Together
Chapter 57 Falling into the Bathtub Together
Upon hearing the question, Julia raised her head and turned her gaze in the direction of Jared, who was emerging from the bathroom. She nodded in acknowledgment and replied, “Absolutely! I’ve always been courteous and reciprocating. If Vivien decided to disrupt my wedding, then it’s only fitting that I reciprocate and disrupt hers during her wedding.”
Jared had been containing his emotions for a considerable period. However, upon hearing Julia’s plan, his anger reached its peak. His self–control snapped, and he forcefully pushed Julia against. the wall, his glare piercing her. His chest rapidly rose and fell as if engulfed in flames.
“What on earth are you doing?” Julia asked, utterly bewildered by the unfolding situation.
Right at that moment, a knock echoed from the door.
“Julia, what’s the noise I heard? Are you alright?” Conrad’s concerned voice came from outside. Julia glanced at Jared, who was still pressing against her and furrowed her brows. “It’s nothing. Go back to sleep,” she reassured her brother from outside.
“Could you please open the door? I brought some medicine for you,” Conrad pleaded, his voice tinged with worry.
After all the commotion just now, he was worried that Julia might have a severe fever and accidentally fall. Thus, his anxiety grew with each passing thought, compelling him to enter and personally ensure his sister’s well–being. He would only be at ease once he confirmed that Julia was safe and sound.
Caught in a dilemma, Julia anxiously bit her lip. With Jared still in her room, she couldn’t allow Conrad to enter and discover her with him.
In her state of urgency, Julia didn’t have time to consider everything. She decisively used her strength to push Jared into the bathroom.
“Hurry, just step into the bathroom,” she urged, her tone firm.
Yet Jared remained resolute, rooted in place by his stubbornness. Amidst the envy he had been grappling with, Julia’s forceful push only intensified his surging feelings of inadequacy, reinforcing his belief that he was unworthy of being introduced to her family.
At that moment, a renewed series of knocks resonated through the room, accompanied by Conrad’s increasingly anxious voice.
“Julia? Everything alright?” His unease grew as he noted Julia’s reluctance to open the door.
Julia’s frustration intensified, her gaze fixed on Jared, her head throbbing with the weight of the situation. She inhaled deeply, her whisper brimming with emphasis. “Just step into the bathroom, please!”
Jared, however, remained unresponsive, seemingly oblivious to her plea. He spoke, his voice icy and detached. “You’re not permitted to go on the 18th.”
Defiance flared within Julia. “That’s not an option. I’ve meticulously planned for this, and I must attend.”
Jared’s lips tightened into a thin line, his demeanor frosty, as though encased in a layer of ancient
ice.
Jared’s patience finally reached its breaking point. “What do you truly think of me?”
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Chapter 57 Palling into the Bathtub Together
Simultaneously, the knocking on the door persisted, making Julia feel like an ant on a hot pan.
With a sense of desperation and a desire to quell the escalating tension, Julia’s words spilled out without forethought. “Could you please stop causing a fuss? Can’t we discuss this later?”
‘Did she just say I’m causing a fuss?‘ Jared snorted with incredulity at her choice of words. Suppressed anger surged within him, his chest heaving with the intensity of his emotions, poised to erupt.
After waiting a few tense minutes with no sign of the door opening, Conrad retrieved a spare key and unlocked it.
Amidst the keys rattling and the doorknob turning, Julia exerted a last–ditch effort to push Jared into the bathroom. Unexpectedly, her footing gave way, causing her to tumble towards the ground. Just as she was about to collide with the floor, Jared’s swift reflexes kicked in, his arm wrapping around her waist to prevent the fall. It was as if she were a drowning person clutching at a life–saving straw, grabbing onto him instinctively. She clung to him tightly, without regard for where her hands landed.
Disoriented and caught off guard, both of them struggled to maintain their balance, resulting in an awkward loss of balance. Their combined efforts led them to tumble into the bathtub.
Just then, Conrad managed to open the door and hear the resonant thud from the bathroom. Fear of his sister’s safety surged, prompting him to rush inside, his voice laden with concern. “Julia!”
As he entered, he saw Julia seated in the bathtub, her gaze shifting towards him, attempting to feign composure.
“I was just… having a bath. That’s why I couldn’t answer the door,” Julia explained, her voice somewhat strained.
However, Conrad’s skepticism was evident. He regarded Julia with a bemused expression and remarked, “Taking a bath fully clothed?”
In a state of panic, Julia glanced down at herself, realizing that she was indeed fully dressed and submerged in water. At that moment, she was at a loss for how to salvage the situation. She was clearly busted now!
At that precise instant, a bubble emerged from the water’s surface, capturing Julia’s attention. Reacting swiftly, she slapped her palm onto the water’s surface, applying pressure to whatever–or whoever–was submerged beneath.
Fortunately, Conrad didn’t notice it as he approached the bathtub’s edge, gently placing his hand on Julia’s forehead.
“It looks like your fever has worsened,” he remarked, concern evident in his voice.
Soon, he thought this was why his sister was taking a bath with her clothes on and that she must have been delirious due to her fever.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll take a proper hot bath later, then have some medicine and rest,” Julia assured, while her thoughts remained on the submerged man beneath the water’s surface. She needed to quickly convince her brother to leave before Jared’s situation became dire.
“You should go for now. It’s uncomfortable for me to bathe while you’re here,” Julia added, urging her brother to depart.
Conrad furrowed his brow. Although he was very concerned about Julia, he realized that, as a
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Chapter 57 Falling into the Bathtub Together
man, it would indeed be uncomfortable for her if he stayed there longer.
“Alright, just let me know if you need anything, okay?” Conrad responded with a smile.
“Got it. Could you please go now?” Julia pressed, her urgency palpable.
With another reassuring smile and a glance at the bathtub, Conrad left the room after the door clicked shut, leaving Julia alone at last.
Sighing with relief, Julia shifted her gaze towards the bathtub, addressing the submerged figure below. “You can come out now.”
However, there was no response or movement from the man beneath the water’s surface. Concern started to creep into her voice. “Hey! Don’t pretend to be unconscious! My brother is gone.”
Fueled by panic, Julia’s fear of Jared’s well–being overtook her. She reached into the water, urgently pulling him out, only to realize he had lost consciousness.
Seeing the situation, guilt, and remorse flooded Julia’s heart.
Her heart raced as she attempted to rouse him, tapping his face and pleading, “Jared! Wake up! Please, wake up!”
Despite her efforts, there was still no sign of life from him. The weight of guilt and regret settled heavily upon Julia’s chest as she realized the dire situation she had unintentionally caused.
Growing increasingly anxious, Julia found herself left with no alternative but to resort to artificial respiration. Steeling herself, she took a deep breath, pinched Jared’s nose shut, and sealed his mouth with her own, exhaling air into his lungs.
Unbeknownst to Julia, Jared’s eyelids fluttered open slightly, catching a glimpse of her administering the life–saving technique. Though it was short–lived, a fleeting spark of brightness glinted in his pupils. After that moment, he quickly closed his eyes once more.
“Why isn’t he waking up?” Julia muttered to herself, her heart pounding heavily in nervousness and panic. Despite those, she repeated the process, taking another deep breath and blowing into the man’s mouth once more.
In the midst of this, Jared’s hand twitched, his desire to embrace the girl tugging at him persistently. However, he suppressed the urge, fully aware that any overt action might jeopardize the situation favorable to him. As such, not taking any action at that moment was the beneficial thing to do.
After several minutes, Julia ceased her efforts, gazing down at Jared’s still–unresponsive form. “He still won’t wake up. It seems I have to try something else.”
Prepared to employ a silver needle, Julia was taken aback when Jared’s eyes gradually blinked open. Relief and surprise intermingled in her expression.
“You’re finally awake!” Julia exclaimed, a mixture of surprise and relief in her voice.
Meanwhile, Jared faked a couple of coughs, a ploy to ease into consciousness.
“I’m
sorry apology.
about before. I didn’t mean to,” Julia apologized, her hand gently patting his back as an
As she continued her reassuring gestures, she noticed the intensity of his gaze fixed on her. Puzzled, she followed his line of sight and realized her drenched attire clung to her, revealing an unexpectedly captivating and picturesque image.
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A sudden rush of embarrassment flooded Julia’s cheeks, staining them a deep shade of red.
“I must say, Mr. Brooks, I didn’t expect you to be this kind of person,” Julia commented.
However, Jared’s gaze remained fixed on Julia, not retracting even for a moment as he said, “I also didn’t expect you to press me down like that, nearly drowning me.”
His words intensified the weight of guilt that already burdened Julia. Thus, Julia decided to let him off the hook in exchange for nearly drowning him.
With this decision in mind, Julia rose from the bathtub, water cascading from her soaked clothes. However, as she stood, abrupt dizziness seized her, followed by overwhelming darkness that engulfed her vision. Her body gave way, and she collapsed again, succumbing to the sudden
blackout.
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Chapter 58 Taking Care of Julia
