Our Love Story: Hard to Guard Against the Sudden Love Strike-Chapter 410 - 389: Overwhelmed with Tears

The flower vendor said, "Yes, indeed, sir, you have an eye for beauty. You know the Jade Lotus of March is the most beautiful." Saying that, he picked a bundle of white-tinted-with-pink Jade Lotus from a pile of colorful spring flowers.

Quentin Thorne handed over the money and got back into the car with the large bouquet in hand.

The taxi driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror and smiled, "Sir, are you going to meet your lover today?"

Quentin Thorne was taken aback, the shy demeanor akin to a young man first venturing into love quickly vanished, replaced by his usual gentle and elegant manner: "I am meeting a friend from my youth."

The driver smiled and didn’t inquire further.

Just this brief interaction drew Professor Thorne, who in a parallel universe held flowers to meet his lover, back into the real world.

Quentin Thorne stared blankly at the scenery speeding past outside the car window, moment after moment flashing before his eyes was the earlier days with Melinda Linton.

.

The car arrived at the residential area near Sunstone Park, Quentin Thorne got out at the gate and walked to an apartment building on the north side of the area.

He stopped outside the iron gate at the entrance, pressing the unit number of the floor located on the tenth level.

The old intercom system emitted a "beep beep beep", soon someone answered.

Quentin Thorne’s heart skipped a beat.

"Hello, who’s this?" asked the person on the other side.

Upon realizing it wasn’t Melinda’s voice, his heart settled again: "Hello, I’m looking for Lawyer Thornton’s mother."

The person hesitated for a moment before asking, "And who might you be?"

Quentin Thorne cleared his throat, clutching the bouquet tightly: "I am Professor Thorne."

"Hold on a moment." The intercom call ended.

Quentin Thorne’s heart jumped again, as nervous as a young lad about to meet his first love.

After a moment, the intercom was unlocked, and with a "click", the iron gate opened.

Quentin Thorne walked inside with the bouquet, pressed the elevator button, and ascended to the tenth floor.

Standing in the elevator, he kept swallowing to ease his tension, thinking about facing Melinda Linton, at least stabilizing his emotions to clarify things first.

He was here today for matters concerning Sienna Thornton’s surname change and entry into the family registry. Yet, the more he reminded himself, the faster his heart raced.

The elevator quickly reached the tenth floor. The door opened, and he stepped out with the Jade Lotus bouquet, stopping outside a particular unit, meticulously observing the environment where Melinda Linton lived.

The brown stainless steel security door and the floor near it had been cleaned quite thoroughly, the couplets by the door adhered neatly and intact.

He rang the doorbell, and soon someone came to open the door, a middle-aged aunt around fifty – likely the live-in caretaker Sienna Thornton mentioned.

Upon opening the door, she greeted him warmly, "Hello, Professor Thorne, please come in."

It was only with such warmth that, after opening the door and seeing the Jade Lotus bouquet in his hands, her expression froze in surprise.

Quentin Thorne didn’t dwell on the caretaker’s gaze, switched to guest slippers, and boldly entered with the bouquet.

Auntie King closed the door, followed him, and laughed, "Sister Linton’s health isn’t great, the doctor advised bed rest, I’ll take you to her," saying this, she proceeded to walk to the room behind the living room.

As Quentin Thorne followed, he closely examined this house. The design of the house was uniquely thoughtful, likely designed by Simon Forrester.

He stood at the door, listening to the caretaker inside report, "Sister Linton, Professor Thorne is here, shall I let him in now?"

"Let him in." Hearing this familiar voice, always revolving in dreams, Quentin Thorne’s hands began trembling uncontrollably.

Even when Auntie King told him to enter, he remained a bit out of sorts.

Auntie King called him once more, and he came to his senses, properly holding the bouquet, and entered the room.

The room was large, tidy, featuring a full wall of floor-to-ceiling glass. At the moment, the curtains were fully drawn back, allowing the warm spring sunlight to bathe the dark wooden floor and the white carpet within.

In one corner of the room, between a pair of leather barrel chairs, was a small dark wooden round table, atop which was a clear little vase with some pure white and pinkish Jade Lotus placed inside.

Quentin Thorne moved his gaze sideways, seeing the center of the room was a deep coffee-colored solid wood bed of about one meter eighty, adorned with cream-colored bedding, the sunlight streaming through the large windows outside, adding a cozy feel.

Quentin Thorne looked towards the woman sitting on the bed.

Her shoulder-length black hair smoothly tucked in at the ends; her skin was fair and full, yet under close inspection revealed a pale, unhealthy shade; her lips were also pale; her refined nose remained beautifully straight and delicate, while her eyes, bright and clear, still held their clarity.

Quentin Thorne’s pupils contracted slightly, quickly diverting his gaze from Melinda Linton’s face to her whole body. Her upper body wore a well-fitted cardigan of powdery purple, with small knitted flowers in green and yellow at the neckline. Her figure appeared slender still, not having changed shape despite bearing three children.

She seemed like the same sprightly young Melinda who called him "Mr. Thornton" years ago.

Quentin Thorne’s eyes reddened, dragging heavy steps towards Melinda Linton, presenting the Jade Lotus before her, voice choked with emotion, saying: "Melinda, these are your favorite flowers."

Melinda Linton also had eyes reddened, took the bouquet and placed it on her lap, selecting a few of the most beautiful ones and handed them back to Quentin Thorne: "Mr. Thornton, please help me arrange them into the vase."

Quentin Thorne watched her select the Jade Lotus, at the same time noticing her rough, swollen hands.

Instantly overwhelmed, tears streamed down as he knelt before Melinda, holding her hands to his forehead, sobbing uncontrollably.

Contrarily, Melinda, who would cry upon mentioning Quentin Thorne in the past, was surprisingly calm today.

Her gaze serene, she looked at the heartbroken Quentin kneeling before her, after a long while, spoke with her consistently gentle and delicate voice: "Mr. Thornton, I am fine; don’t cry."

Her hands had grown nearly twice the size they were, how could she possibly be fine? Yet, to Quentin Thorne, she always reported only the good and avoided the bad.

How could Quentin Thorne not understand? Just because he understood, he suffered. All this suffering stemmed from anger at his youthful ineptitude.

"Mr. Thornton, are you doing well?" Melinda Linton asked him.

Finally, he stopped crying, released Melinda’s hands, picked up the Jade Lotus Melinda had chosen earlier, turned, and placed them into the vase.

Just as there were tissues on the table, he drew two sheets, turned away from Melinda, lightly wiped the tear stains beneath his eyes, and when he turned back, his face wore the consistently gentle and elegant smile.

Sitting across Melinda in the chair, his lucid gaze fell on Melinda seated on the bed, forcing a smile: "I am well, my work is stable, and life is not hard. Melinda, how about you?"

As he asked the last question, the smile on his face faltered, his lips subtly twitched, a display of muscle effort to control the impulse to cry.