No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric)

Noelle's question made it seem like she was assuming that Cedric had feelings for her. With her phone in hand, she thought back to the person she'd been dating online in her previous life. To be more precise, it was more of a crush since neither of them had ever confessed to each other. However, his presence back then had been like a kindle of fire amidst her miserable life, keeping her warm.

That was the same feeling Cedric was giving her. But she still couldn't be sure if they were the

same person.

Cedric's finger twitched. "I don't need a reason to help someone in need, do I? Even if it had been an old lady crossing the road, I would've given her a hand."

Noelle smiled, suppressing a twinge of disappointment. Feigning nonchalance, she said, "I'm leaving the Liddells for good once the college entrance exams are over. You're welcome to be my neighbor!"

She was in a good mood as she hung up and showered. Before heading to bed, she even

managed to complete a set of practice papers. After all, the final mock exams were just around

the corner.

She was eager to see how much she'd improved and whether she had a chance at getting into Yole University. Her chances were good as long as she could make it into the top ten in her school.

The next day, Noelle proceeded to go to school as usual. She watched Xenia bring a bowl of soup over to Frank. "Frank, Gordon told me that your stomach's been bothering you, so I made this soup for you. It should help." Xenia deliberately revealed the burn marks on her hand. As expected, Frank's expression softened when he saw her injuries. "You're hurt. Let the maids handle this next time."

"You've done so much for this family, Frank. This is the least I could do."

Xenia flashed him a sweet, innocent smile.

Pleased, Frank stole a glance at Noelle. He was sure that she would now have realized that he wasn't feeling well.

Noelle sneered inwardly when she saw the bowl of soup. She should have known it would still be making an appearance. Losing her appetite, she stood and left without saying a single word.

Frank's mood sank. He wondered if she was truly not going to say anything and considered if she had completely stopped caring about him.

Xenia quickly comforted him. "I'm sure Noelle's worried about you. She's just throwing a

tantrum."

"Let's hope so." Frank wanted to believe that Noelle was just acting out, as he couldn't imagine her cutting ties with the family over such trivial matters. Still, not having her fuss over him left him feeling very unsettled. Xenia, having achieved her goal, left for school as well.

Gordon, who was standing next to Frank, muttered, "Sir, how could Ms. Liddell not even ask how you were feeling?"

Frank's mood lifted slightly when he caught sight of the bowl of soup. He found it comforting that at least Xenia was still thoughtful. He swallowed a spoonful of the soup. However, instead of easing up, the pain only seemed to worsen.

He furrowed his brows. It suddenly crossed his mind that the medicinal congee Noelle used to make would always soothe his pain. So, without thinking, he ordered, "Tell the kitchen to make me the medicinal congee Noelle used to make." Gordon hesitated. "Ms. Liddell used to prepare it herself."

"It's just congee. How hard can it be?" Frank snapped, his discomfort sharpening his tone.

A nearby maid chimed in, "I heard that Ms. Liddell used to prepare the rice a day in advance. Then, she would carefully prepare fresh ingredients early the next morning. She always followed the necessary steps and timing to a T since a single mistake would ruin the entire dish."noveldrama

She added, "She obtained this traditional recipe from a very experienced doctor, and none of us ever learned it. So, all these years, Ms. Liddell had been preparing it herself each time." For some reason, Frank felt even worse when he heard this.