Chapter 1162: Chapter 1162: Mr. Foster, You’ve Become Sweet
Isabelle Martin temporarily gained support from her family, but she didn’t dare use her mother’s methods on Jeffrey Foster. She just went through the motions, and compared to whether Jeffrey could be with her, she cared more about his physical recovery for the next step of psychological treatment.
With these feelings, Isabelle felt that life was starting to look hopeful.
What made her happier was that when she got to work in the morning, she learned that the funding for the construction of the community pathways for the visually impaired had been approved. Once the workers were in place, they could start the work.
As the person who proposed the idea, the leader assigned all follow-up tasks to her.
This wasn’t an easy job, but Isabelle readily accepted it because she hoped more than anyone that it would be successful.
After a busy morning, Isabelle finally had time in the afternoon to inspect her designated area.
Perhaps because of the ambiguity between them last night, today Isabelle wasn’t in a hurry to see Jeffrey Foster. Instead, she held back, only to hesitantly decide whether to ring the doorbell at Jeffrey Foster’s villa while conducting her routine inspection. The door opened before she could decide.
Isabelle paused momentarily before seeing Jeffrey Foster carrying sorted garbage, walking out slowly and leisurely.
The man was wearing a brown wool coat and loose casual pants. Despite being unable to see, he walked very steadily, with a tall and straight posture. A stranger might not realize he was visually impaired.
Isabelle was fascinated, her gaze falling on Jeffrey Foster’s lips, involuntarily recalling her boldness from the previous night.
But what made her even happier was that Jeffrey Foster did not refuse her.
The more she thought about it, the more her heart raced, so much so that she didn’t even realize when Jeffrey Foster walked beside her; when she finally noticed, she involuntarily held her breath, letting him walk past her.
But just as Isabelle watched Jeffrey Foster about to walk past her, the man suddenly stopped.
An unusual feeling arose in Isabelle’s heart, and she slowed her breathing, particularly curious as to whether Jeffrey could sense someone beside him, specifically her.
And just as Isabelle couldn’t control her heartbeat anymore, Jeffrey started walking again.
Isabelle was slightly stunned, a trace of disappointment appearing in her eyes, and she unconsciously sighed, only to hear the man in front ask casually, "Why are you sighing?"
"You didn’t even notice me," Isabelle naturally replied, but after speaking, her eyes widened, "You knew I was here?"
Jeffrey Foster didn’t say anything as he continued to the designated trash point. Isabelle couldn’t help but move forward and tug at his coat, "You noticed me? How did you notice me?"
The girl’s voice was so excited and happy that it caught Jeffrey off guard, but he couldn’t tell her that he walked out impulsively after hearing Aunt Pritt mumbling about her being busy outside.
Nor could he tell her he could smell her unique scent, distinguish her footsteps, or even... just by her breathing, he could tell it was her.
Even Jeffrey himself didn’t understand how he could do these things.
"I heard you," Jeffrey Foster replied vaguely, suppressing a smile.
Isabelle didn’t delve into how Jeffrey heard her; she was already feeling happy and her mood was only getting better, standing by Jeffrey’s side, chattering about the community project to remodel the paths for the visually impaired.
Jeffrey Foster listened quietly until Isabelle finished before asking, "Was it your idea?"
"Yeah, am I amazing or what?" Isabelle couldn’t help slipping into the proud tone she usually used with her parents and brother at home. After speaking, she realized she was talking to Jeffrey Foster, immediately covered her face, and silently cursed herself for getting carried away.
Unexpectedly, Jeffrey chuckled softly, "Yes, very amazing."
The more he interacted with Isabelle, the more Jeffrey could feel the girl’s brightness and cheerfulness, different from any woman he had known before.
She came from a privileged background, was pampered at home, was outspoken but kind-hearted, and was capable of loving without fear of hurt.
She belonged to a world completely different from his.
Even Abigail, whom he once saw as his only light, appeared calm because her father died early and her mother disappeared, but in reality, she inherited her grandfather’s obsessive nature and was even more needy of love than he was.
But Isabelle was truly different, or rather, children raised in complete love were genuinely different from them.
She was like a little sun; he clearly wanted to refuse, but ultimately, he couldn’t help but get closer.
Perhaps he had lived in the dark for too long.
Jeffrey Foster smiled wryly to himself.
Isabelle blushed slightly from the man’s praise, not noticing the fleeting sadness on Jeffrey Foster’s face. She leaned halfway towards him and said in a low, soft voice, "Mr. Foster, you’ve become sweet."
Feeling the warmth of the girl’s breath, realizing she was just inches away, the emotions that had welled up inside him dissipated, leaving only her words that he had become sweet.
But Isabelle apparently felt this wasn’t enough of a shock for Jeffrey Foster. As he stood there stunned, she shyly added, "Is it because I kissed you? Then we should kiss more in the future. I like the sweeter Mr. Foster."
Woah!
Jeffrey Foster had never thought in all his thirty-some years that he would be teased by a little girl to the point of fleeing, until he rushed back to the villa and heard Aunt Pritt coming out of the kitchen asking him why he had returned with the trash. Then he realized what he’d done.
He actually got flustered and ran back with the garbage bag he intended to throw away, all because of the girl’s teasing.
Standing still, Jeffrey Foster held the garbage bag but didn’t know how to answer Aunt Pritt’s question.
Though Aunt Pritt was an insensitive middle-aged woman, she wasn’t stupid. Seeing Mr. Foster’s obvious emotional turmoil, she didn’t press him further, instead taking the initiative to take the garbage bag. "Mr. Foster, I can throw it away for you."
With that, she didn’t bother Jeffrey Foster any longer, took the bag, and by the time Jeffrey came to his senses to try stopping her, Aunt Pritt had already opened the door again.
The next moment, Jeffrey heard Aunt Pritt’s delighted voice, "Is that you, Martin? Finished with work? Want to come in and sit with Mr. Foster?"
Isabelle was just teasing Jeffrey, never expecting him to be even more innocent than she thought, actually running away.
What’s more charming than the innocence of an old man you fancy in this world?
Isabelle’s heart was completely captivated by Jeffrey Foster, so much so that she couldn’t move for a while. Upon hearing Aunt Pritt’s invitation and seeing her wink at her, Isabelle guessed why Aunt Pritt called her, considered some unfinished business from the previous hospital visit, and decided that today was the right time to discuss it, so she nodded without hesitation.
Aunt Pritt was pleased to see this and turned to Jeffrey Foster inside, saying, "Mr. Foster, may I invite Martin in to sit with you?"
Unbidden, Jeffrey Foster’s heart trembled slightly at the mention of Isabelle’s name, as if a current had passed through, leaving him with goosebumps.
......
Refreshing a little later.
Isabelle Martin temporarily received support from her family, but she didn’t dare to truly apply her mother’s methodologies on Jeffrey Foster, only going through the motions. Moreover, she was more concerned about his physical recovery paving the way for the next phase of psychological therapy than whether Jeffrey could end up with her.
With such a mindset, Isabelle Martin felt life was now filled with hope.
What made her even happier was that as soon as she got to work in the morning, Isabelle Martin learned that the funds for the community’s blind path, which she had previously proposed, had been approved; once the workers were in place, construction could begin.
As the proposer, her leader assigned all the follow-up work to Isabelle Martin.
This wasn’t an easy task, but Isabelle Martin readily accepted because she hoped more than anyone that this would proceed smoothly.
After a busy morning, Isabelle Martin finally had the time in the afternoon to inspect her assigned area.
She didn’t know if it was due to the previous night’s intimacy, but today Isabelle Martin wasn’t as eager to see Jeffrey Foster; instead, she held back until she reached Jeffrey Foster’s villa area. After completing her routine check, she was hesitating whether to ring the doorbell when the villa’s door opened first.
Isabelle Martin froze slightly as she saw Jeffrey Foster slowly walking out with sorted trash.
The man was wearing a brown tweed coat and loose casual pants. Although he couldn’t see, each step he took was steady, his body erect and straight. To those unfamiliar, it was hard to tell he had a visual impairment.
Isabelle Martin was captivated, her gaze dropping to Jeffrey Foster’s lips, involuntarily recalling her boldness from the previous night.
But what made her happier was that Jeffrey Foster didn’t reject her.
The more she thought about it, the more her heart surged, to the point where she didn’t even notice Jeffrey Foster walking up beside her. It was only when she realized it that she instinctively held her breath, letting Jeffrey Foster walk past her.
Just as Isabelle Martin watched Jeffrey Foster about to walk past her, the man suddenly stopped.
From the bottom of her heart arose an unusual feeling, breathing even slower. She was particularly curious whether Jeffrey Foster could sense someone next to him—in particular, her presence.
Just as Isabelle Martin was about to lose control of her heartbeat, Jeffrey Foster started to move again.
Isabelle Martin froze slightly, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes, involuntarily sighing, only to hear the man ahead ask indifferently, "What are you sighing about?"
"You didn’t even notice me." Isabelle Martin naturally replied, but once she did, her eyes widened. "You knew I was here?"
Jeffrey Foster didn’t respond and continued walking towards the designated trash disposal area, which prompted Isabelle Martin to step forward and grab his coat collar. "Did you feel me? How did you notice?"
The girl’s voice was so excited and joyous that it caught Jeffrey Foster by surprise. But he couldn’t just tell her that he had heard Aunt Pritt mentioning she was busy outside, which coaxed him outside spontaneously.
Nor could he tell her he was able to smell her unique scent, distinguish her footsteps, and even recognize her by her mere breathing.
Even Jeffrey Foster himself didn’t understand how he managed all this.
"I heard you," he replied vaguely, restraining the curve of his lips.
Isabelle Martin didn’t delve into how Jeffrey Foster heard her, only feeling her joyful mood improve even further. Standing beside Jeffrey Foster, she chattered on about the community’s plan to renovate the blind path.
Jeffrey Foster listened quietly until Isabelle Martin finished speaking and then asked, "Was it your proposal?"
"Yeah, am I awesome or what?" Isabelle Martin couldn’t hold back and slipped into the proud tone she used with her parents and brother at home. It wasn’t until after she finished that she realized this was Jeffrey Foster. She instantly covered her face, silently scolding herself for getting carried away.
Unexpectedly, Jeffrey Foster let out a soft laugh, "Yes, truly awesome."
The more Jeffrey Foster interacted with Isabelle Martin, the more he felt she was bright and cheerful, unlike any woman he knew before.
She was privileged by birth, deeply loved at home, assertive yet kind, with the ability to love without fear of being hurt.
She belonged to an entirely different world from his.
Even Abigail, whom he once considered his only light, seemed composed because of her father’s early death and mother’s disappearance, yet she harbored more obsession and even less affection than him, traits inherited from her father.
But Isabelle Martin was really different, or perhaps children who grow up with complete love really were different from them.
She was like a little sun; though he tried to resist, he ultimately couldn’t help but draw closer.
Maybe because he had lived in the darkness for too long.
Jeffrey Foster thought self-mockingly.
When Isabelle Martin heard the man agree that she was awesome, her cheeks flushed, and she didn’t notice the fleeting sense of loss on Jeffrey Foster’s face. Instead, she leaned forward slightly towards him, saying softly, "Mr. Foster, you’ve become sweeter."
Jeffrey Foster felt the warmth of her breath and realized how close she was. The emotions he’d barely suppressed scattered, leaving behind only her words, Mr. Foster, you’ve become sweeter.
But apparently, Isabelle Martin felt this blow to Jeffrey Foster wasn’t enough, as she continued shyly while the man was still in a daze, "Is it because I kissed you? Then we should kiss more from now on. I like the sweet Mr. Foster."
Phew!
In his thirty-some years, Jeffrey Foster never imagined he’d be so flustered by a young girl, fleeing in disarray after running back to the villa, only to have Aunt Pritt, coming out of the kitchen, question why he had returned with the trash he had gone to dispose of.
He realized what he’d done—panicked by the girl’s tease, he had run back with the trash bag he meant to throw out.
Standing there, Jeffrey Foster, clutching the garbage bag, didn’t know how to answer Aunt Pritt’s query.
Aunt Pritt, though a slow-witted middle-aged woman, luckily wasn’t obtuse. Seeing Mr. Foster’s apparent distress, she didn’t press further but took the initiative, "Mr. Foster, I’ll throw it away."
Having said that, she didn’t wait for Jeffrey Foster to react. She took the garbage bag and had opened the door before Jeffrey Foster could stop her.
The following moment, Jeffrey Foster heard Aunt Pritt’s delighted voice, "Is that you, Martin? Done with work? Would you like to come in and visit Mr. Foster?"
Isabelle Martin couldn’t resist teasing Jeffrey Foster, yet she didn’t expect the man to be even more naive than she thought, running off just like that.
Is there anything more captivating in this world than the pure demeanor of an older man you fancy?
Isabelle Martin’s heart was completely hooked on Jeffrey Foster, rendering her motionless for quite a while. Upon hearing Aunt Pritt’s invitation and seeing her wink meaningfully, she could guess Aunt Pritt’s intention. Remembering a few matters from the last hospital visit that needed clarification, she agreed without hesitation.
Aunt Pritt was pleased and turned back inside to inform Mr. Foster, "Mr. Foster, I’ve invited Martin to come in, is that alright?"
For no apparent reason, hearing Isabelle Martin’s name made Jeffrey Foster’s heart quiver slightly, an electric current seeming to rush through him, sending chills down his spine.