Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice, and it tickled Elspeth’s funny bone.”You can sound a little more confident, you know. I am a hacker,”
she uttered.He was too stunned to say anything for a while. Elspeth was a mystery to him. She was a sommelier and a hacker-she was nowhere close to being a regular girl. She had achieved standards that most women would never reach in their lifetimes. Frank thought he would be attracted to her if she weren’t his sister.For a while, he simply watched as she confidently typed some codes into the system before going through the personal details of a few accounts. He couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of admiration for the woman. Wait. I don’t look up to her at all!While Elspeth continued typing on the keyboard, Frank scrolled through Twitter to see the increasingly nasty comments that were made about Elspeth. These comments got him frustrated. Why didn’t I realize how annoying these netizens could get?
“Okay, it’s just as I thought. These people had some monetary transactions with the Weiss and McFarlene Families during the past few days, probably to set me up.”
Looking at these things, Elspeth grew even more suspicious.
“But I couldn’t find out who was the one stirring up the rumors. Is something wrong with my sixth sense?”Seeing how engrossed she was, Frank assured,
“You must have your reasons for coming to this conclusion.”Noticing the abrupt change in his attitude, she couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
“Why did you change so suddenly? You’re not the kind of person who will assure me.”He cleared his throat.
“That’s because I know you’re capable, and Mr. Winthrop wouldn’t flatter you for no reason. By the way, what are you planning to do, then? You can’t let them think that you’re such a person, can you?””I’ll take care of this, of course.”
Despite what she said, she was not the least worried at all.”What are you going to do?”Without a word, she found a picture from the folder on her computer and uploaded it simply in a post. A few minutes later, this picture was pushed to the top and became a trending topic with the highest views.Also, there were all sorts of surprised comments in the comment section.’This dress was designed by Elspeth?!”Elspeth is the designer, Jenny? She’s amazing!”Isn’t Elspeth too much of a genius? How could there be such a talented person?”Talented? She’s simply the best!’Meanwhile, Jordan and Tiffany, who were silently gloating behind the screen at the abusive comments from the netizens about Elspeth, suddenly turned pale the second they saw the news.With a frozen smile on her face, Jordan uttered,
“Who the hell is this Elspeth Lynwood? How could she be Jenny?””At this point, there’s no denying that she’s indeed Jenny. Damn it, I thought I could get her good by saying that she was wearing an imitation so that she won’t have the guts to cross us again, but who would have thought…”If it was true that Elspeth was Jenny, then this matter was as good as over. She was Jenny, so it didn’t matter even if the clothes she wore were imitations. Even if they were imitations, who would have the nerve to question her if she claimed them to be authentic?Tiffany was so mad that her gastric started to act up. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that Elspeth had this move up her sleeves.Equally mad, Jordan suddenly had a daring idea when she saw Tiffany was in just as a foul mood as her.”Tiffany, I have an even better idea.”Seeing the mystery on her face, Tiffany couldn’t help but ask curiously,
“What is it?”Jordan leaned close to her and whispered into her ear, and a devilish smirk appeared on Tiffany’s face.”Let’s do it.”At the same time, when Elspeth saw that the comments were starting to favor her, she relaxed and whisked out her cell phone to play a few rounds of games.Seeing that she was also playing ‘Conqueror’s Honor,’ Frank said in surprise,
“You’re playing this as well? How are you doing in the game?””Seasoned female player and the representative of ten consecutive losses. Although I constantly curse when I play, it did nothing for my skill, and I learned nothing,”
she replied and grinned.
“Thus, I have given up, and anyone can come and beat me.”Not able to stifle himself, Frank burst out in laughter.
“Well done!”Elspeth rolled her eyes at him and picked her character.
“Did you seriously buy that? I’m a tactical and scheming player.”He laughed even harder.
“Really? If that’s true, my brother will definitely like you very much.””Oh?”
she uttered, intrigued.
“You know my elder brother, Kenneth, don’t you? He’s the esports madman who has been at the top of the Conqueror’s Pro League for so many years that he’s begging for someone to beat him.”Finishing the game beautifully, Elspeth then turned to him.
“The top of what?””Conqueror’s Pro League. Don’t tell me you’ve never participated in that before.”Then, she recalled she happened to be abroad when ‘Conqueror’s Honor’ was first launched, and she had sufficient time to participate in the Conqueror’s Pro League, whipping away the top spot.However, she stopped playing the game for a few years after that and only played for fun occasionally when she was back, without any interest in making it into any rankings.”I’ll give it a shot, then.”Very quickly, she ended the game with a win of 12-0 and searched for the name of the number one gamer in Conqueror’s Pro League.All of a sudden, she was shocked.’CrazyKen.’What the hell? she thought.”I can bring you to meet my brother if time permits. He’s training in the club every day and comes and goes without a sound. It might be a little tough to meet him.””Sure.”Without hesitation, Elspeth added Kenneth as a friend along with a one-liner that read, ‘Are you even fit to be number one?’Sure enough, her friend request was promptly accepted, and she read his reply. In brief, he intended to have a one-to-one battle with her, and she readily accepted his challenge.After a discussion, they both decided to spar by using the same character-Charlotte.With this character, it was a battle of the speed of casting the skills. Elspeth was surprisingly quick and skillful at casting the skills, and she gained the upper hand against Kenneth. In addition, the types of equipment she purchased for her character were different from others, making her character inflict more damage than his.As she expected, Kenneth lost the game 2-1.’Do you want to continue?’ she typed leisurely.’Yes!’Helplessly, she started another game, and this time, she chose Daphne as her character while he picked Shirley.Due to the restraint between characters, Elspeth should be on the losing end, by right, but she appeared to be undefeatable right after she purchased the second piece of equipment for her character in the early game. Although she dealt less damage than her opponent, she positioned herself very cleverly. Using the minions and bushes, she avoided a lot of hits and even caused a chain explosion with her character’s passive skills, blowing Kenneth’s character up directly.His character, Shirley, sprawled on the ground, and words popped up in the chat box.’You’re amazing.’Leaving her character standing on the same spot, Elspeth replied, ‘My passive skill is chain explosion while your character’s passive skill is turning into a passive state after releasing a set of skills.’Ha ha. This joke isn’t funny at all, Kenneth thought, unable to laugh at it. ‘Who are you anyway?’Staring at the name ‘Elsie,’ he thought, Why is a grown man giving himself such a girly username?’Your sister,’ she replied simply.’Are you trying to be funny?’While Elspeth was speechless, it slowly came to Kenneth after a while. Staring at the name ‘Elsie’ on his cell phone, he thought that this name sounded a little familiar. She’s that cousin I’ve never met after her return!Suddenly, he exited the game in a rush, and Elspeth was surprised to see the profile picture turning dark.Did I give him a scare because this is too sudden? Or did I shatter his confidence because I beat him, and he’s now crying silently from the emotions?No matter how she thought about it, it seemed ridiculous to her, and she turned to Frank. After a long moment of hesitation, she asked,
“Is your brother emotionally weak?”Before he could answer, the door of the ward swung open suddenly.
Staring at the figure at the door, Elspeth automatically racked her brain to put a name to the face. In the end, she came up with the name, ‘Kenneth.’ He looked very much like Frank but without the delicate aloof features. He appeared a little young with his rounded eyes, which seemed to be smiling at the edges, and a dimple on his cheek.It didn’t occur to her that Kenneth would look younger than Frank.”You’re Elspeth-no, wait. You’re Elsie, right?”Next to them, Frank couldn’t figure out what they were speaking about and nodded in a daze.Bursting into laughter, Elspeth said,
“You actually made your way here? You’re nuts!”The esport fanatic who comes and goes without a trace.”Your skills are amazing. If it’s okay, will you join our club? We’ll definitely give you the best treatment.”While speaking, Kenneth’s eyes were shining brightly as though he was looking forward to her joining the club.All of a sudden, it struck Elspeth that not only did he look young, but his personality was also somewhat innocent.Nevertheless, she shook her head and turned him down.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t like this job, and I’m doing it just for fun.”Taken aback, Kenneth didn’t think that a person who could beat him so easily was not fully invested in gaming.”We have a competition with another team in a couple of days. May I invite you to participate with us?”After careful consideration, she turned him down again.
“I’m sorry, but I really don’t want to compete.”Out of the blue, she kind of regretted battling him because she felt that he was stuck on her, and she couldn’t get rid of him.”But…”
Charisma wasn’t his forte, and he was so anxious that he almost burst into tears.Meanwhile, Elspeth was struck by guilt when she saw that he desperately wanted to invite her but was at a loss for words and almost drove himself to tears instead.He’s my cousin, after all. I should just say yes, she decided. But he doesn’t seem so bright.”Okay, I’ll go with you.”Excitement washed over Kenneth’s face instantly.
“That’s great! I’ll come home to pick you up when the time comes,”
he said. Then, he checked the time on his phone before adding in a rush,
“I can’t stay for chit-chat because I have something else to do today. I gotta get back and train the new batch of kids that just arrived.”After saying that, he left without turning back. While he came without warning and left without a trace, the only thing that remained the same was the stunned look on Frank’s face.Although Kenneth never said a word to him the whole time, he still found it ridiculous.”Elspeth, do you know when the last time my brother returned home was?”Tilting her head, she asked curiously,
“When was it?””A year ago, during Christmas,”
he answered, thinking this situation was unbelievable.
“He’s now coming home because of you. If Grandpa finds out about this, he’ll place you on a pedestal, for sure.”The edges of Elspeth’s lips twitched.
“You can’t be serious.””It’s true. For the past few years, my brother only comes home once a year during Christmas and always only for a short time. Who would have thought he’ll break this rule because of you?”All that didn’t bother Elspeth, who only cared about the team competition that would take place a few days later. I better train all the new characters, lest I make a fool of myself during the competition.After that, she chatted a little more with Frank before leaving the hospital. The last time, she had planned to ask for the herb from Michael to treat Frank, but after they ended things on a bad note, she decided she didn’t want to look for him again.The only way to find the herb now is from the black market, she thought, frowning.Just when she was at the door, ready to go to the market personally, she caught sight of Callum’s car parked at the side of the road. He was watching her with his deep-set eyes, which were filled with tenderness.”What are you doing here?””I’m here because I miss you,”
he said, smiling.”How did you find the perfect timing and even wait for me at the door?”There was no way Elspeth would believe his saying, and she stared at him intently after climbing into the car as though trying to bore holes through him.”Okay, I have a slight cold. So, I came here for some medicine.”His honest answer made her frown.
“Why didn’t you tell me about it?”Callum was honest, and his tone was even a little aggrieved.
“That’s because you’re taking care of someone else. How can I bring myself to trouble you?”In other words, he was jealous, and Elspeth couldn’t stop herself from pinching his cheeks at his little jealous complaint.
“Alright, don’t overthink the situation. He’s my cousin. Don’t be jealous of my brother. Why are you acting like a child, Callum Winthrop?”What made an emotionless president of a company into a whiny and clingy guy who’s seeking attention?”Yes, I’m jealous. How are you going to pacify me?”Subconsciously, he licked his lips and gazed at her. His enchanting eyes coupled with his seductive gesture were very tempting, and her heart skipped a beat.”What do you mean?”Seeing the dazed look on her face, he chuckled and pulled her into his arms, whispering into her ear,
“Kiss me.”His hot breath traveled down her ear, turning her face bright pink, and she shook her head gently. Looking into his eyes, she was at a loss for words all of a sudden.”Kiss me, okay?”
he repeated seductively.Tightening her jaw, she raised her head and pecked his cheek, and this immature gesture from her was especially alluring.He pulled her closer and was about to kiss her when someone knocked on the window, startling Elspeth so much that she jumped away, but her face remained flushed for a long while.Lowering the window, Callum glared at the security officer with daggers in his eyes for foiling his plans.Initially, the officer wanted to warn them that their car wasn’t allowed to be parked there, but when he saw the daggers in Callum’s eyes, he gulped instead.”Well, no parking here…”Elspeth gave him a nod, her eyes looking apologetic.
“I’m sorry. We’ll move right away.”Then, Callum looked away and stepped on the gas pedal.Twirling her head, she saw his solemn face and giggled.”What are you laughing at?””Your face… Fu-ha-ha! No wonder he was stunned and confused. He must have felt that he spoiled the moment for us!”Through the rearview mirror, he saw a bright lipstick stain on his cheek, and it was very eye-catching.”The moment, eh? Do you want to continue, then?”Just a second ago, Elspeth was still laughing, but she immediately stopped and stared at him in dumbstruck silence, like a sheep that was about to be slaughtered.”Alright, I won’t mess with you anymore. Where do you want to go? Are you going home?”She shook her head.
“No, I want to go to the black market.”Will he lecture me about this? she wondered, and sure enough, his eyes gleamed sternly.”Why are you going to the black market?”
“I need some herbs for Frank’s injuries, so I have to auction it from the black market,”
Elspeth answered honestly, gazing at his solemn face.
“I’m coming along.”Without thinking, she shot him down.
“You have a cold now and should take a good rest.”She was genuinely worried about Callum and thought he shouldn’t be up and about when he was having a cold because it would be bad if it became worse.Knowing her worries, he gazed at her and smiled gently.
“Don’t worry. I’m fine.”Nobody knew how he was feeling better than himself, and he was sure he would be fine. However, when Elspeth saw the blush on his face, her heart raced with anxiety. Somehow, she had a feeling that it wasn’t a cold as it seemed more like a fever.”Don’t worry. I’ll let you know when I feel unwell,”
he said, pushing down the gas and starting to drive.The black market was located in the suburbs and rather hidden, where an average person wouldn’t be able to find out its location. However, Elspeth wasn’t any regular hacker, and she knew all about the underground black market of each city.After entering and seeing that almost everyone was a stranger to her, she put her mind at ease.Holding Callum’s hand, she searched around for the herbs that she needed and came to a stop in front of an old man in the end.In this warm underground black market, this old man was tightly wrapped in a long-sleeved top.”I would like these herbs from you. State a price.”The old man in front of her didn’t answer immediately and asked calmly,
“What are you using it for?””Burns,”
she answered honestly.Startled, the old man narrowed his eyes.
“These herbs are mainly used to treat chest burns. Why do you have the idea to use it on burns?””My mentor taught me that using these herbs to treat burns will bring surprisingly good results.”Since this old man didn’t know who her mentor was, she reckoned it wouldn’t hurt to mention something like this.”Are you Sonny Schwartz’s student?”Surprised, Elspeth didn’t think he could tell she was Sonny’s student just because of the herbs. Does he know Sonny? Are they connected?”Sir, do you know… Sonny Schwartz?”Both of them knew Sonny differently, and the old man could hear it from her tone.
“We’re more than acquaintances. I hate him so much that I want to kill him.”The hate in his voice caught her by surprise.
“What do you mean?”Realizing that he was too hostile, the old man didn’t answer and slowly kept away the herbs in front of him.
“I’m not selling it.”When she saw that he was acting weird, she couldn’t help but ask,
“Why are you not selling it suddenly, sir?””No reason. Go away and don’t get in the way of my business,”
he said, chasing her away and looking very impatient.”Sir, I went through the entire black market, and you’re the only one with these herbs. If it’s possible, will you tell me exactly what’s going on? I really need these herbs.”Her tone was tinged with anxiety. In addition, she had an earnest attitude, and a pained look appeared on the old man’s face.”These herbs can’t treat burns at all.”His words threw her into confusion because she remembered witnessing Sonny treating a lot of patients with burns using these herbs.”What do you mean?””These herbs… They can relieve burns for a while, but take a look at my hand.”
He rolled up his sleeve and showed her the wound on his arm.
“Look, this scar is a result of the treatment I received from Sonny Schwartz twenty years ago. At that time, it had turned better, but the condition relapsed after that, and the wound became more serious than before!”
Elspeth checked his arm, which was a gruesome mix of mottled burns and old wounds.”These are not merely burns.”Next to them, Callum had been silent the whole time, and both of them turned to him when he spoke suddenly.”What do you mean?””Are you saying I inflicted these wounds myself?”
the old man snapped, irritated.”That’s not what I mean.”
Gently, Callum felt the old wounds on his body with a cold look in his eyes.
“These aren’t burns. Most probably, someone poisoned you and caused the wounds to decay.”After listening to him, the old man turned even more solemn.
“Did Schwartz poison me?”In reply, Callum shook his head.
“Certainly not. Mr. Schwartz has always had an excellent reputation and is a person with integrity. Furthermore, it will affect his reputation if he fails to treat you to recovery, and reputation is the biggest taboo for medical practitioners. He probably won’t do something such as smashing his toe with a stone.””So, what are you trying to say?””Did you offend anyone previously?”
Callum asked, looking straight at his face.
“It’s almost impossible to find this poison in this city, but it’s very common in Willowton.”The old man thought carefully. Suddenly, his eyes flickered as he recalled a familiar person. Willowton… There’s only one person, then.”I got it. Thanks for telling me this. I’ve always thought that the burns were not treated well, but I didn’t think it was because I was poisoned!”
The old man’s heart shuddered, and he took out the herbs from behind and passed them to Elspeth.
