Serena took several deep breaths, trying hard to suppress the sobbing tone in her voice. "Hello!"
"Serena! What are you doing?!" On the other end of the line, Xavier was laughing carelessly, still holding the bottle of shampoo she had just called garbage.
"I just got home!" Serena wiped her face with her hand, brushing away the still-wet tear stains. "Is everything going smoothly at exclusive clinic?"
"Of course! This place belongs to the Blaze family. They're treating me like a god of wealth!"
"Alright!" Serena nodded lightly, not saying anything more.
Normally, if he was bragging like this, she would have retorted without hesitation, or at least thrown in a sarcastic comment.
But this time, unusually, she said nothing.
Xavier immediately sensed that something was wrong and cautiously asked, "Serena, are you okay?!"
"I... I'm fine."
"Really?!" The man's voice became more serious, feeling that she was acting strangely.
"Really!" Serena glanced aimlessly at the living room, casually saying, "I'm just sitting on the couch watching TV, quite comfortably."
"Watching TV?!" His well-groomed brows furrowed in suspicion. "Don't you hate watching TV? I remember back in school, when you had free time, you never watched it. You'd either sleep or study antiques."
He listened carefully and, certain of it, said, "You're definitely not watching TV. I haven't heard any sound from the TV."
Serena hurriedly stood up and walked a few steps towards the TV stand, turning it on.
"Now, can you hear it?!"
"Serena, what's going on?!"
The TV was just turned on by her. He wasn't stupid and could tell right away.
"I... I'm really fine."
"I don't believe you!" He spoke firmly. "We've known each other since childhood, twenty years of friendship. I know you better than anyone else. You can't fool me!"
He straightened up, his playful expression disappearing as he asked seriously, "Tell me! Whatever happened, tell me! I'm the person you can trust, and I'm the one who would do anything for you!"
His words were sincere, his tone calm, and immediately, the tears Serena had struggled to suppress welled up again.
She sniffed, her voice hoarse, "Actually, it's nothing much... it's just that Clint came to see me earlier."
"Clint?! What did he want with you?!" Xavier sat up suddenly, furrowing his brows, his face serious.
Serena shook her head. "I don't understand him!"
"Did he do anything to you?!"
"Nothing extreme, he just kept saying all sorts of nonsense, like he still loved me and wanted to start over with me."
"..." His lips tightened, and Xavier's eyes narrowed. His tone softened again when speaking to Serena. "So... how did you respond?"
"What could I say?" Serena chuckled bitterly. "Of course, I rejected him outright, giving him no hope of a revival."
She sighed in relief, but then, she couldn't hold back a sob over the phone.
The man's nerves tensed immediately. "Serena, are you crying?!"
"..." She couldn't hide it anymore and finally admitted, "I'm not crying for him, just... I feel pathetic for my past self, how I was so humble for someone like him."
"Silly girl!" Xavier's voice trembled with concern. "It's all in the past now, it's over. From now on, I'll be here for you! I'll protect you and make you the happiest woman in the world!"
The line fell silent, and after waiting for a moment, Serena still didn't speak. Xavier's heart tightened in his chest.
Without hesitation, he threw off the thin blanket and got out of bed.
As he walked out, he shouted, "Serena, Serena?! What's wrong? Why aren't you speaking?!"
"I'm fine!"
Her soft voice came through the receiver, and Xavier sighed with relief, but still didn't stop walking.
"Why did you suddenly stop talking?"
"Just... didn't feel like talking!"
She was touched by his words but didn't know how to respond, so she remained silent.
"Okay, if you don't want to talk, then don't. Whatever you want, I'll go along with it!"
"..." Serena pressed her hand to her chest, trying to stop her heart from racing.
Her heart, which had been cold just moments ago, began to warm up.
Her delicate lips moved a bit, and in the end, all she said was, "Thank you!"
Xavier's lips curved into a smile. "What are you thanking me for? Just stay obedient at home, I'll be there soon..."
Before he could finish, a deep, steady voice, tinged with some irritation, interrupted, blocking his path. "Where are you going?!"
Thinking it was some careless medical staff, Xavier looked up impatiently, about to scold them.
But when he saw who was standing in front of him, his steps halted. He quickly spoke into the phone, "I have something to deal with here, I'll call you back later."
As soon as the words were spoken, the busy tone of the call ending rang in her ear.
Serena put her phone down, murmuring in confusion, "He usually replies when I call, why did he hang up so quickly this time?"
At the exclusive clinic's first-floor lobby.
"Dad, what are you doing here?!"
Henry stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes fixed sternly on his son as he asked, "Where are you going?!"
"I... I'm just going out to buy something!"
"You can have them go buy it for you, why do you need to run out yourself?! And the clinic's fully stocked with everything you need, what could you possibly need to buy?!"
Xavier's lips moved but he didn't say anything.
Henry gave him a sharp look. "Who were you just talking to on the phone?!"
"No one!" He casually shoved his phone into his pocket and answered nonchalantly, "Just a regular friend!"
"Hmph!" Henry snorted, his gaze cold. "A regular friend? One you're willing to run out and buy something for, even while you're in the hospital and barely taking care of yourself?!"
"Dad!" Xavier frowned, "Can you stay out of my business?! I'm over twenty, I'm an adult, and I know what I'm doing!"
"As long as you know what you're doing!"
Henry growled angrily, "Don't think I don't know, just now, the one you were talking to was definitely Serena, right?!"
"..." Xavier turned his head, not saying a word.
"It's fine if you don't admit it, I'm sure it was her! No one else would make you run out in a fever, not caring about anything else!"
***