Under the Heiress' Facade
Chapter 171

Gurdyroots weren't exactly rare on the market. Century-old gurdyroots, on the other hand, werevery rare to replace nowadays.

Hera opened her laptop and logged into the Divine Forum, which she hadn't visited for quite sometime. She asked a few alternative medical practitioners who were quite well-known for their ownmerit while ignoring the unread notifications. Alas, none of them possessed a century-old gurdyroot.

Her phone rang loudly at that moment. It was a call from Bernard.

"It's already night time. Where are you?" His husky voice drifted out of the loudspeaker.

Hera glanced at the time. Only then did she notice that it was already 7:00 pm.

The sky had already gone dark. All the streetlights on the campus were brightly lit.

"I'm still at the academy," Hera replied.

"Which part of the academy?"

Bernard's question caught Hera off guard. "Are you still at the academy?"

She remembered telling Bernard on WhatsApp earlier that afternoon that she needed to performher duty roster chores, so she'd go home later than usual. That was why she wanted Bernard to gohome on his own after he was done with his business at the academy.

"Yeah. I've just completed my business. I'll come get you right now. But I don't see any lights in thejunior year students' classroom block."

"Don't go anywhere. I'll go replace you instead."

Hera recalled that Bernard was still stuck in his wheelchair, so she quickly switched off her laptopand put on her jacket. She made sure to lock the chemistry lab up before scurrying away.

There was a short distance between the chemistry lab and classroom blocks. Hera descended allthe way to the first floor. She spotted Bernard as she hurried down the path.

He could be seen sitting in his wheelchair on the deserted path. The dim yellow streetlight tracedthe outline of his handsome face, casting dark shadows on a portion of his face.

Bernard's regal-like bearing and sitting position made him seem like he was sitting on a throneinstead of a wheelchair.

But the night breeze was extraordinarily chilly. His hands, which rested on the arms of thewheelchair, were starting to turn blue from the cold—the thought of Bernard wheeling everywhere insearch of her strummed Hera's heartstrings.

"Why didn't you call me in advance?" she asked while approaching Bernard. A ball of white mistescaped from her lips as she spoke.

The temperature in Norburgh often dipped a few degrees lower during winter nights.

"I've already texted you, but you never replied," Bernard said. He dragged out his words slightly,making him seem pitiful and helpless.

Hera tapped on her WhatsApp and switched accounts once again. Only then did she notice the textmessage Bernard had sent her half an hour ago. He had told her that he'd come over to pick her up.

Suddenly, she felt a little guilty.

Bernard lifted the woolen quilt that was draped over his lap in an attempt to drape it over Hera'sshoulders. But he couldn't reach her due to him being a lot shorter than her, seeing as he was

confined to his wheelchair.

He was silent for a moment before saying, "Come here."

Hera could tell what Bernard was trying to do. She opted to stand before him without budging at all,her eyes silently fixed on his figure.

"Perhaps you can try to stand up."

Bernard didn't respond at all. He had a feeling that Hera was mocking him.

But if he were to rise to his feet right in front of Hera, she'd have discovered that he was perfectlycapable of caring for himself.

So, Bernard reached out to take Hera's hand.

Surprised, Hera soon felt the coldness flaring from Bernard's bigger hand, making her heart skip abeat.

Suddenly, Bernard pulled her into his arms with a strong tug.

His actions shocked Hera, but she dared not squirm around for fear that she might accidentallymake contact with his injuries.

Bernard's frame was a lot warmer than his hand. His familiar smoky scent shot up Hera's nostrilsinstantly, though it felt colder thanks to the night's chill. It made her head clearer than usual.

As Bernard draped the quilt over Hera's shoulders, he placed his hand on her back and pulled hercloser into his arms. He breathed in her light fragrance at the same time.

The dim light cast down on the pair, dragging out their shadows on the desolate path.

Suddenly, two beams of light were pointed in their direction. It appeared that a car had cruised intothe campus and had chosen to go down the path they were on.

Hera snapped out of her trance and got up instantly. Meanwhile, Bernard shot a displeased look atthe incoming car.

Douglas, who was seated in the driver's seat, could feel Bernard's murderous gaze being fixed onhim. He shuddered instinctively before stepping on the brakes.

He didn't mean to interrupt Bernard and Hera's private time on purpose!

Upon spotting the familiar license plate number, Hera moved to open the car door. The moment shesaw Douglas, she commented, "I see you're back from your vacation."

"Yes, Ms. Youngworth," Douglas replied.