Arrogant Man VS Unyielding Woman
Chapter 159 Faint

When Maranda put forward her question, Jean found that she had no answer as to why she wasn't taking Zed's call. So Jean sighed and swiped the screen to answer the call. "Why did you take so long?" Zed asked with concern.

"Um..." Jean didn't know where to start. So many things had happened. Since she felt a little guilty, Jean decided to apologize, "I'm sorry. Something came up and I forgot to call you. You must have been worried."

"You got busy? Right after you got off the bus?" Zed said in disbelief. It's not like Jean had gone to the company and found herself swamped with assignments. She was traveling to a shoot location. What could have kept her so busy on the bus ride that she forgot to call? "I wanted to come back early, so I've been trying to finish a few things." Jean replied feebly hoping that Zed would be pacified with that answer.

"Okay. Take care of yourself and don't work too hard." A part of Zed believed Jean's explanation. And so, he decided to gently remind her that while work was important, she needed to take care of herself as well.

The thought that Jean was working longer hours so that she could come home early made Zed smile.

"I will. Take care of yourself as well, okay? You have just recovered. If you exhaust yourself, you'll have a relapse. Get plenty of rest, yeah?" Jean reminded Zed that he was still weak from his last illness and that although he felt well, his body needed time to recover its full strength. Thinking about Zed's concern, Jean blushed.

Zed smiled at Jean's thoughtfulness. He liked that she was slowly talking to him and expressing her feelings and concerns. This was a new milestone in their relationship. He could sense that she was still being a little reserved. He also knew that Jean didn't like to ask for help. And so, he said, "If there's any trouble at all, make sure you call me, all right?" Zed was worried. This wasn't Jean's first business trip, but a lot of people were envious of her and often caused trouble. Zed wanted to make sure that Jean understood that he would help and support her as best as possible.

"I know." Jean smiled as she whispered. Regardless of the ups and downs in their relationship, the one thing she knew without a doubt was that Zed would always be there for her.

After Zed ended the call, Jean sighed with relief. She was glad that he hadn't been upset that she had forgotten to call. Jean was also relieved that he accepted her explanation and didn't probe her for more information.

"Jean, it looks like you are afraid of Zed." Maranda concluded after hearing Jean's side of the conversation. She furrowed her brows as she spoke to Jean.

"Afraid? No, that's not it. I respect him, all right?" Jean was not sure what part of her call had given Maranda that impression, but she corrected her friend with a smile.

"I saw your expression and heard the tone of your voice when you were talking to Zed. Your face reddened and it looked like you could barely breathe. You had a perfectly valid reason for not calling him, and yet, you refused to tell him. You listened to him and gave very short answers." Before Maranda could say anything more, John interrupted her.

"Please stop talking about this. We have almost reached our destination. It's time to focus on work."

John's tone was colder than usual. Peeved at being interrupted, Maranda stuck out her tongue when John wasn't looking. Then she turned to look at Jean.

Jean wondered why John had spoken so sternly. Yes, he was a man of few words and yes, he didn't show many emotions when working, but he had never been this detached.

The more Jean thought about it, the more convinced she became that John had become more distant.

She wondered whether he had been through something terrible.

He had never been very friendly, but he wasn't a mean person either.

A sense of foreboding filled Jean and she thought it would be best if she had a private conversation with John about all this. It wouldn't do to have any misunderstandings!

Once the car had stopped, John, Jean, and Maranda looked at the scenery around them. Slowly, they stepped out of the car in a daze. The vast stretches of natural terrain before them were so splendid that they were rendered speechless. "Beautiful! Spectacular!" Jean whispered in awe.

She hurriedly took out her camera and pressed the shutter. She wanted to capture the magnificent scenery from different angles.

Seeing how engaged Jean was, John's expression softened. He gazed at her busy petit figure.

"John..." Maranda said as she set up her camera. Something was not quite right and she needed John to take a look. When she turned, she caught John staring at Jean. She was stunned.

"Uhm?" John answered casually as he forced himself to look away from Jean. When he finally turned, he saw that Maranda seemed dismayed.

Damn it! He had been too careless.

Maranda had seen how he was adoring Jean.

"What?" John asked nonchalantly. If he were to behave oddly now, he would confirm Maranda's suspicions. So it was best if he behaved as though nothing odd had happened.

Maranda's face paled. She knew what she had seen; after all, she often looked at John the same way. She lowered her eyes so that John wouldn't see her emotional turmoil.

Her heart ached like never before. It turned out that John had refused Maranda because he was infatuated by someone else. If that wasn't bad enough, the person John liked was none other than Maranda's best friend, Jean.

Maranda's breath hitched and her cheeks reddened. She thought of all the times that she and Jean had been with John and the way he had looked, smiled, and talked. Had all of it been for Jean? And what about his effort to buy medicines and water for Maranda when he found out that she wasn't well? Was that also for Jean's benefit?

Jean was perfect for John. As the thought crossed her mind, Maranda's shoulders sagged.

"Nothing." Maranda shook her head. She smiled bitterly, picked up her camera, and silently walked away.

Maranda's reaction stumped John. Since Jean and Maranda were good friends, John was worried that she might tell Jean. That would be disastrous.

John was overwhelmed with mixed feelings. He dashed forward and grabbed Maranda's arm. When he spun her around to face him, he saw her red, tear-filled eyes. Her beautiful face had paled so much that his heart twitched.

"Why are you crying?" John asked impatiently as he was agitated.

"It's nothing.." Maranda hurriedly answered as she wiped her face. She shook her head in defeat.

"What you just saw... no..." John stopped mid-way through his explanation. He looked at Maranda in confusion as he tried to think of a way to explain all this. Finally, when he couldn't think of anything, he said coldly, "Don't tell anyone, especially her. Do you understand?" "... Okay." Maranda had been expecting that. Jean was married. She was also completely devoted to Zed. Jean and John were co-workers. This kind of revelation would complicate too many things.

Although a part of John was relieved that Maranda had agreed not to tell Jean, a part of him was still feeling torn. Agitated because he couldn't understand what he was feeling, John

Let go of Maranda's arm and walked away.

Maranda couldn't hold back her sorrow any more. She had tried to be brave. She had tried to walk away. Had John not stopped her, she might have been able to convince herself that she was mistaken about what she had seen. However, before she could process what she had seen, John's behavior confirmed what she had feared to be true.

What should she do?

Maranda had thought that she would be okay with admiring John from a distance. She had convinced herself that even if he didn't reciprocate her love, Maranda would be able to work with him, see him, and speak with him every day. But the way her heart was aching, Maranda felt as though she would die.

'Why?'

Self-pity and an acute sense of unfairness filled Maranda. She fell to the ground, placed her hands on her face, and began to weep.

Jean was so immersed in the wonder of nature that she had forgotten about everything else.

She took picture after picture, exploring every little path that came across her way. The meadows, the trees, the way the sunlight sprinkled through the foliage, everything that Jean saw mesmerized her.

Everywhere she looked, Jean saw green. This was so refreshingly different from the concrete and metal scene in the city. Even the air she breathed was fragrant.

Jean wasn't in a hurry to leave. She left the camera hanging on her neck as she stretched her arms above her head and slowly closed her eyes.

When she opened her eyes, her whole body was filled with a sense of satisfaction that she had never felt before.

What if she could live here, away from everything?

Jean could just imagine what life would be like in a small house in the middle of a scenic spot like this one. There were no people around at all. She would be free from everything, the Wen family, complications with Ethan and Selena, and everything else that had troubled

her.

But, would Zed love living here?

She smiled when she thought of life with Zed in a place like this.

Still lost in her fantasy world, Jean didn't pay much attention to the whereabouts of her colleagues.

Halfway back to the spot where she had left her friends, Jean saw John. He seemed to have finished taking his photographs. So they walked back together.

"I wonder how Maranda is doing." Jean asked casually, as she picked up a leaf and put it in her mouth.

John didn't answer. Instead, he fidgeted and looked uncomfortable.

Jean didn't expect any answer from him since she had just voiced a thought.

John kept silent as he walked. Then, he suddenly stopped and looked at Jean. "Jean, I want to say something."

Jean, who had been walking with her head bowed, didn't notice that John had stopped. She almost bumped into him.

"What do you want to say," she asked before remembering that Maranda was alone. So she quickly added, "Let's talk after we replace Maranda." Jean brushed past John without giving him time to reply.

"Jean..." John said as he reached out and grabbed her arm. His expression showed the sincerity and turmoil he was feeling.

Jean's heart started to pound all of a sudden.

"Hey, you two. The girl over there, is she your friend? She just fainted."00000