Ivy ran out of the neighborhood with red eyes. Now that Genevieve was no longer intervening, she had to rely on herself to resolve the situation. However, handling it alone was likely to be difficult, so she thought of someone and dialed their number, hearing a familiar voice on the other end of the line.
“Yo, isn’t this Miss Montgomery? What made you think of calling me?” Since they had last collaborated three years ago to deal with Aurora, there had been no further contact between them.
“Is there something wrong with checking in on an ally with similar values?”
“Ally? Ha, Miss Montgomery, just say what you want to say directly. I’m not in the mood for guessing games.”
Susan and Ivy weren’t close; they had merely been aligned in their goals at the time.
“Let’s find a place to sit down, have some tea, and chat,” Ivy proposed, aware of Susan’s cunning nature; after all, she wouldn’t have stayed hidden at Aurora’s side for so many years and then managed to take Hayden away.
But Hayden never loved her, and now that Aurora had returned, she was probably the one who should be worried. On this point, they could be allies once again.
Ivy had arrived early. Seeing her swollen eyes, Susan expressed surprise, “What happened to you? You look awful.”
“It’s all thanks to Aurora,” Ivy said through gritted teeth.
Susan had already guessed why Ivy had asked to meet today, and their interests aligned quickly.
“It seems we are on the same side again,” they agreed in unison.
“This time, I want her down for good!” Ivy stated emphatically.
“Exactly my thoughts.”
The two exchanged a knowing smile.
Unaware of the brewing storm, Aurora was comfortably nestled in Julian’s arms, suffering intense pain in her lower abdomen.
“Aurora, are you feeling okay?” Julian noticed her furrowed brow and pale face, her body breaking into a cold sweat, clearly in distress.
“Julian, it’s just that… my period started,” Aurora said delicately, “I’m not pregnant, although I thought I might be.”
“Foolish girl, getting pregnant is all about timing, and we have plenty of time ahead.”
Julian soothed her by rubbing her head, then stood up.
“Where are you going?” Aurora instinctively grabbed his hand.
“I’m going to get you some painkillers.”
The last time they were at the hospital, he had obtained some painkillers from Robert, who had mentioned that Aurora’s pain was worse than what most endure.
“Painkillers? Julian, do you always have to be so thoughtful?” Aurora had never bought medicine herself; she usually just endured the pain, which lasted only a day or two each month.
“Just wait here; I’ll be right back.”
When Julian returned, he not only brought her painkillers but also a hot water bottle.
Aurora was truly taken aback by the care, having never been so cautious herself, “Julian, you are so good to me.”
“I have only one wife; who else should I be good to? I’ll go make you some brown sugar water.”
Julian placed the hot water bottle on her abdomen and even spread a blanket over her.
Aurora felt as though she was not just experiencing her period but recovering from a serious illness, cared for so tenderly by her man, filling her heart with warmth.
“I’ll be right back.”
Julian hurried to the kitchen, determined not to make the ginger soup as unbearable as last time by avoiding too much ginger or sugar.
Phil heard someone in the kitchen and happily went in, “Bro, you still make late-night snacks? I’m just hungry, what are you making?”
“Brown sugar water? Is that some kind of dessert?” he asked, puzzled as he looked at the brown sugar in the pot, while Julian clumsily sliced ginger next to him.
Seeing him reach for a spoon to scoop a little, Julian’s knife was already at Phil’s wrist, “Try touching it, this is Aurora’s.”
Phil’s eyes widened, “Can you be any stingier? It’s just sugar water. What harm is there if I drink a little?”
“You can have some, but only after I’ve served Aurora. Whatever is left, you can drink,” Julian stated seriously.
Phil reluctantly withdrew his hand, “I used to think you were cool and handsome, but who knew you were henpecked!”
“Don’t tease me. Wait until you have a woman you love; you’ll probably be worse. The Barnet family men are always devoted,” Julian clumsily added a few slices of ginger into the pot.
“Brown sugar with raw ginger, bro, you really are an odd one, sweet and spicy together, a bizarre entry in the dark world of cooking. Good thing I didn’t taste it.”
Julian ignored him, stirring the pot with a spoon, “What do you know? Aurora’s stomach ache will feel better after drinking this,” Julian said with an air of experience.
“Really? It’s that effective?” Phil was skeptical.
“Of course, you just don’t know. This remedy is powerful,” Julian now sounded like a seasoned scholar.
He was completely unaware that he had led this young shoot astray, setting him up for a major blunder in the future, but that, of course, was a story for another time.
Julian filled a large bowl for Aurora, then glanced at the remnants in the pot, “If you want to try, taste what’s left in the pot,” he said as he carefully carried the bowl upstairs.
Phil glanced at the pot and muttered to himself, “Sweet and spicy, probably tastes awful, I’m not trying it.”
Though he said this, he only walked a few steps before turning back, “Just one sip won’t hurt, right?” he said, unable to control his impulsive hands.
The freshly boiled ginger and brown sugar water had not even revealed its flavor when he already jumped from the burn, “It’s so hot, it’s killing me!”
If Julian had seen this, he would have mocked him for being a monkey. After the burning sensation subsided, his taste buds picked up the astringency and spiciness of the ginger, mixed with a faint sweetness.
“Ugh, what is this concoction? I’m never drinking it again,” Phil declared, annoyed as he quickly walked away.
Aurora nestled in the warm blankets, sipping the warm ginger and brown sugar water. Although it tasted awful, Julian’s thoughtful gesture made her feel no pain at all.
“You don’t need to drink the herbal tea for now, wait until you’re better,” Julian said as he took the bowl from her, checking his watch, “It’s getting late. You need to rest well. I’ve heard that during your period, keeping a happy mood and getting plenty of sleep is important.”
“Julian, you really would make a great old lady,” Aurora said with a laugh.
Julian wasn’t offended; he enjoyed taking care of her, cherishing her dependence on him.