Ethan then added, "Don't worry, safety first. It's okay if we get to the hospital a bit later."
"Mm... Okay." The young woman replied softly, her fingertips gripping the steering wheel tightening slightly.
The car fell silent for a while, with only the low hum of the engine and the rustling of tires running over the road. The cool breeze from the air conditioning vent gently blew between the two of them, carrying a faint scent of leather.
After a while, the young woman suddenly spoke softly. "Actually... I don't usually drive like this."
Her voice was very soft, as if she was telling herself, and as if she wanted to explain something.
Ethan smiled when he heard this, his tone calm. "Yeah, it's fine. I can tell you're quite experienced."
This sentence made the young woman's cheeks suddenly flush. She subconsciously bit her lower lip, and her hand holding the steering wheel tightened unconsciously. Obviously, she'd thought of something she shouldn't have thought of.
She opened her mouth to explain, but finally pressed her lips together and gave up, just staring more attentively at the road ahead.
The inside of the car was quiet again, but some kind of subtle atmosphere was quietly spreading. The young woman felt a strange feeling in her heart, feeling a little embarrassed and her heart beating inexplicably. She quietly glanced at the young man beside her with her peripheral vision and found that he was still looking forward with a normal expression, which put her somewhat at ease.
She felt a strange sense of dissonance in her heart.
The boy in front of her obviously had a youthful face and was definitely not more than twenty years old.
But those eyes were so deep they couldn't be described, and there was a calmness beyond his years in his mannerisms.
Victoria had actually guessed right. Although Ethan's body was only 18 years old, the soul within was already an old hand.
.....
A few minutes later.
The Mercedes drove steadily into the parking lot of Memorial Hospital. This was a well-established medical center, and the white main building looked particularly impressive in the sun.
In front of the registration window, the young woman suddenly realized her negligence and bit her lip in annoyance—she'd even forgotten to ask her savior's name.
"I'm so sorry!" She turned to face Ethan, her face full of apology. "I was too anxious just now. I haven't even asked your name yet."
"Ethan." He smiled slightly, his voice clear.
The young woman nodded and solemnly extended her hand. "My name is Victoria."
The two shook hands and got to know each other.
Ethan then reached for the medical fees and quickly stretched out his hand to stop her. "Victoria, I'll pay for it my—"
Before he finished speaking, Victoria had already swiped her card. She turned her head to glance at Ethan's half-pulled-out wallet, and the corners of her lips raised slightly. "Are you really going to fight with your big sister over this little thing?" The tone was gentle but with an unrefusable firmness.
"No, I—"
"Call me Sister Vic." She suddenly took half a step closer, and her eyes narrowed slightly.
"What, do you think I'm not worthy of being your sister?" The faint scent of perfume floated over with her movement—it was an elegant magnolia fragrance.
Ethan couldn't help but laugh. "How could I? Sister Vic."
Victoria nodded in satisfaction and casually took his arm. "That's right. Remember, from now on I'm your sister."
When she spoke, the corners of her eyes were slightly raised. Obviously in a gentle tone, but with an indescribable strength.
Before Ethan could respond, she'd already dragged him to the surgical clinic.
They arrived at the surgical clinic.
The doctor pushed his glasses and instructed briskly. "Take off your shirt and let me look at the wound."
Without saying a word, Ethan raised his hand and pulled the blood-stained T-shirt off over his head.
As he moved, his well-proportioned muscle lines stretched, and his tanned skin glowed with a healthy sheen in the light—if you ignored the mottled blood.
"Oh my God!" Victoria gasped and unconsciously covered her mouth.
Her eyes instantly turned red, and her long lashes couldn't help but tremble.
On Ethan's back, two thumb-sized wounds were torn open, the surrounding flesh turned outward a bit, and the dark red scabs were mixed with fresh oozing blood.
What was even more shocking was that there were still seven or eight slender scratches scattered around, as if he'd been scraped hard by something sharp.
"Is this... Is this going to be okay?" Victoria's voice changed, and her fingertips unconsciously grabbed the corners of her clothes.
When she turned to the doctor, there was a noticeable tremor in her voice. "Doctor, please help my brother. This... Will this be alright?"
.....
Walking out of the surgical office.
Victoria still turned around and asked uneasily, "Doctor, is there really no need to stay for observation? What if it gets infected in this heat?"
The old doctor pushed his glasses and smiled helplessly—this was the fifth time the woman had asked the same question.
"Sister Vic!" Ethan quickly grabbed her wrist and smiled apologetically at the doctor.
Turning his head and lowering his voice, he said, "The doctor said it's fine. Look how well they bandaged it."
He deliberately turned around and showed the neat bandages on his back. "It'll be fine in a few days. Hospitalization would be a waste of medical resources."
'Are you kidding? Getting hospitalized for this injury?' If Linda found out he was hospitalized, she'd be at the hospital within twenty minutes, and then it wouldn't just be back pain he'd have to worry about—the SATs were coming up soon, and he didn't want to get his ass beat because of this.
Victoria pressed her lips together and smiled at his tricky appearance, finally letting go. "Then... you have to text me every day to let me know how the wound is healing."
"Okay, okay, I'll listen to Sister Vic." Ethan nodded repeatedly and quickly led her toward the elevator while she hadn't changed her mind.
Victoria felt relieved, but after taking just two steps, she looked back at his back, like a mother cat protecting her cubs.
.....
They came to the hospital parking lot.
The midday sun scorched the asphalt, and heat waves twisted slightly in the air.
Ethan said with a smile, "Sister Vic, I'll head out then! It's lunchtime—you should get going too!"
After saying that, he waved his hand and was about to leave.
He turned around and was about to take a step when he was suddenly grabbed by the wrist.
Without saying a word, Victoria directly stuffed him into the passenger seat, moving briskly as if she was handling some valuable cargo.
Ethan was also a bit helpless. After this morning of getting along, he'd already figured out Victoria's temperament—once she'd made up her mind about something, nine bulls couldn't pull her back. And she was even more genuinely good to her benefactor.
Victoria pressed him into the seat, slammed the car door, then clapped her hands with satisfaction. "Want to run? Not happening!"
She bent down and leaned in through the car window, her hair hanging down near Ethan's shoulder. "Big sister has to thank you properly today."
Ethan was stunned when he heard this, then the corners of his mouth curved with a playful arc. "Thank me properly?"
He deliberately drew out his tone, and his eyes swept over Victoria's delicate collarbone. "What kind of proper thanks is Sister Vic talking about?"
Victoria was lowering her head to fasten her seatbelt, and her hands paused when she heard this.
She slowly raised her eyes and happened to meet Ethan's smiling gaze, immediately understanding the implication in his words.
A blush quietly crawled up her cheeks from the base of her ears. She pretended to clear her throat calmly. "Little brat, what are you thinking about?"
She reached out and poked Ethan's forehead, neither light nor heavy. "Of course I'm going to treat you to a good meal!"
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