Josie instinctively took a step back, convinced that her turning her head away in the car had already offended Sean. She retreated too hastily, lost her balance, and stumbled backward. Sean reacted quickly, his arm snaking around her waist to steady her. “Why are you dodging?” “No…” Josie fell into his arms, and all she could smell was his scent. Sean raised his hands, one arm around her waist, the other cupping the back of her head, pressing her completely against him. “Really not dodging?” “Yeah.” Josie pressed her forehead against his chest, her entire face buried in his embrace, her slender body held completely within his arms. The feeling was special. It was warm and deeply reassuring. Since childhood, she had been disliked; no one had ever held her. Except for that time he comforted her when she was scared by the reporters, this was the first time someone had held her so completely. So this was what it felt like to be hugged—so warm. So warm it made her reluctant to pull away, breeding a greedy longing in her heart. How wonderful it would be if he could always hold her like this. Sean’s hand gently stroked her back. He lowered his head, his lips brushing her ear. “Promise me you won’t avoid me from now on?” His voice was so captivating, as if bewitching her. It made Josie utterly compliant, nodding instinctively. “Yeah, I won’t avoid you.” Sean was overjoyed, knowing now that Josie wasn’t indifferent to him. He patted her back, released her, and took half a step back. He tilted his head and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Go rest in your room. I’ll handle this.” Josie froze, feeling completely flustered. She raised a hand to cover her cheek, her heart pounding wildly. She wanted to look at Sean but didn’t dare. She wanted to say something, but had no idea what to say. She was flustered and at a complete loss… “The pot…” Josie remembered the soup simmering on the stove and quickly turned back. Sean grabbed her wrist and said, “Go upstairs!” He feared that if she stayed any longer, he would do things beyond his own control; a compliant Josie could kill him! He wanted to kiss her and hug her. He wanted more! But she was so timid, she would surely be frightened. He couldn’t rush it. He had to give her time to process this. Sean sounded a bit stern, seemingly not wanting her to stay any longer. Josie did not know the reason, but she did not dare to ask. She ran out of the kitchen, flustered and panicked. Back in her room, she still hadn’t calmed down. The pounding in her chest seemed even faster. Having lived through two lifetimes, she had never experienced romantic love, had never been treated with gentleness, nor had she ever felt so bewildered because of anyone. She gently touched her face, then buried herself under the quilt and laughed softly. Sean liked her, too, right? Holding hands and hugging could still be explained as him treating her like a little sister, but he had just kissed her. Josie was in an exceptionally good mood. But after that day, Sean became extremely busy, spending most of his time at Reedshaw Group. They saw each other very little and never alone again. Josie was just as busy as him, with research, coursework, and the lecture. The hospital where Jannik worked was a public hospital in Aloville. The afternoon of their lecture arrived three days later. The venue was set in a large conference room typically used for doctor training and meetings. As Josie and the others arrived, they encountered a few doctors downstairs who had just finished lunch and were heading back to their outpatient clinics. In identical white coats, it was hard to tell which departments they were from. As they walked, they chatted. “Did you hear? There’s a traditional medicine lecture this afternoon, which seems to be about acupuncture emergency knowledge. Anyone going later?” “Outpatient slots are fully booked, piles of patients. Where would we find the time? Emergency care is basic knowledge: every doctor has learned it. Why learn acupuncture emergency care? Are we supposed to carry needles around?” “You got it wrong. It’s not acupuncture emergency care; it’s acupressure emergency common knowledge. I heard Dr. Markey proposed it to the director. Apparently, it’s related to how Mr. Longley was saved?”