Chapter 471 - 467: You Have to Work Hard

And so, Jasmine Sterling no longer refused. "In that case, thank you for your kindness, Ms. Nash."

Megan Nash smiled. "Don’t mention it."

After they said their goodbyes, Cecilia Sterling helped her mother out of Metropolis Tower and toward a luxury car that had been waiting by the curb.

Randall Jennings’s eyes followed Jasmine Sterling into the distance until she disappeared from view. Only then did he slowly look away.

"Ms. Sterling has such a wonderful personality. She’s very charming," Megan Nash said, suddenly turning to look at Randall Jennings.

Randall Jennings nodded without hesitation.

*

The next day, Cecilia Sterling was up bright and early.

"Why don’t you sleep in a bit? Do you have class this morning?"

Jasmine Sterling asked from the kitchen, where she was making breakfast.

Cecilia Sterling, holding Yoda and getting ready to take him for a walk, replied, "No class. I’m taking my sister-in-law to the hospital for a prenatal check-up in a bit."

"You can put Yoda down. I’ll take him to the office with me after breakfast," Jasmine Sterling said, carrying a steaming bowl of wonton noodles out from the kitchen. "Come and eat."

Cecilia Sterling nodded. Just as she was about to sit down, the doorbell suddenly rang.

The mother and daughter exchanged a surprised look.

’It’s only a little past seven...’

"I’ll get it."

Cecilia walked to the entryway and looked at the security camera feed. A young man in a uniform was standing outside the gate, holding a large bouquet of flowers.

She opened the door and walked out toward the gate.

From a distance, the young man called out, "Excuse me, are you Ms. Sterling? I have a flower delivery for you!"

"Who are they from?"

"The card says they’re from a Mr. Vance."

Realization dawned on Cecilia, and a smile spread across her face. She signed for the flowers on her mother’s behalf, thanked the delivery guy, and carried the bouquet back inside.

"Flowers?" Jasmine Sterling asked when she saw them, assuming they were from one of her daughter’s admirers. "Who sent them?"

Cecilia gave her mother a meaningful look, placed the flowers gently on the table, then plucked the card from the bouquet and read it aloud: "To Ms. Sterling, may you have a wonderful day. I hope everything goes your way."

She raised an eyebrow. ’The wording on this card is pretty understated.’

Jasmine Sterling finally caught on and hastily snatched the card from her daughter’s hand. "Who is it from?!"

Her eyes fixed on the signature: Mr. Vance!

She froze. Cecilia leaned in with a grin. "Mom, this Mr. Vance is clearly a man of action. You’d better be ready."

A visible flash of panic crossed Jasmine Sterling’s eyes. She was obviously not prepared.

"Just eat your breakfast."

Cecilia Sterling shrugged and said no more.

*

「Lorcain U.」

It was still just morning, but the temperature had already reached thirty degrees.

Before the military training began, students gathered in small groups, chatting and laughing in whatever shady spots they could find.

"Seraphina!"

A classmate tapped Seraphina on the shoulder and pointed. "That guy’s looking for you!"

Seraphina turned to look, and the smile on her face faltered when she saw who it was.

The classmate beside her recognized him too. "Isn’t that the guy? He tracked you all the way to our class formation."

Another classmate gave Seraphina a little nudge. "Go on, don’t leave him hanging. It’s hot out here."

Seraphina hesitated for a moment before walking over.

"Do you need something?" Seraphina asked as she approached, tilting her head up slightly to look at him.

Owen Griffin had his hands in his pockets, a smile in his eyes as he cocked his head to look at her. "Didn’t I tell you my name is Owen Griffin? Why are you still calling me ’classmate’?"

Seraphina pursed her lips and didn’t answer.

Owen Griffin didn’t seem annoyed. "Why haven’t you been answering my messages?" he asked.

They had added each other on WhatsApp, and Owen Griffin had messaged her a few times. Seraphina had only replied to the first two messages, and her responses had been curt.

"We don’t know each other well," Seraphina said bluntly.

Owen Griffin just laughed. "That’s why we need to talk more to get to know each other..."

As he spoke, he pulled two items from his pocket and offered them to Seraphina. "Sunscreen and some pills to prevent heatstroke. If you take one now, you’ll be less likely to get heatstroke later."

Seraphina looked at his outstretched hand, then shook her head, refusing. "I can’t accept this. It’s not appropriate for me to take things from you for no reason."

"It’s not like they’re anything expensive."

"That doesn’t make it appropriate."

"Then how about you take a walk with me by the Backwater River tonight?"

Seraphina’s brow furrowed, a flash of impatience in her eyes. "That’s even less appropriate. You should go. Don’t waste your energy on me."

With that, she turned and walked away.

Owen Griffin was shot down, but he didn’t seem angry. Watching her walk away, he just gave a self-deprecating laugh and muttered, "She’s a tough one."

This entire scene, as it happened, was witnessed by Renee Reid, who was also in the architecture department.

She would recognize Owen Griffin even if he were burned to a crisp.

At noon, just as they sat down in the cafeteria, Jameson Stone chugged an entire bottle of ice-cold water. "Damn it, I’m about to be baked into jerky out there! Why won’t it just rain in this godforsaken weather? It’s so hot every day!"

"Ethan, I saw Owen Griffin today!"

Renee Reid blurted out, startling Jameson Stone, who immediately sat bolt upright. "Did he give you trouble?"

Ethan’s expression grew grim. "You should stay away from him. He’s bad news."

Remembering the two times Owen Griffin had given him a hard time, Ethan was genuinely worried for Renee, especially since she was a girl.

"It wasn’t me this time. He’s pestering Seraphina!"

The moment he heard her name, Ethan’s eyes went wide. Jameson instinctively glanced over at him.

"What do you mean?" The hairs on Ethan’s arms stood on end, and his scalp tingled.

Renee Reid told Ethan what she had seen that morning, then added, "But from what I could tell, Seraphina was pretty cold to him. She didn’t take the stuff he tried to give her, either."

A knot formed in Ethan’s chest, an indescribable feeling.

Renee Reid continued, "But Ethan, Seraphina is really popular. A lot of guys have tried to make a move on her. Owen Griffin isn’t special. If you really like her, you’re going to have to try harder."

As his friend, she naturally hoped Ethan could win over the girl he liked.

Jameson Stone remained silent, just kept his eyes on Ethan.

Ethan schooled the emotion in his eyes, but under the table, he quietly clenched his fists.

After lunch, he mustered his courage and found Seraphina. She was sitting with her friends in a shady spot by the volleyball court.

’He was nervous, of course, but his mind was clear. He couldn’t let someone as wonderful as Seraphina get stuck with a leech like Owen Griffin. He had to make a move.’

He strode forward. Seraphina didn’t realize who it was until he was nearly upon them. It was Ethan.

Before she could say anything, Ethan held out a cup of milk tea to her, looking directly into her eyes. "Seraphina, I got you a drink."

The atmosphere was momentarily stilted. Ethan’s actions were just too awkward and unnatural.

One of the girls beside her suddenly burst out laughing. "Drinks again? C’mon, handsome, don’t you guys have any new moves?"

As soon as she spoke, the other girls around them started laughing too.

Ethan’s face flushed, his embarrassment obvious.

But a moment later, Seraphina reached out and took the milk tea from him. Looking at him, she broke into a small smile. "Thanks!"