No longer a pushover

Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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."
Chapter 27
"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."
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.