Chapter 1154: Chapter 1154: Jeffrey Foster, do you still love her?
Jeffrey Foster looked at Isabelle Martin’s bewildered expression and finally realized what he had just done. He suddenly dropped his head, “Where’s my porridge?”
“Are you concerned about me?” Isabelle wasn’t fooled and pressed further.
“No.” Jeffrey denied it without even thinking.
Isabelle’s terrible mood from the whole night brightened up. She knew he did care about her, but she also knew his personality. She placed the porridge on the table, “Eat up, Mr. Foster.”
Jeffrey wasn’t hungry, but eating was the only way to cover his embarrassment, so he picked up the spoon despite himself and then heard the stifled laughter from the girl beside him.
He looked up, “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, just a joke a friend told me.” Isabelle answered casually.
Jeffrey sharply caught onto her mention of a “friend,” lowered his head, took a couple of bites, and couldn’t help but look up, “Zed?”
“Huh?” Isabelle was surprised to hear the name Zed from Jeffrey’s mouth. She looked at the man’s expression and took a moment to understand what he meant. Her face showed shock then suddenly turned to a smile, “Do you mind him a lot?”
“No.” Jeffrey felt Isabelle’s response was a disguised admission that she had just been chatting with Zed, making him feel terrible.
“Really?” Isabelle got closer to Jeffrey, looked at his handsome yet thin face, and questioned. Then she murmured, “Mr. Foster, you’re too skinny; you should eat more.”
“If you like him, then stop bothering me.” Jeffrey wasn’t swayed by the girl’s erratic thinking, stating his point word by word.
A sharp glimmer passed through Isabelle’s eyes, “If I don’t like him and I like you, does that mean I can continue to bother you?”
“No.” Jeffrey was nearly confused by the girl, but he maintained his rationality.
“Oh.” Isabelle let out a disappointed “oh,” lowered her head, and continued typing on her phone, deliberately making the sound a bit louder.
Jeffrey didn’t understand what the girl meant by “oh,” and a mouthful of rich porridge stuck in his throat, causing extreme discomfort.
Isabelle saw this and moved her pretty face closer to the man, “Mr. Foster…”
Jeffrey felt the warm breath from the girl hit his side face, his body tensed up as he warily held the spoon. Then he heard her say, “I already turned him down today, so rest assured.”
“That’s your business.” Jeffrey only felt the girl was too close. The rich aroma of the porridge couldn’t cover her scent, making him even more uncomfortable.
Isabelle didn’t feel hurt as she had before. Instead, she intensely stared at the man in front of her, “Mr. Foster, has anyone ever said you live quite awkwardly?”
“You…”
“Enough about me, hurry up and eat. Once you’re done, we can sleep.” Isabelle interrupted what Jeffrey was about to say, urging him lightly. The last sentence carried a hint of ambiguity.
Isabelle had already confirmed and was sure that Jeffrey did mind her a bit. But was it just his original personality, or had he become like this after losing his sight? In any case, it’s indeed not endearing.
But whether endearing or not, she still liked and was obsessed with him.
Isabelle thought helplessly, while Jeffrey furrowed his brows, “Aren’t you going home tonight?”
“I’m your caregiver, so I naturally need to stay with you. How else would I take care of you?” Isabelle asked logically.
Jeffrey’s expression turned serious hearing that, “No, you’re a girl, you can’t just spend nights away so casually, especially with an adult man. I’ll find someone to take you home.”
“Pfft!” Isabelle was amused by Jeffrey’s serious demeanor, bursting into laughter and teasing, “I used to not know Mr. Foster was such an old-fashioned guy.”
Suddenly being labeled old-fashioned, Jeffrey said, “…”
“I’ve already told my family that I’m occupied for a few days, not staying at home. If you send me home now, I’d end up wandering the streets. Are you sure you want to do that? Moreover…” Saying this, Isabelle deliberately lowered her voice, “You’re in no shape to do anything right now. I think this place is much safer than finding a hotel outside.”
Jeffrey, “…”
Isabelle wasn’t done yet, “Or is Mr. Foster worried about having inappropriate thoughts about me and losing control?”
“I am not!” Jeffrey quickly rebutted, but unfortunately, his swift rebuttal only made it seem like he had a guilty conscience.
Jeffrey himself felt it, dropped his head after speaking, and sat there sulking.
Isabelle could barely hold back her laughter. She never expected this man to have such an adorable contrast, and she felt her heart melt.
This must be the filter of love.
“If you don’t say anything, I’ll stay tonight?” Isabelle purposely probed.
Jeffrey had no desire to talk to her anymore, so he simply lowered his head and ate to hide his feelings.
Isabelle didn’t push further, happily setting up the bed sheets she brought and taking out her toiletries.
Jeffrey ate while listening to Isabelle’s movements, feeling more irritable yet uncontrollably curious about what she was doing.
When Isabelle finished organizing her things, Jeffrey was nearly done eating too. She packed up the small table, adjusted the hospital bed flat for Jeffrey, then softly said, “Good night, Mr. Foster.”
Jeffrey still didn’t respond, and Isabelle didn’t get upset. She turned and happily lay on the nearby caregiver’s bed, even turning off the light.
The room suddenly plunged into darkness. This darkness didn’t affect Jeffrey at all, but for Isabelle, it rendered her vision pitch black. Her senses heightened, and she couldn’t help but hold her breath, listening for the movements from the man’s hospital bed.
Jeffrey was accustomed to the dark and didn’t notice the light going off. However, he realized that after the girl got into bed, there was suddenly no sound from her, not even faint breathing. His nerves suddenly tensed, and after ten seconds, he couldn’t help but say, “Isabelle?”
His voice was low and magnetic, slightly rising when he said “Isabelle,” making her name sound beautiful to Isabelle. She held back from responding immediately.
Hearing nothing from Isabelle, sensing no breathing, and not receiving a response, Jeffrey abruptly sat up, calling out again, “Isabelle?”
This time, his voice was noticeably louder, tinged with a nervousness he wasn’t even aware of.
Realizing he was worried about her, Isabelle finally responded, feeling warmth in her heart but also a bit annoyed. He clearly cared about her a lot, yet always said such harsh words.
Hearing Isabelle’s response, Jeffrey secretly breathed a sigh of relief, pretending to be calm as he lay back down, and didn’t forget to cover it up, “Pour me another glass of water.”
Isabelle didn’t call him out, got up, and poured a glass of warm water for Jeffrey.
Jeffrey Foster drank a little and then placed the glass on the bedside table. Isabelle Martin’s lips curled into a smile, “Mr. Foster, if you’re thirsty, drink more. It’s okay to wake me up at night.”
After she said this, Jeffrey Foster’s body stiffened for a moment. Ignoring her, he lay back down. But Isabelle was intrigued, “Mr. Foster, you are so handsome, many girls must have pursued you before, right?”
“No.” Jeffrey Foster responded coldly.
Isabelle clearly did not believe him and gave a meaningful “Oh.” Professor Foster is dishonest, she thought. From what she knew, back when he was at the medical university, many female teachers and students liked him and even chased after him, not to mention how popular he was at the hospital.
“I don’t like it.” Jeffrey Foster, uncomfortable with the girl’s attitude, added stiffly.
Isabelle couldn’t help but ask, “Then what kind of women does Mr. Foster like?”
Upon hearing this, Jeffrey Foster’s mind involuntarily conjured up Abigail Green’s face, which quickly morphed into that of Abigail Green. In the darkness, his handsome face was tinged with a complex and indistinct expression. Over a year had passed, and sometimes Jeffrey Foster was uncertain whether his final stubbornness toward Abigail was out of love or unwillingness to let go.
But regardless of the reason, Abigail is no longer connected to him. His heart would still ache slightly, but after enduring countless lonely nights, having witnessed Abigail’s happiness firsthand, it was no longer as difficult for him to let go as before.
After Isabelle asked her question, the entire ward fell into an unusual silence. Her heart sank little by little. She could probably guess that someone like Jeffrey Foster must have a woman he likes but didn’t expect just asking this one question would cause him to be so silent.
Was it because he loved too deeply?
The bit of confidence that had arisen from his concern for her suddenly vanished. Isabelle only felt her breathing become oppressive and heavy. She quickly returned to her bed, “Let’s sleep.”
She didn’t want to hear the answer at all.
The girl’s emotions were too evident. Even someone as slow as Jeffrey Foster could feel her unhappiness. Instinctively, he wanted to explain, but just as he was about to speak, he realized it was wrong to do so. Since he didn’t want too much involvement with the girl, how could he possibly allow her to like him?
How could someone without a future like him hold up someone else’s life?
Reason told Jeffrey to give up speaking. He closed his eyes, following the girl’s words.
Isabelle wasn’t being ignored for the first time, but she felt unprecedented pain, unable to stop speculating about whom he liked, where the woman was, why they weren’t together, and whether his blindness was related to the woman he liked.
Various questions swirled in Isabelle’s mind, making it impossible for her to sleep. Unable to lie still, she kept tossing and turning on the narrow caregiver bed.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Jeffrey Foster finally spoke up, “Can’t sleep?”
Suddenly, Isabelle felt especially aggrieved. She sat up, looking at the shadows in the dark, “Jeffrey Foster, do you still love her?”
……
Slightly later, refresh.
By the time Isabelle had packed up her things, Jeffrey Foster had almost finished eating. She tidied up the small table and flattened Jeffrey’s hospital bed, then whispered, “Mr. Foster, goodnight.”
Jeffrey Foster still did not respond. Isabelle was not angry and turned cheerfully to lie on the adjacent caregiver bed, even turning off the light.
Suddenly, the entire ward plunged into darkness. This darkness didn’t affect Jeffrey Foster but made Isabelle’s vision pitch black. Her senses became sharp, and she couldn’t help but hold her breath, listening for the movements of the man on the nearby hospital bed.
Jeffrey Foster was accustomed to the darkness and didn’t notice when the lights were turned off. He just realized that after the girl went to bed, there was suddenly no sound, not even her breathing, which made him nervous. After ten seconds, he couldn’t help but speak, “Isabelle?”
His voice was low and magnetic, with a slight upward lilt when he called her name, making Isabelle feel her name sounded beautiful. She held back from responding immediately.
Unable to hear Isabelle’s breathing, and receiving no response, Jeffrey suddenly sat up and called again, “Isabelle?”
This time his voice was noticeably louder, with anxiety that even he did not realize.
Realizing that he was worried about her, Isabelle finally replied, feeling a warm fondness mixed with annoyance. This man indeed cared about her, yet he always said unpleasant things.
Upon hearing Isabelle’s response, Jeffrey Foster secretly breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down, pretending to be composed while masking his concern, “Pour me another glass of water.”
Isabelle did not expose him, got up, and poured a cup of warm water for him.
Jeffrey Foster drank a little and placed the glass on the bedside table. Isabelle’s lips curled, “Mr. Foster, if you’re thirsty, drink more. It’s okay to wake me up at night.”
Finished speaking, Jeffrey’s body stiffened momentarily before ignoring the girl and lying back down. Isabelle continued with renewed interest, “Mr. Foster, you’re so handsome. Before, did many girls pursue you?”
“No.” Jeffrey Foster responded coldly.
Isabelle obviously didn’t believe him and let out a meaningful “Oh.” Professor Foster is dishonest. From what she knew, back at the medical university, many female teachers and students liked him, and even chased after him, not to mention his popularity at the hospital.
“I don’t like it.” Jeffrey Foster, uncomfortable with the girl’s attitude, added stiffly.
Isabelle couldn’t resist, “Then what kind does Mr. Foster like?”
Upon hearing this, Jeffrey Foster involuntarily imagined Abigail Green’s face, which quickly transformed into Abigail Green’s. In the darkness, his handsome face bore a complex and indistinct expression. Over a year had passed, and sometimes Jeffrey Foster was uncertain whether his final stubbornness towards Abigail was out of love or unwillingness to let go.
But regardless of the reason, Abigail had nothing to do with him anymore. His heart would still ache slightly, but after enduring countless lonely nights and witnessing Abigail’s happiness firsthand, it was no longer as difficult for him to move on.
Once Isabelle asked her question, the entire ward fell into an unusual silence. Her heart sank little by little. She could predict that someone like Jeffrey Foster would have a woman he liked, but she didn’t expect asking such a simple question would make him so silent.
Was it because he loved too deeply?
The confidence born from the man’s concern for her suddenly vanished. Isabelle only felt her breath become suffocating and heavy. In a rush, she returned to her bed, “Let’s sleep.”
She didn’t want to hear the answer at all.
The girl’s emotions were too evident. Even someone as slow as Jeffrey Foster could feel her unhappiness. Instinctively, he wanted to explain, but just as he was about to speak, he realized it was wrong to do so. Since he didn’t want too much involvement with the girl, how could he possibly allow her to like him?
How could someone without a future like him hold up someone else’s life?
Reason told Jeffrey to give up speaking. He closed his eyes, following the girl’s words.
Isabelle wasn’t being ignored for the first time, but she felt unprecedented pain. Unable to resist speculating about whom he liked, where the woman was, why they weren’t together, and whether his blindness was related to the woman he liked.
Various questions swirled in Isabelle’s mind, making it impossible for her to sleep. Unable to lie still, she kept tossing and turning on the narrow caregiver bed.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Jeffrey Foster finally spoke up, “Can’t sleep?”
Suddenly, Isabelle felt particularly aggrieved. She sat up, looking at the shadows in the dark, “Jeffrey Foster, do you still love her?”