Chapter 71 - 71 71 What Was Left Behind

Words : 1890 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

71: Chapter 71: What Was Left Behind 71: Chapter 71: What Was Left Behind James Brown had forgotten about Emma Campbell for the entire week. Doing such a good thing didn’t really weigh on his heart, but, when Emma showed up, he was still delighted and said with a smile, “Why didn’t you spend the weekend with your classmates instead of running over here?” When Emma saw that James Brown wasn’t reprimanding her for showing up uninvited, she immediately lifted her head, her watery eyes looking at James, and said, “I just wanted to help Big Brother Brown with some stuff.” “Well, you can go to my room and see if there’s anything you can do. I still have work to do here and won’t be able to come over for a while.” “Okay!” Emma agreed with enthusiasm and quickly made her way into James Brown’s room. At this point, Brandon Cooper came over and gave James Brown a big thumbs up, saying, “Manager Brown, you’re too awesome. I’ve been there so many times, but I’ve never come across such a top-notch girl, and she looks like a student to boot.” James Brown patted Brandon Cooper on the shoulder and said, “Brother Cooper, let’s not bring this up again with anyone else, alright? She won’t be doing that kind of thing anymore. I don’t want to ruin her life.” Brandon Cooper gave a dry laugh and replied, “Of course not, of course not. But just as a reminder, even though she’s pretty, things can get expensive if you keep her around. Make sure you don’t fall for her for real in the end.” James Brown laughed and said, “Thanks for the heads up. I’ll keep it in mind. Let’s go, back to work.” That afternoon, it was clear that everyone was a bit distracted at work, frequently glancing towards James Brown’s door because Emma would occasionally come out to hang laundry and such. Even though it was still the end of February, and YODC City was quite cold, Emma was wearing a small apron around her chest with her sleeves rolled up, revealing her delicate arms that seemed as tender as lotus roots. Especially when she carried a basin or hung clothes, she presented an image akin to a young wife. The men in the warehouse, who were used to seeing rough country girls, couldn’t control their ogling with a girl like Emma around. It was past four in the afternoon when James Brown had finished with his work and made his way back to his own room. By the door, Emma met him, brushing a small brush over his clothes, saying, “Big Brother Brown, you should change out of these clothes too; I’ll wash them for you.” James’s gaze swept the room. It had completely changed appearance, not just cleaner but everything arranged in perfect order. He genuinely admired Emma’s industry and smiled, “No need for this set. This is my work attire; it’d just get covered in dust right away even if you washed it.” “Oh, then let me just dust it off, so you don’t bring the dust inside,” Emma said, standing by James’s side, waiting for him to take off his clothes. James reluctantly took off his clothes, and Emma immediately went outside to dust them off. She then hung them on the clothesline outside before returning to the room and closing the door. The men outside were practically drooling, their minds wild with speculation about what James Brown and Emma Campbell might be doing in the room, whispering filthy jokes to each other to satisfy their sleazy thoughts. Meanwhile, inside the room, James Brown and Emma Campbell’s interaction was pure, utterly pure. James Brown sat on a chair while Emma stood in front of him, her head bowed, fidgeting with her fingers, bashful and hesitant. James Brown said with a smile, “Have a seat. You’ve been working for so long; it’s embarrassing to have you still standing.” Emma softly replied with a “Yes,” and then sat down on the edge of the bed. “How’s your father doing now?” James Brown had a pretty good impression of Emma, so he inquired about her father to see if he had mended his ways after the incident. Emma pouted slightly and said, “He’s gotten a lot better, but they beat him up pretty badly. He lost two teeth, and it took several days for the swelling on his face to go down.” James Brown smiled awkwardly. It wasn’t them who had beaten him up; it was clearly his own doing, but from what Emma was saying, he knew that her father hadn’t revealed it was him. “Has your dad been gambling these past few days?” “I don’t think so. I’ve been at school these few days, but from what he’s saying, he seriously wants to quit gambling.” “Well, that’s not bad at all, and you don’t have to worry. Just focus on your studies, okay?” “Mm-hmm, I definitely will study hard.” Emma nodded vigorously. James Brown checked the time and said, “Let’s go out and eat. I’ll treat you to a meal in the cafeteria today, okay? We still have goods to ship out later.” A smile flashed between Emma’s brows as she replied, “Sure, eating in the cafeteria sounds good.” When James Brown and Emma Campbell appeared in the cafeteria, everyone was ogling them again. Brandon Cooper immediately chimed in, “Manager Brown, why didn’t you go out to eat? The food in this cafeteria is so terrible; how can you stand it?” James Brown said, “No need, I have more work soon. A quick bite in the canteen will suffice.” In the canteen, there was only one large dining table. Usually, everyone gathered around this table to eat. Typically, there were just two dishes and one soup, but the portions were generous, so there was no concern of going hungry. The majority of those working here relied on their physical strength. Without enough to eat, they couldn’t get their work done. James Brown and Emma Campbell sat together, and someone immediately served them rice. James Brown called out to Emma and then started eating heartily, while Emma ate quietly, stealing glances at James Brown from time to time. Her behavior was akin to a newlywed sneakily admiring her husband, inciting envy in all the men around. After finishing the meal and as the truck for hauling goods arrived, James Brown got busy. He said to Emma, “Emma, I’m too busy to walk you out. While it’s still light, you should head back early.” Emma Campbell was about to say something but James had already hurried off to work. S~eaʀᴄh the NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Pouting her lips, she didn’t leave but instead returned to James Brown’s room. By the time James Brown finished his tasks, it was already past eight. As he walked into the room, he saw Emma Campbell sitting at the edge of the bed, just having put down a book. Surprised, he asked, “Why haven’t you left?” Emma’s face flushed as she shyly said, “Today, I want to… stay here and keep Big Brother Brown company.” “Keep me company… You silly girl, haven’t I told you before? I don’t need this kind of repayment,” James Brown shook his head, took off his coat, and Emma quickly got up to take it from him. “It’s not repayment… It’s just… just…” “Just what?” James Brown turned to look at Emma. Emma bit her lip and then mustered up her courage to say softly, “I… just want to be with Big Brother Brown.” James frowned slightly, wondering if the girl had truly fallen for him. That would be quite problematic. However, seeing Emma’s pitiful expression, he couldn’t bring himself to reject her outright and played dumb instead, “You silly girl, it seems you are really lacking fatherly love. I held you for just one night, and you can’t forget me.” Having said that, Emma had already wished to disappear into a crack in the ground; she wasn’t even sure why she wanted to stay. Now, James had suddenly given her a reason to cling to, a light to guide her in her confusion. She nodded eagerly and said, “Yes, yes, my dad never liked me much, and he never doted on me.” Patting Emma on the head, James said, “Alright then, you can stay.” Emma nodded timidly and whispered her thanks, “Thank you, Big Brother Brown.” “Don’t mention it, you should get some rest now.” “Okay, I’ll go prepare some hot water for Big Brother Brown to soak his feet.” Soaking his feet in the steaming basin of water, James felt incredibly comfortable, and smiling at Emma, he said, “Emma, whoever gets to marry you will be fortunate indeed. You really know how to look after someone.” Emma’s face turned red as she said coquettishly, “I… I don’t want to marry someone else.” James didn’t dare to continue that conversation. If he asked, “You don’t want to marry someone else, then who would you marry?” Emma might directly say she wants to marry him. While she was truly a good girl, he just couldn’t bear that kind of love. He quickly changed the subject. “By the way, tell me about your university. I’ve never been to college and I’m quite curious about it.” Emma felt somewhat disappointed. Throughout her life, many men had desired her, and plenty of university lads had pursued her, including some excellent ones. However, because of her family’s circumstances, she dared not accept, and she always felt those people were just after her looks without truly understanding her heart. Still, the one night she spent with James Brown provided her with an intense sense of safety, and the fact that they shared a bed without him laying a hand on her made her immensely grateful to him. Such gratitude eventually transformed into affection, a kind of love. After that one night, Emma found herself unable to forget James Brown, knowing she had fallen for Big Brother Brown. Emma was a restrained girl and always cautious around men, but with James Brown, she daringly thought about living together. Even thinking about it made her blush, but she couldn’t suppress the thought. So, that night, she boldly stayed. James not responding left her feeling a bit dejected, but it also alleviated much of her anxiety. Had she spoken her true feelings and been rejected by James, she wouldn’t know what to do. Now, she could only softly tell him about her life at the university. However, aside from studying, Emma barely participated in any other activities in university. Describing her college life thus seemed less exciting. After a while, Emma got up, fluffed the comforter, turned on the electric blanket, and twisting her fingers nervously, she said in a gentle voice, “Big Brother Brown, you’ve worked hard today. You should… go to sleep earlier.” James felt a stir in his heart; did this young girl not realize how enticing she was?

Chapter 71 - 71 71 What Was Left Behind

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