Chapter 146: Both a Help and a Hindrance

The breakfast and honey water from Samuel really settled Amanda’s stomach.

She could hold her liquor well. Last night, she had only appeared drunk; in reality, her mind had been perfectly clear. Even when she did get truly drunk, she never threw tantrums or blacked out, which was why she remembered everything from the previous night with perfect clarity.

Including his answer.

He said he wanted to protect her.

Something gently tugged at her heart. Amanda stared at the glass of honey water in her hand, lost in thought for a rare moment.

KNOCK KNOCK—

The sound of knocking drew her attention. Amanda looked up, saw a patient waiting outside, and nodded.

She set her thoughts aside and carefully took the patient’s pulse.

It was another busy day. At one point, she thought she heard the voices of Holly Vance and Sarah Sullivan, but the sound vanished after just a few seconds. Since they never appeared, she figured she must have been mistaken.

’It’s not like someone grabbed them, covered their mouths, and dragged them away. Even the security guards wouldn’t dare do something like that.’

’She must have misheard. People can look alike, so it wasn’t a stretch for voices to sound similar too.’

She didn’t dwell on it. After finishing her work for the day, she headed to the patient’s room.

Mr. Ford happened to walk in just then, and he gave her a meaningful look. "Dr. Vance, you truly are an outstanding physician."

Amanda looked at him coolly. "What do you mean by that, Mr. Ford?"

Mr. Ford smiled, his expression one of pure innocence. "I don’t mean anything by it. I’m simply praising Dr. Vance."

Amanda offered a slight smile, but her eyes were devoid of warmth. "Is that so?" she said, her tone indifferent.

"Of course," he replied.

Amanda’s lips twitched into a tight smile. Without another word, she stepped further into the room.

The moment her back was turned, the smile vanished from Mr. Ford’s face. He stared after her for a moment before rearranging his features into another smile and following her inside.

"Megan, you’re here!" Mrs. Ford greeted her warmly the moment she saw her, her face beaming with delight. "Are you done for the day?"

"Yes. The acupuncture is scheduled for two days from now, so I’ve come to check on him."

"Please do, please do. He seems to be doing very well to me. The old man has been eating properly and hasn’t been sneaking any of that other junk."

Mr. Ford had been on a diet of plain congee for so long that his mouth always tasted bland, and he craved something with more flavor. But every time he tried to sneak a bite, Mrs. Ford would catch him. She never scolded him, though. Instead, she’d just say that if he were gone, he’d miss his son’s wedding and would never get to see Colt again. Her words always brought tears to the old man’s eyes and strengthened his resolve to endure.

’It’s just a diet, after all. Once he was fully recovered, there would be an endless supply of gourmet food waiting for him.’

’A few days of patience in exchange for another ten or twenty years of life? It was more than worth it.’

Having come to terms with this, he did his best to persevere. Now, he watched Amanda with a mixture of hope and trepidation, terrified she would tell him he wasn’t ready for the acupuncture in two days.

Fortunately, after taking his pulse, Amanda said, "Everything looks fine."

He instantly felt at ease.

"The advice is the same as always: stay calm and composed. Don’t get worked up, and maintain an even temper."

"Okay." Even though he’d heard it a dozen times, Mr. Ford still listened patiently. "Don’t you worry. I definitely won’t lose my temper."

’He’d lived this long; what was there left that he couldn’t let go of?’

Amanda nodded.

’His condition was quite serious. In his youth, he had constantly stayed up late and overindulged in cold foods and drinks, which had ruined his constitution and left behind numerous chronic health issues. That was why she had to spend so much time helping him recuperate before the main treatment.’

’One of the things that made the Nine Revolutions Needle technique so difficult to master was that it didn’t use fixed acupoints. Each ailment required a different needling method, leading to infinite variations. The results were exceptional, but it also made the procedure incredibly challenging.’

’Mr. Ford’s final acupuncture session was meant to completely clear his blood vessels; there was no room for even the slightest error. Not only did it demand immense skill from the practitioner, but it also required the patient to be in excellent physical condition. Otherwise, the difficulty would increase exponentially.’

Once she had clearly explained the stakes to them, Mr. Ford took it very seriously, promising her once more that he would take excellent care of himself.

Seeing his serious expression, Amanda offered some words of comfort. "There’s no need to be overly anxious. We’ve come this far, and I can tell you’re a good-tempered and philosophical man. There’s nothing you can’t handle."

’He needed to take it seriously, but not put himself under too much pressure.’

Mr. Ford broke into a smile at her words. Who doesn’t like a good compliment, after all?

Mrs. Ford laughed as well. "All right, you don’t have to coddle him. He knows what’s at stake."

With that, she pulled Amanda over to a seat, looking as if she had something she wanted to discuss.

Amanda looked at her, puzzled, wondering what she wanted to talk about.

"Megan, dear." After a light cough, Mrs. Ford’s voice became incredibly soft, as gentle as could be.

Amanda surreptitiously rubbed her arm to smooth down a case of goosebumps. She smiled at the older woman. "Mrs. Ford, if there’s something on your mind, please feel free to speak plainly."

’Straightforward. I like that,’ Mrs. Ford thought.

Mrs. Ford’s smile widened. "Oh, it’s nothing major. I just heard that Jean doesn’t have a father, and I was wondering about your plans for the future, Megan. Do you intend to continue raising your child on your own?"

With the question phrased like that, Amanda, who was no fool, immediately understood what she was getting at.

A flicker of light crossed her eyes as she unexpectedly recalled Samuel’s words.

He had said her reluctance to find a partner was just because of Jean, and that it wasn’t a valid excuse.

’She thought about it for a moment. Actually, he was wrong. She truly didn’t want to find a partner for herself, either.’

’As for Samuel, he was a great man, but he just wasn’t right for her.’

With a small smile, Amanda nodded. "Yes. I’m quite happy raising my child on my own."

Well...

Mrs. Ford could tell she wasn’t lying, and for that very reason, her heart sank. She glanced over at Mr. Ford, who simply sighed. There was nothing to be done.

’Even if their son was interested in Dr. Vance, it wouldn’t work unless Dr. Vance was willing too.’

’From the sound of it, she truly had no interest in that department.’

’But that shouldn’t be right. Samuel was the epitome of tall, rich, and handsome, and he’d achieved it all on his own, not by relying on his family. He was both talented and good-looking. Countless women were vying for his attention, so how could she reject him without a moment’s hesitation?’

’She must have absolutely zero interest in him.’

At this thought, Mrs. Ford’s heart sank completely.

’She looked at Amanda, her heart filled with regret. ’Such a wonderful girl... why is Samuel so hopeless?’’

’She’d seen the signs long ago. Back in school, all he ever did was study from morning till night. She had a bad feeling about it even then. After he started working, he got even worse, practically living at the office.’

’Plenty of women pursued her son, but he never gave any of them the time of day. He wasn’t interested in anyone. Now that he’d finally found someone he liked, she wasn’t interested in him.’

’What kind of cruel karma was this?’

Sighing, Mrs. Ford couldn’t help but shake her head. She spoke against her better judgment, "Well, that’s fine too. Marriage is just a bunch of trouble anyway. It’s more comfortable to be on your own."

’Pah! What was she even saying? Wasn’t she supposed to be convincing Amanda to say yes? Saying something like that would only make her want to stay single even more!’

Sure enough, Amanda nodded in agreement. "That’s true. That’s how I feel as well."

Seeing Amanda’s earnest expression, Mrs. Ford was at a loss for words. She suddenly thought of her son and felt a pang of guilt.

’It would be even harder for her son to pursue Megan now, wouldn’t it?’

’She really hadn’t meant to do that.’