CHAPTER 270: IN GOOD SHAPE

She could not ask regarding that too much, as her brother was the only person who understood most of what he needed for his study.

But still, she could not let her brother be with Valerie without the presence of another party. Joanna was deep in thought until Phillip’s next words were perceived by her sense of hearing.

"So, now it is your turn to keep your words, sister," Phillip said, crossing his arms over his chest, waiting for Joanna to go back inside the house and rest.

"Are you sure that you will not be short of hands, brother?" Joanna asked, putting it as a last effort for a precautionary measure.

When she watched Phillip shake his head with the corner of his lips tugged up, she said, "But I am not sure if you and Valerie can handle whatever you need to do, brother. Didn’t you say that you need to find as many people as possible?"

Watching Phillip not rebuke, as he again shook his head with the same sly smile on his lips, she added, "The more people you could question, the better, right, brother?"

"What are you up to, Ann?" Phillip raised his eyebrows, wondering what was actually intended by Joanna, who interestingly yet strangely insisted on offering him a hand.

Joanna sighed, showing a sad look on her face for her brother to see. "You should know how sad I am right now because you don’t allow me to help you, brother. I am feeling useless as your sister because I can’t do something to support you." Joanna lowered her head, looking at her hands playing with the ribbon of her dress. She then uttered,

"You asked me to be obedient as I always did. But, brother..." Joanna lifted her head to again place her gaze on the young man before her, who had one corner of his lips curled up. Ignoring the way he smirked at her as if knowing that she was now playing a sad role, she continued to say, "Do you think I can rest well in my room when I feel this sad?"

"So?" Phillip spoke, tilting his head. His facial expression had not shifted yet, as if amused with his sole sister’s acting skill that had not gotten better with time.

"So..." Joanna repeated her brother before revealing her intention. "Would you do me a favor to ease my sadness so that I am no longer feeling useless and can rest well as you asked me to, brother?" Just like her brother, Joanna did not shift the sad expression on her face despite knowing that he was aware of what she was currently doing and intending.

Grinning, Phillip uttered, "What is the favor my beloved ghost-like sister wanted from me as her beloved handsome brother?" Phillip responded in a tone laced with playfulness, especially when emphasizing the words ’ghost-like and handsome.’

Yet he would not ignore her demand. He could not make his sister stop asking a favor from him. He was her brother after all. He had been around her since she was born. He was there to hear her first cry. Thus, he knew all about her very well.

His sister was a docile and simple person, as if avoiding living a complicated life and not willing to think too much of anything that existed in the world was the best living option.

She tended to follow their father and his words, easily agreeing to their demands and letting them decide for her. In other words, living in a comfort zone was the thing that she preferred and would always choose.

Yet there were times for her to voice her mind, especially when there was something that she really wanted. Aside from persuasion, a disheartened expression was shown when her request was not approved or the thing that she wanted was not given.

But it would not last long. As if saving her energy or being too lazy to argue longer, she would be quiet after he or their father spoke two to three words to opine with her.

There was no determination, and the spirit would dim quickly, accepting loss so soon, nodding her head in agreement in return.

She would pout, which was a normal action of protest, but it would not last for long. It would dissolve in less than three days. After that, she would act as if she had never uttered such a demand.

However, this time, she looked different. She was persistent, keeping on striking tirelessly, which he found to be interesting.

There were sparks in her still swollen eyes, which made him wonder if she cried again for their reunion at night.

She was not discouraged from getting what she wanted. It intrigued Phillip, wondering what made his sister change, which fortunately was in the direction that he thought to be positive, as it was what he hoped for his sister to be.

He wanted her to be brave, dare to voice her mind, and know how to stand her ground. That way, he could be less worried when she was out of reach.

Was she really that eager to help ease his burden so that she became bold and brave? Was it because they had separated for quite so long and would be longer later that she wanted to show her sincere concern, love, and care as his sister before she could not do anything for him later due to the distance that got longer and unreachable?

Right after the thoughts crossed his mind, Phillip felt a mix of joy and sadness storm in his heart. The fact that his sister was now a married lady did not change her genuine care for him, and that heart-touching affection had put him at ease.

There were some thoughts growing in his mind since their father told him about Joanna’s marriage, and one of them was that they would be distant. Their siblinghood relationship would not be as thick as before.

She would no longer care for him, no longer clinging and relying on him as she had been before her marriage. She would soon forget him as her brother. She would not take his side anymore.

But now it seemed that he thought too much, being worried unnecessarily. Instead, he felt that his sister’s care for him was bigger now, and the sign was actually already there when she still cried heavily in his arms at their reunion the day before. Which brother would not be touched by such relief?

It turned out to be right, the saying that blood was thicker than water, though he knew that it was not applied to every living being. He was just fortunate to experience one in his life, fortunate to be the de Lara.

Or perhaps living far apart from her family triggered his sister’s change, causing her to be eager to do something for him before she went away to live her life as someone’s wife.

Phillip was shaken at the thought, but he really could not let Joanna go with him in that crowded place when she was not in good shape.

She might be right that she felt better after prolonged rest, but she was indeed in a not ideal state to do vigorous activities. The decrease of her pulse rate shouted louder of her current condition than her clumsy acting to soften his decision.

And she did realize that she could not hide it from him, as she should be aware that he had examined her health condition a few minutes ago.

"You don’t allow me to help you because you are thinking that I am currently not in good shape, right, brother?" Hence, he nodded his head at her question.

Receiving a definite yes from Phillip, Joanna then said, "What if I ask someone in very good shape to help you on behalf of my incompetence? Will you be fine with that, brother?"

But then, Phillip thought that his sister could be quite dangerous when she bargained. It was just like something she was doing at the moment, hitting him by saying that she was incompetent. Phillip laughed inwardly at how his sister wanted to make him soften by that. Yet he could not overlook the genuine plea in her eyes.

"Fine. As long as it is not you and you could rest without too much thinking, not feeling useless and incompetent anymore, then let this someone who is in very good shape help." Phillip smiled. "So, who is this person? Bianca? Lucy?" He wondered, but no name was mentioned by Joanna as another response was given to him.

"Wait here, brother. I will be back soon." With that being said cheerfully in an expression that was a hundred and eighty degrees different from before, Joanna quickly made her way towards the person that she would ask to lend hands for helping her brother, and that person was never to be in Phillip’s mind.

His guess was completely wrong.