Chapter 21: The Silent Sickness

The chauffeur and bodyguard arrived just in time, ensuring Scarlett's schedule remained unscathed. Upon reaching the Zhous', Uncle Chan was waiting at the door to welcome her. He guided her upstairs before departing.

Scarlett ventured into Jack's room, maintaining her routine of drawing open the living room curtains. She rapped lightly on his bedroom door, and after a seemingly endless pause, a feeble voice beckoned her in.

The room was bathed in a dim glow, and Scarlett's senses were on high alert, half-expecting some mischief from the young prankster. But to her surprise, Jack was still nestled in bed. She quickly parted the curtains to invite in some daylight, then approached the bed, her voice tinged with worry, "What's your game today?"

Jack was cocooned under his covers, only his nose and eyes peeking out. His eyes were shut, and after a moment, he responded, "No class today. You can leave."

His voice was frail, and Scarlett's expression softened, "What's wrong with you?"

Jack remained silent, prompting Scarlett to reach out and brush his bangs aside, placing her hand on his forehead. Jack seemed startled, opening his eyes and turning his head, "What are you doing?"

Scarlett withdrew her hand, "Good, you don't have a fever."

Jack's tone was sharp, "Who gave you permission to touch me?"

Unfazed, Scarlett replied, "You're not feeling well. I'll call Uncle Chan for you."

Jack was visibly weak, but he managed to summon enough energy to retort, "I don't need your help. Just go. Tell them I don't feel like having a class today."

Seeing his pallid face after just a few words, Scarlett realized that even a cunning child couldn't feign illness. She said, "Why didn't you say you're not feeling well? You have a family doctor, right? You don't even have to go to the hospital, just have the doctor come over."

Jack frowned, his face ashen, "Can you stop nagging? I told you I don't need your help."

Could she talk less so he could conserve his energy?

Scarlett stood by the bed, studying him for a few seconds, "Are you afraid of needles or medicine?"

Jack closed his eyes, his facial expression reflecting his current mood.

Scarlett asked, "You were fine the day before yesterday. What did you do these past two days?"

Jack ignored her, and she turned to leave. After only a few steps, Jack's voice echoed from behind, "Where are you going?"

Scarlett turned around and said, "I'm going to find Uncle Chan."

Jack, as if on his deathbed, sat up abruptly, his face pale, "If you dare to blab, I promise you'll never find peace. You won't be able to stay in my house!"

Scarlett looked at him, expecting him to be angry. Instead, she saw a slight smirk on her face, "You should lie down. I'm afraid you'll faint any second now."

Jack, supporting his body, refused to lie down. His face was growing paler, and his eyes were turning red.

She said, "I won't tell Uncle Chan, and I won't call the doctor. You should rest, I'm leaving."

As Scarlett left, Jack collapsed back onto the bed, feeling dizzy and seeing stars even with his eyes closed. He was feeling terribly sick.

In his daze, he heard someone calling him, "Jack."

Jack thought he was hallucinating. He opened his eyes with difficulty and saw Scarlett standing by the bed through the narrow slits of his eyes.

"Why haven't you left yet?" His voice was weak, lacking energy.

Scarlett pulled up a chair and sat down. She picked up a tray from the bedside table and lowered it for him to see, "Get up and eat something. Would you like to start with fruit porridge or vegetable pancakes? This cold dish is delicious..."

Jack glanced at the food. The vegetable pancakes were golden brown, the two small dishes were vibrant and fresh, and the porridge was filled with various fruits, presenting a colorful sight. He was initially annoyed, but unexpectedly, he found his appetite returning.

Scarlett had been with him for a week and had almost seen through him. She put down the tray and reached out to help him up. Jack immediately frowned, "I don't need your help."

Saying that, he pushed himself up, his body feeling like it was a hundred and twenty years old. He struggled to sit up. Scarlett helped him prop up a pillow and handed the tray to him, "Take whatever you want to eat."

Jack didn't start eating immediately. Instead, he stared at her and asked, "Did you tell anyone?"

Scarlett replied, "No."

"Then where did you get the food?"

Scarlett said, "I made it." Facing his incredulous gaze, she calmly said, "I told Uncle Chan that your new challenge for me today was cooking. He didn't doubt it at all."

Jack couldn't find any flaws in her story, so he could only ask, "Really?"

Scarlett said, "Even if I were to go to your backyard to farm tomorrow, as long as I say it's your order, no one in your family would doubt it."

Hearing this, Jack reluctantly picked up the bowl and took a sip of the fruit porridge. The porridge was filled with apples, pears, strawberries, kiwis, and oranges. Not only was it visually appealing, but it also tasted sweet and sour. He wanted to make a sarcastic comment, but he found no opportunity to do so.

Scarlett sat next to him and casually said, "How can you not tell anyone when you're sick? Even if you don't tell outsiders, you should tell your dad. Otherwise, if you get a headache or a fever, won't he blame everyone?"

Jack said, "He's not home."

Scarlett said, "Just call him and ask him to come back."

Jack lowered his head and said, "It's you who wants to see him, isn't it?"

Scarlett was caught off guard and speechless. She laughed and said, "Okay, okay, pretend I didn't say anything."

Jack finished the fruit porridge in one go, finally feeling a bit of strength returning to his body. He wasn't full yet, so he continued to eat the vegetable pancakes, accompanied by the delicious cold dishes. He didn't doubt where this meal came from. His family's chefs had never made these dishes, and they certainly wouldn't dare to serve him with a child's small porcelain plate.

Halfway through the meal, Jack noticed Scarlett taking out a sticky note and a pen from her bag. She wrote down a series of numbers and placed it on the bedside table, then looked up and said, "I have a class this afternoon, so I can't stay with you. If you need anything, call me."

Jack glanced at the time and realized that an hour and a half had passed. He looked down and said indifferently, "Go ahead, I don't need your help."

Scarlett stood up, smiled lightly, and said, "Eat up and have a good sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up."

As she made her way downstairs, Uncle Chan hurried over, whispering, "How did it go?"

Scarlett replied, "He ate."

Uncle Chan expressed his gratitude, "We owe you a lot, Miss Li. You went to the trouble of grinding the medicine and even cooked for him..."

Scarlett laughed it off, "It's no big deal. Next time he catches a chill from swimming, you can use the same trick."

As Uncle Chan escorted Scarlett out, he confided, "We can't persuade him at all. Your words might have more weight."

Once outside, Scarlett said, "You can go back now. I'm leaving."

Uncle Chan nodded with a smile, "Thank you, Miss Li. See you tomorrow."

Sitting in the Bentley, Scarlett couldn't help but lose herself in thought. She thought about the grand Zhou residence, the seven or eight people serving there, yet they couldn't even take care of a sick child properly. It wasn't due to negligence, but rather a complete lack of awareness. Jack's stubbornness was one thing, but at the root of it all was the family's neglect.

In her recent visits, she hadn't seen Lucius Zhou at all.