"Is it because of Daniel?" Fiona asked as she rolled her eyes, looking very smug.
Upon hearing this question, Mandy fell into silence. It was very obvious to Fiona that Mandy was sad
and depressed.
"You know what, Fiona? We are over. It's over between me and Daniel," Mandy said with her voice flat,
and her head hung low. Sorrow washed all over her face.
"My elder sister…" Fiona murmured as tears welled up in her eyes. A few days ago, she saw the
scandal of the Zhou Family in the news. Almost overnight, nearly everyone was upset with Daniel. At
first, she was furious when she read the news as well. But after thinking about it for a while, she felt
that Mandy must be more upset than anyone else.
Fiona first knew Daniel when she was a junior high school student. From what she could recall, Daniel
had been a nice and bright person, almost like a brother, who always bought delicious food for her.
How could such a gentleman do something like that?
"It doesn't matter, my silly girl. I'm an exceptionally gorgeous young woman. I'll find the right man for
me. Don't you think so?" Mandy stated as she lightly flipped her hair. She knew Fiona was much more
pitiful than she was. It was understandable since Fiona had come from a rougher background. Fiona's
father was addicted to gambling, and her mother was addicted to drugs. Her father got admitted into a
rehabilitation center when she was twelve years old, and Fiona was adopted to the Zhou Family. The
Zhou Family had always been very good to her and had treated her well.
"Of course, you'll find the right man. Everybody knows how amazing you are in every aspect. I'm sorry
how I spoke to you just now. I didn't know," Fiona said, biting her lower lip.
"Fiona, remember, I won't allow anyone to insult you. It's not your fault, nor was it your choice. You
don't need to feel ashamed. You nearly got expelled from school. But if you were expelled from school
for protecting your reputation, I won't blame you," Mandy said in a serious tone, her gaze unwavering
from Fiona's eyes.
"It's just so lucky that you know my headteacher," Fiona said as she gave a light chuckle. Looking up,
she gave Mandy a slight smile.
"Yeah. I really didn't expect to meet him again while I was taking a walk in the school."
"Well, since you've broken up with Daniel, maybe you could go on a date with Mr. Xu? He seems to
have feelings for you," Fiona teased, lightly poking Mandy's arm.
"Oh, come on. What are you talking about? Stop talking out of your butt!" Mandy scoffed as she shook
her head.
"I'm telling the truth, Mandy. Why won't you believe me? You know, Mr. Xu is still single. And from what
I know, there are a lot of female teachers who are quite interested in him," Fiona said, raising an
eyebrow at Mandy.
"Oh, would you stop it, my silly girl? Go upstairs, take a shower, and go to bed," Mandy urged, pushing
Fiona up the staircase.
"Fine, fine. By the way, come home early next time! I'll be home this Saturday," Fiona said with delight.
Without a doubt, she loved the Zhou Family, and she would never forget the kindness they have shown
her when they were raising her, especially Mandy, who had been by her side ever since her childhood.
"Just call me this Saturday. I'll pick you up from school," Mandy said with a smile. It was perfect since
she had Saturdays and Sundays off from work.
"No, it's fine. Just be home, alright?" Fiona chimed. The last thing she wanted was to trouble Mandy
any further. Besides, she didn't mind taking the bus to get around.
Smiling, Mandy watched Fiona go up the stairs until she could see her no longer.
At that moment, the scene reminded Mandy of Daniel. Before, he would also watch her go into her
dormitory before he left.
Closing her eyes, Mandy let out a long sigh. She felt as if Daniel flashed before her eyes. Details of
their good old days were all jumbled up in her mind. She remembered Daniel playing basketball on the
playground, how he would smile at her, how they walked hand in hand as the sun sank in the
horizon...Oh, the good old days had long gone!
It was already half-past nine when Mandy arrived at the villa. Upon entering the front door, she saw
Lillian was pacing up and down in the living room.
It was apparent that Lillian was quite worried and was thinking of something deep. She didn't even hear
Mandy close the door behind her and walk in at first. When she did, she quickly walked towards Mandy
and took her hands in hers. "Miss Zhou, my dear young lady, you are finally back! Mr. Jin has already
called twice," she said exasperatedly.
"Oh. Really?" Mandy said flatly. She had just came back from the school and was still in a bad mood.
"Mr. Jin had asked that you call him back immediately," Lillian urged.
"Yeah, sure. Okay," Mandy answered with a sigh, pulling her hands free from Lillian's grasp. Right now,
she didn't want to talk to Nathan.
How could Nathan have called her back in the first place? He was still on a business trip after all. Still,
Mandy didn't like to be mistreated.
"Please call him back immediately. I don't want to lose my job, Miss Zhou," Lillian pleaded, looking as if
she was on the verge of tears. It was obvious she was very anxious.
Seeing her like this, Mandy caved in. She couldn't bear leaving Lillian upset. Getting her phone, she
dialed Nathan's number.
After only two rings, Nathan answered. He held his phone tightly in his hand as he stood in front of the
big French windows of the hotel he was staying at. There was a cold look in his eyes as he stared out
into the distance.
"Where have you been? Why did you come back home so late?" Nathan asked through gritted teeth.
His jaw was tense, and he was doing everything in his power to keep calm.
"Something happened to my sister at school. You know I had no choice but to handle it," Mandy
explained patiently. If she didn't explain everything clearly, she knew that Nathan would fly into a rage
in no time at all.
"What happened to your sister?" Nathan probed, the hostility in his voice wavering.
"Someone in her school had spread rumors on the school forum. My sister was so angry that she had a
fistfight with her classmates." Mandy sighed.
"So has the matter been settled?" Nathan paused and asked with concern.
"Yes, it has been settled," Mandy answered as she nodded.
"Mandy, please remember this. If you're in trouble or if anything bad happens, anything at all, please
call me immediately," Nathan urged as he looked at the cars and people passing by outside of the
window. Today, he had felt a little lonely being in a strange city. In the past, he often went on business
trips, but he never felt lonely. But now, he cared about Mandy so much that being away from her made
him feel empty.
"Okay. Have you eaten yet?" Mandy casually asked, feeling a bit silly afterwards for asking such a
trivial question.
"Yes, I have," replied Nathan, a small smile forming on his lips.
"Well, okay. You must be busy with your work. I'll talk to you later so you can get some rest now," she
said sweetly.
"Okay. Good night, Mandy. Sleep tight." Nathan turned around and drew back the curtains. The sun
was shining on his face, making his features warm and gentle.
"Good night. Oh, no… I mean good morning! It should be early in the morning in Australia." Mandy
chuckled. She let out a long breath, trying to clear her head.
"You are a bit dense right now, aren't you? I don't blame you," said Nathan in a mocking tone.
"Humph! Like you're the smartest man in the world?" Mandy replied jokingly, but she really wished
Nathan didn't mock her as much as he did.
"Of course, I'm smarter than you, you stupid girl. Go to sleep now, or you'll become even more stupid,"
teased Nathan.
"Okay, bye." With her mind wandering, Mandy appeared as if she had gotten used to the bickering and
noisiness of Nathan.
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