I clearly heard Cherry also gasp behind me, but her gasp was muffled halfway, probably because she covered her mouth. Calvin Yance was even more stunned. My heart was about to leap out of my throat, looking at that face so close, my entire being was filled with intense embarrassment and inexplicable excitement. I had an illusion, or maybe it wasn’t—Daniel Carter did it on purpose, deliberately asserting his claim in front of Calvin Yance. I wailed internally, how am I going to face President Yance and Cherry after this? President Yance would definitely look at me with strange eyes, and Cherry would tease me ambiguously, believing my relationship with Daniel Carter isn’t clear. "Thank you, no need to trouble yourself. I’ll carry her to the car." After stabilizing me in his arms, Daniel Carter slightly turned and looked at Calvin Yance, politely expressing his gratitude. I saw Calvin Yance’s face go stiff, his raised hand paused in the air before slowly retracting. Daniel Carter didn’t care about others’ reactions; after politely thanking, he turned around holding me and walked steadily towards his car. The driver came down to open the back door, and I was startled, realizing he didn’t come alone. His car’s seat was high, and there was plenty of space, allowing me to stretch my leg a little, cautiously straightening it a bit, though I didn’t dare to fully extend it. Seeing me in pain, Daniel Carter frowned after placing me comfortably and asked sternly, "How bad is the fall really? Why didn’t you go to the hospital sooner?" He chided in a low voice while pulling up my trouser leg. I wanted to stop him, but fearing pain, I could only let him continue. When the knee was exposed, lit by the car’s illumination, it was bruised and swollen beyond belief. His expression grew tense. "You really... managed to endure this state without fearing you’ll cripple your leg?" Looking at him, I shrank back, pursed my lips, and replied, "I thought it wasn’t serious. I did an ice treatment during the day; it seemed fine..." Unexpectedly, the pain intensified as the night went on. Daniel Carter straightened his back, shutting the car door. Once seated in the car from the other side, he instructed, "Let’s go to the hospital, quickly." "Yes." The driver answered, and the vehicle sped away. As we passed the car ahead, I saw Calvin Yance and Cherry still standing beside it, with Cherry waving at us. Blushing furiously, I felt awkward and refrained from lowering the window to greet them. Half an hour later, we arrived at the city’s best private hospital. Daniel Carter wanted to carry me out again. Feeling embarrassed at the thought of being seen by many people, I refused and said, "I can walk by myself; you don’t need to carry me." He glanced at me sideways, "It’s not the first time I’ve carried you; you realize embarrassment only now?" With that, he unceremoniously carried me out of the car in a princess hold. Instinctively, I wrapped my arm around his neck, our faces drawing close. Thinking about his earlier words, I stared at his handsome face, suppressed the chaotic heartbeat, and curiously asked, "What do you mean? Have you carried me before?" "Yes, that time when you were drunk." "..." The drunken night again! Startled, I couldn’t help but ask, "That night... did we do anything else?" He glanced at me, eyes filled with teasing depth. I don’t know if it was my illusion, but I felt his gaze linger on my lips, with unspoken words at the bottom of his eyes. Since Daniel Carter made a call to the hospital on the way, a doctor was already waiting for us when we entered the emergency room. So he didn’t get a chance to answer my question. The doctor examined my injury and suggested an MRI scan. Spooked, I asked, "Is it so severe that an MRI is needed?" "Yes, an MRI has high resolution for soft tissues and gives a detailed view." I wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, when Daniel Carter already nodded in agreement, "Let’s arrange that." Turning to look at him, he bluntly said, "Do you know better than the doctor?" "..." I could only stay silent. His expression carried a slight sternness, unlike his usual gentle demeanor, leaving me unsure whether he was still upset from the morning or angry because of my injury. I was obediently wheeled by the nurse to undergo an MRI. The report results were worse than I imagined. "Patellar bone marrow edema caused by trauma, effusion in the suprapatellar bursa and joint cavity. Let’s start with conservative treatment; you’ll need at least four to six weeks of rest, minimize movement, and rest more." The doctor neatly finished explaining and turned around to write the prescription. Depressed to the extreme, I thought about the pile of tasks at the year-end, now restricted in movement, feeling utterly anxious. "Give her the best medication available, and employ any traditional therapies as well," Daniel Carter’s face was devoid of any warmth as he glanced at me and ordered the doctor. "Please be assured, Mr. Carter, we will use the best treatment methods available." Ensuring his promise, the doctor immediately called a nurse to lead me for physiotherapy. I feared pain, even the pain of injections. So upon seeing the array of shiny acupuncture needles, my first reaction was rejection, desperately wanting to flee. "Doctor, can we not use this? Needles make me queasy..." I exaggerated my condition to hide my real fear. "Needle phobia?" The doctor asked in confusion. Daniel Carter approached, "She’s afraid." I glared back at him. The doctor understood and explained, "Acupuncture isn’t painful. Your knee is heavily swollen; acupuncture can help improve blood circulation, relax tendons, unblock and relieve pain, and effectively absorb the edema caused by joint injuries." It sounded promising, but I was still terrified. However, neither the doctor nor Daniel Carter seemed inclined to respect my opinion. "Would you prefer to lie down or sit?" the doctor asked, standing and looking at me. Seeing the treatment bed was somewhat high, making it inconvenient to get up and down, I nervously said, "I’ll just sit..." Thus, the nurse brought a low stool, took out a pile of sterilized cloth from the cabinet to put on it, then lifted my leg to place it properly. Watching the doctor extract needles, my body trembled instinctively, clutching the chair’s edges tightly. The next second, Daniel Carter approached, his big palm covering my head, gently turned it away, burying my face against his chest. "Don’t look, relax," he softly comforted me, his tone full of gentleness. Even raised the coat to cover me almost entirely, ensuring I couldn’t see the doctor applying the needles. At that moment, all my senses switched channels. My thoughts couldn’t focus on the fear of needles, only his fresh forest-like scent and his warm, comforting actions. This content belongs to NoveI(F)ire.net At this moment, convincing myself we were just friends felt like a lie. As my knee turned cold, my body shivered, his voice came from above, "The doctor is disinfecting, don’t worry, relax." I wanted to, but I just couldn’t. Soon, the sensation of needles pricking flowed, my body tensed further, involuntarily making soft moaning sounds or cries... With hands tightly gripping his clothes, my mind wasn’t on defining our relationship. At that moment, he was my mental support, my reliance. After who knows how long, he gently patted my head and reminded in a low voice, "The needles are in, need to rest here for a while."