Substitute Bride: Utterly Pampered by Her Billionaire Husband-Chapter 1270: You Don’t Know Whether I Like You?
Miles entered the hospital room, his sister was still asleep and hadn’t woken up.
His sharp, almond-shaped eyes swept across the room and quickly landed on the design book beneath the pillow.
His sister used to study fashion design, and she was very talented. In her freshman year, her design drafts caught the eye of a fashion show editor. Later, The Aurelia Institute of Design personally invited her. She could have had a brilliant future.
But accidents still happen.
In the past three years, his sister hadn’t picked up a pen again.
Willow Crawford had brought a design book.
"Miles, did Miss Crawford bring your sister a design book?" Zachary nudged Miles with his elbow, looking both intrigued and envious, "Miles, I don’t know much, but I’m sure of one thing—Miss Crawford likes you."
"Miles, you’ve been surrounded by admirers all your life, always drawing girls in. Just look at Hannah Alden, she’s practically glued to you, doing everything to win you over, yet you never gave her a single chance."
"Miles, this Miss Crawford is someone you like, isn’t she? If you like her too, don’t hesitate. I take back what I said before; even if she’s high-maintenance, you can earn money and support her in the future. Who knows, she might be willing to live simply with you."
As soon as Zachary finished speaking, Miles turned and ran.
Zachary didn’t call after him this time because he knew Miles was going after Willow Crawford.
...
Willow Crawford exited the hospital when she heard footsteps behind her, "Willow!"
It was Miles.
He had caught up to her.
Willow was prepared for this. She knew it was likely she’d run into Miles at the hospital, which was just as well. She needed closure and couldn’t let this young man disrupt her life, obsessing over him when she didn’t like how it made her feel.
Willow stopped and looked at Miles running towards her, the streetlight casting a gentle glow on his handsome face.
"You’re here to see my sister?"
"Yes, I heard your sister is having surgery, so I came to see. Oh, the other day while shopping, I inadvertently found a design book, so I bought it for your sister. It was cheap, not expensive at all."
The two stood facing each other. Miles looked at the girl in front of him. He’d always known she was beautiful, but every time he saw her, he couldn’t help but feel moved.
He liked her.
Really liked her, a lot.
He’d been suppressing his feelings, not daring to overstep, because he knew deep inside was a burning, molten desire he feared he couldn’t control.
But she kept coming into his life again and again.
He didn’t want to hold back anymore. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚
He wanted to ask if she liked him too.
"Willow, why are you so nice to my sister?" His voice was a bit hoarse.
Willow looked into his eyes, tonight they were especially bright, more dazzling than the stars, her fingers curled slightly, "Miles, I really sympathize with your sister’s situation, so if you have any difficulties you can find me, be it financially or medically. I know you’re very proud and don’t want my pity or help, but sometimes we all must bow to reality, right?"
Miles, being the smart person he was, understood Willow’s meaning.
Tonight, she was offering charity.
His once fiery heart gradually grew cold.
"Oh, Miles, after school, Hannah Alden came to me. She asked me not to interfere in the relationship between you two. Actually, it’s none of my business, and the reason I spoke up that day was to prove my innocence. So, I hope you two can handle your feelings properly and not cause me any trouble."
Willow’s voice was gentle, clear, merely stating facts without any other implications.
Yet Miles understood; her every word was like a knife.
"And Miles, I know you don’t like me, that you have issues with me, but we’re classmates after all, so let’s coexist peacefully going forward..."
Before Willow could finish, Miles lifted the corner of his lips and let out a sarcastic laugh.
Ha.
The laugh that came from deep in his throat carried a mocking and cold chill. Willow’s eyelashes trembled, leaving her unable to continue her rehearsed speech.
The atmosphere between them turned extremely tense, suffocatingly so.
Willow looked up at him, interrupting the awkward silence, "What are you laughing at?"
Miles, "Do you really not know whether I like you or not?"
Willow’s heart gave a heavy jump.
She always thought he disliked her, that if she didn’t approach him first he wouldn’t even spare her a glance.
She knew him to be proud and disdainful of her help, and she’d assumed her lofty gesture of charity tonight would only make him resent her more. It was just her way of ending it for herself.
What did he mean now?
Miles looked at her, a slight smile tugged at the corners of his cold lips, "You said so much just now. I thought you knew. How much was that book? I’ll pay you for it now."
He intended to give her money.
Now he’d reverted to the way he was at the start; his gaze was cold, distant.
Willow said nothing.
Miles took a crisp new bill from his pocket and pressed it into her hand, "A hundred should be enough for a book, right? I understand that no additional money would interest you. With this, we’re clear. I’m leaving."
He turned and left.
Holding the hundred yuan bill, Willow stared blankly as he vanished from her sight.
...
Miles didn’t return to the hospital immediately; instead, he stopped at a small roadside shop to buy a pack of cigarettes.
Standing alone amidst the city’s neon lights, he silently lit a cigarette and began to smoke.
Soon, a circle of cigarette butts formed at his feet.
He needed the taste of nicotine to numb himself; otherwise, he wouldn’t have let her go so easily.
She was still fragile at this point, coming here alone, and if he had made a move, it would have been easy to succeed.
During the time it took him to smoke a pack, many dark, twisted thoughts crossed his mind. He was truly a bad person, his blood tainted with the grime of the slums he emerged from—she shouldn’t have provoked him.
But ultimately, he did nothing.
Let her go.
Miles went back to the small shop and bought a strawberry-flavored lollipop.
Unwrapping it, he put the lollipop in his mouth.
This time, the lollipop wasn’t sweet.
Turns out, it was only sweet when she shared it.
...
Willow went to school as usual, but she didn’t see Miles again; he hadn’t shown up for two days.
"Willow, Miles is really bold. He finally got into the top school, and now he’s either sleeping in class or skipping altogether. How can he be so audacious?" Rachel Underwood muttered.
