Chapter 47 A Secret Joy

"Don't bother with it. If you really liked it, we can come back tomorrow." Charles knew nothing about
packing unfinished food because he never did it before. But it didn't mean that he liked wasting food.

If he treated the woman he loved to a meal, he'd feel uncomfortable if he still had to pack unfinished
food.

"But that's worth 30,000," Nancy said feeling sorry for the unfinished food.

"Well, it's just 30,000. Let's go," Charles said gently with a smile as he held her hand.

"You really are a child from a rich family so you've never developed the proper concept of valuing
money. If you have experienced being poor, you'd understand what I mean and you wouldn't say that,"
Nancy explained with a hint of self-pity.

Her eyes suddenly looked sad as if she remembered a painful time in her life. If he only knew that she
was in so much despair before. When she badly needed money to get treatment, but no help was in
sight. If only he experienced the same thing as she did, would he still be willing to spend thirty
thousand for a meal?

"So, you've experienced being poor before? Tell me about it, then," Charles said gently. He truly
wanted to know more about her, but he also didn't want to make her feel pressured to reveal her past
to him.

And when he saw a bitter smile on her lips, he felt like it was what he expected to see.

"Well, let bygones be bygones."

But her words immediately quashed his curiosity, and he felt uncomfortable about it.



He decided to let it pass and thought for a while. He then turned to Nancy with a meaningful look in his
eyes. "Nancy, I know your mother is in the sanatorium. Since we have nothing to do this afternoon, we
can go and visit her together this afternoon instead. What do you think?"

Since she got back, she'd become so busy with work and her children patients that she rarely had the
time to visit her mother. "I'd like that. Thank you," she replied gently to Charles as she nodded.

"It's nothing," Charles replied back with a smile.

They drove out and eventually arrived at the sanatorium.

It was an old and poorly-maintained sanatorium. The paint was chipping off the walls and dried up
vines were scattered here and there.

"This place... ...doesn't look too good," Charles commented as he looked around the sanatorium
grounds and the building.

"You're right. I'm planning to move mom to a better sanatorium. I haven't set anything up yet but Doris
and I are already looking for one."

The true reason why Clark and Jill chose that sanatorium was because it was cheap. Her mother has
been in this sanatorium for ten years. And since Nancy now had some financial capability herself, she
wanted to move her mother to a better sanatorium.

"Just leave it to me." Although he was cautious in investing in hospitals, he had been engaged in
various charities like building schools, nursing homes, welfare homes and so on.

"That's very kind of you, Charles, but..." Nancy started to say while she blushed, but Charles
interrupted her gently.

"It's really not a big deal," Charles said with a smile.



The corridor was narrow. Nancy stepped aside after they entered and made a welcoming gesture. He
smiled and walked ahead of her.

She felt happy as she watched his tall figure. She felt that if there was anything difficult or dangerous
that would happen to him, he would always be able to overcome them without too much problem.

'Can I rely on him?' Nancy wondered, looking dazed.

"Well, come on!" Charles turned around and stretched out his hand to Nancy as they reached the
corner of the hallway.

He was surprised to see Nancy staring blankly at his back.

Charles had been used to the adoring and envious stares of women. He never gave these stares much
importance in the past. But this time, he was secretly pleased by the fact that Nancy was looking at
him.

"Does my back look well enough?" Charles teased with an impish smile.

"There is nothing there to look at." Nancy was flustered, but readily held out her hand to his
outstretched hand.

Charles held her tightly in his. A grip that felt reassuring to her.

The warm touch of Charles' hand in her hand made her heart beat faster. She turned to him and he
had a mysteriously charming smile on his face as he looked back at her.

'Well, this man is really good at flirting with women!' Nancy thought to herself.

They soon arrived at the door of room number eight on the second floor. She suddenly had second
thoughts of letting Charles into the room. She was suddenly afraid of her mother seeing him.



She hesitated but didn't move.

He slightly tightened his grip on her hand and made her feel that he was always there for her.

'Fine. Mom can't express clearly, anyway,' Nancy thought.

And so she opened the door with her hand in his and walked into the room.

"Miss Ning!" The nurse greeted her with a smile. She was visibly surprised to see that Charles was
there with Nancy. "Mr. Fu? Seriously?"

"Why? Is there something wrong?" Charles asked flatly.

"I...uh...I... T-That's not what I meant. I don't..." Nothing coherent came out of the nurse's mouth as she
was completely overwhelmed by surprise.

"It's okay. You can continue with your work. I haven't visited often lately, and you must be tired taking
care of my mother," Nancy said as she put some money into the nursing worker's hands.

"I... You really don't have to do this," the nurse said looking very embarrassed.

"Just take it," Charles said flatly.

"Thank you! Thank you very much!" The nurse took the money and immediately went out of the room.

"Ah! Nancy... Nancy..." But Jade sounded clearly. When she saw that her daughter walked into the
room hand in hand with a man, she immediately guessed that they must be in a relationship. When
Jade remembered what happened to herself in the past, she began to worry that her daughter would
follow the same path.

There were a lot of things that Jade wanted to tell her daughter, but, unfortunately, she couldn't say a
complete sentence yet.



Nancy sat beside her mother, and took her hand in hers. "Mother, I know what you want to ask. He is
my friend. He's been a good friend to me. Don't worry, I know what I am doing."

"Is he... ...he... ...rich... ...rich man?" It was the first time for Jade to complete a sentence since she
became sick. She felt so anxious for her daughter.

"Yes," Nancy answered calmly.

Jade suddenly became more anxious. She started shaking her head and tapped Nancy's hand a few
times. "Nancy... ...Nancy... Rich people... ...bad!"

"Mom, our relationship is not what you think. Charles and I are just friends," Nancy explained seriously
to her worried mother. "I haven't decided to get married yet."

Charles immediately understood that her mother was worried that he would bully Nancy because he
was rich.

Nonetheless, he did not completely like Nancy's explanation.

He decided to step forward and politely bowed to Nancy's mother. "Aunt, I like your daughter very
much, and I want to further develop my relationship with her. I want to eventually have her as my
woman. I promise you that I will love her all my life..."

But before he could finish his words, he was immediately interrupted by Nancy, "Wait! I haven't agreed
to be your woman yet!"

'All his life? That's too long!

Nobody knows what would happen in the future!' Nancy thought as she pondered the words that
Charles said to her mother.



A feeling of anxiety overcame Nancy. She was worried whether Charles would accept everything about
her, including her past.

It was something that she was not sure about.

"It doesn't matter whether you agree or not. The most important thing is that I'm sure with what I want,
and I want to be with you!" Charles announced haughtily. His countenance was filled with
determination.

"Ahhh!" Jade exclaimed anxiously.

"Auntie, from now on, I'll take care of you and Nancy. You don't have to worry about anything anymore!"
Charles declared firmly.

Jade turned to her daughter with eyes filled with questions and worries.

As a mother, she had no other hope but for her daughter to be taken care of by a good man.

Nancy, on the other hand, hoped that her mother would stop worrying about her.

"Mom, even if we are just friends, I don't think Charles will ever bully me. Don't worry," Nancy said
gently to comfort her worried mother.


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