Chapter 343

343
Benjamin had been waiting in the living room . The moment he saw Aria , a smile lit up his face as he walked over to greet her . “ Aris , there you , ***
Aria smiled and nodded . “ Good morning , Mr. Benjamin Hayes , ” she said warmly
“ Good morning , ” Benjamin replied . Out of the corner of his eye , he noticed Sebastian looking like he wanted to say something but was holding back . The old man couldn’t help wondering what was going on .
Suppressing his curiosity , he asked Aria , “ Have you had breakfast ? ”
“ I have . Let me check your pulse first , ” Aria said .
Benjamin nodded . “ Alright . ”
A few minutes later , Aria pulled her hand back and said softly , “ You’re coughing with a lot of phlegm and feel tight in the chest . I’ll give you a massage first and then prescribe some herbs to help with recovery . ”
Benjamin’s eyes crinkled with a warm smile . “ Alright then , thank you , Aria , ” he said .
Benjamin thought to himself , ‘ What a sweet girl ! If only she were my granddaughter ! ‘
“ It’s nothing , ” Aria replied warmly .
Benjamin noticed that Sebastian’s eyes hadn’t left Aria the whole time . Something clicked in his mind , and he asked , “ Aria , would it be okay if my grandson learned from you ? So he can help massage me sometimes ? ”
Aria nodded and said , “ No problem . ”
Benjamin glared at his disappointing grandson and urged , “ Hurry up and get over here to learn ! ”
Sebastian walked over reluctantly , his hands glued stiffly to his sides , as stiff as a board and looking extremely uncomfortable .
“ Useless brat , ” Grandpa Benjamin muttered to himself , then just let him be .
As a grandfather , he had done his part .
While massaging , Aria patiently explained each step in detail .
Sebastian appeared to be listening attentively , but his mind had already wandered off . His thoughts were a jumbled mess , and barely anything she said actually registered .
Massage techniques weren’t something one could pick up overnight , so Aria didn’t expect he’d grasp it all right away .
After finishing the massage for Benjamin , Aria picked up a pen , wrote down the prescription , and handed it to Sebastian . “ Just brew the medicine according to this , ” she said .
Sebastian glanced up at her quickly , then dropped his gaze . His voice was a bit tense as he mumbled , “ Thank you . ”
Aria stood up to leave . “ Mr. Benjamin Hayes , I’ll get going now .”
Benjamin quickly tried to keep her a little longer and asked tentatively , “ Would you like to stay for lunch ? ”
“ Thank you , but I have some matters to attend to , so I won’t trouble you , ” Aria replied .
Ever since Aria agreed to become a graduate advisor at Mandino University , she had been busy brushing up on her theoretical knowledge . Lately , she’d been burying herself in books every day .
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Knowing how packed her schedule was , Benjamin didn’t insist further and said , “ Then you must come have dinner with us another a
Aria smiled and agreed readily . “ Sure , ”
Benjamin turned to Sebastian and instructed , “ Sebastian , walk Aria out . ”
“ Got it , Grandpa , ” Sebastian replied .
After seeing Aria off , Sebastian returned to the living room .
Benjamin couldn’t wait any longer and asked , “ Do you two know each other ? ”
Sebastian nodded , a hint of regret in his tone . “ She was the one who saved me last night .”
Benjamin shot up from the couch , raising his voice . “ Why didn’t you say so earlier !! ”
“ I forgot , ” Sebastian mumbled .
Grandpa Benjamin took a few deep breaths , his expression turning grave . He said sternly , “ If it weren’t for Aria , I might have lost you brat for good ! ”
Sebastian looked conflicted . “ Grandpa … is it too late for me to change my mind ? ”
Benjamin asked in confusion , “ About what ? ”
Then his expression froze . “ Wait … do you have feelings for Aria ? Is it because she saved you last night ? ”
Sebastian neither nodded nor shook his head . “ I just think … she’s really nice . ”
“ Someone your grandfather admires couldn’t possibly be anything less than nice ,” said Benjamin .
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