(Chapter 50) Increased Workload On Her Mind

"How is it?" Astrid asked Francesca. Of course, she was asking about the connections she was making with her mother.

Francesca smiled and put Leone's words in the back of her head. "Great! I didn't realize your mother was my idol! But then again... I guess I should have noticed." Francesca was so surprised hearing Mrs. Tuhs calls herself 'Volgader'.

Leone was in the dark. 'Astrid's mother? But wasn't Francesca's idol her tutor?' Leone then had a look at Astrid's face.

"Mm, I heard you got your first audition coming up. Good luck." Astrid gave a toast to Francesca.

Francesca beamed. "Mmmm, thanks." She accepted it, clinking their glasses together.

Winoa inwardly sighed. How would Francesca react when she learned that Astrid and Mrs. Tuhs had spent an entire night planning her debut year?

"Oh, Leone. What are you going to do when you leave school?" Francesca guessed that Astrid would follow in her father's footsteps. While Winoa would follow. That only left the fool.

Leone pumped himself up. "Of course, I will become a great businessman!" He spoke with such confidence, it made Winoa feel bad for him.

Francesca looked at him blankly. "You? A businessman?" She couldn't link a powerful CEO to this... Thing.

Leone acted as he was hurt. "Oh. How I feel hurt!" He was overdramatic, making Francesca start to raise her fist.

Seeing the violence that was going to occur. Leone nervously chuckled. "Ah, I'm joking, joking. I always wanted to become my brother's right-hand man..." He spoke with some brooding. He knew he couldn't become his brother's right-hand man just because he wanted to.

The topic wasn't brought up again. Francesca felt that the fool had grown up and seen the errors in his way. She was sure he would find something he enjoyed without much trouble...

With that conversation, the party was coming to an end. A banquet was held where Astrid dutifully finished her plate every time without fail. While Lewis would be unknowingly staring at her with a blank expression.

Astrid took some deep breathes as she walked out into the cold breeze. She might have eaten too much today. Combined that with her stomach cramps and she didn't feel all that well.

Winoa saw Astrid struggle and began to support her, so she quickly got into the car they were going to take home. Lewis watched this from afar. With a frown on his face.

Mr. Di Rui sent everyone away alongside his daughter with a smile. He noticed that the looks some people gave him was different. After knowing how solidly he was acquainted with Mr. Tuhs, he was sure he would have some new business partners soon.

He also was happy to see his daughter gain some connections. He was ever thankful to Mrs. Tuhs, who had connected her with some crucial faces.

.......

"I'll be fine. I just ate too much." Astrid refused her mother to get some medicine for her back home. She needed to lie down.

Mrs. Tuhs gave a nod. She also wanted to remind Astrid that she hadn't eaten her soup for the day... But she secretly wanted to see if Astrid even needed it anymore.

Mr. Tuhs sighed watching his wife's expression. He had a general idea of what she was thinking. And he was also interested. Although he didn't understand Astrid's illness. An extremely reputable face in the medical industry had created the soup to curb her illness. And then Veronica would supply everything needed for it.

Winoa sent Astrid into her room and was surprised to see Astrid nonchalantly start undressing herself.

Astrid then saw Winoa's bewildered face and looked at her funny. "Should I be sleeping in my dress?" She asked in bewilderment, she thought she understood fashion a bit better now. She had chosen her entire outfit and for one her mother didn't complain about anything.

Winoa shook her head. "No, I was just thinking about how pretty you are." Winoa spoke her mind. Making Astrid extremely surprised.

The sudden change in Astrid's expression was caught by Winoa. But she then watched Astrid's expression turn sly.

"It's not like we haven't seen each other naked before. There is no need to call me pretty." Astrid then continued to undress herself.

Winoa sighed. She didn't feel romantic emotions to Astrid. She was her good friend and master! But, Astrid didn't lie when she said they had seen each other naked before. They had some moments in the past where they would bathe together like sisters.

Astrid took off her dress and was left with her underwear. With her newfound knowledge in fashion, she was able to dress herself comfortably. And she didn't have the word embarrassed in her dictionary either, so she carried her mostly naked self with confidence.

"Is something wrong?" Astrid asked Winoa when Winoa had started to walk out, normally she would say something or start to report on her learnings...

What Astrid couldn't understand, was that she was currently undressing in front of Winoa. Although Winoa had no impure thoughts, she didn't want any accidents to happen.

"You are getting changed. So I'm leaving your room." Winoa spoke calmly. The issue didn't make her embarrassed she just spoke as if it was normal.

"Who said I was changing?" Astrid started to look at Winoa like she had three heads. What was she thinking today?

Winoa almost vomited blood. 'What was she on about!? Why are we even having this conversation right now!?'

"O-Oh." Winoa couldn't help but falter from Astrid's honest words.

"Alright, dismissed." Astrid had her time teasing Winoa. At least she managed to get some reaction.

Winoa left her room, leaving Astrid to dress herself...

'I think I need a cigarette.' Astrid sighed as she took a seat on her bed.

She had smoked in her previous life to help herself think. She had been scheming so much recently that even she felt stress pile up on her. She was required to manage her own growing company, overlook Hanxi. Sniff out any dangers or threats. And try to train up herself and other people.

Astrid's brain may be able to work at much higher levels than others, but that meant there was also an increased amount of pressure on her body and mind.

Astrid then looked down at her bulging stomach and sighed. She wanted to refrain from smoking for now. Especially when baby Anya was so young. But she didn't think she could refrain for long.

Astrid got herself into bed. Awaiting a blissful sleep, as she knew she had a lot of work ahead of her...