Free Web NovelChapter 165: Chapter 161: Negative, You Are Not Pregnant
The cherry blossoms were indeed beautiful, blooming in clusters on the branches like a sea of pink flowers.
A spring breeze swept through, tugging at the delicate blossoms. They drifted on the wind and fell to the ground, creating a rare floral shower.
A blizzard of blossoms—this must be it.
Many tourists were standing under the cherry blossom trees, taking pictures.
Georgia Thorne also took a few photos.
But what she photographed was different from what most people captured.
While others photographed the blossoms blooming on the branches, she focused on the ones that had fallen to the ground.
Georgia Thorne was still on social media. She casually uploaded a photo of the ground covered in pink petals, adding a caption.
Fallen blossoms are not without feeling.
She continued walking forward and arrived at the place for drawing fortunes.
She put in one hundred yen, picked up the divination cylinder, and began to shake it.
Closing her eyes, she prayed with all her heart, and a fortune stick rolled out of the cylinder.
She opened her eyes, picked up the stick from the ground, and saw the number 96 written on it.
Taking the corresponding paper fortune, she went to consult a monk off to the side who interpreted them.
The monk interpreting the fortunes had been replaced by a younger one.
Things remain, but people have changed.
The young monk bowed to her. "Greetings, patron."
Georgia Thorne handed him her paper fortune. "Master, could you please help me interpret this?"
"Patron, this is a great fortune," the monk said, the corners of his eyes crinkling with a smile. "A chicken follows a phoenix in flight; in the high forest, it preens its feathers. A boat that needs to cross a river reaches the shore; treasures fill the ship on its return..."
The young monk went on at length. Georgia turned her head to look at the nearby rack for tying fortunes. It was so densely packed that there was hardly any space left to tie another.
"Master, are the fortunes on there ever cleared away?"
The monk paused. "Yes, they are. Many patrons come to draw fortunes every day."
Georgia Thorne stared fixedly at the rack. ’Even if I tried to find it, it would be gone by now.’
She hadn’t planned on staying long in Kyoria, so she hadn’t booked a hotel.
That afternoon, she bought a ticket for the ride back.
She didn’t get back to her apartment until the early hours of the morning. Her body was exhausted and yearned for sleep, but her mind was wide awake.
When she had seen that sea of flowers, her eyes had instantly reddened. The first person she thought of was him.
She slowly closed her eyes, unable to hide the moisture welling up in them. Turning onto her side, she let her tears soak into the pillow.
Georgia Thorne finally drifted into a hazy sleep just before dawn.
When she woke up, she had reverted to the Georgia Thorne of before—the one who neither cried nor smiled.
Every day, she threw herself into the world of her art. Gradually, she seemed to become like Seraphina Goldsmith, growing fond of silence.
Byron Shaw had once come to visit Seraphina Goldsmith in April.
He happened to arrive when they were in the middle of a competition. Both women were unusually quiet and reserved.
Especially Georgia Thorne. The change in her from two months ago was immense; it was as if she had matured a great deal in some ways.
A faint worry grew in Byron Shaw’s heart, and he sought out Georgia Thorne for a talk.
"Attorney Shaw, I think I’m doing very well right now," Georgia Thorne said, stirring the coffee on the table as its rich aroma wafted through the air.
Byron Shaw narrowed his eyes. He had introduced Georgia Thorne to Seraphina Goldsmith hoping that her dream would help her pull herself together.
Not so she would fall into a pit of despair over a man, never to recover.
"Georgia Thorne, you’ve disappointed me greatly."
Time flew by in a flash. In the blink of an eye, the training program in Akashima was coming to an end.
Georgia Thorne moved out of Mr. Ford’s apartment and back into the hotel apartment, where she was still rooming with Michelle Shields.
’Only two or three days left. I just have to endure it, and it’ll be over.’
On the day Georgia Thorne moved back, Michelle Shields wasn’t in the apartment.
She had suddenly forgotten that she’d already turned in her key when she left.
Now, without a key, she couldn’t get in.
She waited from six in the evening until eleven at night, when Michelle Shields finally returned.
She had drunk quite a lot and was being supported by a man.
The two of them had been clinging to each other intimately ever since they stepped out of the elevator, the man’s hands roaming all over Michelle Shields’ body.
This man wasn’t the same one from before.
’Probably a new boyfriend.’
Michelle Shields squinted at Georgia Thorne, her tone hostile. "Well, well, look who it is. I was wondering who it could be!"
Michelle Shields leaned in, and a foul wave of alcohol washed over Georgia’s face.
Georgia Thorne frowned, unable to stop herself from recoiling.
"Open the door."
Michelle Shields tutted. "You tell me to open the door, so I should just open the door? Who do you think you are to me!"
"Uh..."
Georgia didn’t want to argue with a drunk. If it came down to it, she would just book another room for the night.
"Come, honey, let me introduce you. This is my roommate, Georgia Thorne..."
Michelle Shields’s man glanced at Georgia Thorne and gave a greeting, and Georgia nodded back.
She spoke to him in Akashiman, "Please help find the key and open the door!"
The Akashiman man immediately began cooing at Michelle Shields in his arms. After a few sweet nothings, she took out the key and opened the door.
The Akashiman man had probably intended to stay the night, but he clearly hadn’t expected Michelle Shields to have a roommate. After placing her on the bed, he left.
Only then did Georgia drag her luggage into the room.
The bed that was supposed to be hers had been commandeered by Michelle Shields and was covered with her things.
She couldn’t stand mess and clutter. It looked like she wouldn’t be sleeping in that bed tonight.
She grabbed a change of clothes and placed her suitcase in the corner.
After a glance at Michelle Shields sleeping on the bed, she went into the bathroom.
She made do on the sofa for the night and woke up the next day with an aching back.
When Georgia Thorne came out of the bathroom after washing up, she saw that Michelle Shields was still asleep. She changed into clean clothes and went out.
With only a day or two left, the company had granted a special reprieve; they no longer had to attend lectures.
She could use these last two days off to go out and have some fun.
Georgia got ready and left the hotel.
Seraphina Goldsmith couldn’t be bothered to always answer the door, so she had given Georgia a key to her house.
Today, she wasn’t just there to return the key, but also to say goodbye.
Georgia opened the door and saw Seraphina Goldsmith sitting in a chair, quietly looking at a painting.
She was so engrossed she didn’t even notice Georgia’s arrival.
Georgia glanced at the painting. It was an unfinished design for men’s clothing.
Ever since she became famous, Seraphina Goldsmith had never designed menswear.
But in Georgia’s opinion, the design was very good. While not as stunning as her womenswear, it was bold and unique enough.
"I’m here!" Georgia coughed twice to get her attention.
Seraphina Goldsmith finally reacted, tearing the drawing paper from the easel, shredding it, and throwing it into the trash.
"Are you here to say goodbye?"
Aside from her initial flustered reaction, Seraphina had returned to her usual self.
Georgia nodded. "I’ve been in Akashima for half a year now. I’ll be returning home soon."
"Congratulations."
When the two of them were together, silence was what they shared most.
"Want to have a competition?" Seraphina offered. Georgia readily agreed, "Sure!"
Today, Seraphina seemed a bit absent-minded. While painting, she kept getting distracted.
When Georgia put down her pen, she turned to see Seraphina staring blankly at the trash can.
In that trash can were the shredded pieces of the drawing she’d torn up earlier.
’If she couldn’t bear to part with it, why did she have to tear it up?’
In the end, Seraphina Goldsmith lost this match.
Seraphina put down her pen and was about to head to the kitchen to cook, as per their rules.
"Don’t! Your cooking is terrible!" Georgia hurriedly grabbed Seraphina as she was about to enter the kitchen. "Let me do it."
Seraphina Goldsmith was truly gifted when it came to design, but when it came to cooking, she was an absolute disaster.
She had lost once and cooked a meal, a memory that was still painfully fresh in Georgia’s mind.
That night had been an absolute catastrophe.
Georgia tied on an apron, and as she was stir-frying the vegetables, Seraphina stood at the kitchen entrance.
"Blake came looking for me yesterday." Seraphina looked at her, hesitating before speaking. "What is your relationship with Blake?"
"Blake... he never brings other women here. And he even asked me to guide you. I’ve known him for many years, and he rarely praises... Ugh, never mind. I shouldn’t say any more!"
When she saw the confused look in Georgia’s eyes, Seraphina stopped abruptly, as if she had suddenly misspoken.
This left Georgia extremely frustrated. Stopping halfway through a sentence was terribly tantalizing.
But Seraphina wasn’t like other people. If she didn’t want to say something, no amount of pressure would make her talk.
After the meal, Georgia returned the key to her.
As she was preparing to leave, Seraphina looked at her. "Georgia Thorne, I never take on apprentices."
Just like when they first met, Seraphina said it with the same seriousness.
This time, however, Georgia wasn’t as surprised. A smile spread across her face. "Mm, I know."
She walked over and hugged Seraphina by the shoulders. "You’re welcome to visit Portmire. When you do, I’ll give you a proper tour of my hometown."
"Okay!"
Two days later, Georgia Thorne returned to Sinea with her colleagues from the company.
As she was boarding, Mr. and Mrs. Ford made a special trip to see her off.
"I got this especially for you. It can ward off all disasters, so you should keep it with you!" Mrs. Ford said, handing her a peace charm she had specially requested from a temple. "It’s very effective."
"Thank you!"
"After you return home, keep in touch with Blake."
In May, the temperature difference between Akashima and Sinea was only a few degrees.
Everyone was dressed in light clothing, but Georgia had also put on a cardigan.
They arrived back in the country at around one in the afternoon.
The only person who came to pick her up was Nancy Hughes.
"You, girl, you’re really something else! Leaving just like that and not coming back to see us for half a year... I can’t believe you managed to stay away!" Nancy Hughes pulled her into a tight hug. Though her words were complaining, she was so emotional that tears were about to fall.
"But I’m back now, aren’t I!" Georgia laughed and patted her shoulder. "Anyway, I’m starving. Can we grab something to eat before we catch up and reaffirm our sisterly bond?"
"Hmph, who has a sisterly bond with you, you ungrateful wretch!" Nancy’s expression was cold, but the moment she heard Georgia was hungry, she quickly pulled her toward the exit.
Georgia had already spoken with her company’s group leader, so she could leave directly with Nancy.
"You got your driver’s license?"
"Of course! You think I was just going to sit around doing nothing in Portmire while you were off studying in Akashima for six months?"
They hadn’t seen each other in half a year, and everyone had changed a lot.
Nancy Hughes’s face had lost its youthful immaturity; she looked much more mature than before.
Georgia didn’t know much about cars, but she recognized a few of the more famous brands.
For instance, the BMW in front of them had to cost at least 800,000. Nancy was still an intern; where did she get that kind of money for a car?
