Chapter 83
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Downstairs, in the living room, Noelle sat on the sofa beside Kimberly, engrossed in peeling walnuts. The shells were tough, requiring a tool, but
Noelle had no trouble.
With one hand, she cracked two at once with a sharp “crack,” effortlessly breaking the nuts apart.
Eli watched in disbelief. ‘Holy crap… Is she some kind of superhuman?‘
Damon, sitting on the other side of the room, explained to his parents what had happened at school when Eli revealed Noelle’s identity.
“This is what happened. I thought it was important to fill you in,” Damon said.
Kimberly paused, thoughtfully. “No wonder Leia has been off lately. This must have hit her hard–her emotions are sensitive, and suddenly revealing her identity like that was a big blow.”
Kimberly turned to Eli, disapproving. “Eli, what were you thinking? That was reckless.”
Eli shot back, looking up at his mother, “Mom, what else was I supposed to do? Everyone at school was spreading rumors that Noelle was an illegitimate child. If I hadn’t stepped in, Noelle wouldn’t be able to survive there! And if she really was an illegitimate child, doesn’t that make Dad the adulterer? This could tarnish the Anderson family’s reputation!”
At the mention of the family’s reputation, Vincent, who had been quietly listening, raised his head and spoke up. “He’s right. This rumor is ridiculous, and it needs to be cleared up.”
Kimberly sighed. “True, but Leia’s the one suffering here.”
Eli, not agreeing, shot back, “How is Leia suffering? We’ve given her everything she could want—she’s lived like royalty in the Anderson family. No one’s treated her unfairly.”
“If anyone’s suffering, it’s Noelle!” Eli continued, his voice rising. “She’s been on her own all this time, only to come back and be called an illegitimate child, bullied and ostracized. Who’s thinking about her feelings?”
“Huh?” Noelle’s ears perked up.
She looked up at Eli with a surprised and delighted expression. “Eli, you really care about how I feel? I’m so touched…”
Eli, though, wasn’t as thrilled. Seeing her doe–eyed expression made him want to pull his hair out.
It was supposed to be a sweet brother–sister moment, but something about the way she looked at him made it feel more like a scene from a ridiculous comedy.
Eli sighed, exasperated, and shoved Noelle’s head down. “Just crack your walnuts and stop talking.”
Vincent, ever the diplomat, leaned back into the sofa and massaged his temple. “Well, now that things have come this far, Noelle’s identity is pretty much out in the open. Maybe it’s time we officially introduce her to the world.”
Kimberly, noticing her husband’s pained expression, immediately became concerned. “Vincent, is your head bothering you again?”
“Yeah, probably didn’t get enough rest,” Vincent murmured. He had long struggled with chronic headaches, managing them with medication.
Eli, curious, raised an eyebrow. “Dad, you’ve been taking all these meds, how come it still hurts?”
Damon, serious as always, frowned. “Dad’s got some internal injuries. Medicine alone won’t fix that. He refuses to get surgery.”
Noelle, overhearing their conversation, thought for a moment before offering, “Dad, would you like me to give you a massage? There are pressure points on your head that can help ease the pain.”
“Massage?” Vincent hesitated.
Eli, ever the skeptic, quickly interrupted, “Don’t mess around. You’re probably going to make his condition worse with your rough touch.”
And Eli had every reason to be concerned. He had just witnessed Noelle crushing walnuts with her bare hands, and he knew how strong she was. The last thing his fragile dad needed was a rough massage from her.
“No way, that’s not true!”
Noelle puffed her cheeks in defiance, saying, “I’m a professional masseuse, you know? ‘Master masseuse,’ ever heard of it? I’m one of them.”
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1:05 PM
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e
Q
Chapter 83
The term “Master masseuse” is a prestigious title in the industry, reserved for those with exceptional skills.
There are fewer than 20 “Master masseuses” in the entire field.
And because of that, anyone fortunate enough to have a “Master masseuse” give them a massage is no ordinary person–they’re top–tier figures.
“Master masseuse?” Eli scoffed. “You? You’re barely old enough to be considered a ‘pro‘ master masseuse refers to seasoned experts, not kids like you!”
Noelle glared at him. “You underestimate me, Eli.”
With that, she strutted toward Vincent, rolling up her sleeves with determination. “Dad, just wait. You’ll see how amazing my technique is!”
Vincent, seeing the look of determination on her face, relented. “Alright, give it a try.”
“Okay!” Noelle grinned and pressed her hands to Vincent’s head, expertly massaging his pressure points.
Eli, anxious, leaned in. “Dad, how’s she doing? Is she being too rough?”
“It’s not too rough. Actually, it feels pretty good,” Vincent replied, his furrowed brows beginning to relax.
Noelle, pleased with herself, raised an eyebrow at Eli, then turned to Vincent. “Dad, there are tons of pressure points on the head. Regular massages can do wonders for your health. This is way better than popping pills.”
“Yeah, it’s better not to take medicine if we can avoid it,” Vincent agreed, his voice now calm and relaxed.
hurt, and his voice was lazy.
After a few more moments, Noelle removed her hands and asked, “Dad, does your head still hurt?”
Vincent, opening his eyes, was surprised to find that the pain had completely gone. “Wow, I feel so much better! It’s actually gone!”
The Anderson family was stunned.
Eli, in total disbelief, exclaimed, “No way. Just from a little massage? That’s unbelievable!”
Kimberly, her worry turning to relief, smiled brightly. “Vincent, you’re not in pain anymore?”
Damon, equally amazed, muttered, “Is this for real?”
Vincent, equally surprised, looked at Noelle with newfound respect. “Noelle, you really know your stuff.”
Noelle, enjoying the stunned reactions, puffed out her chest proudly. “I told you! I’m a master masseuse in the massage world. You can’t get an appointment with me unless you’re someone special.”
She winked at Vincent. “By the way, Dad, when I was massaging you, I noticed that your head’s blood circulation isn’t great. I even felt some lumps in certain spots. That could be why you’ve been getting those headaches. If you’re willing, I can give you a full medical treatment and prescribe some herbs. A few rounds of this and your headaches will be completely cured.”
Noelle spoke so confidently that it sounded almost like a professional diagnosis.
The Anderson family exchanged glances, falling into stunned silence.
Finally, Eli broke the silence, his voice tinged with disbelief. “Noelle, you can do medical treatment too?”
“Of course!” Noelle nodded enthusiastically. “I used to work for this old expert who’s a real pro. He said I have a talent for this stuff, so he taught me everything about traditional medicine. He even said I’m his only disciple!”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the family members were struck silent once again.
Vincent was deep in thought. “She’s worked so many jobs, but how many has she had?”
Kimberly wondered, “Wait… is this girl some kind of genius?”
Damon was stunned. “She’s a martial artist, a great driver, a top chef, and now a master masseuse in the massage world–plus a disciple of a medical expert? How many talents does Noelle have? What in the world has she been doing all this time?”
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