Chapter 7

Maxwell seemed like he was smiling as he approached Jennifer. Then, he crouched down and took out a wet wipe with alcohol, helping her clean the dirt on her knees.

It was only then that Jennifer snapped back to her senses. She had knelt on the ground for a full ten minutes, so deeply engrossed in saving a life that she hadn't noticed these trivial details.

Now, she realized that her knees were not only dirty but also grazed.

"Ouch..." she murmured. "Be gentle."

Maxwell said softly, "Bear with it."

As he resumed with his head bowed, a strange emotion began to stir in Jennifer's heart. Her knees really hurt, but she felt warm inside.

After cleaning the dirt, Maxwell stood up and said, "Your knees are injured. Do you want to go to the hospital to get them bandaged?"

Jennifer smiled and casually brushed it off. "There's no need. A band-aid will do for this small injury. Let's go home quickly. Grandpa is waiting for us for dinner!"

Then, she started walking toward where he parked the car. Maxwell followed silently, thinking that if Rachel had been in this situation, she probably would have long thrown herself into his arms and wailed.

Maxwell felt like he had seen a different side of Jennifer when witnessing her save a life just now. He even felt a hint of pride. Anyway, Jennifer was still his wife.

…

During dinner, Jennifer ate quite a bit because she was in a good mood. Just then, the housekeeper brought two bowls of tonic to their table.

Maxwell wrinkled his nose at the strong smell of medicine and asked, "Grandpa, what is this?"

"Aren't you two planning on giving me a great-grandchild after two years of marriage?" Robert chuckled. "This tonic is from a renowned traditional medicine doctor in Haven City. It's very nourishing. From now on, both you and Jennifer will have one bowl each until she gets pregnant."

"What?" Maxwell looked at the bowl of tonic speechlessly and then glanced at Jennifer. She also had a conflicted expression, not knowing what to do.

Robert urged, "What are you waiting for? Drink up!"

Maxwell couldn't force himself to drink it. The smell alone was unbearable.

Jennifer thought for a moment before saying to Robert, "Grandpa, we're still young, and there's nothing wrong with us. Isn't it too soon to drink this tonic now?"

Maxwell quickly agreed, "Yeah, it's not like we're infertile. Do we really need to drink this now?"

Robert scolded, "Nonsense!"

The men in the Lance family were all robust and healthy. How could they possibly suffer from infertility?

To appease Robert, Maxwell compromised. "Grandpa, why not let us try on our own first? If it doesn't work, we can consider taking the tonic."

Jennifer gaped at him. Try on their own? How?

After contemplating for a while, Robert said, "You'd better not disobey me. If you dare mistreat Jennifer under my nose and make her live like a widow, I'll punish you severely!"

Maxwell was speechless again. What did he mean by living like a widow?

…

Back in the bedroom, Maxwell started laying out the blankets on the floor again.

Jennifer couldn't bear to see this. It just didn't seem right for an influential man like him to sleep on the floor.

She spoke softly, "Why don't you sleep on the bed? It's big enough to maintain a safe distance."

Maxwell paused, glanced at her, and continued his task. He said calmly, "You don't need to take Grandpa's words to heart. I won't tie you down with a child if I can't give you a future."

Jennifer's eyes dimmed, a trace of bitterness rising in her heart. She murmured, "I just wanted you to sleep better. You kept messaging your neck just now."

"It's nothing." Maxwell returned to his usual coldness. He finished laying out the blankets and went into the bathroom.

Not long after, the phone he had left by the pillow rang. Because their phones were the same brand, the ringtone was also the same. Jennifer mistakenly picked it up as her own.

It wasn't until Rachel's coquettish voice came from the other end did she realize she had picked up Maxwell's phone. "Max, where are you? I have a fever. I feel terrible... I miss you so much..."

Jennifer rolled her eyes and stated curtly, "It's me."

"You..." Rachel froze for some time before asking, "Why do you have Max's phone?"

Jennifer retorted, "Why wouldn't I have my husband's phone? Your call has disturbed our rest. If you have a fever, go see a doctor. Maxwell doesn't know how to treat illnesses!"

She shut down the conversation, tossing the phone aside.

Maxwell finished his shower, and Jennifer went in to take her turn.

When she came out, Maxwell seemed to have just hung up the phone. He looked at her with a grim expression. "Did you answer my phone just now?"

Jennifer knew that Rachel wouldn't give up easily and would definitely call him a second time. She calmly leveled his gaze and replied, "Yes. What's the matter?"

Maxwell said bitterly, "Rachel's grandmother passed away, and you didn't tell me about it. Jennifer, I thought you were kind when I saw you save a life today. But I didn't expect you to be more malicious than I imagined. How could you have the heart to insult someone who just lost their loved one?"

"Her grandmother passed away?" Jennifer said confusedly, "How would I know about that? She only said she had a fever. She didn't say anything about her grandmother!"

"Enough!" Maxwell interrupted her impatiently, hastily putting on his clothes and storming out.

After he left, Jennifer suddenly felt freezing. The joy of saving someone earlier had disappeared in an instant.

She smiled self-deprecatingly and folded the blankets on the floor. He probably wouldn't be coming back for the night.

…

The next day, Jennifer went to the university by herself. As soon as she arrived in the classroom, she noticed that everyone was whispering and pointing at her.

"Oh! Isn't that our big hero, Jennifer?"

A sarcastic girl walked up to her, mocking her.

Jennifer glanced at Quincy Hart, feeling annoyed by her provocation. She casually responded, "Sorry, but I'm still the first in the clinical skills competition this year. You have to settle for second place again."

Quincy gritted her teeth in anger and glared at Jennifer.

The Yale family was of humble origins and gained wealth later on. They had plenty of money to spare, and Jennifer's lavish lifestyle made Quincy incredibly jealous.

Quincy had known since childhood that her family's conditions weren't good, so she had always worked hard. Before university, she had always come in first place.

But ever since she entered Haven University, Jennifer had constantly been one step ahead of her. She couldn't stand Jennifer for getting to enjoy all the good things in life.

Quincy sneered and said, "Jennifer, I wonder how long you can stay proud. I'm afraid you won't have the chance to participate in the next clinical skills competition!"

Jennifer was startled. Although she wasn't afraid of Quincy, her words made her feel uneasy. She couldn't help wondering if it was only baseless rumors.

At this moment, the class rep walked in. "Jennifer, the counselor wants to see you in the office."

A bad premonition crept up on Jennifer.