Lance insisted, "Your mommy treated my illness. I owe her a debt of gratitude. Giving you toys is the least I can do."
Gregory still shook his head, firmly refusing to accept his gifts.
Lance felt a sense of admiration. This child was not selfish, polite, and knew his boundaries.
Miss Jones had done a commendable job raising such a child.
Xavier couldn't help but praise him, "Your mommy and daddy really know how to raise children."
It was the first time he had seen such a likable baby.
Gregory frowned, clearly unhappy.
"We don't have a daddy, only mommy and Great-grandma."
His voice carried displeasure, obviously feeling offended.
Lance and Xavier were taken aback. They seemed to have touched on a sensitive topic.
Come to think of it, they hadn't seen the child's father since they arrived.
In the previous two meetings with Miss Jones, she was always alone.
It seemed she was divorced.
"Boy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Xavier apologized sincerely. He had no intention of hurting this child.
Despite being from a single-parent family, these two children turned out to be quite outstanding.
Gregory didn't seem to mind much. "It's okay. I've come to terms with it. Even though I don't have a daddy, I'm a little man. I will stand tall and protect this family."
He spoke with utmost seriousness, his eyes filled with determination.
He was the only man in the family and would protect his great-grandmother, mommy, and sister.
Lance and Xavier were speechless, just staring at him.
Such a young child had such great aspirations.
Gregory wasn't embarrassed and continued playing by himself in the silent room.
Meanwhile, Deanna and Chloe had arrived at the pharmacy.
The so-called 'pharmacy' was a small warehouse in her neighborhood where she stored her medicinal herbs.
The low temperature here was perfect for storing herbs.
"Deanna, look over here!"
Julia's energetic voice called out. Deanna looked up and saw her best friend supporting her grandmother as they walked over.
"What brings you here?"
She was a bit surprised. Weren't they supposed to be at Amelia's house?
"We wanted to take a walk and happened to run into you. It's good because we were looking for you, worried something might have happened."
Julia walked over and curiously asked, "Deanna, who exactly are those people?"
Old Ashley looked at her with curiosity and concern.
"Let's talk inside."
The three of them entered the pharmacy and sat down. Deanna smiled and explained what had happened earlier.
"They are my creditors and also my patients. I accidentally scratched their car while driving on the road. We agreed on an installment payment of one hundred thousand dollars. Later, when I went to Old Hughes' pharmacy for business, I ran into them again. Someone wasn't feeling well, so I helped treat them. The money I owe them is deducted from the treatment fee. Today, he wasn't feeling well and came to see me."
The two of them understood the situation and breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's good that they aren't here to cause trouble. My heart was all over the place."
Grandma smiled. She knew her granddaughter was reliable and wouldn't get involved with gangsters.
Deanna reassured her, "Grandma, nothing will happen to me."
"So that's what happened. You scared me. I thought they were loan sharks. But that man is really handsome! It's the first time I've seen such a good-looking guy."
Julia looked dreamy, regretting that she had been too scared earlier to take a good look at him.
Deanna teased her, "You nympho."
Chloe, who was holding her hand, looked up and said, "Mommy, I also think that uncle is very handsome."
Deanna couldn't help but laugh silently. Lance was indeed handsome.
But what did it have to do with her?
After about half an hour, she packed up the medicine and supported her grandmother as they headed back.
"Mommy, it's time," Gregory reminded her.
Deanna stepped forward and carefully removed the needles one by one in order.
"Get up now."
Lance was drenched in sweat as he got up and dressed.
She kept an eye out, trying to catch a glimpse of the tattoo on his chest.
But Lance always faced away from her while dressing and undressing.
She couldn't see anything on his chest.
Deanna was eager, wishing she had X-ray vision to see through his body.
He had already finished dressing and was about to turn around when she quickly looked away.
If he found out, she wouldn't be able to explain herself.
She felt a bit regretful but consoled herself that there would be more opportunities since he would come back for more acupuncture sessions.
"I'll see it eventually," she reassured herself silently.
"Miss Jones, what's this?"
Xavier glanced at the medicine in her hand and asked about the instructions.
"These are traditional medicines. This portion should be boiled and taken three times a day after meals."
She handed the medicine in her left hand to Lance and then looked at the medicine in her right hand.
"And this portion is for medicinal baths. Use one pack each day and soak for half an hour before bed. It will alleviate your pain."
Lance took the medicine and asked her, "How much in total?"
"Fifty thousand dollars in total. Cash or mobile payment?" Deanna replied calmly.