Chapter 60 This Woman... It's kind of Impressive

Chapter 60 This Woman... It's kind of Impressive
The next few days, Tyler stayed at Ellie's small apartment.
Ellie went to class, painted, came home, and ate the meals he brought.
Once she was back home, Tyler always stared at her.
That evening, Ellie was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, scrolling through her private messages.
She looked up and met his gaze.
She put down her phone.
"Tyler."
He tilted his head slightly, his eyes never leaving hers. "Yeah."
She sighed. "Why are you always staring at me?"
"You're pretty."
Ellie turned away. "Stop it."
"Why?" Tyler's tone was serious. "Why shouldn't I?"
"It's kind of creepy."
"Have you had plastic surgery?"
Confusion flickered across her face.
Tyler continued. "Oh, right, you're poor. You can't afford it."
She glared, barely keeping herself from hitting him.
He laughed.
"Then why are you so pretty?" he asked, his tone turning serious. "Genetics?"
Ellie lowered her head.
After a long moment, she said, "My mom is beautiful. Super beautiful."
Tyler's brow twitched.
"I've seen your mom's movie," he said. "More than once."
She looked up and remained silent for a long while.
"Twenty years ago, there was an incident when your mom was accepting an award at a film festival." Tyler gazed at her gently.

The corners of his mouth turned up, and there was a hint of mischief in his eyes.
"Was that you, the little girl who ran up on stage and peed right there?"
Ellie tensed, silent.
"It wasn't me!"
Tyler raised a hand and spoke calmly. "Hold on. I still have the video at my place in West City. You were only two years old at the time, so it's normal that you don't remember."
Ellie stammered, "You...you remember? How old were you back then?"
"I don't remember, but after your mom passed away, I watched every video of her at those events. The way that incident was handled on the spot really stuck with me."
"Fine."
"One more thing," Tyler continued. "Fourteen years ago, didn't your mom take you to an event in West City? Right before it started, you snuck out to play and drove her crazy. You came back on your own after the event and got an earful at the entrance. Is that you?"
She hesitated.
"Yes, that was me."
"You had a big burger in your left hand and a fried chicken drumstick in your right," he said. "You sure could eat."
Ellie's eyes widened.
"How do you know all that in such detail?"
"I was watching from the car," Tyler snorted.
"You ran into a rich kid outside the restroom," he paused, his tone icy, "and you lied to him, saying you'd been starving all day. How pitiful."
Ellie didn't say a word.
"I was the sucker who gave you money." Tyler laughed.
Ellie stayed expressionless. Inside, she reeled.
"How much did I give you back then?"
"Five hundred dollars."
"Happy? It was right around Christmas—that must've been like hitting the jackpot for you," he snorted.
"You were really a clever girl."
Ellie lifted her eyes just a little, sneaking a curious glance at Tyler before quickly looking away.
She didn't expect that they'd share such a connection as children.
Tyler looked at her, his voice softening.
"Christmas is coming up again," he said. "Want another little nest egg? Want to trick me again?"
Ellie snapped her head down, her brow furrowing as her lips pressed together, fighting back emotion.
Her heart pounded.
"Go ahead," Tyler said. "Show your true colors."
He paused, then added, "Anyway, ever since we were kids, I've been the sucker you've been tricking."
She remained silent, her eyes darting to the floor, fingers fidgeting with her sleeve.
"If your mom hadn't had that accident and gone to West City, would you have followed her there?" Tyler asked.
Ellie thought for a moment.
"I guess so. I used to go there with her all the time."
Tyler didn't respond, seemingly deep in thought.
"Then we would've met sooner or later," Tyler said. "Whether it was in Sunny City or West City. No matter how we met, I would've noticed you."
Ellie took a deep breath, forcing down the flutter in her chest.
Tyler stood up, walked over, and crouched down in front of her.
"After what happened to your parents, was there anyone else in the family who was good to you?" he asked.
A sharp twinge hit her heart.
"My grandmother," she said, frowning.
Tyler nodded.
"Is she okay?"
Ellie clenched the hem of her shirt, knuckles white.
"She passed away."
He didn't ask any more questions.
"Do you want to cry?"
She nodded, then shook her head. "I can't cry."
Tyler reached out and took her hand.
"You can actually tell me," he said. "Anything at all. I can help you carry the burden."
Ellie tried to speak. Nothing came out.
After a few seconds of silence, she slowly exhaled.
Emotions in her eyes faded, replaced by calm.
She is pretty impressive.
He stood up and pointed toward the bed.
"Let's get some sleep. We have a physical tomorrow."
——
The next morning, Tyler took Ellie to the hospital.
After a full checkup, she sat in the lounge.
There were snacks on the table, and she finally got to eat something.
Tyler pushed open the doctor's office door and closed it behind him.
"Is there anything wrong with her eyes?" he asked, getting straight to the point.