Ian slept until that evening.
When he woke up, all he saw was a beautiful mountain view with a shade of red draped over it. Confusion filled his mind. H-How did I end up here?
“You’re finally up. Doctor, please come.”
A middle-aged woman was sitting beside him and guarding him.
That confused him even more.
Truth was, he was already a little overwhelmed when he escaped because Karl’s “teachings” had already dehydrated him by then. Karl was never harsh, but Ian was too stubborn. He refused to voice up or complain the entire time he underwent his training.
That was why Karl assumed that Ian could take it and gradually made things more difficult.
That night, Ian had fallen asleep as soon as he returned to his dorm.
He had no idea what happened next.
He didn’t even remember how an insane thought kept running in his mind, telling him that he had to leave that torturous place. Before he knew it, he had already grabbed his phone and left the place.
So… where am I now?
Confused, Ian stared at a middle-aged woman with clothes so washed out that she looked like a beggar.
“He’s up? Okay, let me examine him.”
Soon, a middle-aged man with a pair of mud-tainted pants entered. He reached out as soon as he saw that Ian was up.
Ian reacted by instinctively moving away.
“What are you doing?”
Both the middle-aged man and woman were stunned.
Why is this punk so aggressive? I wouldn’t have bothered to take care of him if Ms. Jadeson hadn’t asked.
“You’re sick, young man, and I am a doctor. I’m just going to examine your condition.”
“A doctor?”
Ian, with his face pale, kept frowning as he scanned the man standing in front of him.
The doctor didn’t know what to do about that.
In the end, the middle-aged woman eased the tension when she thought of asking for help.
“The sickness might’ve caused the kid to lose his mind, Doctor. I better ask Ms. Jadeson for help,” suggested the middle-aged woman before she rushed to get Susan.
Ms. Jadeson?
Ian, who had been lying on the bed, finally stopped being so hostile.
Indeed, a few minutes after the middle-aged woman left, they heard a series of footsteps approaching. Ian stayed in the room and saw a familiar face a moment later.
“Ian, you’re up! Are you okay?”
Susan was extremely happy to see him. She ran to his bed as soon as she entered the room and stood in front of him excitedly.
Ian couldn’t speak.
Only then did he finally realize where he was and what he had done on the previous night.
His incredibly handsome face tended to exude a stoic aura, but at that moment, that same face shone with embarrassment and awkwardness. It got so bad that he had to turn to the other side because he was worried that it’d show.
“Ian?”
Naturally, Susan had no idea what was going on in his mind.
All she knew was that he refused to acknowledge her. He wouldn’t even look at her, so she assumed that his being ill had prompted his childish side to act up again.
“Okay, come on now. Don’t be mad. Your Aunt Susan is here now, right? Be good and let the doctor examine you, okay? I’ll treat you to something nice afterward.”
She was actually coaxing him as though he were a kid.
Things would have been better if she had kept quiet because
Ian’s expression became worse immediately after he heard what she said.
“Watch what you say, Susan. I am not a kid!”
“Right, okay. You’re an adult now,” Susan said right away to calm him down.
About ten minutes later, the doctor finished examining Ian.
“His fever is gone, but he should still take the pills. Also, he should refrain from eating anything cold or spicy. He needs to rest for the injuries to heal, so have him stay put for a few days. Don’t let him exercise or do anything during this period.”
“Will do, Doctor^’ replied Susan right away.
After that, she collected the medicine and returned to Ian’s room to take him back.
“Do you need me to help you?”
“No.”
Ian stubbornly turned her down, but he soon regretted that. The second his feet touched the floor, his overly exhausted body ached all over, and he couldn’t stop himself from moaning in pain.
“Are you okay?” asked Susan. She was so surprised that she hurried back to help him.
She knew all too well how big his ego was, so she didn’t insist earlier. She trusted him and let him walk on his own when he said he was fine.
Yet…
As Susan held him, she said some comforting words in a sweet voice, “Don’t underestimate your injuries. The doctor said that those injured muscles won’t kill you, but it will be agonizing for you.”
Ian didn’t reply.
He remained quiet as she helped him move forward slowly.
The village offered a fantastic view at dusk. As the sun set, the bright blue sky slowly turned into a stunning orange, and droplets of warm light rained down on the green forest and clear river. It looked so good that it was as though it were a painting.
The two of them walked on the path filled with green grass. The red sun elongated their shadows on the ground.
“Ian, it’s not right for you to come here without telling your dad. Talk to your parents the next time you feel the need to run away, okay?”
Susan broke the silence and spoke up because she felt awkward. It was so bad that her palms were sweating.
