Chapter 172 As Clean As A Whistle


    "Mr. Shaw, Susie, you are back," Isabelle greeted with a grin as she put the soup in front of Madam


    Shaw.


    Slowly and cautiously, she poured the soup out from the crock. Even though the crock looked big, it


    contained only a small bowl of soup.


    "Thank you, Isa," Madam Shaw said, offering Isabelle a smile as she took the soup.


    "What are you doing here?" Julian asked with a frown when he saw Isabelle.


    He had no idea how or when Isabelle got so close to his mother, and it seemed to him that this was


    not her first time here.


    He began to wonder if he had underestimated Isabelle. He knew his mother inside out, so he knew


    how hard i t was to warm her up. Judging from the fact that she smiled at Isabelle just now, he


    reckoned that she must have built up a rather good rtionship with his mother.


    When Isabelle saw the frown on Julian''s face, she shrunk back a little. Then, she forced a look of


    innocence on her face and replied falteringly, "I... I came to make some soup for Madam Shaw.”


    Madam Shaw put down the bowl. She pulled her eyebrows together into a tight frown and stared at


    Julian. "Mind your manners, Julian. It is all thanks to


    Isa that I feel much better now."


    "Mom, you can just tell me if you''re feeling unwell and I''ll help you get the best doctor from town. I


    don''t understand why you would look for her and not me," Julian said.


    "Isa is Mr. Zachary''s disciple. She is more capable than any of the doctors out there," Madam Shaw


    refuted.


    ''Chad Zachary’s disciple?'' Julian turned to look at Isabelle, his eyes filled with shock.


    He never expected that Isabelle was Mr. Zachary''s disciple. Madam Shaw''s body condition was


    deteriorating year by year, and he had always wanted t o look for a traditional Chinese physician to


    help take care of her. Mr. Zachary was at the top of his list as he was the most prestigious traditional


    Chinese physician in the country. However, it was difficult to get ahold of his whereabouts so Julian


    had not been able to contact him until now.


    ''Just how much this woman is hiding from us?'' Julian thought inwardly.


    "Thank you for yourpliment, Madam Shaw, but I''m not as good as other doctors. I just rely on


    the secret prescription that Mr. Zachary passed to me," Isabelle hastily said.


    "Well, if you weren''t that good, Mr. Zachary would have never epted you as his disciple," Madam


    Shaw said matter of factly as she pulled Isabelle to sit next to her.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Isabelle grinned, but she did not make any remark." The soup is getting cold, Madam Shaw. Please


    have it while it''s still warm.”


    As Madam Shaw began to sip on the soup, she threw a sidelong nce at Susan, "Both of you are


    from the Shelbys, and I wonder why you’re so different. I don''t have much to ask for, I just hope that


    you could do half as great as Isa."


    "Please don''t say that, Madam Shaw. Different people specialize in different fields. I’m certain that


    I’m not a s good as Susie in terms of interior design," Isabelle quickly said.


    "You’re too humble, Isa.” Madam Shawplemented Isabelle. The rigid line of her shoulders


    eased a tiny bit, and the angr tautness of her face softened when she was looking at Isabelle.


    After that, she shot another warning gaze at Susan before resuming to sip on her soup once more.


    Susan opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water. She wanted to say something but


    nothing could form on her tongue. In the end, she just stood there, mouth mped shut. After all,


    regardless of what she said, Madam Shaw would never believe her.


    Julian narrowed his eyes, "Mom, it''s our family dinner, don’t you think that irreverent people


    shouldn''t stay here?” "I... I will leave now,” Isabelle said.


    "Just stay and have dinner with us, Isa," Madam Shaw said as she pulled Isabelle back to her seat.


    Then, she turned to Julian and continued, "Isn''t Isa Susie''s cousin? How can you say that she is


    irrelevant to us?"


    Madam Shaw had made her stand very clear that she wanted Isabelle to stay, so there was nothing


    Julian and Susan could say.


    The dinner was by far the most tortuous one Susan had ever experienced in the Shaw Mansion.


    Not only did she need to endure Madam Shaw pulling a long face at her, but she also had to listen


    to her sing praises for Isabelle.


    She was already dissatisfied with Isabelle''s motive for getting close to Julian. Now that Madam


    Shaw kept praising her, the dissatisfaction in her heart grew even more.


    After they finished their dinner, Madam Shaw patted her lips gracefully with a napkin. Then, she


    said," Julian, Susie, it''s been a long time since you both have been here. Why don’t you stay for a


    night?"


    This was the suggestion Isabelle gave after Madam Shawined about the problem between


    her and Julian. She told her that it could bring their rtionship closer. After giving it some thought,


    Madam Shaw felt she had a point, so she decided to go with her suggestion.


    "Why, Mom? You have something to tell us?" Julian frowned.


    Under normal circumstances, he would certainly obey his mother’s demand and stay. However, the


    thing was that Isabelle was in the Shaw Mansion right now and he noticed that Susan was


    ufortable in her presence. As such, he just wanted to bring Susan away from the house as


    soon as possible.


    "Why? Must I have a reason to ask you and Susie to stay for a night?” Madam Shaw''s countenance


    turned grim.


    She did not expect this from Julian at all. All she wanted was to get closer to them. Was it too much


    to ask?


    "That''s not what Julian means, Mom. We''ll stay for a night,” Susan chimed in before Julian could


    say anything.


    Madam Shaw''s expression lightened a little. "The room is already ready. I got the maids to clean the


    room up for you this morning."


    Julian and Susan nodded.


    Suddenly, Isabelle chuckled, "I''ll go prepare some fruit for you all. It''s good to have some fruit after


    having a meal.”


    "You can ask the maid to do it for you. Just sit down and talk with me," Madam Shaw replied with a


    smile.


    "I''m fine, Madam Shaw. Walking around can help digestion." As she was speaking, she had already


    risen to her feet and hopped into the kitchen. 1


    Madam Shaw threw a nce at Susan. It was as if she was saying why she could not be as good


    as Isabelle.


    "I''ll go help her out," Susan stood up and went into the kitchen as well.


    "Susie? Are you here to help me out? It''s okay, I can handle it," said Isabelle with a smile as she


    pared an apple.


    Without saying anything, Susan picked up an apple and began paring it.


    Keeping the smile on her face, Isabelle asked, "Why are you so quiet, Susie? Are you angry with


    me?"


    "Nope," Susan replied nonchntly.


    "Please don’t get me wrong, Susie. I''m not trying to grab your limelight in front of Madam Shaw. I


    just want to help Madam Shaw get better because I have a few prescriptions that might be useful to


    her," said Isabelle poutingly.


    Susan did not give her any response and continued paring the apple in her hand.


    "Susie, please believe me. I..." Isabelle pressed on pitifully.


    "Isa," Susan said. She stopped paring the apple and turned to look at Isabelle seriously, "I’m very


    grateful that you''re trying to make Mom feel better. You don''t have to exin it to me."


    Susan was telling the truth. She indeed felt sad and disappointed with Madam Shaw''s behavior.


    Madam Shaw had never acted so affectionately to her before. She had just been acquainted with


    Isabelle for only a short amount of time and yet she had already be so close to her. However,


    she was truly grateful if Isabelle could really help Madam Shaw.


    These were two different things.


    Isabelle''s eyes shone as she was surprised. She did not expect Susan to be able to stay calm.


    The tip of her lips curved up a little as she said, "It''s good to hear that, Susie. I thought you were


    angry with


    - H


    me.


    "I''m not,” Susan shook her head.


    Isabelle blinked her eyes and said, "Actually, I came to help Madam Shaw because I want to thank


    Mr. Shaw."


    "Julian? Why would you want to thank him?" Susan turned to her once more.


    "Well," Isabelle''s face blushed, "Several days ago, Mr. Shaw gave my father a business contract


    worth 5 million dors. I don''t have any other ways to repay his favor, so I figure I shoulde and


    take care of Madam Shaw."


    "Julian gave a 5-million business contract to your father?" Susan’s expression changed.


    Isabelle was stunned. Then, a wisp of panic flitted across her eyes as she asked, "Mr. Shaw didn''t


    tell you about it?"


    Susan pressed her lips into a frown.


    Isabelle was even more panicked. She hastily said, "I... Susie, although Mr. Shaw gave us arge


    contract, there is nothing between him and me. We are as clean as a whistle."