Bab 21: Chapter 18: Is One Million Too Little?

Richelle Dunn anxiously pressed her hand to his forehead. Uncle Axel said from behind, "I just took his temperature, it's 36.5 degrees Celsius. He doesn't have a fever!" Richelle nodded, sat down askew on the edge of the bed, and gently lifted the blanket, "Timmy, auntie will take your pulse. Give me your hand." The young master seemed somewhat reluctant, fumbling around in his bedcovers for a long time before slowly extending his little hand from under the blanket. Richelle meticulously examined his pulse with a serious expression. Once she confirmed that his pulse was normal and steady, she let out a slight sigh of relief. However, she was still worried, "Timmy, stick out your tongue and let auntie take a look." This time the young master obediently stuck out his tongue. After Richelle took a careful look, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Turning to Roy Lewis, who had been standing by the bed, she said, "He should be fine. He's probably just a little tired. Some rest should do." Roy also breathed a sigh of relief, "As long as he's alright." Bending over, Richelle moved closer to the young master and softly asked him, "Auntie made dumplings today. Timothy and Tiffany wanted me to bring some over here. Do you want to have some before you go to sleep?" Timmy's eyes lit up, "I want to eat!" A smile emerged in Richelle's eyes, "Then let's go downstairs first, can you get up by yourself?" The young master nodded, and Richelle reached out to pat his head, "What a good boy!" Having done that, she realized that her eldest son still wasn't really accepting her touch and she quickly retracted her hand. In good spirits, Timmy had completely forgotten about confronting Richelle. Leaning against his bed to sit up, he looked up at Roy and said, "Dad, I'll sleep after I eat the dumplings!" Roy had been scarred by his self-imposed fasting, thus he readily accepted when he proposed to have breakfast, without any objection. "Alright, you can sleep after eating the dumplings." The three adults went downstairs first. The servant had already prepared breakfast. Uncle Axel took the food box from Richelle and laid it out in the dining room. Normally, Roy would have breakfast with Timmy. Now, he sat in the living room, reading the newspaper while waiting for Timmy. Richelle chose the single-seater sofa furthest from him to sit down, took out her iPad, tapped open the medical report Mr. Chapman had just sent her and began to read. After reading the newspaper for a while, Roy suddenly remembered something, "Uncle Axel, could you please bring me my briefcase." Uncle Axel handed him the briefcase. He opened it, took out a small piece of paper and passed it to Richelle. "Dr. Dunn, this is yours." Richelle regarded Roy with a puzzled expression. Why couldn't he speak directly instead of passing notes? How childish is that?! She took the piece of paper. She had intended to joke about it, but seeing the long string of zeroes on it, she couldn't help but look up at Roy in bewilderment. "Mr. Lewis, is this...a payment?" But her master had already received a hefty down payment, and it was agreed that the remaining fee would be paid after Roy was cured. Roy gave her a glance, somewhat indifferent to her surprise. "Compensation!" Richelle was puzzled by him, "Compensation? Mr. Lewis, are you intending to breach the contract..." She looked so simple and naive that Roy couldn't help but look at her a few more times. Looking at her, he noticed that when Richelle's eyes widened, the corners trailed slightly upward, like the graceful tail of a swallow. It was very spirited and pretty adorable. "Mr. Lewis?" Seeing that he didn't respond, Richelle called out to him again. Roy soon realized that he was out of character and quickly resumed his normal expression to answer her. "It's compensation from Edbert!" Richelle hesitated for a moment before realizing what he meant. However, she was still not entirely sure, because this was US$ 136,700, not US$ 1.47. "Compensation for the punch your cousin landed on me?" Roy Lewis gave her a look that screamed 'how can you be so foolish', and nodded at her. Richelle Dunn gasped, "Mr. Lewis, this is US$136,700!" Roy Lewis grunted in reply, "Yes, it's US$136,700, not enough?" Richelle hastily waved her hands, "No, it's too much right?" Although she wasn't a kind person, punching someone worth US$136,700 seemed too excessive, even in the world of compensation. "I casually asked for it, if it's not enough, I can ask for more!" In Roy Lewis' mind, this US$136,700 was chump change. It wouldn't have much of a punishing effect on Edbert Lewis and his son anyway. Richelle was flabbergasted. Clearly, he asked for a huge sum. How could he casually say that? "Enough, enough!" Richelle wasn't one to be unnecessarily modest. She knew this was the outcome of Roy Lewis standing up for her, and she did need money. "Thank you, Mr. Lewis!" "No need to thank me!" Roy Lewis turned the page of his newspaper. Richelle felt that he didn't want to continue the conversation, so she carefully folded the cheque and put it in her bag. "US$136,700, barely enough for the down payment." "Huh?" Richelle raised her head, "A new house?" Roy Lewis, hiding behind his newspaper, grunted in acknowledgement again. Upon his suggestion, Richelle started giving it serious consideration. Since her eldest son was here too, she would be spending quite a bit of time here even if she didn't settle down permanently. Perhaps it really was necessary to buy a decent house. In case her eldest son spent the night, it would offer more comfort. Both of them fell silent. Just then, the little lord, after freshening up, came bounding down the stairs. Walking with firm, fast steps, he didn't seem uncomfortable at all. However, Roy Lewis and Richelle, one being a bit simple-minded and the other blinded by motherly love, didn't notice the little master was not just energized, but even a little excited. Richelle watched her son come downstairs with tender eyes, rising to meet him, "Timmy, there are several types of dumpling fillings. The orange ones are mutton-filled, the green ones are filled with leek and pork, and the beige ones are beef-filled." Uncertain about which filling the young lord would prefer, Richelle made three different types of dumplings, distinguishable by the dough colored with carrot juice and spinach juice respectively. Upon hearing that there were several fillings, the little lord gulped unconsciously. "Timmy, which type of filling do you like?", Richelle asked, eager to learn her son's preferences. "I like all!" Only then did Richelle let out a sigh of relief. Lightly patting his shoulders, she prompted him, "Quickly go and eat. They won't taste as good when they cool down." However, the little lord didn't move. He tilted his face upwards to look at her. Although he didn't say anything, Richelle instantly grasped his thoughts. "Auntie ate at home, you and your father should go and eat." Even if she hadn't eaten, she wouldn't have the audacity to join the Lewises for a meal. While she didn't consider the Lewis family's dining table to be particularly prestigious, Roy Lewis did. A look of disappointment flashed across the little lord's eyes. Grumbling under his breath, he muttered something inaudible. "Whatever you say..." The moment the words left his mouth, Roy Lewis, who was walking towards them, slung an arm around his shoulder and led him to the dining room. At the same time, Roy Lewis darted a probing look at Richelle, his deep eyes full of curiosity and intrigue.