Orlenna was standing at the door, and when she saw how Hilla's cheeks flushed red, she asked, "Are you alright? Are you sick?"
Hilla shook her head hard. She was not sick at all. It was just… she saw something that she was not supposed to see. Something hot…
"I'm alright. The air-conditioner was set too warm for me. I'm just feeling a little warm."
Orlenna breathed a sigh of relief. However, when her line of sight landed on the bed, she panicked and ran over. "You… Why did you cover him with the blanket?"
'Huh?'
Hilla saw how Orlenna was panicking as she ran, she then quickly removed the blanket from Bruce's head.
Alas, even though it was only for a brief moment, the man's sleeping face was now reddened.
Hilla held onto the towel in hand and stood still in place while feeling embarrassed.
She did not know what to do next.
Just now, Hilla was too preoccupied in covering Bruce's special place. She did not care about how much strength she used to cover it.
Orlenna was not blaming her for anything. That being said, when she turned to the unmoving Bruce Anderson on the bed, her eyes filled with heartache. "Bruce is someone who likes cleanliness and discipline. He doesn't like it when someone touches him. Hence, those who take care of him need to be extra careful, because he tends to nitpick every flaw."
Orlenna's words made Hilla's heart sink. She just realized how she was too careless in caring for her husband.
"There's some chicken soup in the kitchen. You haven't had anything for dinner. You should have some."
'She's chasing me away!'
The red hue on her cheeks vanished instantly. She glanced at Bruce Anderson on the bed and left immediately. It was only appropriate for Hilla to give some personal space for both Bruce and his mother to talk.
In the room, Orlenna was looking into her sleeping son. She sighed quietly and put on his sleeping attire before she attentively tucked him in with the blanket.
"I don't know when you will wake up. That is why I've arranged a marriage for you with Hilla Holt. That being said, I don't think she's the kind of person who knows how to take care of others.
"She's such a beautiful daughter-in-law, and I can't tell if she's a good person or not.
I'm so afraid that you'll be sleeping forever… and you won't be able to hold onto her.
"I know that you're listening to what I say. But it's all right for you to not wake up right now. Sleep. Rest. Your mother will take good care of Hilla Holt for you.
"She's still just a little lady. Given time, she will learn and understand."
She suddenly recalled what happened two days prior, and Orlenna pursed her lips in, resisting but failing to keep it to herself. "Your elder brother is causing trouble again. Hilla is too… Bah. Forget it. I know you would like someone beautiful."
If his wife had a face unpleasant to look at, he might be angry when he woke up.
In fact, Orlenna really wanted her son to wake up and be cross with her, but he was so obedient and quiet right now that he was even quieter than a sleeping baby.
When Hilla returned to the room, Orlenna was just coming out. When they bumped into each other, Orlenna said, "I was informed that classes for your university are starting soon."
Hilla nodded. "The day after tomorrow."
The day after tomorrow would be the day Hilla became a second-year student. It would be soon before she would join the workforce and could finally earn a living for herself.
She could not tell whether she would still want to stay in the mansion when she got the Holt mansion back and had the ability to earn a living for herself.
"The weather is hot nowadays. Please let the driver send you to the university." 'And have him bring you back too!'
Hilla wanted to decline the offer since she did not want anyone from campus to know about her circumstances. However, she was reminded that Orlenna wanted her back home to take care of Bruce Anderson. With that thought in mind, she nodded and agreed. "Thank you, Mother."
Even though she was still inept in taking care of others, she was still someone who could talk and breathe. In a way, Bruce Anderson would not be too lonely.
After Orlenna left, Hilla went to bed. She browsed through the online student forum site and noticed that many other students were already back on campus.
She sighed. After turning her phone off, she turned to Bruce Anderson beside her. He was still unmoving, sleeping away quietly and obediently by her side.
Hilla Holt could not help herself as she lowered her head and brought her own face closer to his.
...
The face in front of her, albeit a little pale and a little skinny, was incredibly handsome. Hilla, as a woman, could not help but appraise those features in admiration. How could his lashes be that long, his skin so smooth, his face so well defined, and his lips… so sexy…
The more she looked, the wilder her thoughts started to drift. She could not contain herself as she reached out and caressed his face a couple of times. And like a thief being caught red-handed, she retracted her hands swiftly.
The person next to her did not react at all. And that made Hilla smile in satisfaction.
She reached out again and started to play around on his face.
She pulled his cheeks, pinched his nose… and at the very end, she traced her fingers along the curves of his lips.
She could do whatever she wanted. Such an "obedient" husband was something so rare that it was harder to scour a field searching for a four-leaf clover.
"Did your mother say something bad about me earlier?"
Hilla Holt was pretending to be a fierce wife from television shows. Her voice register lowered and she said threateningly, "You are not allowed to listen to her! You are also not allowed to speak for her! Did you hear me?
"Tell me! Who would you save if both of us are drowning at the same time? "If you dare save your mother first, I'd divorce your sorry butt."
When Hilla was done, she broke down laughing. It was interesting to tease someone who could not even resist.
"Tomorrow, I'll be going back to campus. I won't be around during the day. Let the servants read you something. If you're feeling bored, I'll move the television into the room for you to keep you company.
"Since you never pay attention to people, a television would be a perfect companion since it would never 'walk' away. Your mother did ask me to accompany you during the night so… sigh... I'll accompany you. The two of us could chat with each other, getting to know each other better… to be good friends!"
The one doing all the talking was her. The one who chatted was also her. The person on the bed would never give her any response.
Oddly enough, Hilla felt that this sort of conversation was nice. Unknowingly, she suddenly talked a lot more.
No one disturbed the couple and during such a quiet night, she did not have to face their scorn and have them look at her in disdain.
The person beside her listened quietly, never interrupting her speech and never arguing with her.
Hilla Holt started to tell the tale of the fall of Holt Corporation and about how she was kicked out of the house by the bank and became a homeless person. She talked about how she was bullied by Patrick Palmore and Rudi Anderson. She talked, and suddenly, she could not hold back her tears.
As she cried, she lashed out. Leaning against the man's chest, she stained the man's expensive sleeping gown with her snort and tears.
In the end, she felt she had not vented enough and decided to pinch his arm twice. Venting all her anger to a free venting post felt amazing!
Most importantly, no matter how hard she struck or scolded him, the person on the bed could not do anything to her.
"What do you think I should do? Am I supposed to stay with the Andersons forever?
"To be honest, staying in your house is nice and all. There's good food on the table and a luxurious roof over my head; exactly like how I spent my days in my old mansion.
"Sigh… But no one is giving me money... Maybe they don't think that I go out much and thought that I don't need to buy anything!
"I heard that you used to handle the entire Anderson Company and was good at it. Where did all the money go? Did you save some for yourself?"
When Hilla mentioned money, she got spirited all of a sudden. The drowsiness she felt earlier vanished. She then pointed at Bruce Anderson on the bed and said, "Did you give all your money to your mother behind my back?
"Hmph! I knew you sided with your mother!" After that, she then pinched Bruce's thigh twice.
Hilla felt great after she was done venting everything she repressed. She leaned on Bruce's chest and quietly mumbled, "Honestly? Your mother is great."
Once she finished venting, she acted like a deflated balloon, and Hilla fell asleep in an instant.