Chapter 50
In the rental home, Jonathan cautiously sat Rosalie down on a chair, warming up the chilled food with utmost care.
As Jonathan bustled about, his attentive demeanor began to reshape Lillian’s perception of him. She used to be unsure about living with a stranger, but it was clear he treated Rosalie with kindness.
Seeing his devotion to Rosalie eased Lillian’s concerns, as she felt her friend was in good hands.
After Lillian left, Jonathan and Rosalie enjoyed a simple dinner. Once they were done, Rosalie made a move to clean up, but Jonathan stopped her kindly. “Let me take care of that, Rosie. Just stay put.”
Rosalie, who used to be busy, became extremely unoccupied.
Once Jonathan had finished cleaning up, he asked Rosalie, “Rosie, do you need to use the bathroom?”
“What?” Rosalie was taken aback for a moment, and then her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“Yes, or no?” Jonathan continued as if it was just a regular question.
Feeling embarrassed, she finally whispered, “Yes.”
After helping her to the bathroom, he stepped back and instructed, “Just let me know when you’re done.”
“Sure…” Her cheeks blushed even more, taken aback that he had noticed she hadn’t been to the bathroom.
When Rosalie emerged from the bathroom, Jonathan helped her back to the chair again.
She couldn’t resist saying, “I can actually walk on my own. It’s just a foot fracture. My other foot is perfectly fine.”
“As the doctor recommended, you should try to walk less. Or is it that you don’t want me to look after you?”
“No… It’s not like that,” she mumbled, her face growing even redder as she shook her head.
He smiled and tenderly brushed her flushed cheek. “Even though I don’t like seeing you hurt, I kinda enjoy seeing you rely on me.”
“Relying on you?” She looked a bit confused.
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“Yeah, relying on me. No matter where you need to go, you’ll need me to carry you. Otherwise, you won’t get anywhere. I like it when you rely on me. So, Rosie, you can rely on me a little more,” he confessed with a gentle smile.
His body drew closer to hers, and his soft breath brushed against her face. With his slightly parted lips, he appeared like a picturesque figure. The light in his eyes resembled sparkling lake water, looking incredibly beautiful.
Rosalie was momentarily stunned. At that instant, Jon seemed so stunningly handsome that Rosalie could hardly believe her eyes.
“I–I’m not used to relying on others,” Rosalie finally managed to say after a while.
“Well, you can start getting used to it now,” he whispered.
Later that night, before heading to bed, Jonathan fetched another tub of warm water and proceeded to wash Rosalie’s feet. One foot was bandaged and had to remain dry, so he gently wiped it clean.
The other foot, however, could be properly washed.
Cradling her uninjured foot, he immersed it in the warm water. His slender fingers tended to it with utmost care.
“Rosie, it’s time for you to take a long vacation from the Environment and Sanitation Administration. The doctor has recommended that you rest properly,” Jonathan kindly suggested.
“It’s not necessary. I can still go to work tomorrow. It’s not easy for us to take time off, especially long vacations. We might even lose our jobs,” she explained, feeling a bit awkward.
“Even if you lose your job, you can always find a new one once you’ve recovered from your injury,” Jonathan insisted.
“But if I get fired and have no income, how will I pay the rent and cover my living expenses?”
“I’m here!” he assured. “I’ll make sure you’re supported financially. So,
don’t stress about it.”
Rosalie stared at him for a moment with a blank expression on her face. She was aware that Jonathan wouldn’t earn much money doing odd jobs each day, but his words provided a sense of unprecedented reassurance. She realized she wasn’t alone and helpless in her life. She had Jon to rely
- on.
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“Call them,” he urged, handing her the phone directly.
She pressed her lips together and dialed the number of the team leader from the Environment and Sanitation Administration, who was
responsible for managing the cleaning staff.
She anticipated that asking for a long vacation might be tough, but to her surprise, when she mentioned the possibility of taking a week off, her team leader immediately agreed. Furthermore, he offered two weeks, if needed, and ensured that her basic salary wouldn’t be docked during this time.
Rosalie’s expression was a mix of astonishment and disbelief after the call ended.
“It looks like the team leader is quite supportive of my long vacation. I’m not sure why, though,” she said, still somewhat dazed.
“If you’re not sure, then don’t dwell on it. The point is, that your long vacation is approved. So, just relax,” Jonathan assured as he continued to wash her feet.
His fingers moved gently over her foot, from the instep to the heel and toes, and it made her a little shy.
As he held her feet with care, she realized that no man, not even Zachary, had ever touched her feet so tenderly.
When his large hand cradled her foot and his slender fingers enveloped it, her cheeks suddenly grew warm. She felt like a rush of blood was surging to her face, causing her cheeks to burn.
“I’ll dry it. Don’t worry!” She hastily tried to withdraw her foot from hist
grasp.
However, he kept hold of her foot. “Let me do it, Rosie. Stay still,” he insisted.
Feeling flustered, she remained still for a moment.
He slowly picked up a dry towel from the side and meticulously dried her foot. Gradually, his face drew closer to her instep.
At that point, Rosalie’s heart was ready to leap out of her chest. When his lips were almost touching her instep, she couldn’t resist exclaiming, “Jon!” He paused briefly, then lifted his head with his usual expression in place. “What’s the matter, Rosie?”
“No… Nothing,” she murmured, gently biting her lip. She chided herself for overreacting. She had imagined that Jon was about to kiss her instep.
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After he finished drying her foot, he lifted her and settled her onto the bed. “Get some rest.”
“Okay,” she replied.
He turned and headed into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
Gazing at his reflection in the mirror, he looked into his own eyes. At that moment, his typically tranquil eyes were ablaze with a fervent desire.
While he had been washing her feet earlier, and if her call hadn’t interrupted, he might have actually kissed her foot. He had never known a woman who could evoke such impulsive feelings in him.
“Rosie…” he whispered her name, then pressed the hand that had just cradled her foot to his lips.
Contemplating his desire for her, he found himself grappling with unfamiliar feelings. In the past, women had merely been tools to him, but she seemed different.
With her, he found himself willing to offer everything, except his feelings.
