A Home

After finishing the discharge procedure, Matt helped Miss Xue and Ella into the car he had rented from the hotel. He watched the little girl watch her mother with worried eyes as the nurse helped her up from the wheel chair. Only after seeing her mother settled, did Ella get into her own car seat and tied her seat belt. Seeing his passengers settled, Matt asked for directions and slowly started to drive.

Soon they had reached the small house. Matt looked around at the small rather decrepit house carefully. A bit embarrassed at the state of the house, Qian Qian avoided looking at the man and then said once again, "Thank you for staying back and helping us get home. And thank you for your patience with Ella.. "

Shaking his head, Matt alighted the car and walked to the trunk to get the wheel chair while Ella was already racing ahead and had opened the small rickety gate. Qian Qian also opened the door and when she watched her daughter running towards the door, was tempted to call her back. But unable to get up, she glared at her plastered foot and sighed helplessly.

Bringing the wheel chair forward, Matt extended his hand and continued," Miss Xue. I am not going to judge your living space. You have raised a lovely daughter and that is the best representation of your home. Please get onto the wheel chair and then I would like to say goodbye to Ella. I will be leaving this town after this."

Qian Qian nodded and slowly placed her bandaged right hand to support herself into the wheel chair. After a few minutes, Qian Qian could feel the sweat gathering on her forehead as she found it difficult to move herself without much support. Biting her lips, she was finally able to get onto the wheel chair but just as she was about to sit, the wheel chair moved backward, making Qian Qian lose her balance. Realizing that she had lost her balance, Qian Qian screamed and closed her eyes ready to fall but a strong pair of arms caught her around the waist.

Opening one eye, Qian Qian looked up and her breath shuddered as her eyes met the glittering green eyes of the man who had caught her. Her heart beating hard against her chest, she took deep breaths and opened her mouth to thank the man when she noticed that his eyes had been averted. It was at this moment she realized that Matt Long had caught her not around the waist! His hand was now resting on the side of her breasts while the loose top that a nurse had given her since she only had the hospital gown had slipped down exposing a good amount of cleavage. Her eyes widening, her unhurt hand which was gripping his shoulder moved to cover the skin bared as her cheeks and ears burned red.

At the same time, Matt also came out of his trance and his ears burned red as he realized what he had done. Steadying the wheel chair, he helped her sit, as he averted his eyes and still not meeting her eyes, went behind the chair with a muttered, "Sorry.."

Matt pushed the wheel chair to into the gate to where Ella stood waiting for them with the door open. Thankfully the house did not have any steps and Ella was pushed directly into the home. Once the two people were inside, Ella closed the door with a bang and rushed into the kitchen, shouting behind her, "Mama! I am going to go bring some water for you and Matt!"

Qian Qian turned to Matt ready to thank him and apologize for what they out her through when she noticed that he was looking around her house with a frown on his face. Wasn't he the one who had just said that the state of the house did not matter? Then why was he looking around so disapproving now?

Before she could get defensive however, Matt turned back and commented, " Miss Xue, your home is very warm and welcoming. But if I am not mistaken you and Ella live here alone. Is it safe? If I am not mistaken the backside of this house is the opposite side of the small lake where I found Ella yesterday?"

Qian Qian who had been prepared to give a cutting reply to the man was stumped when she realized that he was not finding fault but was genuinely worried about Ella. And thus she said," Not really. The visitors in this town are rare and few. And the biggest reason I chose to settle here when I left the city was because the crime rate here is next to none. So, this place is really safe."

Matt looked at the naive woman and suddenly felt a sense of hot anger! She had just been threatened by the mayor of this town and here she was telling him this place was safe?