Chapter 56: Appeasing Aunt ine


    However, Ran didn''t start driving at once. To Vivian''s surprise, Ran asked her a question. "Did


    you know about Chow''s injury three years ago?"


    Stunned, Vivian looked up at him.


    She had only seen the intertwining scars on Chow''s back when they had been intimate with each other,


    but she hadn''t dared to ask him about them.


    She didn''t even dare to look at the scars.


    That was because Chow would fly into another fit of anger if he caught her looking at his scars.


    It was only then that Vivian realised she had been so easily attracted to what Ran had said. She felt


    the bitterness creeping into her heart once again.


    Why was she still so concerned about Chow when he had made it obvious that he hated her with all his


    might?


    If such a shameful thing happened to someone else, she would probably look down on that person too.


    Ran lowered his gaze as he recalled what just happened.


    He had seen clearly the way Celine suddenly clutched at her stomach as if in pain. He also saw how


    Chow''s demeanour had changed immediately.


    He had grown up with Chow, so, naturally, he knew all there was to know about him.


    It was just that when Chow got involved in the serious ident, he had been studying abroad and


    received no news of the incident at all. When he came back, Chow had refused to talk about it.


    Out of respect for his friend, he never bothered to investigate. That''s why he knew nothing about it.


    However, when he saw Chow''s reaction today, he guessed that Celine most likely had something to do


    with that ident.


    That would exin why Chow suddenly had a fiancée he''d been dating for a few years once he got


    back from overseas.


    He didn''t love her, but he had to marry her.


    Thinking he knew Chow like the back of his hand, Ran thought that Chow had his own reasons for


    marrying her. The Chow he knew would never sumb to threats from anyone.


    However, he had overlooked another possibility.


    Ran''s heart throbbed suddenly, snapping him back to his senses. He turned to look at Vivian. "Let''s


    go, I''ll send you home first. Don''t get too upset about what just happened today. I''m sure that Chow


    must have his reasons for behaving like this."


    Vivian chewed on her lower lip.


    Even now, she still wanted to ask about Chow''s injury.


    She waspletely hopeless.


    Nheless, Vivian closed her eyes and resisted the urge to ask.


    Since Ran had something else on his mind, he didn''t notice what Vivian had done.


    He slipped his key in the ignition, started up the engine, and drove off.


    The empty parking lot turned quiet again.


    No one else would ever know of the heartbreaking incident that had happened earlier.


    Only the loneliness of the night remained.


    "Miss, Mr. Gordon is here. He said that he wants to take you out," Aunt ine said, standing outside


    the study.


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    Anyone could tell that her voice was full of concern.


    How could she not be worried?


    Ever since Ran brought Vivian back that day, she had literally never stepped out of the study.


    She never even went to bed at night, but slept on the sofa in the study instead.


    Aside from refusing to leave the study, Vivian had also refused to eat anything.


    Every time Aunt ine brought her food on a tray, she would send it back,pletely untouched.


    However, Vivian still asionally chatted with Aunt ine.


    No matter what Aunt ine asked, she always responded softly, even smiling at times.


    It was just that the wan smile on her face just made her look even more pitiful.


    That was why aunt ine would always call on her to go out whenever Ran came around.


    Still, Vivian hadn''t gone out with him, not even once.


    This time, her answer was still the same.


    Vivian looked up and stared at the door. Her voice was soft but firm. "Aunt ine, I''m a little tired and I


    don''t feel like going out. Please tell Brother Ran to go back."


    Aunt ine sighed softly. The sounds of her footsteps gradually faded away.


    Vivian lowered her head again and bit her lower lip hard.


    She was well aware that Aunt ine was worried about her.


    It had been three whole days since the incident at the parking lot.


    In thest three days, Chow never came home, but Ran was the one who kept showing up daily


    instead.


    She knew that she was just making everyone worry about her.


    She really wanted everything to return to how it was like before. She wanted to make desserts with


    Aunt ine, chat with her, sample her baking, and praise her cooking.


    But now, she couldn''t force herself to pretend to be happy anymore.


    Vivian knew that Aunt ine was hoping she''d go out with Ran to take her mind off things.


    But when she thought of how she had embarrassed herself in front of Ran that day, she felt even


    more reluctant to leave the study.


    This room was the only ce she felt safe and could find sce in. It was like her fort.


    The study had no secret passage to Chow''s bedroom nor the bed that reminded her of their nights


    spent together. This was the only ce where she could catch her breath.


    Since that day, Chow had never returned to the mansion. She hadn''t seen Celine since then either.


    It was most probably for the best.


    Because of that kiss, the twisted rtionship between Chow and Vivian had been exposed to Celine.


    She really had no idea how she was supposed to defend herself if Celine started interrogating her.


    She couldn''t possibly say that she was forced by Chow every time.


    If she said it like that, it would only hurt Celine even more.


    Moreover, nobody had forced her to fall in love with Chow.


    In the end, she still shamelessly followed in her mother''s footsteps.


    The daughter of a b*tch would always be a little b*tch.


    The insults she received since young seemed to have be reality over time.


    Now, she really didn''t know what else she should do.


    She even hoped that Chow would never return.


    She just wanted to die alone in this room.


    That would be the most perfect ending for her.


    Outside the study, she could hear Ran politely bidding goodbye.


    This was his character. Even if he was right outside the door, he still wouldn''te in if Vivian said no.


    Vivian was really thankful that he wasn''t that stubborn.


    This way, at least she still had some space to breathe.


    There was another slight knock at the door.


    Knock, knock!


    Knock, knock!


    It was slow but rhythmic.


    Vivian knew that Aunt ine must havee back after seeing Ran out.


    She braced herself and rubbed at her cheeks until some colour returned to her pale face. "Aunt ine,


    you cane in," she said.


    Aunt ine opened the door with a tray in her hands.


    There was still some steaming out from the bowl on the tray.


    Even if her cheeks had reddened slightly from the rubbing, Vivian still looked pale and sickly to her.


    Aunt ine sighed helplessly and set the tray down in front of her. "If you don''t want to eat, at least just


    eat some chicken noodle soup. It''s easy on the stomach. If you keep refusing to eat..."


    She didn''t go on, but her eyes turned red.


    Aunt ine was always the calm and collected on, rarely ever revealing her emotions like this.


    Vivian was shocked to see Aunt ine like this. She quickly lifted the bowl of soup.


    "Aunt ine, I''ll drink it right away. I''m fine, really." Vivian quickly took a few huge gulps without using


    the spoon.


    But since she hadn''t eaten anything for a few days, her stomach couldn''t handle the sudden influx of


    soup. She felt herself wanting to throw up.


    However, seeing the worried look on aunt ine''s face, Vivian forced the soup back down her throat.


    Aunt ine finally showed some sense of relief when she saw that Vivian was eating the soup.


    She put the bowl away. "It''s not good for you to stay here all day hiding from the sun. Your body will


    copse soon. It would have been good for you to go out with Mr. Gordon earlier."


    Aunt ine only knew that something bad must have happened when Ran sent her back the other


    day, but she didn''t know the details.


    In addition to that, Chow hadn''te back for the past few days. It made her worry even more, but she


    didn''t even know how tofort Vivian.


    ...


    She could only talk about things that were not rted to the Young Master. At the very least, she


    wouldn''t make Vivian even unhappier.


    "Even if you don''t want to go out with him, you could still go out by yourself. Why don''t youe out


    with me instead?"


    Vivian looked out from the study window. The sun was shining brightly outside.


    For others, this was probably a good opportunity to go out and rx.


    She didn''t want to go out at all, but for the sake of Aunt ine, she finally agreed.


    "Since the weather is fine today, I''ll just bring my sketchbook out with me and do some sketching,"


    Vivian said. "You don''t have toe with me. You''ll get bored."


    In all honesty, she was not in the mood for sketching. It was just an excuse to put Aunt ine''s heart at


    ease.


    Vivian knew that even if she went out, she would probably still find it hard to cheer up.


    She couldn''t let Aunt ine tag along and worry about her even more.


    But if she went out by herself, Aunt ine might think that Vivian was finally starting to feel better.


    Hearing that she was finally willing to go out, Aunt ine smiled. "Where do you want to go? I''ll get


    Mike to send you."


    Vivian shook her head and refused. "It''s fine, I won''t go far. I''ll be fine alone."


    She never liked to bother others, even though this was precisely Mike''s job and responsibility.


    Aunt ine also understood her temperament. As long as Vivian was willing to go out, she would be


    very happy, so she didn''t press any further.


    "I''ll prepare some snacks for you. Maybe you''ll want to eat something along the way."


    Even if she knew that she wouldn''t have an appetite for anything, she didn''t stop Aunt ine.


    Perhaps this was the only way Aunt ine would be less worried about her.


    What right did she have to make Aunt ine worry so much anyway?


    The trees stood majestically underneath the clear blue skies.


    Vivian knew that there was ake near the Howard Mansion.


    Since it was early summer, the grass by theke was green and lively.


    The green grass, tall trees, and blue skies made for a very picturesque scene.


    In the past, Vivian often stayed here for hours, forgetting all of her worries and troubles as she stared at


    the scene in front of her.


    But today, she wasn''t in the mood to appreciate it.


    Vivian sat on a huge rock, holding her sketchbook and pencil in her hands, but she couldn''t find it in


    herself to start sketching.


    She needed to be in the mood to draw inspiration and sketch.


    But she wasn''t, and there was no way for her to draw any inspiration from her surroundings for now.


    How could she even start sketching?


    The only reason why she said she''de out to sketch was just to appease Aunt ine.


    There were some snacks in the little bag that Aunt ine had purposely prepared for her.


    But she didn''t feel like eating them.


    However, since she''d brought the snacks out, she had no intention of bringing them back.


    Aunt ine would probably feel a lot better if she thought that Vivian ate everything she''d prepared.