CHAPTER 193: CHAPTER 193: PSYCHIATRY WARD

Rhiannon stomped down the empty road late at night in her high heels, filled with anger.

The bar’s music was left far behind, leaving only the cool night breeze and her own rapid breathing.

Her face was still burning, the shame and anger from embarrassing herself in front of her friends felt like a fire scorching her.

Behind her, footsteps approached at a leisurely pace.

She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

She walked faster, wishing she could just disappear.

The black car slowly followed beside her, the window rolled down to reveal Simon Sterling’s expressionless profile.

"Get in the car."

His voice was clear in the quiet night.

"No!" Rhiannon didn’t turn her head, her tone sharp as if she had swallowed dynamite, "I’ll get a cab myself!"

As she spoke, she really stopped, took out her phone, and started calling for a ride.

However, at this time, in this relatively remote bar area, the app showed that there were no available cars nearby.

Rhiannon refreshed it a few more times, unwilling to give up, but no one accepted the order.

She was so angry she wanted to throw her phone, but eventually restrained herself, shoving it back into her bag hard and continuing to walk forward.

If she couldn’t get a cab, she’d walk back!

"Walking back to your house from here, at your pace, will take at least four hours."

Simon’s car still followed slowly beside her, his voice steady, carrying the typical objectivity and calm of a doctor.

"From a medical perspective, wearing high heels for an extended period while walking can cause severe wear and tear on the ankles and knees, potentially leading to arthritis, tendonitis, and other issues."

"I don’t recommend you do this."

Rhiannon suddenly stopped, turned around, and glared at him furiously.

"Simon Sterling, are you crazy? I already lost face in the bar, and now you’re talking medical perspective, knee damage? I’d rather walk till my legs break than sit in your car."

Her chest heaved violently, her eyes bright with anger.

Simon looked at her flaring temper in silence for a few seconds, then spoke, his tone still calm.

"Embarrassing? I didn’t think so."

Rhiannon paused, surprised.

Simon continued, "You really shouldn’t hang out with that crowd; they’re four to five years older than you, with much more social experience and a complex mindset. That kind of place isn’t suited for you."

Rhiannon paused again, the anger on her face cooling slightly, replaced by a touch of surprise.

She hadn’t expected Simon to observe so keenly.

Most of those friends were indeed older, having returned from studying abroad, but she always found it exciting to hang out with them, getting exposed to many new things, and never considered whether it was appropriate.

Seeing her silent, Simon added, his tone seeming to soften a bit.

"If you really felt embarrassed just now with me there, then we can call it even."

Rhiannon looked at him, puzzled.

Simon explained, "Earlier downstairs, I embarrassed myself in front of you too. Does saying this make you feel a little better?"

He spoke with such seriousness, as if stating a plain fact.

Looking at his serious expression, recalling how he was coolly rejected by a woman earlier and combining it with his current cold demeanor, for some reason, Rhiannon felt her anger deflate by more than half and even felt a little amused.

She pursed her lips, her tone still tough but noticeably softened.

"Hmph, at your age still lovelorn, it’s indeed quite embarrassing."

She paused as if she had finally found a way out, awkwardly opened the car door, and sat in the passenger seat.

"...Alright then, let’s call it even, take me home."

Simon said nothing more, closed the window, and started the car smoothly.

The inside of the car was very quiet, with only the low hum of the engine.

The car entered a quiet villa area, finally stopping in front of a well-lit detached house.

"We’re here," Simon said.

Rhiannon unbuckled her seatbelt but didn’t immediately get out of the car.

She glanced at the large house, aside from the street lamp at the door and a few room lights, it seemed empty.

Simon followed her gaze, glanced at it, and casually asked.

"Do you live alone?"

Rhiannon pushed open the car door, putting one foot out, and hesitated for a moment on hearing this, without turning back, her voice carried a sense of feigned indifference.

"My parents separated long ago, they just haven’t divorced."

"I live with my dad, but he often doesn’t come home, I don’t know where he goes, and I don’t care."

After saying that, she stepped out with the other foot and slammed the door shut.

Almost as she closed the door, the villa’s front door opened from inside, and a middle-aged woman in a maid’s uniform hurried out, her face full of ingratiating smiles as she called her "Miss" at every turn.

"Miss, you’re finally back. Sir just called earlier asking about you. Come in quickly; it’s cold outside, I’ve kept some bird’s nest soup warm for you."

Rhiannon didn’t even look at the maid, nor did she pay attention to her words, just raised her chin like a proud peacock, heading straight for the front door, her figure quickly disappearing inside.

The maid hurriedly followed her in, and the heavy door closed slowly, sealing off the inside from the outside.

Simon sat in the car, looking at the tightly closed door, then at the villa, which appeared particularly cold and desolate in the night, lingered for a moment before turning the car around and leaving the quiet residential area.

Rhiannon quickly crossed the spacious but desolate hallway and directly went to the second floor, returning to her bedroom.

She didn’t turn on the main light, only lighting a soft crystal wall lamp by the bed.

She walked to the large floor-to-ceiling window, gently pushed aside the heavy velvet curtain corner with her fingers, and looked down.

The black car had just turned around, its taillights tracing two red arcs in the night before smoothly driving away, quickly vanishing at the end of the winding road of the villa area.

She watched until she could no longer see any trace of the car, then slowly lowered the curtains.

"The young lady is still watching even as he’s gone far?"

The maid somehow stood at the bedroom door, wearing a knowing yet gentle smile, holding a bowl of bird’s nest soup.

"Seems like the gentleman Mr. Ford has picked for you is quite satisfactory to you, Miss."

Rhiannon Ford reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, suddenly turning around, a trace of fluster showing she was caught in her thoughts, but was quickly masked by feigned annoyance.

"What nonsense are you talking, who’s satisfied with him?"

"An old man, rigid and dull, I’m only checking whether he’s truly left, what if he’s lingering nearby with ill intentions, this is just me being vigilant."

She walked to the dressing table and sat down, deliberately avoiding looking at the maid, ordering in a stiff tone.

"Don’t overthink, and more importantly, don’t tell my father anything, do you hear me?"

The maid looked at the flushed tips of her ears, clearly understanding, yet her smile remained constant as she amicably changed her words.

"Yes, yes, alright, Miss, it was my mistake for speaking wrong. Our Miss has high standards, doesn’t fancy anyone, and can’t be bothered with anyone, does that work?"

She put the bird’s nest soup on the dressing table.

"Miss, take some bird’s nest soup to calm your nerves, I’ll go run your bath."

The maid turned into the bathroom, soon the sound of running water could be heard.

Rhiannon Ford looked at her slightly flushed cheeks in the mirror, annoyed, she patted them lightly.

She opened the drawer of the dressing table, looking for makeup remover, but her eyes were involuntarily drawn by a velvet box in the corner.

She took out the little box, opened it.

Inside lay an exquisite pink diamond hair clip, dazzling softly under the wall light.

She remembered clearly, this was one of a pair.

The other was likely long thrown into the trash by that unappreciative Simon Sterling?

Thinking of Simon Sterling, of his business-like demeanor in the bar, which embarrassed her thoroughly.

And his serious comment about knee wear-and-tear, and his final clumsy attempt at an even-steven consolation.

Rhiannon Ford shook her head vigorously, trying to drive that stern face out of her mind.

"Strange, why am I thinking about that old man again?"

She muttered to herself in the mirror.

"It must be because tonight’s time spent with him was too long, I got infected by his rigid vibes, that’s the reason!"

She came up with excuses for herself, trying to convince herself.

"A night’s sleep will solve everything, we are not matched at all, he has someone he likes in his heart, and I have no feelings for him, we’re unsuitable no matter how you look at it. This engagement is bound to be called off sooner or later."

The maid came out of the bathroom, wiping her hands.

"Miss, the water is ready, just the right temperature. You better wash up and rest early, you have to report to the hospital first thing tomorrow morning."

Report to the hospital?

Rhiannon Ford was taken aback, only then recalling the business at hand.

That’s right, tomorrow is her first day of nurse internship.

The jumble of thoughts in her mind was instantly diluted by the nervousness and subtle anticipation for the unknown work.

Which department would she be assigned to?

Emergency, Pediatrics, or the Operating Room?

"Got it."

She responded, put down the hair clip, stood up to change into loungewear, getting ready for a bath to soak away all the unpleasantness and chaotic thoughts from tonight, then sleep well to embrace tomorrow’s new beginning.

In the morning, outside the Human Resources Department of the hospital administrative building, the new intern nurses were lined up waiting for department assignments.

Rhiannon Ford wore a brand new nurse uniform, but her face clearly showed reluctance.

She listened to the others ahead being assigned to various departments, silently praying she wouldn’t be sent to those exhausting and dirty places.

"Rhiannon Ford." The HR staff looked at the list, calling her name, "Psychiatric Department, Ward Three."

"What? Psychiatric?"

Rhiannon Ford almost immediately exclaimed, her pretty eyebrows furrowing tightly, her face full of disdain and refusal.

"I’m not going, it’s filled with mentally unstable folks, noisy and chaotic, might even have violent tendencies, too scary, I’m not going."

Her voice was loud, attracting the attention of several interns around waiting for assignments.

The head nurse in charge of assignments lifted her eyes to look at her, recognizing her as Dean Ford’s daughter.

Her face showed no expression, she merely asked calmly, "Then which department do you want to go to?"

"Pediatrics!" Rhiannon Ford replied immediately, with an air of certainty, "I want to go to Pediatrics, children are so adorable."

The head nurse silently looked at her for two seconds, then made a mark on the assignment sheet, her tone remained level.

"Alright, report to Pediatrics Unit One."

"Great, thank you, Head Nurse!"

Rhiannon Ford’s face immediately turned to joy, revealing a bright smile, as if the person loudly protesting just now wasn’t her.

Happily, she turned around, ready to leave to report to Pediatrics.

A man in a white coat walked over from the other end of the corridor, having heard her loud complaints and subsequent joyful tone.

Simon Sterling did not stop his stride, but when passing Rhiannon Ford, he glanced at her indifferently, eyebrows furrowed.

His department was the Psychiatric Department.