Chapter 1198 The Teacher and the Student
Then, Toby saw her serious face as she spoke. It was then that he knew that if he did not follow what she said, she would do whatever she said because this was Sonia’s personality at its core.
Despite their current relationship, she was still unwilling to take advantage of him. “Gosh. What should I do with you?” As he shook his head resignedly, he pulled her office chair over to him and sat down. “Is this better?”
Nodding in satisfaction, Sonia said, “Yes.” After she said that, she pulled the less comfortable chair closer and sat down as well. “Toby, don’t just think that I’m being stubborn and refusing to accept your kindness. I know you want to do more things for me and want me to sit more comfortably.
I’m grateful and I accept your kind gesture, but such actions will only make me greedy. In the end, I might even take your kindness for granted and gradually forget that I should repay your kindness and do something for you too. Then, I’ll become someone who only knows how to enjoy your efforts without reciprocating.
A person like that is selfish, and someday when you mistreat me or neglect me for the slightest bit, I won’t be able to accept that and might even throw a fit. So, Toby…”
She looked up at him. “You will only pamper me too much by doing so. I think you don’t want me to become a completely different person from how I am now, right? Because that wouldn’t be me anymore.”
While gazing into her eyes for a while, Toby sighed and relaxed. “I understand. I’ll think more carefully about the consequences when considering doing something for you in the future and make a more well-rounded decision. You’re right. Overindulging someone will change them and turn them into someone they weren’t in the beginning. It’s my fault for not thinking of this.”
“Very good. Alright, let’s start our tutoring session. The earlier we finish this pile, the earlier we can go home. Then, I can make you some soup.” Sonia then brought the stack of documents over and set them in front of Toby.
Meanwhile, the man felt his eyelids twitching. “Soup?”
At that moment, the scene of him drinking soup at the old manor that afternoon reappeared in his mind and his face was full of reluctance.
“Please don’t. I’ve had enough soup for a while.” He then picked up the topmost file while expressing with a tense voice.
Even his face showed a terrified expression.
Clearly, that particular soup was so terrifying to him that it made him fear out of instinct.
It was the first time Sonia saw fear in the man before her.
In her memory, Toby was an omnipotent person; there was nothing that could scare him. It was as if he were born without such emotions and they would never appear on his face. So, she was intrigued when an emotion that should not have been on his face suddenly appeared. Of course, she also knew why he would give such an expression.
That soup appeared to have given him some sort of ‘trauma’. Thinking of that, Sonia could not help but laugh. However, that soup also gave her the same feeling as well—fear.
Yet, in comparison to Toby who drank the soup, her fear was nothing. As she thought about it, she felt more defeated than terrified.
“Don’t worry. It’s not the strange soup Grandma and Madam Mary made. It’s just a plain bone broth that Mrs. Lane specially prepared and asked me to make for you. She said it’s beneficial to your arm because it hasn’t fully recovered yet. Although it looks like everything’s good, you still can’t carry heavy things or make large movements. Since she’s aware of your condition, she went back to her parent’s house and specifically sought out the largest beef bone she could find.”
When Charles brought it to her yesterday, she did not know exactly what Grace had made for Toby or why Grace had her make it for him either.
It was not until Charles left and she was separating the gifts for Grandma that she discovered it was beef short ribs.
“Are you referring to Charles’ mother?” Toby was shocked.
Nodding, she replied, “Yes. Which other Mrs. Lane do you know besides her?”
“She went to the old manor yesterday. I know she prepared a lot of local specialties and you gave some to Grandma, but I didn’t hear about her preparing anything for me,” replied Toby.
Sonia laughed. “I forgot to tell you, but maybe because I thought I wouldn’t be bringing it back to the old manor, so I didn’t think to mention it.”
Hearing that, Toby poked her forehead as if saying, How can you forget such a thing?
“What kind of beef bone is that? Why did Mrs. Lane have to head back to her parents’ home to get them? Can’t she just tell us and let us buy them here?” Toby twirled the pen with his long, slender fingers while asking.
Could it be bones from a wild animal?
He was doubtful, as he thought that possibility might be high.
Seeing the serious look on his face, Sonia could guess what he was thinking.
She also had such a thought before and even messaged Grace to ask her. Then, Grace told her that it was not like what she had imagined and that they were just beef bones from an actual cow.
Also, it was because the cows from Grace’s hometown were raised on grass and feed, so they were better than the cows in the city that were raised on only feed. Also, the broth made from those cows was more fragrant and had better effects. That was why Grace went all the way there to retrieve those bones instead of buying them in the city.
After finding out the truth, Sonia felt at ease. Otherwise, she would be worried that she had fallen into someone’s trap.
“Don’t worry. They’re just normal pork short ribs. Mrs. Lane didn’t want us to buy them because we couldn’t buy good ones in the city. They’re difficult to obtain not only in the city but also in farms abroad. Almost everyone in Mrs. Lane’s hometown grows medicinal herbs and it has the largest medicinal herb planting base in the country, so all of the animals there are raised on these herbs. Drinking soup made from these bones is the best for you.” Sonia’s explanation was a mix of the truth and lies.
The fake part was that they were pork bones and not beef bones.
She had no choice because Toby had just drunk the soup made from that part of the cow this morning, so he might not want to hear anything about cows for now.
If he knew that she would be making bone broth from beef bones for him, he would not drink it no matter what.
Therefore, it was better if she did not mention that specific animal.
As she expected, after hearing that they were pork short ribs, he did not refuse anymore and was even feeling grateful. “Please thank Mrs. Lane for me. I’ll prepare a gift for her later.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve already thanked her. As for the gift,” she cautioned, “don’t make anything too valuable, or she won’t accept it.”
Nodding in acknowledgment, he replied, “Got it.”
“Come to think of it, Mrs. Lane treats you so well. When Charles brought them over yesterday and told me about this, he looked so jealous,” Sonia joked with him.
Toby raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Really? That’s something good to hear.”
Anyway, he felt happy knowing that Charles was not happy.
Of course, Sonia knew what he was thinking, so she shook her head in defeat. “Oh, you… Alright. It’s getting dark soon, so hurry up and teach me. I need to settle these before going home.”
Toby nodded. “Come closer.”
“Okay,” she agreed as she brought her chair closer to him.
Following that, the two sat together with their heads together and immersed themselves in studying and working.
Toby was a man with a cold personality; whoever saw him would think that he was an impatient person.
Besides, he did not look like someone who would tutor others because the person he was tutoring would be trembling in fear the whole time, let alone learn anything from the session.
Sure, even if the tutee could learn something, they would have to wonder if they were learning the right things or learning fast enough because if Toby was not satisfied with them, he would expel them.
All in all, anyone facing a teacher like Toby should be feeling very stressed, right?
