Chapter 376 - 374: All That Talk for Nothing?

"Oh, right, there are these two as well!"

As Shane Webb spoke, he pulled a bottle of an energy drink and a pack of protein bars from his bag. "These are also sponsorships. During your stream, just pick them up every now and then, take a bite or a sip. They’re well-known brands, and the ingredients are safe. I’ve already verified all of it."

"So many?"

"It’s not a lot. The email I use for your business inquiries was flooded yesterday. I just randomly picked a few. I’ll definitely take a proper look when I have time today. There will only be more sponsorships to come, not fewer."

Blair: "..."

"You want to earn money, so as your team leader, it’s my job to make that happen. Besides tips from livestreaming, product placement is the fastest way to bring in cash. Go change your clothes. As soon as the reflector board gets here, we’ll go live!"

Blair slowly processed everything, then quickly called out to Shane Webb as he was about to leave. "Finn..."

"Huh?"

Shane Webb turned to look at her, a puzzled expression on his face. "What’s wrong?"

Blair hesitated for a moment before saying, "Try to be nicer to them in the future. Don’t lose your temper like that."

’It wasn’t that she wanted to interfere with how Shane Webb did things, but his reputation at the company was already terrible. Someone as smart as him had to know. He couldn’t just give up on himself, could he? He should still be a little more careful!’

Shane Webb froze for a second, then surprisingly, he smiled and nodded. "Alright, I’ll try to hold back a little. Now, go get changed."

「Approaching noon.」

Cecilia Sterling finished changing and was about to head out.

"Cecilia, Charles Jennings is downstairs. Help me get rid of him!"

Estelle Goodman, sprawled on her bed, called out to Cecilia Sterling as she was about to leave.

Cecilia Sterling turned her head, blinking in surprise. "Huh? Why?"

Estelle Goodman pouted. "I don’t want to see him."

’Doesn’t want to see Charles Jennings?’

’That was new. Every time Charles Jennings showed up at the dorm, he was bringing her something, and Estelle would always happily trot downstairs to get it.’

’What’s wrong today?’

"Are you two fighting?" Cecilia Sterling frowned and walked over to the balcony to look down.

Charles Jennings was standing under the tree directly across from the dorm entrance. He was looking up at their window, and when he apparently spotted Cecilia Sterling, he waved.

Cecilia Sterling returned a smile, then walked back to Estelle’s bedside and looked at her. "Is it because of what happened last time?"

Estelle Goodman’s eyes darted away for a moment, but she eventually nodded. "I think that girl was right. I shouldn’t be ’monopolizing’ him like this. I should give him a chance to get close to other people."

Seeing her pitiful expression, Cecilia Sterling couldn’t help but sigh.

After a long moment, she finally said, "Look, there’s nothing inherently wrong with what you’re doing. It’s not like you’re forcing him; he’s doing this of his own free will. But I get why you’d want to keep your distance. The problem is, avoiding him is pointless. You have to be clear about things."

"I’m not ready yet." Estelle Goodman pouted miserably. "I don’t even know how to tell him."

"Oh, come on, Cecilia, just get rid of him for me today. I have to go get my nails done in a little while, or else I won’t be able to leave."

Cecilia Sterling nodded in resignation. "Fine. But you really need to think this through. You should make things clear no matter what. Otherwise, where are you going to hide? You’ll have to run into him sooner or later!"

"I know, I know!"

Cecilia Sterling didn’t say any more, casually picked up her Chanel bag and went downstairs.

"Cecilia Sterling!"

The moment she appeared, Charles Jennings eagerly came up to her. "Where’s Estelle? She’s not still sleeping, is she? She’s not replying to my messages!"

’Looking at his clean-cut, handsome face, Cecilia Sterling really couldn’t understand why Estelle wasn’t interested in him.’

"Did you need her for something?"

As she spoke, Cecilia Sterling noticed Charles Jennings was empty-handed. He apparently hadn’t brought anything to give Estelle.

Charles Jennings’s expression faltered. As his lashes drooped, they failed to conceal the melancholy in his eyes, giving him the look of a broken-hearted boy. "I feel like she hasn’t been herself lately. Is something on her mind?"

His tone grew more urgent. "Cecilia Sterling, if something’s wrong, you have to tell me. You know how she is. She always puts on a brave face and likes to keep things bottled up, and she..."

"Hold on!" Cecilia Sterling cut him off, sensing he was working himself into a panic.

"She’s fine. Don’t worry yourself over nothing." Cecilia Sterling glanced at the time. Saul Thorne was probably waiting at the school gate. She looked back at Charles Jennings. "I’m running late. Walk me to the school gate, and I’ll explain on the way."

"But..."

Charles Jennings looked up reluctantly at the dorm window, but Cecilia Sterling reached out and physically turned his head forward again. "Don’t look. She’s avoiding you on purpose. She won’t come down until you’re gone!"

"Huh? Why is she avoiding me?"

Cecilia Sterling jutted her chin forward and started walking ahead. Anxious, Charles Jennings glanced up at the dorm window one more time before quickly following her.

Cecilia Sterling told Charles Jennings exactly what had happened. He listened, dumbfounded, and finally blurted out anxiously, "But—I—I didn’t say yes to that girl!"

"This has nothing to do with you saying yes to someone else. It’s just that Estelle suddenly realized this isn’t right. Besides, you’re so attentive to her that even many couples can’t match how thoughtful and caring you are. It’s perfectly normal for it to cause misunderstandings!"

’Even I misunderstood at first!’

"Besides, you must have noticed yourself that since the semester started, a lot more female students have been hanging around you, right?"

"You shouldn’t always focus all your attention on Estelle. If you meet someone nice, you should give it a shot. You’ve never even been in a relationship, have you?"

Cecilia Sterling talked as she walked, and after a while, she realized that Charles Jennings hadn’t made a sound.

She turned her head...

Huh?

Where’d he go?

She looked around, but there was no sign of Charles Jennings.

’What’s going on?’

’So I was just talking to thin air?’

Just outside the school gate, Saul Thorne’s Jeep was parked across the street. Dressed in charcoal-colored casual clothes, he stood by the side of the road, smoking.

When he saw Cecilia Sterling emerge from a distance, he quickly stubbed out his cigarette against a tree trunk. With a flick of his finger, he sent the butt flying accurately into a nearby trash can.

Cecilia Sterling didn’t like the smell of smoke, so he always snuck away to smoke in secret.

But Cecilia Sterling never forced him to quit, either. The pressure of being a criminal investigator was immense, and smoking was one of the few ways they had to relieve stress.

As she drew near, before Cecilia Sterling could even speak, Saul Thorne eagerly pulled her into his arms. "First, let me just hold you."

The two hadn’t seen each other in what felt like ages. Although they occasionally had video calls, each one only made Saul Thorne miss her more.

Cecilia Sterling didn’t resist, letting him hold her. A faint scent of tobacco filled her senses, and in this atmosphere, she found the smell to be uniquely alluring.