Chapter 236
I couldn't help exclaiming, "What are you doing!"
Noticing Ethan standing motionless, watching us, my face instantly flushed as I tried to get up.
But Leopold's hand held my waist firmly. "Your knees can't get cold. What if your condition suddenly flares up?"
That logic was so sound I couldn't argue.
"Mr. Guise." Leopold suddenly looked toward Ethan, his gaze like an ice blade in the cold night—sharp and piercing. "Thank you for your concern. It's windy here. I'll take Cindy back now. Please, feel free."
I secretly pinched him. 'Was this how you dismissed someone so directly?'
Turning, I smiled at Ethan. "Ethan, you probably just arrived in Silverlight City. Go back and rest."
"Alright, I'll be going then." Ethan maintained his smile, though the curve looked somewhat stiff.
"Stop looking. If you keep watching, I'm going to get jealous." Leopold signaled Teddy to push the wheelchair and reached up to cover my eyes.
"How can you be like this?" I removed his hand, complaining. "He's a guest. Who dismisses a guest without even speaking to them properly?"
"A guest?" The displeasure in Leopold's tone immediately dissipated as he placed a light kiss on the back of my hand. "Fine, next time I'll let him stay one more minute."
Seeing his completely petulant expression, I was once again speechless.
At the same time, a different emotion stirred in my heart.
Just one statement calling Ethan a guest was enough to shift his mood from cloudy to clear.
It seemed... he really did care about me quite deeply.
I ended up staying at the hospital for five days straight.
My dad's injuries had improved significantly. He could now get out of bed and move around freely, and his spirits were getting better day by day.
By comparison, Leopold's situation was more serious.
Though the wounds on his face and body had scabbed over and were slowly healing, his fractured right arm still couldn't exert force freely, making movement rather inconvenient.
Therefore, most of the time, I was the one taking care of him.
During this period, Ethan—whether he was too free or for some other reason—came to the hospital every day.
Knowing Leopold didn't want to see him, he'd exchange brief pleasantries before going to visit my dad.
Learning that my dad enjoyed chess, he'd play with him daily. Gradually, they'd become friends despite the age gap.
"Cindy, I'm off work today. Teddy just delivered a new chess set. I'm going to play with your father."
Hearing Leopold's words, I couldn't help reaching out to feel his forehead. "Are you okay? Why would you say something like that?"
He who loved work and stayed busy day and night was actually going to play chess with my dad.
But I quickly caught on. "Do you actually want to play chess, or do you want to stop Ethan from playing chess with my dad?"
Leopold's lips curved slightly. "Both. I'm quite good at chess too. Don't you want to see?"
Actually, I was rather interested.
Though my dad wasn't Leopold's match in business, when it came to chess skill, my dad might not necessarily lose.
So I pushed Leopold to find my dad.
When my dad learned Leopold also wanted to play chess with him, he was both surprised and delighted. "Leo, you play chess too? How come you never mentioned it before?"
Leopold's lips curved gently. "I was busy handling internal Percy Group matters before and never had time. Now that I finally have a break, I wanted to ask for your guidance."
My dad modestly demurred out of habit. "I wouldn't say guidance—let's just have a friendly match."
My mom also smiled. "Leo's been handling work from his hospital room these past few days. He should relax. I'll go get the chess set."
"No need, I brought a board."
As soon as Leopold finished speaking, Teddy placed the new chess set on the table.
With just one glance, my dad was stunned.
"This chess set is the cream of the crop! The entire set is handcrafted. Each piece is meticulously ground from premium materials. Just the crafting alone takes over three years, and each piece is worth six figures."
"Even priced so high, it's priceless on the market. Leo, how did you get this?"
My mom and I, hearing how expensive this set was, could hardly believe it.
But Leopold said calmly, "I collected this set long ago. The price isn't that high. If you like it, I'll give it to you."
My dad was somewhat tempted but was stopped by my mom. "Leo, this is too precious. We can't accept it."
But Leopold said, "This is just a token of my respect as a junior. If you don't accept it, I'll have trouble bringing up what I want to say next."
I looked completely confused. What did he want to say?
Hearing he had a request, my dad's extinguished hope reignited. "What else do you want to say?"
Leopold turned to look at me without speaking.
My parents looked puzzled, following his gaze to me.
Being stared at by them made me uncomfortable all over.
Just then, Leopold suddenly stood up, his expression serious. "Mr. Wipere, Mrs. Wipere, I'd like your permission to pursue Cindy again."
I looked at him in shock. Why did he need my parents' consent?
My dad, equally confused, voiced my thoughts.
Leopold explained, "Because I know Cindy cares deeply about you both. Only if you approve of me pursuing her will she be willing to give me this chance. Otherwise, she'll worry that her choice will disappoint you."
My heart felt like it had been struck hard by a rabbit, beginning to race uncontrollably.
I'd never told Leopold I had this worry. How did he know?
Before, the situation between Leopold and me had caused a citywide uproar. Both the Percy and Wipere families had suffered varying degrees of negative impact.
So I'd always carried this worry in my heart.
My mom looked at me, speaking with mixed joy and concern. "Leo, we're very gratified you have this intention. But regarding matters of the heart, we've always respected Cindy's personal wishes."
My dad agreed. "Right. As long as she's unwilling, we won't agree no matter what. But if she's willing, we'll support her unconditionally."
This wasn't the first time I'd heard my parents say such things, but each time I still feel moved.
Hearing this, brilliant light flowed through Leopold's deep eyes.
He immediately smiled. "Thank you. This time, I absolutely won't force Cindy to do anything she doesn't want to do. I'll fully respect her."
"That's good then." Only then did my mom relax.
Just then, the door was knocked on.
It was Ethan, carrying a chess set.
"Cindy, Mr. Percy is here too. I heard you talking just now—I'm not interrupting, am I?"
My dad, seeing him arrive, smiled. "No, come in and sit. Leo's also here to play chess with me today. You'll have to wait for your turn."
Ethan's steps faltered slightly before his face quickly arranged itself into a warm smile. "Really? So Mr. Percy also plays chess. Then I came at the right time today."
Leopold glanced at him coolly. "No, you came too late."
His words carried meaning, his tone laced with veiled mockery.
I immediately caught on, quietly glancing at Ethan.
His expression instantly soured as he looked toward Leopold.
An invisible undercurrent pulled taut between them.
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
Even my parents sensed something was wrong.