Chapter 490 - 486: Of Course Not

Difficult?

Jasmine Sterling offered a gentle smile, raising a hand to smooth the hair behind her ear. "Of course it was difficult."

She never shied away from admitting how difficult the years had been. Raising three children to adulthood by herself... Forget a single woman; even a two-parent household would likely have struggled through immense hardship.

But despite the difficulty, she had long ago learned how to find joy amidst the hardship.

Fortunately, her three children were all quite sensible. Even during their rebellious phases, they hadn’t added much to her stress and burdens.

Finn Vance deeply empathized. "I feel physically and mentally exhausted just raising one child on my own. I truly can’t imagine how you’ve managed all these years."

"But thankfully, your children have all turned out well. I’m truly happy for you."

A gratified smile appeared on Jasmine Sterling’s face as well. Every time she thought of her three children, an indescribable happiness welled up from the bottom of her heart.

The glow of motherhood seemed to envelop her, causing Finn Vance’s admiration to deepen even further.

"In that case, Jasmine, you’ve never been married, while I’m divorced. It seems I’m the one getting the better end of the deal here," Finn Vance said with a laugh, using a joke to break the slightly somber atmosphere.

Jasmine Sterling covered her mouth with her hand as she laughed. "All in all, my situation is... well, you could say it’s complicated, but it’s also simple. And yet, not so simple at the same time. It’s all right if you have some reservations, Mr. Vance. I..."

"I don’t," Finn Vance interjected, shaking his head. He looked at her seriously. "To be honest, from the very beginning, my only reservation was the fact that I have a son. My feelings for you, Jasmine, are completely sincere. From the moment I decided to pursue you, I let go of that reservation completely."

’My son is grown up now. It’s time for me to think about myself.’

Finn Vance’s words were filled with sincerity, and Jasmine Sterling’s heart stirred. At her age, talk of ’love’ felt a bit lofty and unrealistic, but in that moment, she was truly touched.

And honored.

After all, the man sitting before her, Finn Vance, was truly an outstanding man by any measure.

"Mr. Vance, I’ll raise my glass to you."

Jasmine Sterling raised her drink, unsure for a moment how to respond. This was the only way she could think of to express her feelings.

Finn Vance was a sharp man; he immediately understood the signal Jasmine Sterling was sending. ’She’s willing to give us a chance to take things further!’

He delightedly raised his glass, a wide grin on his face. "Feel free to put me to the test. I can handle it."

"Don’t make it sound like a job interview," Jasmine Sterling said with a laugh. "It’s never a bad thing for us to get to know each other better."

"You’re right."

*

As evening fell, Ethan Sterling and Seraphina stepped off the bus together at the stop by the campus gate.

They chatted and laughed as they walked onto campus. After spending the entire day together, they had obviously grown much closer.

"I had a really great time today. Thanks for taking so many beautiful photos. Don’t forget to export them and send them to me later."

Ethan Sterling was even happier than Seraphina. They had drunk coffee, eaten ice cream, and even pretended to be a couple twice. Though it was just an act, he had loved every second of it. They’d had lunch together at the aquarium’s restaurant, watched two animal shows in the afternoon, and taken tons of photos together.

By the end of the day, aside from the lack of any intimate physical contact, Ethan Sterling felt like they were a real couple—completely engrossed and happy.

Now that they were back at school and about to part ways, he was overcome with a feeling of reluctance.

"I had a great time, too. Thanks for being willing to come today." Ethan Sterling hesitated, debating whether he should take the opportunity to ask Seraphina to dinner, but what came out of his mouth was, "Let me walk you back to your dorm."

"That’s okay. You must be tired too after playing all day, and you’ve been carrying that heavy camera around. You should head back and get some rest," Seraphina said openly. Then, as if she’d suddenly remembered something, she quickly added, "Oh, right! Remember to figure out how much everything cost today and send it to me. I’ll pay you for my half."

"You don’t have to," Ethan Sterling refused instinctively. "I’m the one who invited you out. I wasn’t planning for us to go Dutch."

But Seraphina just gave him a frank smile. "I know what you mean, but I don’t want to take advantage of your kindness. Right now, we’re just friends. And as friends, things should be equal between us. If you won’t agree, then I’ll feel too awkward to go out with you again next time."

Ethan Sterling froze for a second.

’She said she knows what I mean?’

’Does she mean she knows I like her?’

’But then again,’ he thought, ’I’ve been pretty obvious. How could Seraphina not have noticed?’

Having his feelings exposed so directly made Ethan’s cheeks burn. He licked his lips and asked in a low voice, "S-So, does that mean I can still ask you out next time?"

"That depends. I can’t make any promises." Seraphina wasn’t one to make empty promises. ’What if I’m busy then, after all?’

Ethan wasn’t disappointed. Instead, an idea suddenly struck him. "Then how about this? I’ll pay this time, and you can pay next time. That should work, right?"

"Absolutely not!" Seraphina shot him down without a shred of mercy. "Don’t try your little tricks on me. Let’s keep things separate. Even if there is a next time, we’ll still split it fairly. You think I don’t know what you’re thinking?"

’He’s probably thinking that he’ll just pick cheap things next time when it’s my turn to pay.’

Ethan Sterling pouted but finally nodded in resignation.

Then Seraphina added, "Send me the bill. And don’t you dare leave out a single cent."

"Okay, I got it," Ethan Sterling agreed, looking utterly defeated.

Only then did Seraphina flash a satisfied smile. She waved goodbye to Ethan Sterling and turned to head toward the women’s dormitory.

Ethan Sterling stood rooted to the spot, watching her walk away. His mind replayed every little moment from their day together, and a reminiscent smile crept onto his face. He didn’t turn to leave until Seraphina’s figure had completely disappeared from view.

"Hey!"

As she neared her dorm building, Seraphina was looking down, engrossed in scrolling through the photos from the day on her phone, when a strong male voice suddenly called out from beside her.

Startled, she instinctively looked up and took a step back. Seeing her reaction, Owen Griffin let out a triumphant laugh before teasing, "What’s got you so engrossed? Not afraid you’ll walk into a tree?"

When she saw that it was Owen Griffin, the smile on Seraphina’s face vanished instantly. She was about to ignore him and leave when she suddenly remembered she still had the thing he had forced into her bag that morning.

She quickly opened her bag, pulled out the exquisite blue gift bag inside, and stepped toward him.

"Take this back."

Owen Griffin merely glanced at it, making no move to take it. Instead, he just looked at Seraphina and asked, "What were you up to today?"

"Am I obligated to tell you?"

"Fair enough," Owen Griffin said, not at all annoyed. He smiled at her. "But I have a guess... you went to the aquarium!"