Flora’s Guide to a Second Chance at Love and Life
Chapter 1129

"Hey, I really didn't mean to get close to you on purpose." He said it with a straight face, no hint of embarrassment or guilt.

"If you don't like me doing it that way, I'll stop, alright? I'll listen to you. I'm here without any friends, so please don't ignore me." The young man looked at Flora with such a pitiful expression, his messy hair flopping over his eyes, making him seem a bit forlorn. Flora found herself at a loss. Why did this kid suddenly seem so endearing? He seemed different from the last couple of times she'd seen him. Had he switched up his approach? Learned how to tug at heartstrings by acting pitiful? Or maybe she had overthought things before, imagining him to be more complicated than he really was. Perhaps, he was just a seventeen or eighteen-year-old kid after all.

Flora thought she might've been reading too much into things. Since they met, he hadn't done anything to harm her. He even stood up for her against Kylie and Tina in the cafeteria. Well, alright then. She'd give him the benefit of the doubt this time. If he wasn't up to anything bad, that was fine. Besides, being a kid alone at the base was pretty tough.

"You better be telling the truth," Flora said, her voice cool as she pulled out a bottle of medicine from her pocket and sprinkled it on his wound. Instantly, he felt the burning pain ease off.

So, Flora had this miracle medicine the whole time and just watched him squirm? Though, he didn't think the wound was all that serious anyway.

"Feeling better?" Flora shot him a glance, her tone still lazy but noticeably warmer than before.

Seeing her become more friendly, the young man squinted, a dimple playing peek-a-boo on his cheek. It seemed like changing his tactics had worked. Act a little more pitiful and girls would soften up. Honestly, he wasn't sure what had come over him. He'd just found Flora interesting and wanted to get closer to her. After she'd cold-shouldered him and crushed his cookies, he'd spent the whole night awake, clutching the cookie crumbs, imagining kicking Tina and Kylie to the curb, still feeling a bit peeved.

He wasn't one to quit easily. He had never tried to get close to someone and failed. After a few nights of Googling, he switched up his strategy. Apparently, girls liked this sort of thing. And now, it seemed true.

"Much better, thanks," he said with a smile, his dimple deepening.

"Good, then," Flora said, standing up and helping him to his feet. "Make sure to put the medicine on when you get back, keep it dry, and don't strain it. If you want your hand to heal, take it easy for about ten to fifteen days."

"Okay." Listening to her caring

words, he felt a bit awkward, not a used to such attention. He glanced at his bandaged wound and swallowed, "You're really nice to me. No one's ever looked after me like this before."

As he spoke, his face clouded over, looking a bit gitiful. Flora studied him; he was just a sixteen or

seventeen-year-old, yet covered inet

injuries, which was indeed a bit tragic. Remembering the first time she saw him, when he'd been beaten up, it was clear his time at the base hadn't been easy.

"How'd you get those wounds? Was it those people from before?" Flora asked.

He mumbled a vague, "Yeah..."

"Why did they bully you?"

Why-

did they bully him?

"Because I'm the illegitimate kid they want hidden away," he said with a grin, like it was some kind of joke. "No one would like me."

But it didn't matter. Now, no one dared to mess with him anymore. He'd made sure to rise to the top, above all those who had bullied him before.