Chapter 211

The old lady immediately smiled, tears welling up in her eyes. She felt as if she had met an angel. “That’s wonderful! My grandson finally has hope,” she thought.

“Miss, my grandson is so good to me, but I’m just an old lady with no skills, and he’s had to endure so much hardship with me from such a young age. He almost couldn’t go to college.

“I don’t have any other wishes. I just hope he can finish college and find a good job. Then I could die without any regrets.

“Don’t worry, once Jacob gets a job, he’ll definitely pay you back for his schooling,” the old lady said.

Natalie knew this was what every parent hoped for. “As long as you cooperate with the treatment, you’ll definitely see Jacob’s brilliant future. As for his schooling, leave that to me,” Natalie assured.

The old lady, overwhelmed with gratitude, kept holding Natalie’s hand and thanking her repeatedly.

That very night, Natalie arranged for the old lady to be transferred to another hospital.

After the examination, Luna was found to have only strained her arm. It wasn’t a serious issue, and she just needed to rest at home to recover.

Natalie and Luna followed to the new hospital, where Chris happened to be on duty. After arranging a room for Jacob’s grandmother, Natalie brought Jacob to meet Chris.

“Chris, this is Jacob’s grandmother’s medical record. Since you are back, you can help with the surgery. It’s a minimally invasive procedure, and it’s your area of expertise from your time abroad,” Natalie said.

Chris picked up the scans and examined them carefully, his brows furrowing. “The shadowed area is quite significant, but a minimally invasive surgery should work.

“I’ll conduct a full-body check-up for the elderly lady tomorrow. However, you’ll need to arrange a position for me at your hospital.”

Natalie had been waiting for this moment. “How about appointing you as the hospital director? The reason I wanted you back in the first place was to have you take on this role.”

“I’ll immediately notify the HR department to issue the appointment. I’ll be busy over the next two years and won’t have time to manage the hospital. With you here, I can rest assured,” Natalie said.

Natalie knew Chris was an exceptionally skilled doctor and a trusted family member, so she naturally wanted to keep the talent in their own hospital.

Chris beamed with joy. ‘It seems like God really favors me! In the blink of an eye, I’ve become a director; without having to wait until my hair turned gray to get promoted,’ he thought.

“This is amazing, Natalie. You’re too good to me. Come here, give me a hug,” Chris exclaimed, spinning Natalie around in excitement.

Jacob, standing nearby, couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy rise in his chest. Watching Chris’s hands on Natalie, his gaze darkened.

“Chris, put me down quickly, I’m getting dizzy,” Natalie protested.

Chris immediately set her down, offering an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Natalie, I just got too excited.”

Natalie smiled back and said, “Chris, this is Jacob. You two should exchange contacts so you can stay in touch about his grandmother’s situation.”

Chris replied, “Sure!”

Then, the moment he glanced at Jacob, he froze for a moment. ‘Wow, what a strikingly handsome young man! No wonder Natalie wants to help him. He’s totally her type. But why does he look at me like I’m his enemy?’ Chris wondered.

Chris gave Natalie a knowing look.

Natalie rubbed her forehead. ‘Could it be that Chris misunderstood something?’ she wondered.

Natalie watched as the two exchanged contacts, then turned to Jacob and said, “Jacob, you can go back to the ward now. Chris and I will discuss your grandmother’s condition.

“There are two rooms available there, and you can cook and take care of her. Just remember, open flames are not allowed.”

Jacob gave a grateful smile and said, “Thanks!” Then, nervously, he asked, “Could I have your number as well?” After Jacob said that, he blushed. He was handsome, but under Natalie’s pure gaze, he still felt a sense of inadequacy.

“Of course. Once your grandmother’s surgery is over and she has recovered, I’ll arrange for your studies,” Natalie gave him her number.

Jacob started to head back to take care of his grandma, but as he reached the corner, he suddenly realized he hadn’t asked for her name. Just as he turned around, he heard Chris’s voice.

“Natalie, it seems like this is your first time meeting him. Why are you helping a stranger?” Chris asked, though he knew she had already helped countless people. However, this time, the boy she helped was really handsome.

Natalie chuckled. “Chris, aren’t we supposed to help strangers? I’ve helped lots of people, and Jacob is just one of them. I happened to see that kid kneeling in front of a doctor…”

Chris interrupted with a laugh. “Don’t call him a kid. He’s 18. You’re 23. To me, you’re still a kid too.”

“You really know how to cash in on my favors,” Chris teased. “Do you have any idea how much that technique costs overseas? At least 400 thousand dollars, but the results are truly impressive.”

He added, “His grandmother’s overall health isn’t bad. After this treatment, as long as there’s no recurrence, she’ll likely live to an old age.”

Natalie smiled gently, her expression full of trust. “Chris, our hospital has all the equipment, so it’ll just take a little of your time. With you performing the surgery, I have nothing to worry about.”

“Thanks! I’ll take that as a compliment on my ability. I’ll do my best to live up to the role of director. By the way, that kid is pretty handsome.

“You’re always joking about needing more handsome men in your life, but now you don’t have a single guy around. Are you interested in him?” Chris teased.

“Chris, come on, it was just a joke. Are you going to tease me about it forever?” Natalie said, feeling speechless.

Chris couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Didn’t your grandpa keep saying something about finding you handsome men? I read somewhere recently that he had picked out ten male models for you.”

“Yeah! Those ten male models are now working for my company,” Natalie grumbled. “Some people saw them and started spreading rumors that I’m promiscuous. Ugh, I just want to smash their disgusting heads!”

Then Vance jumped into Natalie’s mind, and she thought, ‘He won’t be cocky for long.’

“You’re just too kind, and that’s why they keep picking on you,” Chris said. He knew her situation well and felt sorry for her. But Chris also understood that Natalie had recently come to terms with everything, and he no longer needed to feel sorry for her. Lately, she’d been unstoppable, fighting back fiercely.

Natalie was stunned. “These are the exact same words the Simpsons would say to Jennifer every time she pretended to say she would let me go. It turns out only those who truly love you will forgive and tolerate you unconditionally," she thought.

She took a deep breath. “Chris, I’m heading back to rest now. I’ll leave the surgery to you. Jacob is such a filial young man.”

“Got it. Go take care of yourself. You’re as pale as a ghost,” Chris said, about to leave but suddenly stopping. “Oh, by the way, I got the seafood you sent me. It was delicious!”

“I caught it myself. Of course, it’s good,” Natalie replied.

Chris looked at her as if he had something to say but hesitated. Natalie immediately guessed his thoughts and laughed. “Chris, don’t even think about it. I’m not taking you diving. You’re a complete landlubber, and you’ll just drag me down.”

Chris looked displeased. He really wanted to try freediving, but every time he got in the water, he panicked and swam straight back up. He just couldn’t bring himself to dive deeper.

“You little rascal! I’m just scared, okay? My vacation happens to be in summer. Take me with you, please. I’ve been losing sleep watching those videos of you playing freely in the…”