Olivia wore an off-the-shoulder loose T-shirt.

As she bent over, her slightly smaller chest immediately revealed in front of Ashley’s eyes. A few finger marks floated on her fair chest, and there were even bright teeth marks in the position where it tilted inward.

Ashley’s eyes were burned, and she quickly looked away. “Really? I’ve never had a boyfriend, so I don’t know if men have this weird habit.”

“Never had a boyfriend?” Olivia looked surprised. “But I heard at school...”

As she spoke, she suddenly stopped, wearing a “Did I speak too much?” expression.

“Alright,” Brian interrupted her, raising his hand to brush aside her bangs. “Weren’t you going to have a physical exam? Don’t waste time on boring things.”

The hand on Olivia’s shoulder slid down along her shoulder line, ambiguously pinching her waist near her abdomen. “Weren’t you going to have a blood test?”

Olivia giggled coquettishly. “Alright, I’ll go now.”

She looked at Ashley. “Auntie urged me to have a pre-pregnancy checkup. I’ve been fasting for the blood test.”

Ashley quickly said, “Then you should go.”

Brian didn’t even look at her and led Olivia out of the ward.

Ashley’s eyes stung as she suddenly pulled the blanket over her head.

When Brian returned, he saw a lump on the bed.

Even as an adult, she was still a coward.

Fragments of distant memories suddenly flashed by, and a hint of amusement flashed in Brian’s eyes.

It was fleeting.

He walked to the bed. “Come out.”

The lump on the bed paused.

Ashley slowly pulled down the blanket, revealing her head.

Her eyes were pink, and her eyelashes were wet. Her eyes, naive to the point of being pure, stared blankly at him.

Brian couldn’t help but reach out and poke her between the eyebrows. “What?”

Ashley shrank back in fright. When she came to her senses, she crashed into the man’s dark eyes. “...Why are you back?”

Brian’s face darkened. “What, I can’t come?”

“No, I mean, weren’t you with Miss. James—”

“When did my affairs need to be reported to a maid like you?”

Ashley fell silent.

Brian looked her up and down.

Her forehead and cheeks were severely swollen, covered with numerous scratches.

The places on her neck that had been scratched also stood out, like vertical and horizontal veins.

The oversized hospital gown couldn’t hide her beauty, and the wide neckline accentuated her collarbone and shoulder line, making her even more attractive.

—A battered yet pitiful look.

Brian’s gaze was too intense. Ashley shrank her shoulders, hooked her fingers over the blanket, and pulled it up. “Mr... do you need something?”

Brian coolly replied, “Do I need a reason to come?”

Ashley pursed her lips.

Brian raised his hand, his fingertips brushing the corner of her eye. “You cried? Because I’m getting engaged?”

Ashley turned her head away. “No.”

“Good girl, better not be.”

Ashley lowered her gaze, her eyes falling on his belt. “Mr, after you get engaged... can I move out of the Quinn Family?”

Ashley had long wanted to move out, but due to the on-call agreement with Brian, she never dared to bring it up.

Brian’s eyes darkened. He lifted her chin. “Huh, trying to break the deal?”

Their eyes met. Ashley regretted speaking up.

She stammered, “No, I mean, I... you, you have Miss. James now.”

“So what,” Brian’s fingers crushed her pink lips, forcing them into a vivid red. “I never answer multiple choice questions.”

In other words, he wanted both.

Ashley really wanted to ask him if having two women in the same house was a family tradition of the Quinn Family.

“Ashley, are you hungry? I came over right after my shot—”

A voice sounded outside. Ashley instinctively slapped Brian’s hand away, pulling the blanket up to cover herself.

Turning her head, she saw Melissa standing at the door with a food box, stunned.

“Mom, you’re here.”

Brian withdrew his hand, turned around, and nodded at Melissa before leaving.

He came inexplicably and left just as inexplicably.

Ashley silently drank the soup while Melissa sat by the bed, hesitating to speak several times, but ultimately said nothing.

After eating, Ashley finally regained her composure.

“Mom, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Just caught a cold and got a fever, but I’m better now. But you...” Melissa’s eyes reddened. “Luckily, the doctor said we came just in time. Any later, and your liver might have been affected again.”

Ashley remembered her mother donating her liver to her, and she was moved, too.

She held Melissa’s hand. “Mom, I’m fine. Don’t cry.”

“Alright, I am not gonna cry.” Melissa wiped her tears and finally asked her question, “Ashley, why did Mr come? Did he need something from you?”

“Nothing,” Ashley avoided the important part. “Miss. James is getting engaged to Mr. James, and they just came for a premarital checkup, and just dropped by to see me.”

Melissa’s hand trembled, her eyes wide. “Engaged? They’ve only known each other for a few days!”

Ashley’s smile was faint. “It’s normal for wealthy families to have arranged marriages.”

Melissa sighed. “Mr has it tough too.”

At three o’clock, the nurse came to give Ashley an injection, and Melissa returned to her ward.

The medicine had a sedative effect, and Ashley fell asleep leaning against the bed.

Half-asleep, she heard a commotion in the corridor, as if a man was shouting and making a scene.

Ashley tried to open her eyes to see, but her body felt like it was sealed. She fell back into a deep sleep.

When she woke up again, it was dark outside.

Melissa brought dinner, and the two of them ate while chatting and laughing.

After eating, Melissa packed up, seemingly mentioning casually, “Ashley, do you have any money left?”

Ashley’s laughter stopped. “What?”

Melissa lowered her head, and Ashley couldn’t see her expression.

“Just thinking, since we’re already at the hospital, should we buy some anti-rejection medication before we leave? I haven’t gotten my salary yet, and I’m afraid I might not have enough.”

Ashley didn’t think much of it. “No need to stock up. We still have plenty of medicine from last time. I’ll just take those first.”

“Okay.” Melissa responded in a muffled voice.

Ashley was about to say she had some money left in her account, but then she saw Melissa’s back.

The oversized hospital gown made her look particularly thin, and the wide neckline slipped down, revealing the back of her neck.

On her fair skin, there were several fresh hickeys.

Obvious and glaring.

Ashley’s fingers tightened, clutching the edge of the blanket. “Mom, has anyone been keeping you company these past few days?”

“Of course not,” Melissa smiled. “I really just had a fever, and now it’s gone. But you, with all your injuries, need to rest well.”

Ashley nodded. “Mom, I’m tired. I want to rest.”

Melissa quickly gathered her things, turned off the lights for Ashley, and left.

Ashley closed her eyes, feeling more agitated. It seemed the aftereffects of her concussion were getting worse.