Chapter 5 So That's How It is

"No, we won't do it again. We promise," Renzo said before he and Dillon hurriedly ran away.

York then turned around and walked back to Leona. He stroked her hair, looked at her swollen face, and checked the bruises on her arms. With a darkened expression, he said, "Those two bastards deserve more punches. Come with me to the clinic to treat your wounds."

"It's okay. I'm fine. My class is about to begin so..." Leona's voice sounded so weak. She tried to refuse, but York didn't want to listen to her excuses, so he didn't give her a chance to finish her words. He took her arm and pulled her to the school clinic.

Deep inside his heart, York was cursing Samuel Chi while he was holding Leona's hand. He couldn't help clenching his teeth with rage when he saw her red and swollen face. Renzo and Dillon wouldn't waste time bullying her if no one had told them to do so. He knew that this had something to do with Samuel Chi. Samuel was York's best friend. They grew up and spent most of their time together. This morning, when York arrived at school, Samuel mysteriously told him to go to the back gate of the school.

When he asked why, Samuel just looked at him with a wicked smile and said, "You will know when you get there. Don't blame me for not telling you. This is your best chance. If you still miss it, I can't help you anymore."

The moment York heard Samuel's words, a bad hunch had already aroused in his heart. He knew Samuel very well because they had been best friends since childhood. Their fathers were business partners, and their families were very close. York knew how good Samuel at hitting on girls. In fact, Samuel was known for being fast in changing girlfriends. He would usually date a girl this week and dumped her the next week. Samuel believed that love only lasted for a week.

Being with Samuel for so many years, York was sure that something was strange with Samuel's attitude earlier. That was why he rushed to the back gate at once. As expected, something was going on there. The moment York arrived at the back gate, he saw Leona crying and trying to run away from Renzo and Dillon. He immediately realized that it must be Samuel who had planned everything. But York thought that Samuel had gone too far this time. Leona was badly hurt because of his plan.

However, he also felt a little thankful to Samuel. He was able to get close to Leona and held her hand because of Samuel. York liked Leona, and he had been planning to pursue her. He knew that Samuel wanted to help him. And now, Samuel had successfully narrowed the distance between him and Leona. But he was not really agreeable to Samuel's method. He still wanted to pursue her in an open and aboveboard way. Using such a dirty trick was unacceptable to him. He would definitely warn Samuel not to do it again.

When the nurse finished treating Leona's wounds in the clinic, York insisted that she should have an intravenous drip to quickly recover. He was also afraid that she would get some infections. Leona refused, but in the end, York still won. He even skipped his classes and stayed with her. While waiting for the drip to finish, he sat on the edge of the bed and watched her.

"Senior York, you don't really have to do this. I'm actually fine. These are just minor bruises and scratches." Since she was a child, Leona had suffered a lot of injuries because of Cynthia. And some of them were even more serious than she had experienced today. She wasn't sent to the hospital for treatment at all. So as time went by, she got used to it. She would be fine after putting some bandages on her wounds.

"Do you think I can have the heart to leave just like that? If your wounds get infected, there will be inflammation all over your body. I can't let that happen. Don't worry about me. I don't mind being here. You can sleep first. I'll watch until you consume all the intravenous drip, then I'll wake you up. And one more thing. Don't call me senior anymore. I am not that old. Just call me York," York said while looking at Leona gently.

"Senior... I mean, York..." Leona was supposed to call York "senior" again. But when she saw the sudden change in his facial expression, she immediately corrected herself. York pretended to look angry. Leona didn't want to piss him off because she still had something to clarify. Earlier, she heard that York told Renzo and Dillon that she was his girlfriend. It wasn't real, so she wanted to talk about it with him. She didn't want to be involved in any gossip, especially when it had something to do with boys in her school. It would be better for her and York if the latter took back what he said to Renzo and Dillon.

But before she could tell York about it, he suddenly spoke up. "I only threatened them. If I didn't tell them that you are my girlfriend, they wouldn't stop pestering you. Now, they would think that if they'd bully you again, I would always come to rescue you. They would think twice before harassing you from now on. But if you feel embarrassed about what I've done, then I will tell them the truth," York explained with a bitter smile and a downcast look on his face. He was smart enough to see through what Leona had in mind.

He had known Leona for more than a year now. She was a unique girl who felt nothing about his strong family background and whatever title came with it. Other girls from their school would always want to be his girlfriend because of his status, except Leona. And now that he finally got the chance to be a little closer to her, he didn't want to distance himself from her again.

After hearing York's explanation, Leona realized that he only wanted to protect her. And although she didn't feel comfortable about it, she also didn't want to look ungrateful, so she stammered, "I... I'm just worried that your real girlfriend will get angry." Obviously, she was only trying to find an excuse. But she also regretted it afterward. Everyone in their school knew that York didn't have a girlfriend because he had been pursuing her. He didn't pay attention to any other girls in their school. She sounded stupid for saying such a thing.

"You little fool. Of course, you know that I don't have a girlfriend. The whole school knows who I like, so no one will dare to go after me. It's just that little fool who I like is playing dumb." There was a trace of sadness in York's eyes as he spoke. He thought that Leona wouldn't really want him.

"I... I'm sorry." Leona clearly knew that York was referring to her, but she really didn't want to be with him. For her, they belonged to two totally different worlds, and their lives would never intersect.

"Ha-ha! I'm just kidding. Don't take it seriously, okay? Take a rest first. I'll stay here and watch over you." York tried his best to sound happy. He also pinched the top of Leona's nose and gave her a bright smile to make her feel that he didn't care at all.

Since Leona was too nervous and embarrassed, she immediately closed her eyes and pretended to be sleeping. But soon enough, she really fell asleep. These past few days, she had been working part-time while still attending her classes, so she was so exhausted. The dark circles under her eyes were clear evidence that she hadn't gotten enough sleep. This time, she slept safe and sound.

Leona slept like a log while York was watching over her. He was so calm. As he stared at her beautiful face, he couldn't help thinking that he could watch her like this for the rest of his life. Indeed, York was deeply in love with Leona. He only hoped that she would accept his feelings as soon as possible. When the intravenous drip was already empty, York called the nurse to have it removed. Leona was still sleeping, so he carefully tucked her in the quilt and slowly climbed on the edge of the bed to lie down. Before Leona woke up, he had already fallen asleep beside her.

Leona came home tired in the evening. As soon as she entered the small entrance in their backyard, a black shadow suddenly appeared from the opposite side and a voice rang in her ears. "Little wild kitten, welcome back!"

"Ahhh!" Leona screamed. She was so startled that she suddenly threw her bicycle and ran away. However, when she turned around, she bumped into someone.