Chapter 392
William snorted coldly. “I’m guarding against you!”
Stephanie’s eyes welled up with tears as she stuttered, “How can you say that about us? Even if you don’t understand what I say, it’s okay, but dissing Hannah like that isn’t appropriate.”
With one comment, she dragged Hannah into the mess.
If he dared to respond, she was certain the online fans of Hannah would absolutely tear him apart!
With this thought, Stephanie’s eyes narrowed slightly with a hint of coldness. She had indeed tried to please the Tates before, but that was just to use them as a stepping stone. Now that she had the support of the Lloyds, the Tates held no value for her anymore.
William is always so arrogant, always opposing me. Today, I’ll show him what happens when he messes with me!
“You mother…” William wanted to retort, but a voice beside him cut in first.
“It’s okay. William and I get along well. He can say whatever he wants. It’s just a joke between friends, no need to take it seriously!”
The speaker was none other than Hannah!
Stephanie stood there, stunned. Her smile froze, and her face turned pale and then flushed. At that moment, she felt like a fool.
What’s going on here?
She’s into George, isn’t she? She should hate Milly just like me. Now that William is with Milly, she should be on my side too. Why is she suddenly speaking up for William?
Besides, we’re both from the Lloyd family. Hannah should be supporting me.
“Hannah…” Stephanie called out in disbelief.
Hannah ignored her and turned to Milly with a gentle smile. “Milly, don’t worry. I’ll take care of William here. Go and come back safely.”
She was putting on quite the good big sister act.
Milly remained silent.
Wow, look at that expression change!
If there wasn’t a half-dead patient lying around, she’d honestly grab some snacks, pull up a chair, and enjoy watching them tear into each other. It was surprisingly entertaining.
Meanwhile, Stephanie was fuming, ready to tear her hair out.
Bitches! They’re all so nasty!
Her fair face was twisted with anger, giving her a fierce look.
She managed it this time, but next time, luck might not be on her side!
When Milly stepped outside, she brought the ragged fishing net along. She quickly patched it up with her fingers, making it just usable.
As she reached the shore, ready to cast the net, a large hand stopped her. “Wait.”
Milly turned around and saw Charlie standing behind her. Curiously, she asked, “What’s wrong?”
Without expression, he took the fishing net from her hand and casually pulled her away from the shore, speaking firmly, “Don’t go there. It’s too dangerous.
In truth, their spot wasn’t that dangerous. The terrain was much flatter compared to where Milly had rescued the baby white shark. Despite this, Charlie insisted on keeping her protected.
Milly blinked, looking at the tall figure in front of her with curiosity. “Aren’t you a germaphobe?”
How did he manage to handle that dirty fishing net with his serious germophobia?
Charlie didn’t respond. He furrowed his brow and swiftly tossed the fishing net into the sea, carefully tying one end of the rope to a nearby rock.
After completing these tasks, he finally turned around. His face was now dark and brooding, almost dripping with intensity.
For someone with such severe germophobia to endure handling something they deem dirty must have taken a considerable mental struggle. He might even be feeling the urge to lash out violently at the moment.
Once he finished, Milly hurriedly fetched some freshwater she had with her and rinsed his hands, trying to ease his discomfort.
But after using up an entire bottle of water, Charlie’s furrowed brow hadn’t eased. His hands had turned visibly red from rubbing. Continuing like this, he might rub his skin right off.
Milly blinked, watching him still vigorously rubbing his hands, and couldn’t help asking, “Still feeling
uncomfortable?”
“Yeah.”
It was evident that his discomfort had become a psychological issue.
Milly sighed softly, glanced away from the camera that was clearly a bit distant from herself, shifted her body to block it, then gently covered his hand with her fingers and gave it a light caress.
“Now? Feeling a bit better?”
Charlie abruptly stopped rubbing his hands, frozen in place…
She lowered her head, gently comforting him without any obvious attempt to please or approach him intimately. She kept her distance just right, her hair brushing lightly against his collarbone, causing a subtle ticklish sensation.
What’s intriguing is that where she touched him, there seemed to be no physical discomfort anymore.
“Feeling better? If you’re feeling a bit better, let’s keep going. Time’s tight, and we need to get back to boiling the medicine. I’m worried that Matthew won’t hold out if we’re late.
“The directing team is too much! They clearly know a guest is sick, but they don’t care. If something serious happens, I’d like to see how they’ll continue filming.”
The girl seemed oblivious to any awkwardness from their recent close-skin contact. Now, she appeared completely composed, walking calmly ahead.
Charlie stood behind her, lightly rubbing his palm where the warmth from the girl’s touch still lingered. His eyes darkened slightly with an unrestrained emotion.
Was it intentional on her part just now?
Or does she know something?
Milly carefully dug out the roots of the bupleurum she had spotted earlier on that patch of land.
Bupleurum was a common herb used to treat colds and fevers. Its medicinal part was the dried root, and although it could be toxic in large amounts, it was perfectly safe when used in the correct amount.
Charlie frowned as he watched her dig in the grass, curious. “You know about herbs?”
Milly softly “Mm-hmm” and said, “At the orphanage…”
Realising her mistake halfway through, she quickly corrected herself. “I mean, when I was still with the Smiths before, my brother used to take me out and teach me these things. Over time, I picked it up.”