Chapter 191: The Gap Between People

Chapter 191: Chapter 191: The Gap Between People

A smile flashed across Julian Faulkner’s lips.

It held a hint of smugness, making him look a bit wicked.

Puzzled, Vivian Lowell tugged at Julian’s sleeve and asked, "What’s wrong with you?"

She wondered why the dignified CEO of the Faulkner Group was standing here smiling so foolishly. If anyone saw him, they would think he had been bewitched by a vixen.

"It’s nothing."

Julian reined in his smile. After giving it some serious thought, he added, "I just think having those few pieces you bought for me at home is enough.

"Those clothes in the villa... well, I’ve worn them for a long time. It’s time for a change. If you feel like I don’t have enough to wear, you can buy a few more new ones for me."

He was starting to favor the new and dislike the old. No matter how he looked at the clothes Vance Wyatt had bought for him in the past, he found them distasteful.

"..."

Vivian couldn’t help but feel that Julian was making excuses. However, since he had already put it that way, it was hard for her to refuse as his wife.

"Alright."

Vivian agreed readily, figuring she could just ask Eleanor to go shopping with her when they had some free time to buy more.

That night.

When Vivian came out of the shower, the room was already filled with the faint scent of essential oils. It was a sleep-aiding aromatherapy that smelled wonderful and incredibly relaxing.

Vivian lay down on the bed, her head tilted to the side as she scrolled through her phone.

She was watching a live stream.

A streamer was playing a horror game when a ghost face suddenly popped up. The face itself wasn’t particularly scary, but the streamer was so frightened that he let out a shriek, which in turn startled Vivian.

Instantly, the screen was flooded with comments reading, "High-energy warning! Streamer screaming!"

HAHAHA...

Vivian had initially jumped, but she burst out laughing when she saw the comments. She thought to herself that this streamer was an absolute treasure and so much fun to watch.

Just as Vivian was thoroughly enjoying the stream, the person behind her shifted. Julian burrowed under the blankets and moved closer to her.

"..."

Julian was a little too close.

Vivian could feel the heat radiating from his body against her back, and her hand gripping the phone tensed up.

She thought he felt so warm!

Moreover, Vivian seemed to catch a whiff of a faint fragrance belonging to Julian. It was the unique scent of his cologne.

She wondered how he could still have that faint scent when he had just taken a shower. Between the scent of Julian’s cologne and the lingering aromatherapy in the room, Vivian couldn’t help but feel a sudden hint of romantic tension.

It felt warm and tingly.

Julian was getting closer and closer. She could almost hear his breathing behind her, feeling a slight, damp warmth against her ear, and...

His heartbeat.

It seemed a little faster than usual.

Vivian moved her leg and gave Julian a light kick.

She wondered why he had to get so close.

To her surprise, Julian simply reached over and turned on the bedside lamp next to her nightstand. He then let out a helpless sigh. "It’s so late.

"It’s better to keep a small light on when you’re playing on your phone in bed. If it’s too dark, you can easily hurt your eyes, you know?"

"Mhm..."

Vivian agreed, feeling a bit guilty.

For a split second, her mind had wandered into the gutter.

After turning on the bedside lamp for her, Julian moved away, and the heat against Vivian’s back slowly dissipated.

On the screen, the streamer Vivian was watching was still solving puzzles, making hilarious remarks as he went. Listening to him, Vivian burst into laughter.

The romantic tension she had felt earlier finally faded away.

She decided it was better to focus on her phone!

Vivian closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

However, just as Vivian made up her mind, Julian leaned over again. This time, he kept a slightly farther distance. But his voice was quiet, sounding almost slightly resentful.

"What are you watching?"

At Julian’s question, Vivian paused the live stream and gave a brief explanation. "Um... I’ve been under a lot of stress at work lately, so I watch live streams occasionally to relax.

"Julian, are you done with your work?"

Julian had set up a small bed desk for his laptop and had been dealing with work matters the whole time.

Vivian was wearing earbuds. Normally, she shouldn’t have disturbed him, but the streamer was just too funny, and she couldn’t help but laugh out loud a few times.

She wondered if she had interrupted Julian’s work.

Vivian quickly closed the stream, turned her head, and looked at Julian earnestly.

Julian was looking at her, too.

He was leaning against the pillows while she was lying flat. With him positioned higher, he was looking down at her.

He blocked out the light from the lamp. Looking at his backlit silhouette, Vivian blinked.

She hadn’t expected him to look so handsome like this.

"I’ll stop watching. You focus on your work. I’ll close my eyes and rest for a bit to see if I can fall asleep."

Vivian lowered her head, too embarrassed to maintain eye contact with Julian.

After all, his body was practically hovering over hers!

"Alright," Julian softly agreed.

Just as Vivian was setting her alarm and turning off her phone, Julian closed his laptop and moved the bed desk onto the floor.

Surprised, Vivian asked, "Are you done working?"

"Yes," Julian replied. "I’m done. I saw that you were still playing on your phone and seemed quite happy, so I just came over to ask."

Hmm?

Vivian didn’t know if it was just her imagination. She couldn’t shake the feeling that when Julian said, *I saw that you were still playing on your phone and seemed quite happy*, his tone carried a hint of sourness.

Could he be jealous?

Vivian had always been a bit dense, especially before Julian confessed his feelings to her. She had clearly noticed from many incidents that Julian cared for her in subtle ways, but she had selectively ignored them all.

Or rather, she had convinced herself that Julian’s actions were purely out of "business" considerations. After all, they were partners, and he had invested in her. She believed he was only helping her to protect his investment.

Facts had proven that her initial instinct had been correct all along, and the excuses she had made up later were nothing but self-deception!

Now, things were different.

Her sixth sense was remarkably sharp. She was no longer the foolish girl she used to be; she could finally read Julian’s true intentions!

"Julian." As Vivian pondered, she twitched her nose and sniffed the air. She nudged Julian’s arm playfully and asked with a grin, "Are you jealous?

"Why do I smell something sour?"

"..."

Julian sighed.

After a long pause, he finally said, "No, I’m not. I just think that if you’re feeling stressed, you can tell me. There are many ways to relax, aren’t there?

"You were playing on your phone in the dark just now, which is bad for your eyes, that’s all."

Julian’s excuse sounded perfectly logical, and Vivian almost bought it.

"Mhm~ I know." Vivian chuckled, rubbing her head affectionately against his arm. "That streamer was really funny. But... next time I feel frustrated at work, I’ll be sure to tell you.

"I do feel pressured sometimes. After all, the company is growing, and we’re getting more orders. Handling all of that takes a lot of energy.

"For example, when certain tasks have to be completed within a strict deadline, it can get stressful. But I’ve managed to handle everything perfectly.

"Don’t worry, I’m fine!"

Vivian had once read a quote online. It said that as people grow up, they must learn to accept their own mediocrity, which might significantly reduce their stress.

In reality...

Vivian didn’t entirely agree with that sentiment.

Even if one accepted their mediocrity, what then?

Surviving in this world came with inherent pressures—food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and social interactions were unavoidable. Accepting mediocrity wouldn’t lead to any progress. All one needed to do was find a lifestyle that suited their current situation.

Although being a slacker who just coasted through life seemed enjoyable, a little bit of pressure was still necessary.

Julian gazed at Vivian.

After a while, he finally said, "Mhm. Just remember, if you run into any problems, big or small, you can always come to me."

Big or small.

Even if she just said she was thirsty and wanted water, fetching it for her would bring him joy.

"Okay," Vivian agreed without a second thought.

The two of them should always help each other out!

That night, Vivian slept soundly. When her alarm went off the next morning, she woke up feeling quite refreshed and not particularly sleepy.

Early that morning, after washing up and getting dressed, Vivian and Julian were just about to walk to the hospital when Vivian’s phone rang.

It was Eleanor Rhodes calling.

"It’s Eleanor," Vivian informed Julian before answering the call. "Eleanor, what’s wrong? You’re up so early!"

It was barely past six o’clock!

Eleanor usually didn’t get up until around eight. Due to the nature of her work, she sometimes had to treat cats late at night or go out to rescue stray kittens. Because she worked late, it was only natural for her to sleep in a bit longer in the mornings.

Sure enough, right after Vivian asked, Eleanor yawned on the other end of the line. "Yeah, Vivian, I’m so sleepy, but this is the only free time I have.

"I have a surgery scheduled for this morning. A cat accidentally swallowed the casing of a sausage and couldn’t throw it up, so we might need to operate.

"I have to head back to the pet hospital later, so I need to make a trip to Concordia Hospital now. Vivian, are you heading to Concordia right now too? I’m going over... to see Henry Sterling.

"Henry got injured. He bumped his head and fractured his hand slightly, but overall, it’s not too serious. He should be discharged after resting in the hospital for a day.

"According to the university, he only asked for a two-day leave. He’s currently working on a research project, and he probably doesn’t want to delay its progress."

Vivian thought that this was typical of Henry.

After earning his PhD and returning to the country at such a young age, he immediately got involved in several projects at Aethelburg University. He had published numerous papers independently and had even won major international awards.

He was indeed busy with a project lately.

It was the same project he had been working on when Vivian and Eleanor had gone to Aethelburg University to catch cats near the research institute. The project was now in its final stages.

The wrapping-up phase was crucial. Henry had to personally verify all the data for his research papers, so there couldn’t be any room for error.

"Okay, I understand. Eleanor, Julian and I are heading over there right now. How about we go with you?"

"Sure! I’m almost there. Let’s go see Grandma Faulkner first! I bought some nutritional supplements to bring to her!"

It sounded as though Eleanor was carrying things while talking on the phone. The items must have been quite heavy, as she sounded a bit out of breath.

Noticing this, Vivian quickly said, "Alright, Eleanor. Wait for me in the outpatient lobby on the first floor. Are you carrying things? I’ll ask Vance Wyatt to come down and help you."

Vance happened to be at the hospital this morning. Having him help Eleanor carry her things would save her a lot of trouble.

Vance truly was an exceptional assistant. His strong work ethic and sense of responsibility left nothing to be desired.

"Alright, thank you, Vivian."

Eleanor expressed her gratitude, and Vivian hung up the phone.

Just as Vivian and Julian stepped out of their apartment building’s elevator, Vivian called Vance.

Fifteen minutes later.

When Vivian and Julian arrived at the outpatient lobby on the first floor of Concordia Hospital, they saw Eleanor, Vance, and a full six large bags of nutritional supplements that Vance was hauling.

"..."

The bags were bulging. At a glance, Vivian could tell they were packed solid and looked incredibly heavy.

No wonder.

No wonder Eleanor had been panting while walking earlier. These things were not easy to carry. It must be tough on Vance.

"Eleanor, why did you buy so much!"

Vivian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

With so many supplements, let alone Grandma Faulkner eating them all by herself, even if Vivian and Ms. Shaw joined in, it would probably take them a whole year to finish everything.

"I didn’t buy all of it! My mom hoarded some, and I bought the rest. The main reason is that the more you buy, the more you get for free. Plus, the quality looked good, so I just bought it all!"

Eleanor mentally calculated for a moment and added, "The Ginseng and fish maw can be stored for a long time. It’s just the donkey-hide gelatin that needs to be consumed quickly. It’s fine, Vivian, you can just eat it too!"

"..."

Vivian fell silent for a moment. She patted Vance on the shoulder. Seeing the veins bulging on the back of his hands from carrying so many things, she said, "You should head upstairs first."

It really wasn’t easy for Vance to stand there holding all that weight while chatting with them.

"You got it," Vance agreed quickly, dashing toward the elevator.

However...

Vivian noticed something else.

After Vance left, the only thing left in Eleanor’s hands was a single fruit basket.

Wow.

So...

Had Eleanor come today primarily to see Grandma Faulkner?

Six massive bags completely stuffed with supplements were all for Grandma Faulkner, but when it came to Henry, all he got was a dry, measly fruit basket?