Chapter 679: Anniversary
Tears even formed at the corners of her eyes. After calming herself, she waved her hand. "It’s alright."
She smiled brightly. "I actually think she’s incredibly smart."
Looking back at Nia, Aurora gently replied, "No, I’m not a lesbian."
Nia nodded thoughtfully. Then, with complete seriousness, she asked, "Then why did you ask me for a kiss?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Are you some kind of pervert?"
This time, Aurora laughed even harder. She nearly doubled over from laughing. After wiping away another tear, she finally managed to answer,
"I’m definitely not a pervert. But you’re just too adorable."
She shrugged. "I couldn’t help wanting a little kiss. But since little Nia doesn’t like me, I’ll stop asking."
With that, she slowly stood up. However, a tiny hand suddenly grabbed her sleeve. Aurora turned around.
Nia was looking at her with an unusually serious expression. "Alright. Since you want it that much, I won’t stop you."
Aurora smiled before leaning down. Nia softly kissed Aurora’s cheek. Then she leaned close to Aurora’s ear and whispered in a tiny voice, "I’ll tell you a secret."
Aurora blinked curiously. Nia smiled mischievously. "I actually like lesbians."
She whispered proudly. "So, if you have any lesbian friends, please introduce them to me."
Aurora raised an eyebrow. Trying not to laugh again, she asked, "Why?"
Nia immediately answered, "Because I’m going to become an author someday."
Her eyes shone with excitement. "I want to write stories about girls loving girls and boys loving boys too."
She clasped both hands together. "So I want to talk to real people first."
Aurora chuckled warmly. "Sure."
She gently ruffled Nia’s soft hair. "I’ll introduce you when I get the chance."
After leaving the hospital room, Aurora didn’t forget to send a message to her best friend, Mia.
After all, she knew these two, Mia and Nia, were destined to meet.
Neither of them realized it now, but years later, they would become an incredible duo.
One would become a world-famous bestselling author. The other would become her talented little apprentice.
And whenever someone asked the famous author where her inspiration had come from...
She would simply smile while looking at her apprentice and proudly say,
"The very first time I wanted to write a novel... it was because this little girl inspired me."
It truly became one of those unforgettable moments. A grand, almost legendary memory.
Even years later, whenever Aurora thought back to that innocent conversation with little Nia, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
The image of the little girl asking whether she was a lesbian with such complete seriousness was simply too adorable.
Smiling to herself, Aurora quietly left Nia’s hospital room.
The scent of disinfectant once again filled her nose as she walked down the bright white corridor before arriving outside Lucas’ ward.
Gently pushing the door open, she stepped inside. Lucas was still unconscious, lying quietly on the hospital bed with several tubes attached to his body.
Beside him, Olivia sat on a chair. The moment Aurora saw her, she frowned. Olivia looked unusually pale.
Her lips had lost most of their color, and there were faint dark circles beneath her eyes. Even her breathing appeared weaker than usual.
Walking over, Aurora gently asked, "Sister..."
She crouched beside Olivia’s chair. "Are you really sure these are just period cramps?"
Her eyes carefully examined Olivia’s face. "How come you’ve been looking weaker and weaker these past few days?"
Olivia forced a smile before casually waving her hand. "Honestly, even I don’t know what’s going on."
She leaned back against the chair. "I’ve already gone to the hospital. The doctors told me it’s just a menstrual issue. Maybe I’m simply overthinking it."
The moment those words entered Aurora’s ears, something suddenly clicked inside her mind.
Her pupils contracted slightly. ’Wait... Why does this feel so familiar?’
She frowned deeply.
She was just about to say something... Click. The ward door opened once again.
Mary hurried inside. The first thing she did was walk straight toward Lucas’ bed.
Her eyes nervously scanned the heart monitor before she gently touched Lucas’ forehead.
Only after confirming that everything remained stable did she finally breathe a sigh of relief. Turning toward Aurora and Olivia, she anxiously asked, "Did Lucas have any complications?"
Olivia gently shook her head. "No. The surgery was very successful."
Hearing that, Mary’s tense shoulders finally relaxed. She placed one hand against her chest. "Thank goodness..."
A moment later, she suddenly remembered something. Turning toward Olivia, she lightly smacked her forehead. "Olivia!"
She smiled awkwardly. "I completely forgot to bring your brother’s clothes."
Mary had left in between to bring some daily necessities after Lucas’s surgery was over.
She pointed toward the apartment. "Could you go home and bring them?"
Olivia immediately nodded. "Alright."
She slowly stood up from the chair. However, before she could take another step, Aurora gently stopped her. "I’ll go. You don’t look well at all. Just stay here and rest."
Only then did Mary carefully look at Olivia. The more she observed her daughter, the more worried she became. Walking over, she gently touched Olivia’s forehead.
Her brows slowly furrowed. "Olivia, what happened?"
Meanwhile, Aurora quietly slipped out of the ward.
The moment she stepped into the empty corridor, she subconsciously began tapping her forehead with her fingers.
Her brows were tightly knitted together. She kept muttering to herself, "I remembered something, so why can’t I remember it now?"
She closed her eyes tightly. Trying desperately to organize her thoughts, she whispered,
"Come on, think, what was I trying to remember?"
No matter how hard she tried, nothing came back.
Only that strange feeling remained. A feeling that something incredibly important had slipped through her fingers.
Spencer sighed when he saw her like that and said softly, "Don’t pressurize yourself!"
"Yes... yes!"
...................................
After returning home, Aurora packed several sets of Lucas’ clothes into a travel bag. Walking over, Spencer gently asked, "Something’s bothering you."
Aurora didn’t hide anything from him. She let out a frustrated sigh. "I honestly don’t know. I keep feeling like I’ve forgotten something incredibly important."
She looked genuinely distressed. Spencer smiled softly.
Walking over behind her, he gently wrapped both arms around her waist. Resting his chin lightly on her shoulder, he whispered, "The more anxious you become, the harder it’ll be to remember."
He tightened his embrace slightly. "Calm down. Seeing you this anxious almost feels like someone’s stabbing an anxious heart."
Aurora couldn’t help smiling. She leaned completely against his chest. The warmth of his embrace gradually eased the tension in her body.
Just then, Spencer’s phone suddenly rang.
Buzz... Buzz...
He reluctantly loosened his embrace before taking out his phone. Looking apologetically at Aurora, he smiled. "Give me a minute."
He raised the phone slightly. "I’ll answer this first."
Aurora nodded understandingly. "Go ahead."
While Spencer answered the call, Aurora carried Lucas’ clothes back to the hospital.
After making sure everything on her brother’s side had been settled properly, she finally returned to the apartment later that evening.
The moment she opened the front door, she froze. The entire house had been transformed. Warm golden lights illuminated every corner of the living room.
Beautiful candles flickered softly across the dining table. Fresh roses filled the room with their delicate fragrance. Tiny fairy lights shimmered across the walls like countless little stars.
Since everyone else had conveniently been sent elsewhere for the night by Spencer, the apartment was completely theirs. Aurora slowly looked around.
Then she couldn’t help laughing.
"Oh my God, this is so romantic. If I didn’t know any better, I’d honestly think this was some kind of wedding anniversary."
Spencer rolled his eyes dramatically. Shaking his head helplessly, he muttered,
"Sometimes, I genuinely wonder whether I’m the woman in this relationship."
Aurora blinked in confusion. Spencer looked at her helplessly before smiling. "You’re unbelievably forgetful. Today is our one-year anniversary.
The moment those words entered Aurora’s ears, she completely froze. Her eyes widened. ’...What?’
A second later, realization struck. She stared blankly at Spencer before lowering her head guiltily. In an unusually small voice, she whispered,
"I’m sorry..."
She scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Would you believe me if I said I’ve been so busy lately that I completely forgot?"
Spencer simply shook his head with a helpless smile. "Forget it. I have something for you."
Taking out an elegant velvet box, he gently placed it into Aurora’s hands.
Aurora carefully opened it. Inside rested an exquisitely crafted ruby necklace. Aurora’s eyes immediately sparkled.
She couldn’t help whispering, "Wow, it’s beautiful."
Spencer smiled. "It’s one of a kind. I purchased the exclusive patent rights for its design as well."
Aurora blinked. Spencer continued, "If you ever run into financial difficulties, you can sell the necklace."
He smiled. "Or, sell the patent itself. That alone would easily be worth several billion dollars."
Aurora’s eyes instantly brightened. Looking at Spencer with admiration, she laughed. "You really know how to create a backup plan."
Spencer simply smiled. Soon afterward, they sat down together for dinner.