novelraw Chapter 448: Aspiring to Stand Up and Become That Perfect Heir of the Xie Clan from the Past
Chapter 448: Aspiring to Stand Up and Become That Perfect Heir of the Xie Clan from the Past
Richard Shaw had just finished showering and hadn’t had the chance to get dressed yet when she barged in, pushing the door open.
Leah froze for two seconds before reacting. She turned her back while clutching the fish tank in her arms tightly and angrily said, "Why aren’t you wearing clothes?"
Casimir Shaw had recently started raising a little green turtle and enjoyed feeding it in his free time. That evening, Leah noticed the little turtle wasn’t moving and brought it over for him to check. She never expected to stumble upon such a scene.
Richard remained calm as he stood up and walked to the wardrobe to grab some clothes, murmuring in a low voice, "This is how I sleep."
When Leah recalled the scene she had just witnessed, she felt her blood rush straight to her face. How could a man in a wheelchair have such a great body? Those evenly distributed six-pack abs exuded both power and beauty.
While Leah’s mind wandered, she suddenly heard a muffled groan behind her.
She quickly turned around to see the man who had been sitting on the bed now lying on the floor. Completely forgetting whether he was dressed or not, she rushed over and scolded him with mild anger, "How can you be so careless?"
The floor was slightly slippery, and Richard had fallen while trying to reach for his wheelchair.
The man sat on the ground, his handsome and resolute face carrying a faint shadow of grim sadness.
Leah noticed he wasn’t saying a word, so she reached out to poke his arm. Feeling the solid muscle beneath, she cautiously asked, "Does it hurt a lot?"
The man lifted his gaze to look at the alluringly cold yet charming face so close to him. Her peach blossom eyes shimmered with watery brightness, and her lips, as delicate as petals, seemed even more enticing. Perhaps it was because she’d just bathed—she wore only an oversized, simple T-shirt that revealed her graceful butterfly clavicles.
Richard closed his eyes slightly and, upon reopening them, the amber depths of his gaze were laden with unfathomable darkness.
"Miss Leah," he said in a deep voice, his eyelids lowering to hide the shadow in his eyes. "Although my legs are paralyzed, if you keep staring at me like that, I might think you’re interested in me. After my wife left, I haven’t had thoughts of finding someone new."
Leah’s peach blossom eyes widened in shock. She pointed at herself and then at him. This old man—was he rejecting her? Wait, no. This old man—just because he was her type in terms of looks and had a good body, she’d merely glanced at him for a moment longer. Did he really have to insult her like this?
"Rest assured, no matter how desperate I might get, I wouldn’t choose someone like you." Leah snorted coldly, though her gaze wavered slightly and landed on the man’s enticing muscles again. Her face flushed uncontrollably as she abruptly stood up and stormed out.
Richard finally exhaled a sigh of relief after she left, his tense body relaxing at last. He didn’t want to scare her away, but heaven knows how much he longed for her to approach him.
But not now—not in this wretched body that couldn’t move.
The man looked at the little green turtle she had forgotten on her way out. Reaching out with his large, slightly rough hand, he took the overly full turtle from the tank. His handsome and resolute face darkened slightly. He was just like this little turtle trapped in a fish tank, unable to go anywhere.
For the first time in seven years, Richard Shaw thought about his crippled legs and wished he could stand up again—to once more become the perfect scion of the Shaw family that he had been in the past.