Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Arya had heard about Dr. Jack's family at the last gathering.  That time, she had heard that his father was the Deputy Dean of the hospital.

Just now she was not bothered but now as she stood up, she tried to swallow her donut.  She also secretly peeked at the elderly man to study him clearly.  Dr. Jack’s Father really had a dignified appearance of a Deputy Dean with thick eyebrows, thin lips, and a square chin.

He looked at her for a moment and only nodded his head slightly.  He did not display any major reaction.  However, Arya felt panic-stricken as she has always been fearful of her elders.  After she tried to swallow, she quickly greeted him.  "Uncle….."

Wrong.  She is not familiar with him.  Calling him as uncle is a bit too casual.  Is greeting him as Deputy Dean alright?  What if she remembered wrongly?

She was again tongue-tied.  She breathed heavily and finally, she said.  "How are you, Dr. Daniel?"

Yes.  Regardless of whatever title he has, greeting him as a doctor along with surname is definitely correct. Thankfully she had always called Jack as Dr. Jack and not Dr. Daniel. So she can avoid the confusion for two Dr. Daniel.

The two doctors, one old and one young, both did not show any major reaction.  After she had greeted him, both men turned away and talked to each other again.  Later, after they had spoken a few words, the old Dr. Daniel  left and the young Dr. Daniel walked back to her.

Arya fiercely patted her chest and drank a few sips of water.  Finally, she was able to swallow the piece of donut and her breathing was normal again.

"That…..that's your dad?"

"Correct."

"Dean of the hospital?"

"Deputy."

Arya took a deep breath and still had not got over her shock.  "You don’t have to introduce high-status people like your dad to me."

"Do you think I wanted to introduce you to him?  He asked me who you were.  If I try to hide, he will surely think you are really someone significant.  So it is better to state this clearly, don’t you think so?" Jack spoke while adjusting her glasses which were tilted somehow.

"Oh."  Who is she?  She is really someone insignificant.  He is right.  It is definitely better to state clearly. Arya took a step away from Dr. Jack.

"Why do you feel so guilty?"  He asked.

"No. No."  She waved her hand.  "I have an Elder phobia.  I have always been afraid of meeting the elders."

"Elder phobia?"  Dr. Jack laughed.  "Your problems are really extraordinary."

Arya scowled, finally could not stop herself and said.  "Dr Jack, why can't you talk using proper words?"

"What is wrong with my words?"

"Your irony makes me uncomfortable."

"Just don’t think too much."

"It's just that the way you speak is terrible.  Dr. Jack, this is your weak point.  Not only are your words unpleasant and also your temper is bad.  Are you not planning to change?"

"Who shall I change for?"

Arya was surprised.  Is this guy really an idiot?  Who else should he change for?  Isn't this for his own good?  Changes will improve his interpersonal relationships and put himself a level higher.  Isn't that good enough?

"A person's character is hard to change and I feel comfortable being myself.  I have not met anyone that is worth changing for and so there is no need to change.  When we do meet, naturally I will change."  Once again Dr. Jack said things that Arya did not fully understand.

"Anyway, you are being impolite to me."  Arya cast a sidelong glance at him and finished eating her donut in a few bites.

Dr. Jack looked at her and did not know whether to laugh or cry.  While she was criticizing him, she was eating and also gave him sidelong glances.  If this is not impolite, then what is?

She gathered up the plastic bags including the one Dr. Jack left on the bench and threw them into the nearby trash bin.

Dr. Jack resumed his slouching posture on the bench and stretched out his long legs.  He watched as Arya ran to the trash bin and ran back.  He frowned when he saw her casually rubbed her hands on her pants.

"Why are you frowning?"  Arya glared at him.  "I didn’t rub my hands on your pants."

Dr. Jack continued to frown.  "Why did you change back to your hedgehog stance?"

"You caused me embarrassment."

"Are you referring to my dad?"  Dr. Jack was surprised.  "You were the one who chose this place, alright?  I was counting on eating a big meal but you only treated me to a piece of bread.  Talking about embarrassment, don’t you think I'm even more embarrassed?  Just now with that eating image of yours and your stuttering and to let others know that I'm acquainted with you, isn’t that more embarrassing for me?"

He is still ridiculing her.

Arya's anger was rising fast.  She was the one who chose this place and she was the one who invited him here for dinner but all of these were forced by him, right?  She did not even think they would meet any of his colleagues and how could she even think they would meet his dad here?

Abruptly she rushed forward in big strides, grabbed Dr. Jack's hand and gave him a big bite.

If she can't win him in a verbal spat nor win him in a fight, so why can't she bite him?

Apparently, Dr. Jack did not expect Arya to turn into a wildcat from a hedgehog all of a sudden.  He was so startled that he screamed.  "Ah!....."

Arya released her bite and saw teeth marks on his hand but the marks were not bleeding.

The strength was just right!  This is the way to dispel her hatred!

Then she grabbed her bag, turned around and ran.

"Arya!"  Dr. Jack called out loudly from behind her.  When she heard she ran even faster.

With one breath, she rushed out of the hospital main door and ran towards the bus stop.  Standing behind the bus stop sign, she looked back.  Fortunately, he did not chase after her.  She started to blush and was not sure why.  She was feeling alright before this but suddenly she had felt angry with him.

The bus arrived and she rushed up with big steps.  Just at this time, she heard her phone ring. She took it out and looked.  It was from the man she had bitten just now.  She did not pick it up and instead ended the call.

The bus started to move and her phone rang again.  Her heart was jumping erratically and saw the call was from Dr. Jack again.  She blushed and ended the call.

After a while, she received a text message.

~ Actually, I had wanted to send you back but since you prefer to take a bus, then forget it.

Hypocrite!  Before he drives her back, she is certain he will retaliate.

She bit her lip and her finger hovered over her phone.  She really wanted to reply to his text message but what should she write?  She could not think of anything at that moment.

Soon, the second text message came in again.

~ Arya, do you know that a surgeon's hands are sacred and cannot be violated?!

"Pft……"  Arya almost laughed out loud and he said he could not be violated.

~ I've already violated, so what now?

She did not think much this time and quickly returned a reply.

She waited for a long time but Dr. Jack did not reply to her text.

Arya waited and waited and her heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat's paws.  She really wanted to send another text but she could not think of anything to say.  She thought of it for some time and suddenly she felt stupid and shameless for sending out that last text to him.

Why was she so muddle-headed to say those words?

All the way home, she felt remorseful.  When she reached home, she was humming a song. However, once she opened the door she saw Sophia who was supposed to be away on a business trip for a week, had actually returned.

"Did you have a windfall today?  Why are you so happy?"  Soph was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, hugging a face bowl and asked Arya as she walked in.

Happy?  Arya felt her face with her hands.  It cannot be.  She should be feeling upset and remorseful, right?

Soph lifted her eyebrows and looked at Arya's face, then asked.  "Did you see Dr. Jack today?"

"Ah……um….."  Arya's answer was vague and subconsciously shifted the topic and asked.  "Why are you back so soon?"

"There were some procedure problems with the event organizer, so it was postponed.  It was useless to stay so we came back.  We have to go again next time."

"Oh, that is the case.  I will return to my room first."  Arya grabbed her bag and went back to her room to hide.

Soph has returned.

Arya threw herself on the bed and thought of Dr. Jack's words.  "I don’t want to play games with her."

Suddenly she felt confused.  Should she talk to Soph?  She really wanted to know Soph's feeling for Dr. Jack.  What if she is really serious?  What if eventually she really can move Dr. Jack's heart?  But what if Soph really just wants to play around and just wanted a game of love with him?

What should she do?

Arya took out her cell phone and looked at it again.  Dr. Jack had not returned her text message.

She sighed.  As she listened to Sophia laughing loudly in the living room while watching the show on TV, she felt annoyed and at a loss.

For the next few days, Arya's mood was not good.

Many things happened during this period of time.

She received compensation for the assault on her.  Then she remitted the money home to her family and had an unhappy phone conversation with her family.  Her father had told her to resign from her job and return home.  She declined and her father on the other end did not say anything for a long time.  Finally, she heard a sigh from her father and then he said.  "Think this over."  This was the last sentence her father said to her on the phone.

Arya had nothing she could think about.  She did not want to go back to hometown.  She could not envisage herself leading a happy life in that place.  Suddenly she wanted to call Dr. Jack.  She really needed someone to talk to and offload all the unhappiness in her heart.  She retrieved Dr. Jack's number, looked at it for a long time and then dropped the phone back into her bag.

These few days, Dr. Jack did not contact her.  There was no phone call or text message from him.  Sophia also did not mention anything about Dr. Jack.  She always went to work early and came home late.  She said that she had to work overtime and was extremely busy.

Arya thought, perhaps she did not have to worry about the development between these two people.  She was not as sleek and sly like the both of them and they were cleverer than her in their trickery.  She should not get foolishly involve in this matter and cause more chaos for them.

These few days, a friend wanted to introduce a partner to Arya.  Her name is Daisy Brown, a friend who is working together with her as a Sanitary napkin products agent.  That day when Daisy and Arya were going on their rounds in the shopping mall, Daisy had mentioned this to her.  An owner of a freight company who is her business associate helping her in the distribution of goods is an honest 29 years-old man and currently without a partner.  They had been working as business associates for quite a long time and since she found him to be a good man, she asked Arya whether she was interested to meet him.

Arya agreed.

The first time they met, she felt he was easy to get along with.

His name is Jay Dunphy and his parents have a freight company.  Their business is small and business can be considered as good.  He is a medium-sized man with a normal appearance and at a glance, he is the type that is steady and hard-working.

Daisy did not set up any blind-dates for them but instead when Jay helped them to deliver goods, she introduced Arya to him and said that Arya is her business partner in her Sanitary napkin product business.

Actually, Jay had seen Arya once before in Daisy's office. He already had an impression of her.  When Daisy mentioned introducing Arya to him, he also understood her intention.

So in this way, Arya and Jay deemed to have met.  That day, after the goods were delivered, Jay invited Daisy and Arya for lunch.  He asked politely and it was not considered as too enthusiastic.  Arya felt that they may share the same feelings.

A week later, Jay gave Arya a phone call and made an appointment to meet her at a café.  Arya had thought that this was a formal date, did not think too much and agreed.

In the end, when Arya went to the café, she was dumbstruck.  Jay had actually brought his mother along.  "I'm sorry, Miss Du Vin.  When my mother heard I was going to meet you, she wanted to follow.  I can't dissuade her."  Jay whispered and apologized to Arya when his mother left her seat.

What can Arya say?  Suddenly she felt discomfort all over her body.

She had feelings of dizziness and brain swelling as if she was sitting on a bed of needles.

She endured for a short while before she made an excuse to go to the toilet.  Then she took out her phone and tried to find someone to help her.

"What?  You are at the airport now?  Soph, why are you leaving on a business trip, today?  Oh, it's a last-minute decision…….oh, it is that event..…then I know.  It's alright since you're already at the airport.  Good luck on your journey.  Be extra careful while you're outside."

"Cindy, what are you doing now?  Ah……you're helping Mark’s sister to take care of her daughter?  Then it's alright.  Nothing……there's nothing wrong with me.  Say hello to cutiepie for me."

Arya had finished two calls and she almost wanted to cry.  She cannot be so unlucky, can she?

A lady came out of the toilet cubicle and washed her hands in the sink.  Arya was blocking her, so she smiled and quickly moved away in embarrassment.

Arya knew that she could not look for Daisy.  She did not want Daisy and Jay's relationship to break off due to her.  But who else can she look for?  She felt very anxious and gritted her teeth then she dialed a number that she had not contacted for a long time.

"Dr. Jack, can you do me a favor?"  Once the call was connected, Arya directly asked him disregarding courtesy.

"Arya?"  Dr. Jack's voice tone made her brain conjure up an image of him with his poisonous tongue expression.  "Have you washed your hands?"

"Ah?"  Arya glanced at the sink.  The lady just now was still washing the soap foam from her hands.  What was that about washing hands?  "I'm in the toilet but I did not wash my hands."

There was silence on the other end for two seconds.  "The last text message I sent you stated that when you are ready, you should wash your hands to let me return your bite, then you can call me."

Arya opened her mouth wide and said.  "I didn't receive your text message."

This is terrible, the unstable telecom signals really cause problems for people. And she thought it was the casual intonation of her text message that had annoyed Dr. Jack.  She had already expected beforehand he would eventually take revenge on her.  No wonder all this while he had not contacted her.  It was all because of this.

But at this time, this matter was not important and Arya did not care about her pride anymore.

"Dr. Jack……Dr. Jack…..My lord Dr. Jack.  We can settle this account later but first, you have to come and save me."