Chapter 328
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Ellie entered the hospital room and noticed that Carlos had woken up. Alex was there, helping his grandpa with a sponge bath. When Ellie walked in, Alex paused what he was doing.
With the hospital bed between them, they briefly exchanged glances before Ellie looked away, expressionless. “Grandpa Carlos.” Ellie walked around the bed and took the towel from Alex’s hand.
At that moment, Evan brought dinner over. Neither of them spoke; Ellie washed Carlos’s hands to get ready for dinner, while Alex opened the meal boxes and set them on the hospital bedside table.
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“Dear, have dinner with your grandpa.” The bed was adjusted upright, and Carlos struggled to sit up. Having been bedridden for so long, his voice was notably weak.
“Grandpa, let me feed you.” Ellie sat next to the bed and picked up the bowl of porridge.
Since her father passed away, she understood one thing: Every meal one has is one less one will get to relish. The time with loved ones is always limited. The path one walks on gets shorter with each day. Life is about constant subtraction, not granting endless tomorrows.
“You eat, I’ll help,” Alex said as he approached Ellie.
Carlos gestured to his grandson, “Dear, eat and chat with your grandpa.”
Ellie silently handed the bowl and chopsticks to Alex, then moved to the other side of the bed.
Alex saw Ellie move to the other side of the bed, keeping a distance from him. Holding back his emotions, he said, “Grandpa, let’s eat.”
Carlos took a few sips and insisted on eating by himself. Alex put down his bowl and chopsticks and sat across from Ellie at the hospital bed.
For a moment, neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere in the hospital room began to feel strangely stifling. Every now and then, Carlos would sigh, which made the air feel even heavier.
Alex kept a watchful eye on Ellie. Noticing she was busy caring for her grandpa and hadn’t eaten much, he picked up his chopsticks and put a piece of fish in her bowl.
Ellie lowered her eyes to the fish Alex had placed in her bowl, her eyebrows knitted slightly. After a few seconds, Ellie put down her chopsticks and said, “Grandpa, I’ve had enough. Let me peel the shrimp for you.”
When Alex noticed that Ellie didn’t eat the fish or touch the rice in her bowl, a sharp pain suddenly gripped his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
He sat stiffly across from Ellie, not uttering a single word, but his gaze never left her.
Carlos’s cloudy eyes scanned his grandson as he spoke faintly, “Dear, I’m afraid I won’t make it home this time. Could you take care of those orchids for me?”
Hearing Carlos’s words, Ellie’s nose tingled with emotion. “Grandpa, you’ll surely live a long life.”
Carlos shook his head and said, “I know my own body, and once lie down like this, it’s unlikely I’ll get up again. Please find some time to look after my orchids; I can’t stop worrying about them.”
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Chapter 328
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After a short hesitation, Ellie nodded in agreement, “Grandpa, I’m off tomorrow, so I’ll come by to help you check on them.”
Carlos had a few pots of orchids, each one a top–tier, rare variety Among them was a highly valuable Ghost Orchid, a Golden Moth Orchid, and a Lotus King.
Alex didn’t like taking care of flowers. He just wasn’t patient enough for it. So from a young age, Carlos taught her how to tend to orchids.
During her decade with the Warren family, Carlos taught her more than just orchid care. He also taught her to play chess, perform tea ceremonies, do calligraphy, and create traditional paintings.
He even talked about the ever–changing and complex business world, teaching her how to handle tough situations with gentle tactics.
Nancy went all out, sending her to learn music theory, etiquette, flower arranging, body language management, wine tasting, fragrance appreciation, and fashion styling… She was trained like a high–class heiress, even taking self–defense classes with
Alex.
Reflecting on the past, the Warren family really treated her very well. But she was such a disappointment.
When she was young, all she wanted was to study, get into medical school, grow up quickly to become a doctor, and heal her father’s leg as soon as possible.
