Chapter 46: Chapter 45: Simply Child’s Play

Jean Quincy wasn’t kidding. She had thrown herself into preparing for the arts academy exams, spending most of her days holed up in the dance studio practicing.

She even broke her daily ritual of visiting Aurora Sinclair in Class Six during lunch.

Luna Jennings asked with a puzzled look, “Aurora, how come Jean hasn’t come by the last couple of days? You two didn’t get into a fight, did you?”

Aurora Sinclair was busy helping Alex Warren rank up in the arena. Without looking up, she replied, “She’s dancing.”

“Oh, that’s right! The arts academy exams are starting soon! Speaking of which, Aurora, how are your preparations coming along? For the exam?”

Aurora Sinclair nodded. “I’m ready.”

Just then, her opponent’s health bar in the game emptied.

Alex Warren roared with excitement.

Meanwhile, Master Sinclair had asked Stella Sinclair to recommend a tutor for Aurora, but with the youth calligraphy and painting competition underway, it was proving difficult to find anyone. Stella asked several of her fellow association members, but no one was willing to take on the role of Aurora Sinclair’s painting instructor at the moment.

It made Master Sinclair so anxious he hadn’t slept well for days.

***

Just as the lunch break was ending, another dance student ran up to Class Six, her face etched with panic. “Sinclair, your cousin sprained her ankle—”

Before the girl could finish, a figure in blue had already shot out of the classroom like the wind.

“She’s in the school infirmary…” The girl stared, dumbfounded, her words dying on her lips as the figure vanished from sight.

’Is she even human? That was way too fast!’

Aurora Sinclair first dashed to the dance studio in the arts building, but the only person inside was a teacher who was cleaning up.

“Oh, you’re Jean’s cousin, aren’t you?”

Aurora Sinclair nodded quickly.

“She went to the school infirmary… Hey! I wasn’t finished! Why are you running so fast?”

When Aurora Sinclair reached the school infirmary, she ran right into Zeke Quincy, who was hurrying over from the athletic field.

“Aurora, how’s Jean?”

Aurora Sinclair shook her head. “I haven’t seen her yet.”

The infirmary at Kingsford No. 1 High School was a three-story white building. It had departments for general medicine, surgery, and even psychology, making it almost like a small hospital.

As soon as they entered the building, they heard Jean Quincy crying out in pain from one of the rooms.

“AHHH—it hurts, it hurts, it hurts! Please, be more gentle…”

“You silly girl. I told you to take care of yourself, but you insisted on pushing this hard. Look at how swollen your foot is! What are you going to do about the arts academy exams?” Jean Quincy’s homeroom teacher said, her voice a mixture of pity and frustration.

When Aurora Sinclair and Zeke Quincy entered, they saw Jean Quincy looking utterly miserable, sitting on the edge of a medical bed while the school doctor applied an ice pack to her foot.

Several other students in the same style of practice wear were gathered around her.

“Jean, how are you feeling?” Zeke Quincy asked, speaking first.

The moment Jean Quincy saw him and Aurora Sinclair, her lower lip quivered and her eyes reddened. “It hurts…”

Her left ankle was swelling at a visible rate, turning a nasty, bruised purple. It looked painful just to see it.

Zeke Quincy immediately asked the school doctor about her condition. The doctor explained they couldn’t be sure if she’d fractured a bone yet. If she hadn’t, it wouldn’t be too bad, but if she had, she’d need at least three months of recovery.

The doctor had already called for an ambulance to take Jean Quincy to the hospital for X-rays.

Tears streamed down Jean Quincy’s face. “I’m going to miss the exams, aren’t I?”

Zeke Quincy pressed his lips together, saying nothing. Aurora Sinclair bent down and touched her ankle, causing Jean Quincy to flinch reflexively.

“You’ll make it.”

“Really?” Jean Quincy fixed her tear-filled eyes on her, and Aurora Sinclair nodded.

But the homeroom teacher standing nearby frowned, her expression displeased. “Sinclair, class is about to start. You should head back.”

She knew Aurora Sinclair meant well, trying to comfort Jean, but such assurances felt more like a burden at a time like this. The arts academy exams were in two weeks. Even if Jean hadn’t broken a bone, two weeks was not enough time for her ankle to recover completely.

Aurora Sinclair glanced at the homeroom teacher, gently patted Jean’s head, and turned to leave.

***

That evening, Aurora Sinclair got permission from Chester Greene to take a leave of absence to visit Jean Quincy. She first went back to her apartment to grab a cloth bag, then had Butler Sinclair drive her to the Quincy residence to see Jean.

When they arrived, Hailey Gordon was there as well. Jade Sinclair’s eyes were red and puffy, a clear sign she had just been crying.

Seeing Aurora, Jade Sinclair seemed to feel a small measure of relief. She said softly, “Jean’s in her bedroom on the second floor.”

After greeting Hailey Gordon, who was on the sofa, Aurora Sinclair headed up the stairs.

Hailey Gordon glanced at the bag in Aurora’s hand, sneered, and then asked Jade Sinclair in a low voice, “Jade, did you bring a peace charm for Jean?”

Jade Sinclair’s expression tensed. She pressed her lips together and looked at her. “Sister-in-law, that’s just baseless superstition. Please don’t bring it up again…”

Hailey Gordon’s face stiffened, and she was inwardly furious.

’This Jade Sinclair really doesn’t appreciate a kind offer!’

’Serves her right that her daughter sprained her ankle and can’t go to the exams!’

***

In the upstairs bedroom.

Jean Quincy was buried under her covers, crying softly. Her left foot was completely wrapped in white gauze from ankle to toe. Even through the bandages, it was clear the entire foot was swollen.

The doctor said there were no broken bones, but she had muscle and nerve damage. It would take at least a month to recover, and even after the swelling subsided, she couldn’t do any strenuous exercise for the next three months, let alone dance. In other words, she was going to miss the arts academy exams.

“Jean, don’t be so sad. Your grades are excellent. Even if you don’t go to the film academy, you can still get into a great university,” Stella Sinclair said, sitting by the bed and handing her a tissue.

“Miss Stella, Miss Aurora is here,” a maid called from outside the door.

Jean Quincy peeked out from under her covers and said between sobs, “Let her in…”

A strange look flickered in Stella Sinclair’s eyes. ’When did those two get so close?’

Zeke Quincy opened the door for Aurora Sinclair, reminding her in a low voice, “Jean’s foot is pretty serious. They said it’ll take at least a month for the swelling to go down…”

Aurora Sinclair nodded and walked in, carrying her cloth bag.

The bedroom was filled with the pungent smell of herbal medicine. Jean Quincy was burrowed under her covers, with only her lower left leg sticking out. Her ankle had puffed up like a dinner roll.

Aurora Sinclair first greeted Tanner Sinclair, who was sitting on the sofa, before heading toward the bed with her bag to check on Jean’s foot.

“Aurora, what’s that you’re holding?”

Tanner Sinclair was the first to notice the bag in her hand.

“Medicine.”

“To treat Jean’s foot?” Tanner Sinclair asked.

Aurora Sinclair nodded.

Sue Quinn, who was also in the room, shot Aurora a mocking look and sneered, “Miss Aurora, I know you mean well, but this is no time for jokes. Your cousin is going to be a performer. Her feet are her future…”

Before she could finish, Jean Quincy threw back her covers.

“Let me see—”

She had been holding on to what Aurora Sinclair said at the infirmary—that she would be fine. Now that Aurora had brought medicine, she immediately sat up.

She didn’t know why, but she had an inexplicable faith in whatever Aurora Sinclair said.

Stella Sinclair pursed her lips, her fingers tightening on the bedsheet.

“Jean, they just put medicine on your foot…”

But Jean Quincy paid them no mind, her red-rimmed eyes fixed on the cloth bag in Aurora Sinclair’s hands.

Tanner Sinclair and Zeke Quincy walked over, their faces full of curiosity, eager to see what kind of miracle cure Aurora Sinclair had brought.

Seeing the darkening expression on her young lady’s face, Sue Quinn couldn’t help but speak up again. “Fourth Master, this is a serious matter. Shouldn’t we inform Madam Jade about this?”

But no one paid her any mind. Frustrated, Sue Quinn stamped her foot and stormed out of the room.

Aurora Sinclair sat at the foot of the bed and slowly opened the cloth bag. Inside were several crude-looking, transparent glass bottles. Though someone had neatly labeled them with strips of medical tape, hand-writing the names and instructions, they were clearly unregulated, homemade products.

The corners of Stella Sinclair’s tightly pursed lips lifted into a slight smirk.

“Aurora, what kind of medicine is this?” Tanner Sinclair picked up a small glass bottle, a hint of concern in his eyes as he examined it.

“External Injury Ointment.” Aurora Sinclair glanced at the three words written on the bottle and read them aloud.

Stella Sinclair’s face suddenly grew stern. She stood up and said gravely, “This is absurd! Aurora, how can you be joking at a time like this? You’d dare let Jean use some unregulated concoction? If something goes wrong, can you even begin to take responsibility for that?”

Jade Sinclair and Hailey Gordon, who had just rushed up the stairs, happened to overhear this, and their worried expressions eased slightly.

Sue Quinn, following close behind them, immediately added in a loud voice, “Miss Aurora, we all know you mean well, but those folk remedies from the countryside are mostly scams. The people there are ignorant, but you shouldn’t be! If someone is sick, they should go to a hospital. It’s not like we can’t afford it…”

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