CHAPTER 25: BRUCE, YOU’RE BLEEDING FROM YOUR NOSE

...

A hand appeared in front of Hilla. It was a long, fair hand with clear, distinctive joints, and the nails were kept neat and clean as they shone with a healthy glow.

Hilla was taken aback by the hand, as it was just too good looking. It was even better than Bruce Anderson’s.

Although she could not determine just where or how the hand was better than Bruce’s, she just found that it looked good.

"Thank you," said Hilla as she retrieved the dropped flyer from the hand. She smiled and raised her head.

As expected, the face was also good looking.

Hilla blinked and was momentarily dazzled by the man in front of her.

He had exquisite features, was fair, handsome, and stood tall and straight. He had all of the qualities of a good-looking man in him.

The man’s eyes swept across her face. There were no changes in his brown irises, and he just turned away and left.

"Oh my god! Hilla! He’s so handsome!"

Lily wiped a line of drool from the corner of her lips, and she had to let out a sigh in spite of herself. Where did this handsome freshman come from, and which department did he belong to? His looks were to die for.

Hilla looked away from the figure. She lowered her head and started to put away the things in her hands. She mumbled, "Why am I getting the feeling that he was trying to seduce me?"

"Is he a freshman? That underclassman is going to be a disaster. He’s going to be a huge disaster to all the girls in New Island University."

Lily Hart shook her head and praised him. She turned to Hilla, intentionally bumping into her shoulder and winked at her. "So... Did your heart flutter a little there? Are you thinking about leaving that husband of yours to pursue a new, fresh, youthful love life?"

Hilla rolled her eyes and threw her head back to sigh. "No."

"How boring! What’s so good about a comatose patient? Do you really think Bruce Anderson looks better than that freshman?"

"I’m not a fickle person. That’s just how a slut thinks and behaves. I’m trying to be a faithful wife."

Hilla huffed at Lily and continued to pack her things before she left.

Even though the freshman was indeed good looking, Hilla was not the kind of person who would feel desire rise in her just because she saw someone good looking.

Lily saw her "determination" and could not help but open her eyes wide. "How could

you not want that fresh piece of meat? Do you really like that living corpse?!"

And what did Hilla declare earlier? She wanted to stay faithful? So, when a woman became serious, she would not even give up on a comatose husband.

When night came upon the Anderson mansion, the room was filled with a faint fragrance of lavender. Hilla pulled the curtains away and slid open the balcony glass doors. A gentle cool night breeze enveloped Hilla.

She turned and looked at the quiet Bruce Anderson and smiled. "Feeling the freely flowing wind feels good, doesn’t it? You’ll get Legionnaire’s disease if you breathe in too much air-conditioned air."

It was already autumn. The air during the morning and night was very refreshing. Hilla Holt was dressed in a thin gauze dress. The locks of hair over her chest swayed a little because of the wind. It looked rather charming.

Not far from the mansion was Rudi Anderson. He stopped right after he came out of Master Anderson’s residence. After a month of not seeing her, he subconsciously looked to the eastern block.

His gaze was attracted to the beautiful little witch the moment he saw her, and he could no longer look away.

His disobedient heart throbbed madly, as if it was ready to leap out from his throat.

His fingers trembled. He tried a few times to ball up his fists, but they simply trembled on and on in feverish excitement.

After the previous banquet, after his dislocated arm and leg were reconnected, when he was outside, he was hit by a car. Even though he had dodged it quickly enough, he had still sustained injuries. Even the concussion he suffered from last time started to act up again. He was admitted and remained in the hospital for ten days before he got discharged. For half a month or so, he did not dare make his appearance in the old mansion.

He was not just afraid of meeting Hilla, he was also worried that the things he did at the banquet would end up making its way back to the old master’s ears, even though he had not managed to get his hands on her in the end. He would only suffer more if it did.

To lay low, he did nothing and remained quiet. However, at that moment, his waning passion for Hilla rekindled.

He saw the woman standing on the second floor’s balcony. That woman was very much like the moon itself. Rudi gritted his teeth hard. Giving up now would only leave him more disgruntled than ever.

Hilla opened the window and left a tiny little gap. She pulled the curtains back in and returned to the center of the room.

Orlenna had brought her a glass of milk, and when she saw that the window was open, she did not forget to give her a reminder. "Be careful not to catch a cold."

A sweet little smile formed on Hilla’s lips. Her beautiful eyes narrowed as she said, "Doctor Hutt said when the weather is good, I should let Bruce breathe in natural air

from the outside. It’d be better for him."

The sensible look on her face caused Orlenna to feel her heart soften for her. She did not linger around and left them to themselves after only saying one thing, "Remember to cover yourselves properly."

From there on out, Orlenna would take note of the frequency of her visits. She was now gradually passing the baton of the caring for Bruce Anderson to Hilla.

Without her initial clumsiness, Hilla was now able to give Bruce a proper wipe down, change his clothes, read him the news along with some novels.

When Orlenna left, Hilla instantly leaped off the bed and hurried over to the door to lock it. After that, she returned to the bed. She parted his arms and squeezed into his embrace.

They stayed next to each other just like that, though Bruce did not react in any way. Hilla held her phone in her hands and simply scrolled through some news feeds. She then said, "Today, I saw a new freshman, and he was very handsome. I think he is more handsome than you are.

"That’s not right. You two are different. I think he’s not as mature as you are. There’s an air of inexperience in his eyes. His hands are beautiful. I think they are better looking than yours. He’s probably a pianist.

"He intentionally pretended to be cool to attract my attention. I think he was seducing me.

"Sigh... Young and handsome boys nowadays are just too naive. He thought he was acting well, but I could see through his act in just one look."

Hilla continued her rambling and spilled all her secrets and what happened on campus to Bruce Anderson. It had gotten to a point where it had grown into a daily routine.

She never had to worry about how she was going to explain this to Bruce when he woke up.

After she was done rambling, she had a smug look on her face because she thought that she was really amazing. She brought her face closer to Bruce and examined his face closely. Then, a frown slowly formed on her face.

She pursed her lips outward and said in a very quiet volume, "That freshman was really handsome but... why do I feel that you look better than him?"

She hypothesized that she had seen Bruce for a longer time and thus found him more handsome.

It had to be known that Bruce was a man who had been bedridden for a long time. The meals he ate were all in liquid form. Even though he received sufficient nutrition, Bruce had still become really thin.

His face was so boney that it made every line and curve of his face ever so prominent. It gave him a fierce air.

His brows were dark and thick. They had a certain style to it. His eyes sunk in a little.

Hilla could only guess that if Bruce ever opened his eyes, his pupils would surely be deep and dark, and they would be very beautiful.

As she looked, a thought came to her mind. She crossed her arms over the small bumps over her chest and she said something dishonest, "That handsome boy is really good-looking in all aspects, but I am not that kind of lustful woman. He may be very handsome, but that is not enough to move my heart.

"Well, naturally, you’re not the same. You’re my husband! You are my partner by law. There is nothing wrong for me to look at you or kiss you once or twice!

"Oh yeah! This is what they call responsibility between couples, right?"

After she finished talking, her eyes glinted as she brought her head closer to his and whispered, "If I kiss you, could you just consider it as you performing your duties?"

A gentle breeze snuck into the room, making her hair dance and land on the man’s face. It gave off an air of refreshing freedom, but also an itchy feeling.

...

The quiet room carried a faint aroma of lavender in the air. The thin, white curtain fluttered with the gentle breeze, providing somewhat of a cover for the two people nuzzling against each other.

Hilla was holding Bruce Anderson’s arm tightly as she mumbled softly. Her voice was not loud, and it sounded muffled because of the wind blowing into the room.

She turned around and tugged off Bruce’s blanket before wrapping herself with it. She shut her eyes and mumbled softly, "That freshman was really handsome. Hohoho."

The woman mumbled to herself and smiled while she was at it. She reached for her mouth, wiping away a trail of drooling saliva. After that, she pulled the blanket over her head.

The man on the bed moved a little. He felt light, and all he could feel was the wind blowing at him. It was so cold that he could not help but shiver a little. His fingers moved a little, slowly creeping toward the edge of the blanket, and he gripped it firmly.

Due to spending time on campus helping the Art Society on their recruitment drive, Hilla postponed the submission of her design draft to Julian Jorgansen.

It was not that she did not work hard enough, or that she was intentionally trying to avoid him, it was because Julian had requested for air stewardesses’ uniforms, and it was difficult. The cloth he wanted was special, and if she wanted to produce the effects that he wanted using the fabric he requested, she had to crack her head for the design.

Since Orlenna did not demand for Hilla to go to the office even though she was an intern, naturally, Hilla would have to show up in the university every day.

The Art Society had amassed a number of new members and as the vice-president of the society, Hilla Holt’s attendance was compulsory. Hilla could not help but be stunned when she saw the row of handsome young men. She turned to Lily Hart, who was standing beside her, and asked, "Has this society always been male dominant? Why is this semester’s intake all men?"

Lily rolled her eyes and whispered, "It’s all thanks to you. With a beauty such as yourself serving as our living brand, how would other ladies dare to join the club?"

If they competed against the campus beauty in terms of looks, they would just end up as her backdrops.

Hilla signed and said apologetically, "It’s my fault. The club missed its chance to recruit more talents."

"It’s fine. In fact, I think this is pretty good too."

Lily Hart looked at the handsome faces around her, and she could not help but have a gratified look on her face. Hilla could not resist having her lips twitch. Was she

blaming Hilla, or was she being grateful?

The club was now filled with youthful new members and fresh blood. In Lily’s words, even the air carried the fragrance of roses.

Right now, one of the freshmen brought a piece of rose to Hilla. However, when Hilla saw the red-petaled flower, she jerked back in shock. She then covered her nose and nervously declared, "Take the flower away from me. I’m very allergic to pollen!"

Her sudden declaration stunned the poor freshman who wanted to confess his feelings to Hilla. He could not even say anything before he had to run away with the flower, and he looked quite pathetic.

Lily shook her head and drew closer to Hilla by saying, "How many have you rejected using that line?"

Hilla set the paintbrush down and stretched her back before giving a charming smile. "I can’t count anymore!"

’Aren’t you just amazing, campus beauty?

’While others are desperate to find a partner, look at you. I won’t talk about how you attract all sorts of people, let’s talk about the fact that you’re still attracting others even though you’re already married. What would the bedridden Bruce Anderson think?’

Lily Hart sighed and said in resignation, "This is a world that cares a lot about how you look, and you’re bringing about a disaster to the world with your looks, even though you have nothing else but your looks."

After being "fiercely" scolded by Lily Hart, Hilla brushed her long hair back and said in resignation, "You know what’s worse? I’m still a beauty on the inside!"

Lily could not say anything in return.

’Could you please use that "beauty on the inside" on Bruce Anderson?’

"We should start working on the pictorial board on the west building. Hilla Holt, you’re in charge of that. Also, there’s the aid and relief van that helps poor children in the suburbs. You’re in charge of that as well," said the President of the Art Society, Linus Lockhart, as he walked over to Hilla. Hilla nodded. She raised her head and saw a youthful, handsome, and exquisite face.

Linus Lockhart proceeded to introduce the man.

"This is Rigel Richards. He’s a senior from the Architecture Course. He will be joining the Arts Club. He will be joining you to finish the pictorial board and the campus’ aid and relief van."

Hilla blinked. The handsome man was wearing a black hoodie. Dangling over his neck was a large pair of headphones. He was really cool. His face was the same as the man she had bumped into during the recruitment drive.

Apparently, she had bumped into a senior, not a freshman. It was odd, considering she had been in the university for a year and had never come across such a handsome senior.

"Rigel here just came back from a year-long student exchange program. The two of you should not have met."

They had indeed never met before. Hilla wrapped her mind around this. She looked into his dark, bright eyes before she parted her lips and greeted him. "Good to see you, Rigel Richards."

Lily Hart, by the side, tugged her arm in disbelief while Hilla put on a fake smile. The senior was obviously aloof and was not that sociable.

"So handsome!" Lily whispered to Hilla while Hilla sighed mentally. No matter how handsome he was, it had nothing to do with her. She was already married.

The two worked the entire afternoon on the pictorial board, and during the entire time, Hilla and Rigel said nothing to each other. It was until she packed her things and was about to leave did Rigel Richards suddenly speak.

"You hate flowers?"

Hilla was caught by surprise. He had been silent for so long, so she did not know why he would suddenly pop this question. She thought about it and said, "They’re fine. I actually like roses, lilies, and baby’s breaths."

Rigel merely hummed in acknowledgment before he spoke again, "So you like those that are tacky."

Hilla was speechless. Could he even hold a conversation like a normal person?

When she returned to the mansion, it was already dark. And when Orlenna saw her return home, she relaxed and went over to the old master. After Hilla ate dinner downstairs in a hurry, she went to her bedroom holding a plate of sunflower seeds.

"Say... Aren’t you tired of lying in bed every day?"

Hilla held the plate of sunflower seeds close to her as she walked in a circle around the bed. She dropped the shells on the floor as she ate them, and one fell on Bruce’s face.

In an instant, a dark spot marring the clean, fair skin of his thin face. Hilla could not help but snicker when she saw this. She reached out and picked it off his face.

"Let me tell you something, I saw that handsome youngster today again! That man is so handsome, his skin is very tender, and his hands are also very beautiful... But he’s in the Architecture Course."

After that, she sighed.

"I heard that there’s this dunce in the Architecture Course who could only draw. He even drew a building’s layout on a confession letter from a girl! I wonder if Rigel knows about him?"

Hilla continued to walk around the room with her chest puffed out. She was wearing a cool and comfortable nightgown which left a trail of fragrance as she walked around.

Alas, when she walked, she was not watching her steps and soon, she accidentally

kicked on the bed frame. She fell over and landed right on top of Bruce Anderson. Woosh!

The plate of sunflower seeds sprayed into the air, raining down from the sky. Hilla’s entire upper body was pressed against Bruce’s face, and her chest was plastered across Bruce’s face, almost suffocating him.

Hilla panicked and quickly crawled away from him. The plate in her hands slipped out of her fingers and landed forcefully on Bruce’s face again, inflicting another damage to his face.

Hilla was instantly struck with fear, and she quickly removed the plate from his face. Two trails of fresh blood appeared on Bruce’s handsome face. Hilla howled in shock, "Bruce! You’re having a nosebleed!"

Was it from the plate, or was it from the excitement of having her chest press against his chest?