Mr. Smith felt it necessary to share his speculation with Miss Snow, allowing her to prepare in advance for the impending arrival of her parents.
He thus informed Melanie about the possibility.
Melanie tilted her head, staring at Asher in confusion. Her parents were coming? The situation seemed to have taken a strange turn since her arrival. After sizing up Asher, she concluded that he should have no problem handling her parents. Moreover, Asher wasn't officially her boyfriend yet. Her parents would likely just want to meet her friend and check on her wellbeing, nothing more. Once Melanie understood this, she gave Asher a heads-up so he wouldn't be overly startled when her parents appeared unexpectedly.
Asher nodded, maintaining a composed demeanor. Internally, however, he began to contemplate what sort of young man her parents might approve of, determined to make a favorable impression.
Two hours later, Vivienne and Leonard arrived at the hospital. Vivienne pulled Melanie close, examining her thoroughly and only relaxing when she confirmed her daughter was unharmed. Melanie expressed her annoyance, "I'm fine, so why the panic?"
Vivienne shot her a glare, unhappy about what Melanie had done—running off to B City without informing her, only confessing the truth when she couldn't hide it any longer.
Melanie quickly tried to appease her mother. Taking Vivienne to Asher's bedside, she introduced him softly, "Mom, this is Asher. You remember him, right?"
"Of course, a very outstanding young man," Vivienne assessed him, convinced that her daughter wouldn't travel so far unless she had feelings for Asher. Nevertheless, she chose not to expose Melanie's heart, preferring to preserve her dignity. Open discussion could lead to complications, and Asher seemed decent enough.
Leonard, on the other hand, regarded Asher with a hint of hostility. "I don't see what's so outstanding about him." This was the boy who had ensnared his daughter!
Before Leonard could continue, Vivienne pinched him. "Don't speak," she chided, exasperated.
Didn't he see Asher was still a patient?
Feeling guilty, Leonard swiftly adopted a genial facade, but his words were less than gracious. "Asher, I'm Melanie's father. My daughter is known for her kindness; she'd do this for anyone, so don't misunderstand and think she's interested in you just because she's staying by your side..."
Melanie covered her face, embarrassed to acknowledge Leonard as her father. Oh, please, Mom, drag him away!
Vivienne promptly dragged Leonard out of the room.
In the hallway, Vivienne glared at Leonard through gritted teeth. "Do you realize what you're saying?"
Leonard stood his ground. "Of course! I was tactfully reminding Asher not to entertain any improper thoughts about my daughter or interpret her care as romantic interest."
Vivienne responded sarcastically, "Oh, you're so clever."
Leonard's chin lifted slightly. "You're only now realizing how clever I am?"
Vivienne raised her hand, threatening to slap him.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Leonard grabbed her wrist, shocked. "Why the violence? Was I wrong?"
Vivienne struggled to free herself, to no avail. She glared at him coldly, issuing a warning. "If you don't want to upset Melanie, behave and keep your thoughts to yourself. But if you want to see her angry, go ahead and spout nonsense to Asher!"
