Return Of The Real Heiress: Secrets And Masks

Stella gave Lydia a reassuring smile, nodded, and left the room.

However, as soon as the door closed, Lydia's expression changed dramatically.

The smile vanished, replaced by a face full of storm clouds.

Lydia got up, walked over to the window, and lifted a corner of the curtain to look down at the lively, laughing crowd below. Her eyes were filled with frustration and bitterness. After a moment, Lydia lowered the curtain and turned around.

At the exact moment she dropped the curtain, Cherise, who was sitting downstairs, happened to glance up and squint in the direction of the window.

Stella had already returned to the yard, walking up to Cora and linking her arm with hers.

"What's going on? Lydia's not coming down?" Cora asked Stella as she noticed her.

"She's staying in her room to rest," Stella replied quietly, trying to keep her voice low.

Cora snorted. "The Simpson family's nothing special. I don't like them. Rich but powerless, a business family like that won't amount to much. It's about time Lydia learned a lesson." Stella pursed her lips but didn't say anything. She simply picked up her champagne glass and clinked it with another guest

*****

Cherise and the others, however, weren't bothered by what had just happened. They continued chatting and laughing, eating and drinking as usual.

Especially with Mary and Giselle so passionate about discussing Truman and Jean's relationship, though neither of them had fully explained the situation yet.

The two were speaking with such enthusiasm. It was as though they were already planning where their kids would go to preschool.

Half an hour later, Truman arrived, looking slightly out of breath.

"You're just getting here? Didn't I remind you last night?" Giselle stood up when she saw Truman and smacked his arm. "Mom, there are too many people here. Be mindful of your image. I have some dignity to maintain," Truman said. Giselle suddenly remembered. "Oh, right! I forgot. I thought we were just at home.

"By the way, you've been dating and kept it from me? Oh, well, I have to admit that your girlfriend is absolutely incredible!" Mary, seeing this, stood up. "Mr. Simpson, right? Hey, it's nice to finally meet you in person. Can I ask you for those stars' autographs? Since you are Jean's boyfriend now, we should hang out a lot.

"Actually, I've been watching a few series lately. We should add each other on WhatsApp so we can stay in touch." Morris had already told Truman about the situation, and now he felt a bit embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head and glanced at Jean, giving her a small nod to apologize. He hadn't expected everything to unfold the way it did.

'How am I going to smooth this over later? Such a mess,' Truman thought.

<

10226 Thu Jan

Jean, noticing the nod, felt her entire body burn with heat. Her food seemed to boil from head to toe.

Before her face could fully turn red, she quickly glanced toward the bathroom, stood up, and rushed in that direction.

Xenia, watching Jean leave in a hurry, muttered to herself, "She's not actually shy, is she?"

623

In the bathroom, Jean stood in front of the mirror, splashing water on her face, trying to get rid of the redness. "What's going on? Why is it getting worse?" she mumbled to herself. "Ugh, whatever. I have to hurry back, or they will get concerned." She opened the door and was startled when she saw Lydia standing in the doorway.

"Oh my God, you scared me! Lydia, what are you doing here? Standing this close? You're here for the bathroom, right? I'll step out so you can go in," said Jean.

Lydia was frozen in place, blocking the door, staring directly at Jean with an unblinking gaze.

Jean, feeling increasingly uncomfortable under her stare, took a couple of steps back, eventually backing into the edge of the sink.

Then, forcing herself to speak up, Jean finally managed to ask, "What do you want? You don't look like you're here for the bathroom. Wait... I know... You're here for revenge, right?.

"You like Mr. Simpson, and you think I'm taking him away from you. From the way you acted at Ebb & Flow and just now, questioning us in front of everyone, it's obvious you're practically obsessed with him, isn't it?"

Lydia let out a mocking laugh. "As expected of Ms. Jarrett, pretty smart, and good-looking, too."

Jean stood straighter upon hearing that. "You know I'm from the Jarrett family? Then move out of my way. Why are you blocking me?"

Lydia chuckled twice, casually shutting the door behind her and locking it.

Jean's guard went up immediately. "Are you out of your mind? How could the Walton family raise someone terrible like you? Move out of the way, or I'll have people come over to watch. And once I get out of here, you'll regret it." Lydia smirked. "The Walton family's construction quality isn't that bad. You're dreaming if you think anyone will hear you shout. And don't think just because you're from the Jarrett family that you're something special. "Your uncle may be in power, but he won't go to war with the Walton family for you. In Clusia, my dad's influence is significant. People still rely on my father and grandfather for many things around here." Jean pointed at her. "You're too arrogant. I didn't expect you to be so vicious over a man. Mr. Simpson is unlucky to have someone like you interested in him.

"I don't know whether your father and grandfather know what you're doing, but your actions are beyond despicable. I'm leaving. Get out of my way."

Jean took a step forward, intending to push Lydia aside.

But the next second, Lydia reached out and stopped her, shoving her back with enough force to make Jean crash into the sink behind her.

After that, Lydia pulled a bottle of some unclear liquid from her pocket.

"Everyone in our family is tough. Wanting to walk out that door? Do I say yes? You really don't know your place. Hey, if I throw this stuff in your face, do you think Truman will still like you?"

+23

Jean suddenly realized she wasn't just dealing with someone who was rude. She was face-to-face with a cold and calculating devil.

"You're sick. Your mind is completely twisted." As Jean said this, Lydia took another step toward her.

"Huh? Where's Jean?" Outside the yard, Giselle asked, noticing she was missing.

Xenia pointed in the direction of the bathroom. "She went to the bathroom a little while ago."

Cherise, who had been chatting with Morris, only then heard Xenia's comment. She remembered the hostile glare from upstairs earlier.

A note of caution flashed in her eyes.

Cherise stoodnovelbin

up

and grabbed a servant passing by. "Who owns the room upstairs? Tell me!"

Cherise's tone was sharp, and the servant, clearly intimidated, stammered out. "I-it's Ms. Walton's."

Hearing this, Cherise's heart dropped. She quickly realized something was bad and rushed toward the bathroom.

And what do you think about what the Fresburg contestant and his mentor just said?"

Hank took the microphone, glanced disdainfully at the Fresburg contestant, and said, "You've already pointed out that I'm the youngest here, so even if I lose, it's not a disgrace." But who can be sure that I'm definitely going to lose?"

There's an old saying in Clusia, "A person's integrity reflects their ability." If their integrity is poor, how good can their skills really be?"

Hah, let's just wait and see!"

After Hank finished speaking, the Fresburg contestant looked a bit irritated but restrained himself and just stared at him directly.

Right after, the reporter moved the microphone to Cherise and asked, "Professor Cherise, what about you? What are your thoughts on your student and the upcoming finals?" Cherise spoke calmly, "What my student said represents my opinion."

However, I must add, being confident is good, but too much confidence is arrogance. Don't end up embarrassed later."

She said this while many pairs of eyes were watching her speak, then she snorted softly.

Many people from Clusia found this very satisfying.

But the students and mentors from Fresburg didn't see it that way; they exchanged a knowing glance, full of cleverness.

Soon, with the host's announcement, the finals began.

The two contestants moved to the center of the stage. This round required the mentors' assistance, but they could only guide with words from their seats without crossing any lines. Chapter 523

After the host finished the announcement, a staff member wheed a patient onto the stage.

Even from afar, the patient looked unwell, with a pale complexion, a face covered in acne, dark lips, and a lifeless appearance sitting in the wheelchair.

"Now, please have the contestants

17 forward for a two-minute close-u

-up

observation."

After the observation, they can have a two-minute discussion with their mentors,

"Time is short, so make the most of it," Qin urged the contestants

Hearing this, the contestants stood and moved forward for a careful glance.

up

Time flew by, and they returned to thei

mentors.

Hank moved closer to Cherise. After a nod and exchanging a few words, they remained still.

The contestant from Fresburg, on the other hand, was chatting animatedly with their mentor.

This made many in the audience nervous

What's happening? Why aren't Cherise and Hank talking? Even a little conversation would be better than sitting there still.

Can they win like this? Hopefully, they won't embarrass themselves later.

*****

The two minutes flew by, and the host announced that time was up.

Then, the host continued, "First, let's hear from the Fresburg contestant about their observations and proposed treatment plan. If possible, you may administer live treatment. Please proceed!"

Once he finished speaking, the contestant from Fresburg stood up confidently, "This patient clearly has a bacterial infection.

and his lips too. This condition was caused by contact with harmful Look at the symptoms on his face, covered in acne, bacteria."

So, treating this patient is actually quite simple. Just perform a blood test first to see if the white blood cells are significantly elevated.

If they are, administering antibiotics for two consecutive days should clear up the inflammation on his body, and his symptoms will disappear."

When the contestant finished speaking, the four judges nodded in agreement, clearly satisfied with his explanation.

In the stands, Mr. Graham asked Edmund, "Edmund, does this make sense?"

Edmund nodded, "From a Western medicine perspective, this method should be the fastest. Although the contestant is a bit arrogant, he's correct."

"Is there still hope for Henry?" Mr. Graham was starting to feel a bit nervous.

Edmund said, "Let's just wait and see for now."

The contestant from Fresburg finished speaking, and then it was Henry's turn.

He stood up slowly and said, "The Fresburg contestant isn't wrong, but that's too slow; it takes many days to heal. My method using traditional medicine is different. I only need an hour to make this patient feel full of energy." Chapter 523

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"That's nonsense, everyone knows traditional medicine is slow, let alone only taking one hour." The Fresburg contestant shouted right after Henry finished speaking.

Hank scoffed, his gaze showing a fierceness unusual for his age as he glared at the Fresburg competitor. "Like I said, medical skills reflect character. You and I will have to face off eventually) Before anyone could react, he turned to the judges, "This patient shows symptoms typical of indigestion and internal heat as described in traditional Chinese medicine.

"I deduced this from his skin condition, lip color, abdominal bleating, and the faint odor of rotten eggs I detected when I got close to him."

The host said we could administer medication to the patient, and I happen to have two pills that reduce internal heat. I guarantee this patient will feel better within an hour after taking them."

The Fresburg competitor was still stunned from Hank's intense stare, and could only watch as Hank popped the pills into the patient's mouth, unable to intervene.

He could only curse inwardly, hoping that Hank wouldn't succeed as he claimed within an hour.

However, he underestimated the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine.

The patient, who had been in a wheelchair just moments before suddenly jumped up and rushed toward the restroom near the stage.

The audience was bewildered, looking around in confusion and buzzing with conversations.

Ten minutes later, the patient came out of the restroom.

He looked noticeably relaxed, walking and laughing heartily, "This young man is really something! I haven't felt this good in a while."

"After taking your pill, I went to the restroom and expelled everything that was blocking me up. I feel like the pressure in my chest is completely gone."

His words immediately caused a stir of excitement among the crowd.

"That's amazing! We've only ever witnessed such miracles with Cherise, and now her student is just as impressive."

"Could it be that Cherise gave him the medicine?"

"Don't say that. Is it so hard to acknowledge someone else's talent? Hank was exceptional in the first two rounds as well."