In these past few days, Jerry and Tracy found themselves growing fonder of Carl. The young lad was not only enthusiastic and understanding but also made sure their daughter didn’t endure any hardships. Jerry’s attitude had softened, and he even frequently invited Carl to play chess with him.
At this point, their hesitance towards Nana had gradually relaxed, though deep down, they still found it hard to let go of their daughter.
“So soon? You’re leaving already?” Tracy asked with some concern. Their daughter had just returned, and she hadn’t spent enough time with her.
“Work is busy,” Nana coquettishly replied to her mother.
Jerry set down his fork, comforting Tracy, “She’s grown-up now. She’s own job to attend to. Besides, Carl is a celebrity; he surely has a lot on his plate. It’s okay, okay.”
“Yeah, Auntie, Nana and I will come back to see you when we have time.”
Tracy nodded, feeling more at ease. After giving it some thought, Jerry said to Nana, “Nana, Carl has been staying at home with us during his time here. Both of you young people haven’t gone out properly. Since Carl is here for the first time, if you’re leaving in a day or two, why not take Carl to explore some of the nearby attractions in our city? Don’t let him think we have nothing here, hahaha.”
Carl quickly waved his hand, delivering one sweet phrase after another.
“Of course not, Uncle. I’m eager to play a few more rounds of chess with you and gain some experience. Besides, being able to be with Nana every day makes me content.”
Nana saw the look in her parents’ eyes, smiled along with their conversation, but her mind was elsewhere.
She just wanted to go back and visit William.
After the meal, Tracy “ushered” Carl and Nana out, suggesting that Nana should take Carl to explore the surrounding scenic spots.
H City was just as bustling as Guavo, and its scenery was even more pleasing. After leaving home, Nana seemed disinterested, while Carl happily trailed behind her, commenting on the surroundings.
“Nana, I haven’t had a close look at H City’s scenery yet. It’s definitely much better than Guavo. I feel the air is much fresher…”
Soon, the two arrived at a forest park on the outskirts. The lush greenery and the presence of some elderly people exercising made the atmosphere serene.
Carl kept talking incessantly, but to Nana’s ears, it felt like being wound up with a spring, causing her irritation to grow.
“Enough,” she had to interrupt Carl, turning halfway to look at him with a face devoid of any smiles. “If you like strolling, go by yourself first. If you can’t find your way back, give me a call. I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed right now and just want to be alone… sorry.”
Nana lowered her head, silently walking forward, sitting on a fake rock, and gazing into the distance. Her appearance seemed weary and helpless.
Watching Nana this way, Carl couldn’t help but feel a surge of disappointment, but he was helpless. He had to stop talking and walked towards a nearby hill.
In the eyes of Nana’s parents, he was Nana’s boyfriend, but they both knew that their relationship was not so clear-cut.
Well, let’s go climbing then.
He pushed off with his right foot against the hillside, climbing step by step, tightly pursing his lips.
…
Carl finally reached the halfway point of the hill, and by now, beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. Just as he was about to straighten up to catch his breath, he noticed a figure not far away.
He hesitated and walked over, only to find an elderly lady had fainted. Carl quickly crouched down, shaking her arms.
“Madam? Madam? Wake up.”
But the elderly lady remained unconscious. Few people were coming to the hill, and Carl had no idea how long she had been lying there. Carl couldn’t figure out what to do, so he decided to squat down, lifted the old lady’s arms onto his shoulders, and since he had an additional person on his back, he had to keep his balance, making his descent slower than usual.
His phone in his pocket kept buzzing, but Carl clenched his teeth, grabbing the wrist of the old lady hanging down. He had no time to answer the calls.
“… What’s going on? Why isn’t he answering the phone?”
Nana put down her phone, murmuring to herself, looking around with a hint of worry.
Carl had been missing for almost an hour. Couldn’t he find his way back?
Nana stood up from the rock, recalling that Carl had walked towards the west side of the small hill. She decided to search in that direction, occasionally taking a few steps and calling his name, but then stopping.
Finally, Nana ran to the vicinity of the hill and saw Carl slowly coming down from the hill, carrying a fainted elderly lady on his back.
At this moment, his steps were clearly a bit unsteady, a sign that he was almost unable to walk.
“Carl!”
After confirming, Nana hurriedly ran over, reaching out for Carl to grab onto him. Taking advantage of the situation, she slowly helped him down. Upon hearing Carl’s explanation of finding the elderly lady unconscious on the hill, Nana took charge and decided to take her to the hospital.
…
“Thanks to the timely arrival of the patient, otherwise, who knows what might have happened. We’ve managed to contact the patient’s family, and they will be here soon. Please have a seat and rest for a while.”
The doctor said and patted Carl’s shoulder approvingly before turning to check on the elderly lady’s condition in the ward.
Carl smiled and lowered his head, looking somewhat naive.
“It’s good that she is okay. It’s good that she’s okay…”
Nana watched his expression, involuntarily showing a smile.
Looking at Carl, who was usually carefree and even took time off work to secretly come to H City, she didn’t expect him to be so willing to help others, so meticulous…
Suddenly, there was a commotion in the corridor. A young man hurriedly ran over, accompanied by a well-dressed woman who seemed to be his wife.
“Miss, how’s my mom? Is everything okay?!”
The man was panting, his forehead covered with sweat. When he saw the nurse, he grabbed her wrist and kept asking.
“She is fine now. She’s receiving saline in the ward for rest,” the nurse said with a smile, pointing at Carl, “It was this gentleman who found her in time and brought her to the hospital. Okay, keep your voices down; don’t disturb the patient.”
The man heaved a sigh of relief, turned around, and held Carl’s hand, a joyful smile appearing on his face as if he had survived a catastrophe. “I… I know you! You’re that big celebrity! Oh, this time, I really thank you so much. Thank you for bringing my mom to the hospital. I don’t know how to thank you…”