When I Was a Wallflower (Leo and Amelie)
Chapter 41

Chapter 41

She kept tugging at Amelie's sleeve as she led the latter to the phone screen, pointing at the screen with her tiny finger. "I only know the words 'think' and 'can'. What does it mean? Is this person saying that they want to learn from Grandpa?"

Amelie's gaze landed on the direct message on the screen. Indeed, the sender was inquiring about learning Steven's ancient skills via text message. Even though it was just an inquiry, at least they had good intentions.

Amelie hastily talked more with them, then agreed on a time and place to meet-up.

The person could only come the day after tomorrow.

When Steven heard from Amelie that someone was willing to learn more about his craft, he was elated as well. He took the effort to polish his tools until they shone, then even lubricated everything.

Not only that, even the racks in front were rearranged. From his behavior, Amelie could see his passion for passing on this craft. She swore to herself that she would definitely do everything she could to convince the person to stay as a disciple.

The next day, Steven took Amelie and Bria on a tour around the area.

Bria was curious about everything in this town, especially when they arrived at the clear creek at the edge of the town. No child would be able to resist the temptation of a running river. With a splash, the girl immediately leaped in, playing with the clear river water to her heart's content.

She would splash water around, then run around in the water, then plop her face under the water and hold her breath. Her clothes were completely drenched, but she didn't seem to mind it one bit. Bria rarely had the chance to play in the water, and this was natural mountain water, so it was cooler than usual water.

Bria isn't the strongest child. I wonder if it's alright to let her go on. Fearing that Bria might catch a cold, Amelie could only ask Steven to look after Bria as she walked home to grab a change of clothes for Bria. She had just arrived at the entrance when she saw a slender figure at the door.

The man wore a perfectly-tailored white suit. His figure wasn't perfect, but it was still quite a sight to behold. His hair was tied into a bun, and his medium-length forelocks split to the sides, somehow resembling a lumberjack.

As if sensing the movements behind him, the man turned around. When their eyes met, there was a shock on both their faces.

"Amelie... Dillon?" The person shouted out first.

Amelie also exclaimed, "Mr. Walsh?"

The man standing in front of her was none other than one of Leo's friends, Toby Walsh.

"What brings you here?" It was definitely unexpected for her to meet him there. This is just a small town, and the Walsh Family's business couldn't possibly have expanded this far, aye?

Toby raised his eyebrows, his gaze falling on the bunch of keys in her hand. "You live here?"

He pointed at the door in front of him, but Amelie didn't know the reason he visited, so she stayed silent.

Toby's gaze took on a certain intention, his eyes suddenly clearing up as if he had thought something through. "So you're... Foxy?"

Amelie looked at Toby in surprise. Even if she lived here, it wouldn't be evidence enough to prove that she was Foxy

How on earth did he come to that conclusion?

Toby seemed to have read her thoughts as he explained, "Your voice is the exact same as Foxy's, and both of you also have a child." Amelie gave a soft 'oh'.

Even though Toby was Leo's friend, he wasn't full of enmity toward her like Ashton was. She always had a decent impression of him. "Yes, I am Foxy herself." She had never concealed it on purpose before, as she admitted to it right away.

*Just as expected." Toby smiled with an unknown meaning.

Early on, he had already felt that Foxy looked like Amelie, but no one believed him.

"If that's so, Leo just lost a precious piece of treasure, didn't he?"

Amelie didn't want to mention Leo too much. "What brings you here, Mr. Walsh?" she asked, intending to avoid the topic of Leo.

Toby waved his phone. "I'm the person who sent you a private message yesterday"

"It was you?" Amelie was surprised once again. "Didn't you say that you'll come tomorrow?"

"If I came tomorrow, I probably wouldn't learn the secret that you're Foxy herself, he jokingly commented.

Amelie slightly lowered her head, pushing her hair behind her ear as she stayed silent, for she truly had no plans of appearing as Foxy. Most live streamers didn't want to expose too much of their real lives; it would be too risky and prone to trouble

"So, you're thinking of learning my father's shoe-making craft? Is that right, Mr. Walsh?" She didn't quite believe it was his true intention. Toby smiled as he stayed silent. To be honest, even if he once had familiar guesses, he was still shaken after confirming that Amelie was Foxy. "You're so talented. Even if you didn't marry Leo, you could definitely live a decent life. Why did you choose him?" His gaze was straightforward. Amelie smiled slightly. Actually, she knew that even Toby thought that she got together with Leo just for the money

"Why?" Her tone was nonchalant.

When she was 15, she accidentally learned that her mother had passed away while giving birth to her. Like any human being would, she was heartbroken after learning about the fact. She didn't want to go home and cry out her feelings to her father, so she secretly went to the hospital in town because that was where her late mother passed away.

Despite all the years under her belt, she didn't even know where her mother's grave was, so she would go to the hospital every time she missed her mother.

She was sullenly sobbing as she sat in the hospital gardens, feeling like she was a sinner and had no right to go home and see her father.

Just then, she suddenly heard a boy roaring.

Despair, helplessness, fury, and even self-abandonment were apparent in his voice.

Startled, she thought she had met a madman. As she was about to escape, she realized it was a boy about her age. The boy was lean and pale, but it didn't affect his good looks.

It wasn't a scene that could be put into words easily. A clean and prince-like boy was roaring in despair, perhaps? His pain spilled forth from his throat, so suppressive that even Amelie was affected.

In all her years living in the small town, it was her first time seeing such a charming human. It was also her first time feeling the boy's despair and helplessness.

Like a madman, he ran into everything and tore out anything that would give way, as if he was bent on destroying the world!

In the end, he ran toward her, frightening her greatly.

She thought he was going to harm her, but he ran into a sharp-cornered door-in front of her, his arm bleeding from the impact.

He fell to the ground and grabbed a rock on the ground. He gripped it so tightly, as if he were trying to grasp his own fate!

She was so startled that she dared not move for a long while. After some time, she realized that he couldn't

see.

Seeing him like that, she forgot her own sorrow as she tentatively touched him, then helped him up.

The boy refused her touch and told her to get lost!

She had never been treated like that before, so she actually ran away.

However, when she ran to the door, she doubled back, realizing she didn't have the heart to leave him all alone. After going back to him, she held her breath, not daring to exhale too loudly.

She stayed like that until the nurse who took care of him led him away. From that day onward, the boy's sorrowful and despairing form was etched into her brain, and she began to visit the hospital every day. After that, she found a chance to strike up a conversation with him, and they chatted. She knew of his tragic fate, and she also told him about her sinner-like life.

Two half-grown adults had silently developed deep feelings for each other in the midst of their common tragedies.

And then...

Amelie stopped recalling at that point, nor did she answer Toby's question. "Now that I think about it, I should thank you. If it weren't for you, Bria and I would be in great danger," she announced out of nowhere He had saved their lives twice, so they were greatly indebted to him.

Toby lowered his head, a half-smile on his face.

His long finger pressed lightly on the tip of his nose. "What if I ask you to do something in return for saving your life?