Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Don’t Come Begging Me with Regrets
As soon as Ariana Grant entered the bathroom, she hurriedly opened an unoccupied stall and let loose.
The smell wafted out alongside.
Ashley Shaw pinched her nose.
"Ariana, what did you eat this morning?"
"Milk." A strained voice came from inside the stall.
She frowned, "Don’t drink milk anymore, you might be lactose intolerant."
"Huh? What’s lactose intolerance?"
"Just don’t drink it. After school today, have your family take you to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor to adjust your stomach and intestines."
There was a moment of silence inside, then Ariana sighed.
"They all moved out. Now I’m living alone."
On the day the college entrance exam results were announced last year, Ariana Grant’s parents officially divorced.
Neither side wanted her.
Ashley Shaw felt a pang in her heart.
She still remembered that on the day of Ariana Grant’s funeral, only her grandparents attended.
Because her parents had both started new families.
She had it tough, Ariana Grant had it tough too. Who in this world has it easy?
After a moment of silence, Ashley Shaw said, "Then I’ll go with you after school."
"Sure! I have plenty of money now, having double the living expenses. I’ll treat you to hot pot after school!"
"Hot pot is not good for the stomach..."
"Hey, Ash, since when did you become like an old Chinese doctor, always worrying about my stomach? What’s up, pitying me for losing my parents, want to be my stepmother?"
Ashley Shaw was speechless, unsure of what excuse to make when she heard low voices talking outside.
"Hey, have you noticed? Ashley Shaw is actually quite pretty?"
"What’s the use of being pretty? She’s just the daughter of Warren Prescott’s maid, oh no, now they call it a housekeeper."
"What’s wrong with a housekeeper? Haven’t you heard of household uniform seduction?"
"Just shut up, Ashley isn’t a housekeeper anymore; she’s Warren’s sister. Watch what you say."
"Isn’t a sister even better? Sibling taboo..."
Malicious laughter ensued.
Even Ashley Shaw, living a second life, couldn’t help blushing out of anger.
What shameless bastards!
She hesitated about going out to teach them a lesson when suddenly the outside voices quieted down.
There was no more sound thereafter.
Could a teacher have arrived?
Ashley Shaw waited a while longer, but there was still no noise outside.
Seemed like the people should’ve left.
She turned her head to tell Ariana Grant inside the stall, "I’ll wait for you outside."
In here, it’s really... too smelly.
"Alright! But don’t you dare leave!"
"Don’t worry, I’m not leaving. I’m right outside the door." Ashley Shaw helplessly agreed.
But when she took a step outside, she looked up and locked eyes with Warren Prescott in the corridor.
The boy with the remarkable appearance and aura leaned against the wall with one foot, both hands lazily placed on the railing behind him.
The slightly open school uniform caught a breeze, gently fluttering the collar.
He was just like that, no matter what he wore, he always stood out.
That’s how she got attracted to him before, wasn’t it?
And then... fell into an inescapable pit.
Ashley Shaw quickly averted her eyes and pretended not to see him, heading to the sink to wash her hands.
Just as she turned on the tap, Warren Prescott’s voice rang out.
"Ashley Shaw, come here."
The tone of an arrogant young master.
Ashley Shaw pretended not to hear, continuing to wash her hands.
Even though her hands were getting a little red from washing.
Warren seemed to be running out of patience.
"Don’t make me call you a second time."
Silence.
Ashley Shaw remained silent.
All that could be heard was the sound of running water.
She didn’t know why she was so fixated on her hands, scrubbing them hard, determined to rub the skin off.
"Fine, Ashley Shaw, you’re really something."
"Don’t come crying to me later."
The sound of footsteps gradually faded away.
Ashley Shaw didn’t look back but shouted toward the bathroom, "Ariana, are you done?"
"Done, done! I’m coming!"
Ariana Grant flushed the toilet and came to wash her hands.
"Oh, by the way." Ariana turned her head, "I just heard someone talking outside, who was it?"
"No one."
She paused, adding, "An arrogant jerk."
"Wow? In my lifetime, I actually heard you swear?"
The bell rang at that moment, and Ariana Grant didn’t have time to ask further, pulling her along to run back to class.
Ashley Shaw originally thought she would run into Warren Prescott in class again, her nerves a bit tense, but there was no sign of Warren in the classroom.
She exhaled lightly, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
This session was an English class.
Since getting married, Mrs. Prescott often called her out for social events, many guests being foreigners, so English was never a problem.
After being called to stand and recite the text, classmates looked at her with astonishment.
The reason being none other than her pronunciation was impeccable, even the English teacher praised her repeatedly for her "great progress."
Ariana Grant, even more surprised after she sat down, asked, "Ashley, when did your spoken English get this good?"
"Watch foreign movies more. Best without subtitles."
Back then, she was ridiculed for her accent at high-end wine parties and learned to speak this way afterward.
She exerted so much effort just not to embarrass Warren Prescott.
Now, it seems, those efforts haven’t gone completely to waste.
"Oh..." Ariana ended the conversation uninterestedly.
The whole day, she didn’t see Warren Prescott again.
Nor did any teacher dare to ask about him.
When the school bell rang, Ashley Shaw immediately dragged Ariana Grant to the largest traditional Chinese medicine clinic in Westcroft.
After checking her pulse, the old Chinese doctor directly prescribed some medicine, quietly instructing, "Young lady, your stomach and intestines are not doing well. Take traditional medicine for a month and pay attention to your diet, avoiding cold and spicy foods. Come back for a follow-up after a month to see if you need a different prescription."
"Traditional medicine? Can you prescribe something sweet? I’m afraid of bitterness."
The doctor frowned unhappily, "Medicine isn’t sweet."
Ashley Shaw pressed down on Ariana’s shoulder, asking the doctor, "Doctor, is her condition serious?"
"As it stands, not too serious; it’s mainly a stomach issue. Once adjusted, it should improve naturally."
Ashley Shaw breathed a sigh of relief.
Seems like there’s still time.
"Thank you, doctor, we’ll be back after a month of medicine."
She pulled the reluctant Ariana, hoping to barter the prescription for something tastier, to the counter to pay.
Chinese medicine clinics today no longer required DIY decoction; they would prepare it for you, requiring only heating with hot water at home for consumption, saving the hassle of brewing it yourself.
The two waited an hour and received a large bag of medicine.
"Ashley, do I really have to drink this for so long? The doctor said it’s not serious. Can’t I just drink less milk?"
Ashley Shaw rarely looked so serious.
"Ariana, for this, you’ll have to listen to me."
Ariana sighed.
"Alright, alright, I know, I’ll drink it on time."
Eventually, the two found a Chinese restaurant outside, ordered some light dishes, and ate.
"Don’t order takeout again after you get back. You should heed the doctor’s advice."
"Got it, stepmom."
Ashley Shaw shook her head helplessly, "Who’s going to be your stepmom?"
"You’re right, a stepmom wouldn’t care if I lived or died, you’re my real mom."
"Get lost!"
"Hehe... Oh, Ashley, since you switched to science, which university do you plan to apply to?"
"Aethelgard Medical University."
That’s the best medical university.
"You want to be a doctor? That’s great, I can’t get your grades, but I can be a nurse and assist you in the future!"
"Stop talking about me, what about you? Do you have any goals yourself?"
"Do I even have a goal? Better alive than dead."
"Then apply to The Medical University’s nursing program in Aethelgard. The score threshold is lower, so work hard, and you can definitely get in."
"Hey, I was just saying, why’d you take it seriously?"
"I need to keep an eye on you."
"Huh?"
"To make sure none of your friends are better than me."
"Hehe, no worries! No third parties between us!"
A third party...
Ashley Shaw froze for a moment, watching Ariana board her ride and leave.
She could no longer distinguish whether she was the third party or if it was the white moonlight who was the third party.
As for the girl who appeared later, whether she was a third party didn’t matter as much anymore.