thought much of her, saw her approach with the fruit. The fruit was nicely arranged, so she made room and gave Stephanie a rare direct look. “Try and see if Alfi will eat it?”
It was simply a matter of coaxing a child. Stephanie walked to the bedside, full of confidence, and gently and warmly greeted the boy: “Your name is Alfi, right? Hello there. I’m a friend of Lawson.”
“…,” Alfi ignored her.
Stephanie didn’t get discouraged. She picked up a rabbit-shaped pear piece with a toothpick and offered it. “Alfi, are you hungry? Do you want a piece of pear? Look, this pear looks like a little rabbit. The little rabbits are so cute; they all want Alfi to play with them.”
Alfredo finally looked at her, his reflection mirrored in his obsidian-like eyes. Stephanie felt nervous; the corners of her mouth unconsciously lifted, thinking she had succeeded.
Who knew.