You Are The Apple of My Eyes novel Chapter 19

James was looking for Nina around the canteen, but he couldn't find her. He lost his appetite and prepared to go back to the dormitory with chagrin, obviously annoyed. He had planned to see for himself what was so special about Nina. He still couldn't comprehend how his uncle suffered a loss because of her.

Besides, he heard from Henry that John had been beaten more than once. The last time, John was even slapped across the face. 'It must have hurt a lot!' James couldn't help but rub his face as he thought of the pain inflicted by a slap.

It seemed that those two despondent matters were doomed to exist in John's otherwise glorious life, both of which were cause by one and the same person, Nina!

The more James thought about it, the more he got curious and wanted to get to know Nina. It was a pity that he missed the chance to get to know her today.

While walking, James was imagining what would happen the next time he saw Nina. Out of the blue, his musing was interrupted by a girl's cry. He looked around and from a distance, he saw a tall figure with her back to him. Had it not been for the sound of someone weeping, it would have been a beautiful sight. At first, James didn't want to meddle in other people's affairs, but when he looked carefully, he realized that the beautiful girl was none other than Nina herself. Had she slapped someone again? James became curious in what was happening and decided to have a look.

He quickly strode over and saw the crying Isabella. A red palm print was clearly visible on her fair face, and she was biting her lips in a distressed manner with tears in her eyes. She looked so pitiful, which made James feel a bit sorry for her.

"What are you doing?" James asked in an accusing tone as he passed by Nina and pulled Isabella behind him to defend her. "Why did you hit her?"

"Mr. Shi, please don't blame her. I was at fault," Isabella explained timidly while deliberately covering the mark on her face with her right hand. At the same time, she tugged at the corner of James' shirt with her left hand.

"Is she that intimidating? Why don't you dare to tell me the truth?" The more Isabella protested in defense of Nina, the more suspicious James became. Like guardian protecting a damsel in distress, James glared at Nina with contempt.

With a calm look on her face, Nina realized that James looked and behaved a lot like his annoying uncle, John. Looking at him, she couldn't help but purse her lips in dismay.

'What a stupid man!' she thought. "James Shi?"

The sound of Nina's voice fell into James' ears, and he felt an inexplicable emotion. She had a noble and domineering aura, just like John.

Nina was the same and only girl who ever dared to beat John.

When Isabella saw that James hadn't spoken anything for a long time, she mistook it for him being mesmerized by Nina's face again. She sobbed pitifully and urged him, "Mr. Shi, thank you for your help. But Nina..."

Isabella blinked her big teary eyes and looked at James pitifully. Then, she glanced at Nina timidly as if she was afraid of her. She lowered her head in defeat and began to sob uncontrollably again. She didn't forget to drag the corner of James' shirt gently with her left hand.

"What is it? Tell me the truth!" James couldn't lose face in front of a beautiful girl. He wouldn't be afraid of a mere girl either.

In the city, no one had ever dared to challenge James except John.

Even this person who had beaten his uncle had no right to challenge him. For his uncle to be beaten, that only meant his uncle was weak.

"Nina called your full name because she has no idea who you are. She didn't mean to disrespect you. Don't be mad at her, please?" Isabella pleaded with sincerity for Nina. In fact, what Isabella was doing was far from pleading, but rather, it was instigation.

The Shi family owned half of the city and was the top among the three most powerful families. Because of the great power of the Shi family, everyone would treat James with utmost courtesy.

Only Nina, a stupid, ignorant girl from the countryside, would know nothing and dared to call him in such an impolite way.

He was, first and foremost, the favored man of the Shi family.

When James saw Isabella's tear and snot, he pushed her hand away in disgust and scolded her angrily, "You are from the Zhang family. Why are you afraid of someone like her? How did she hit you? Why don't you hit her back?"

For James, he wouldn't concede about something like this. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth was his motto How come the apple of the eye of the Zhang family and the Fang family was so spineless and useless?

Isabella's eyes twinkled. She hid behind James and explained hesitantly, "I...I don't dare to hurt her. She is the one that Albert likes and she is under his protection."

"What?" Nina, who had been watching the show by the side, was suddenly confused. How did Albert get involved in this conversation? Isabella used to be good friends with Nina. She knew very well that Albert and Nina were just ordinary friends. She was indeed really good in stirring up unnecessary trouble for Nina.

"You mean Albert, who is from the Song family?" James asked in disbelief.

Isabella nodded in agreement.