Chapter 326


    At five o''clock in the morning, Christina woke up in the hotel and was about to rush to the hospital.


    When she reached the lobby on the first floor, she thought that Betty had been taking care of her father


    all night without eating anything. People in C City had the habit of eating breakfast and drinking tea. So


    she asked the waiter to pack two portions of porridge and some shrimp dumplings.


    As she waited in line to pay the bill, she saw a familiar figure. "Crystal!"


    Crystal immediately looked around. What met her eyes was Christina''s surprised expressions.


    Astonished by the encounter with Christina in C City, Crystal asked. "Why are you in C City?"


    "My father is hospitalized," Christina mentioned it casually and then looked at Crystal curiously. "What


    did you hesitate to say on the phone yesterday? Did youe to C City early this morning?"


    Crystal, who was afraid of being found out, stammered, "I... I''m out looking for a job."


    "You live in A City. Why do youe to C City to find a job?"


    "I act on momentary impulse." Crystal looked embarrassed and quickly changed the topic of


    conversation. "Why is your father in the hospital? How is he now?"


    "Yesterday morning, on his way to work, he seemed to have crashed into a guardrail and was sent to


    the hospital. He is still in aa now. My aunt took care of him at the hospitalst night. Now I''m going


    over..."


    Christina was paying the bill and then hurried over with a few bags of breakfast.


    "Then I''ll go with you to see your father." Out of solicitude, Crystal also helped carry a bag of porridge.


    "Well, thanks."


    After Christina met her friend, she was less in a panic. When in trouble, thepany of friends always


    helped her calm down and feel secure.


    "The doctor says he is not in good health. It might be because he has been drinking and smoking for


    years for the sake of social engagement required by his carreer. The Dickens family rose from


    obscurity. He might be working much harder than others."


    As they walked side by side, Christina talked about her father, which she rarely mentioned to others.


    Crystal listened quietly and muttered, "Your father must have devoted much more efforts to work than


    the Shepherd family, which has established its position for generations." Mr. Dickens started his career


    by relying on the resources and influence of his wife''s family. He had to face more problems and was


    under more pressure.


    "Don''t worry too much. Everything will be fine with the treatment of the hospital. In the future, your


    father needs to bnce work and rest."


    "I''m not worried about him."


    Christina looked a little unhappy. "It''s his own fault. What''s the meaning of making so much money,


    when his family is broken up?"


    Crystal knew that Christina was only firm in speech but soft in heart.


    "Your father suddenly falls ill. How is thepany? Does the Hopkins family help..." As soon as she


    asked, Crystal immediately regretted it.


    At the mention of the Hopkins family, Christina also showed mixed feelings. Considering her


    rtionship with Patrick now, she didn''t want to have any associations with the Hopkins family as far as


    possible.


    "A lean camel is bigger than a horse. There is no need to worry. When he is discharged, I''ll ask him to


    retire. He alwayspares himself with the higher, which I dislike so much. I hate the style of the


    Dickens family of being so keen on face-saving."


    Crystalughed at her. "You''ve inherited the character of being keen on face-saving."


    As they arrived at the lobby of the inpatient department of the hospital and waited for the elevator,


    Christina wanted to say that Crystal seemed more and more disobdient recently and wondered whether


    Crystal was under the influence of others.


    At that moment, the phone rang in Crystal''s pocket. She took it out, nced at the caller ID, and was


    scared out of her wits.


    "Ie across Christina and stay with her now." She held her phone in a furtive manner and reported


    in a low voice.


    "No, no one can be told. I acted merely on impulse. I regret it now."


    Christina didn''t know who Crystal was talking to. Crystal smiled guiltily at her and pointed to a corner


    on the left. "Wait for me." She said, signalling she had a big problem to solve.


    Yesterday, she went to the Department of Civil Affairs with Chandler to get marriage license. Now when


    she thought back to it, she found it a disastrous decision and was filled with deep regrets.


    Although it was Chandler who insisted they get the marriage license, she still felt that their rtionship


    was not right and proper.


    After receiving the license, she clung to the divorce window next to the marriage window and refused to


    leave, insisting on keeping secret their marriage, which meant that they could not let others know about


    their affair for the time being. Chandler finally gave in.


    "Crystal, do you regret marrying me now?"


    Chandler sounded extremely angry on the other end of the phone. Yesterday, she insisted on a secret


    marriage. Today, he took her away from A City to C City so as to enjoy the time for just the two of them


    without others, but she stood him up as soon as he arrived at the hotel.


    "Don''t mention it."


    Crystal''s expression was full of mixed feelings. She found it guilty and unforgivable that she had slept


    with him.


    "Chandler, I don''t have time to talk with you. Christina''s father is seriously ill and has been hospitalized.


    I need to apany her and I will contact you when I have time..."


    Then she hung up the phone.


    Chandler, who was alone in a luxurious double suite, looked gloomy and had to spend a solitary


    honeymoon.


    Christina took away his newly married wife, but he couldn''t ask Christina to send back his wife due to


    the secret kept specially from Christina. Chandler originally wanted to call Patrick, but he thought


    carefully for a minute and decided it was better to ask Charles for help.


    When something urred to the Dickens family, Charles was always eager to help.


    But when Chandler dialed the number, Charles'' phone was busy.


    Charles was really fond of taking care of others'' business. Thest time he apanied Geoffrey to


    freeload for food at Christina''s apartment 402, he was very unhappy that the person in the apartment


    502 upstairs was ying basketball and making noise. Then he called his assistant to buy the


    apartment upstairs, but the owner refused to sell it.


    "That''s strange. I offered three times the market price but he still refused."


    Charles had just received the message this morning. He hurriedly washed up and drove over without


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    even having breakfast.


    "Oh, it''s you."


    With mixed feelings, he stood at the door of apartment 502 and looked at Patrick in front of him.


    "Patrick, what do you want to do?"


    Charles looked very eager to find out the true intention of Patrick. He had never thought that by poking


    nose into others'' business, he woulde to know such an inconceivable news that Patrick didn''t want


    to live in the Hopkins family and condescended to live in this small apartment.


    "Do you move here on purpose? Why do you do this? Does Christina know that you are the one who


    lives in apartment 502 upstairs..."


    "If so, what''s the matter?"


    Patrick was not surprised to see Charlese, as if he had foreseen it.


    Charles was no match for Patrick in terms of the family background and personalpetence.


    However, Charles suddenly burst intoughters as he found it very funny.


    "Thest time we went on a business trip in H City, you asked someone to text her to stay away from


    me, didn''t you?"


    "Patrick, ever since you came back after your operation in the US, I''ve been suspecting that you


    haven''t lose your memory at all. How could a person like you lose your memory only because of an


    operation?"


    "So what I suspect is true," Charles said with a mocking smile, "You cheat all of us."


    They had known each other since they were young. Charles regarded Patrick as a close friend and


    brother. He respected and cherished Patrick, but now he felt like he was being fooled with.


    Charles became furious. "Patrick, I''m not as smart as you, but I know you''re very uneasy now. You


    know what you''ve done. You always focus on the result and ignore the process. Now Christina''s badly


    hurt by you, and you don''t care at all. You''re cruel enough."


    There was a moment of silence as if they had no other topic to talk about.


    Their personalities were too different, and their choices werepletely different. Charles felt that for


    all these years, he had been shamelessly iming ties with this brother of high status. It seemed that it


    was only suitable for them to part with each other.


    Not wanting to say anything more, Charles turned around and left.


    "The operation is true. I have sent someone to change the baby in advance," Patrick suddenly spoke


    behind Charles in a low voice, which could only be heard by himself. "If she wants the baby, she can


    only choose me."