He then turned to the resident doctor and said, "Keep her under observation for two more days. Discharge her only when her mood fully improves." Turning back to Darcy, Liam smiled, "If Hugo hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known your mother was here. Don't be so polite next time. If anything happens, contact me directly." Realizing he'd said the wrong thing, he waved both hands fast. "No—hopefully there won't be a next time." Everyone in the room chuckled. Darcy was grateful. "Thank you, Dr. Carter. I really appreciate it." "My pleasure." Liam waved and left with the other medical staff. Ione looked curiously at her daughter. "Who is this 'Hugo' Dr. Carter mentioned?" "It's—" Darcy hesitated, unsure how to introduce Hugo. Just then, another visitor arrived.Hugo pushed the door open, one arm holding a bouquet of flowers, the other a gift basket of health supplements. He looked at Darcy first, then smiled at the woman in the bed. "Hello, Mrs. Gale. I'm Darcy's friend. I heard you were in the hospital and came to visit." He set the flowers and the basket on the table casually. Hugo had on a light-colored casual suit today, a smile playing on his lips—he looked gentle and polite, the total gentleman. Ione glanced at her daughter's furrowed brows. Her gut told her their relationship was anything but ordinary. She asked carefully, "You are?" "Hugo Sterling, Mrs. Gale. Please, call me Hugo." Ione's heart skipped a beat. "So you're Hugo. And Dr. Carter is...?" Hugo's smile widened. "He's my uncle by marriage. I ran into Darcy downstairs and guessed you might not be feeling well, so I asked him to take a look.""I'm so sorry to trouble you, and Dr. Carter." "Not at all. It's nothing." Then he looked at Darcy again, his gaze intense. He kept saying "Darcy" like it was sweet on his tongue, and the way he looked at her could melt steel. Ione got the picture, crystal clear. This young man is interested in my daughter. Hmm. Good looks. Judging from Dr. Carter, his family background must be decent. Better than the guy yesterday. The one yesterday seemed too imposing, his status too elevated. This one is good. Probably from a comfortable, upper-middle-class family. Not such a vast gap from my daughter. They could give it a try. Snapping out of her thoughts, Ione nudged her daughter's arm. "Darcy, peel an apple for Mr. Sterling. Don't let our guest just stand there." Helpless, Darcy stood up. "Please, have a seat," she said politely, then picked up an apple and began peeling it. Hugo didn't stand on ceremony. He sat on the sofa, watching her peel the apple while chatting with Ione. Ione asked what his family did. Hugo replied modestly, "We run a small business." Darcy frowned. Small business? A publicly listed group with annual revenue in the hundreds of billions is a "small business"? Ione asked if he had any siblings. Hugo said he was an only child. Darcy nodded inwardly. That part was true. The more she asked, the more Ione liked him, practically beaming. Finally, she couldn't resist asking directly, "Do you have a girlfriend? What kind of girl are your parents hoping for?" Realizing her mother's intention, Darcy panicked. "Mom—"Distracted, the knife slipped, slicing a cut across her finger. Blood immediately welled up. Hugo's face filled with concern. He took her injured hand, instinctively lowering his head to gently suck on the cut. "Does it hurt?" Darcy stared, stunned, her gaze fixed on the corner of his mouth. A smear of her blood was there, startlingly vivid. "Does it hurt?" Hugo asked again, looking down at her finger. "No," Darcy said, pulling her hand back from his broad palm, her senses returning. "It's just a small cut. It's fine." Hugo wasn't convinced. He asked her to wait, then went out to find a nurse. Once the door closed, Ione smiled knowingly, "See how worried he was about you? The moment you got hurt, he was frantic." Darcy's expression remained subdued. "He's just watched too many dramas. You don't need to suck the blood out of a cut." She then gently chided her mother. "Mom, it's your fault. Why did you ask him questions like that?" "What's wrong with that? He's interested in you, and I think he's a fine young man. A better match for you than yesterday's." "Mom, do you know who he is? He's the—" Before she could finish, Hugo returned with a nurse. The nurse disinfected Darcy's finger, then wrapped it neatly with gauze. Hugo frowned. "Is that enough? It won't get infected?" The nurse sighed patiently, "No. An adult's immune system isn't that weak." Her eyes flickered between Hugo and Darcy. Oh boy, another stunner. Some folks drown in attention; others starve. Life's unfair.Hugo stayed a bit longer. His phone kept buzzing, but he ignored the calls, silencing it and placing it face down on the table.