CHAPTER 171: CHAPTER 171 LITTLE TRICK

She stayed outside for a while, deliberately stalling for time, and only then pretended to come out of the hospital as she returned to the car.

Throughout the whole process, she tried her best to make herself look as if she had just seen a doctor.

Every step was carefully planned to ensure there were no flaws exposed.

As soon as she got into the car, George Taylor immediately asked with concern, "What did the doctor say? Let me see the report."

His eyes were full of worry, clearly genuinely caring about her health.

His tone carried a bit of urgency, as if he wished he could bear the illness for her.

Clara Bennett felt his sincerity, which caused a warm current to rise in her heart.

Clara said easily, "It’s not a big deal, just typical acute gastroenteritis, prescribed some medicine for me."

Her tone was calm, as if everything was under control.

Despite feeling a bit uneasy inside, she still tried to appear composed.

She knew she must not let George see through her facade, or all her previous efforts would be in vain.

George asked further, "No need for hospitalization?"

He clearly wasn’t very reassured, hoping she could get better care.

His expression became more serious, filled with a sense of responsibility.

Clara could feel that he was not just inquiring but truly caring for her health.

Clara replied, "It’s a minor issue, no need for hospitalization."

She secretly found it amusing, after all, she knew that her current physical condition was such that even going without food for three days wouldn’t be a problem.

But she didn’t show it, just smiled and answered George’s questions.

She hoped to put his mind completely at ease, so he wouldn’t worry about her anymore.

Of course, it was a minor issue; after all, it was just a carefully orchestrated little trick.

She didn’t want too many people to know about her true physical condition, nor did she want to trouble George.

This approach was both to protect herself and a form of respect for him.

She knew George was a good person, but if he got too involved, it would only complicate their relationship.

With this, Nell Sue’s goodwill was completely ruined.

This was also part of her plan, though somewhat reluctant, she felt it was a necessary action.

Clara sighed slightly, feeling a bit bitter inside.

She didn’t want to hurt anyone, but sometimes to achieve a certain goal, some compromises have to be made.

She just hoped that all this would soon pass, so she could regain a peaceful life.

George asked with concern, "So do you need to watch your diet in this condition? Like the lobster, eel bento, and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall that were prepared for you before, you can’t eat those now, right? These were carefully selected, I heard these foods have high nutritional value and are good for the body."

Clara seemed a bit surprised, "Did you get an assistant to specially buy these things? I thought they were just regular company-supplied work meals."

George patiently explained, "Seeing that you eat so little normally and always look tired, I wanted you to try something new, change flavors. I know you haven’t had much of what your friends sent, so I thought this would be a good chance for you to try these."

Clara slightly furrowed her brows.

She thought to herself that such a considerate attitude didn’t seem like the treatment of a mere colleague.

Even knowing her family background, there seemed to be no need for such care, since he wasn’t even an employee of her brother’s company.

After ruling out other unlikely factors, even if a bit self-serving, it seemed the only explanation was that George had feelings for her.

Oh my, she had previously speculated that George might have liked Nell Sue and was thus deceived and used.

Now that she had taken Nell Sue’s place, could this affection have shifted to her?

There was absolutely no need.

Clara absolutely wouldn’t respond to this in any way.

She thanked him for his kindness, but she already had a husband, and that was a fact that wouldn’t change.

So she straightforwardly said, "Everyone in the circle says Taylor is a really nice guy, gentle and considerate, which is undoubtedly true. Thank you for your care, Taylor, but my health condition doesn’t allow me to eat seafood. The doctor also advised me to be especially careful during this time."

George smiled slightly and replied, "No problem, I also brought some porridge. I knew it wasn’t convenient for you to have seafood, so I specially prepared some light porridge, which should suit your current condition better."

Clara was momentarily speechless.

It seemed that George was determined to invite her to a meal.

His sincerity was so firm, making her feel a bit helpless, but also slightly warm inside.

However, Clara’s personality was just that stubborn.

Back then, when her leg was injured, and she had difficulty moving, she would crawl to the bathroom and eat cold leftovers, but she still persevered.

It was because she had a tenacious spirit within her.

More importantly, she had promised William Foster that she would not eat anything George brought today.

Although this promise seemed insignificant, as she had not partaken in anything William sent her, she decided to honor all her commitments related to him.

When Clara lifted the lid, she immediately put on a regretful look and said, "Oh no, it’s pumpkin porridge. I happen to be allergic to pumpkin."

As soon as she spoke, her expression revealed a hint of helplessness and embarrassment.

George’s face froze instantly, at a loss for words.

He looked at the carefully prepared pumpkin porridge before him, and suddenly seemed to lose all ability to speak, showing a complex expression.

Clara, on the other hand, spoke first, "Looks like I’m just too picky, huh."

While speaking, her tone carried a touch of apology and self-reproach.

Seeing the car was approaching the hotel, Clara said, "I’ll just order something for myself, I won’t go hungry."

She smiled slightly, trying to appear more relaxed, but felt a touch of reluctance and helplessness inside.

In the end, Clara still ordered food to fill her stomach.

At dinner time, she sat alone in her room and ordered a simple meal.

Though simple, it met her basic needs and kept her from going hungry.

That night, around midnight, some anonymous accounts started to rant on Weibo.

[Tonight was truly overwhelming, I’ve never encountered such drama from a crew. The third lead and the lead actress both ordered food for the staff on the same day, yet it was the third lead who stole the spotlight, with all the credit going to her. The genuinely kind-hearted lead actress was misunderstood as being aloof.]

[While everyone was enjoying a luxurious dinner, the car of the real protagonist, the third lead, showed up with a banner! The whole venue fell silent, it was so awkward! The lead actress was really wronged, originally she wanted to bring a surprise to everyone, but instead was ridiculed, and ended up going to the hospital without getting to enjoy the delicious food. Footnote: The bento was truly delicious, someone ate two boxes in one go. The lead actress was hospitalized due to an empty stomach causing gastric distress.]

These posts sparked intense discussions among netizens, with many expressing sympathy and understanding for the lead actress.