Chapter 583 - 579: Did You Come Alone?

She was so utterly disgusted that Cecilia Sterling couldn’t stop herself from cursing out loud.

However, the sight of Cecilia solving the problem in under five minutes was simply too shocking. The impact of seeing it happen right before their very eyes left them all completely dumbfounded, so much so that no one even registered the curse she’d spat out in her fury.

By the time they snapped out of it, Cecilia was already at the door. Her disdainful words drifted back to them. "You all can keep at it. If you can figure out my thought process, you’ll be able to solve any similar problem with ease."

Her words were immediately followed by the SLAM of the closing door, which made every one of them jump.

Elias Warner stared at the test paper and scratch work Cecilia had slapped down in front of him, looking as though his very soul had been drained from his body.

’They had been sitting here, painstakingly discussing this for over an hour, and Cecilia solved it just by reading the problem statement once?’

Lee Warner and Yates Sanders looked like they wanted to say something but held their tongues. They just exchanged a silent glance and pursed their lips, both already starting to feel second-hand embarrassment for Elias Warner.

And how could it not be awkward?

His earlier aggression was matched only by his current humiliation.

Besides, what Cecilia did was just so cool. She slammed the paper down in front of Elias Warner, got up, and walked out without a single glance back.

Finally, Sheila Hughes, unable to bear the strange atmosphere, broke the silence, picking at her palms. "It looks like we misunderstood Cecilia. I mean, it makes sense. We were all recommended by our advisors. How could any of us not be capable..."

But she would have been better off not saying anything. Her words only made Elias Warner look like more of an idiot.

Realizing this a moment too late, Sheila Hughes quickly made an excuse to escape. "I’m going to the restroom."

The moment Cecilia stepped out of the lecture hall, the air felt fresher. She’d met her fair share of oddballs, but someone like Elias Warner was a truly special case.

He was just a vice president of the student union for now, but Cecilia could already imagine the kind of unimaginable things he’d do once he joined the workforce and got even a little bit of real power as a team leader. He had a natural disdain for attractive women and an insatiable need to be the center of attention.

"Cecilia!"

Just as she reached the first floor, a voice from behind suddenly called her name.

Cecilia reflexively turned to see Sheila Hughes hurrying down the stairs toward her.

Cecilia was a little surprised but smiled. "What are you doing out here? Is it over?"

Sheila Hughes stood before Cecilia, face-to-face with her alone for the first time. Up close, Cecilia’s stunning face made even Sheila, another woman, gasp internally. ’She’s absolutely gorgeous. I hope I look like that in my next life.’

"Not yet. The atmosphere was too awkward, so I made an excuse to get some air." Sheila Hughes smiled sheepishly, then immediately gave Cecilia a thumbs-up. "You were amazing back there. I was just stunned."

Cecilia chuckled. "Do you mean amazing when I was solving the problem, or amazing when I was shutting down Elias Warner?"

"Both!" Sheila Hughes said, looking at Cecilia with a clear sparkle in her eyes.

Cecilia’s smile softened, and she thanked her sincerely. "And thank you for speaking up for me back there."

Hearing this, Sheila Hughes quickly shook her head, embarrassed. "Don’t mention it. I just thought he was being too autocratic. And it seemed like he was targeting you for no good reason, which I felt was wrong."

Cecilia shrugged nonchalantly. "It doesn’t matter. I don’t even consider him worth my time."

"I can tell. You’ve got a real backbone," Sheila Hughes said, then hesitated before asking softly, "Cecilia, in that case... could you help me?"

"With the problems?"

"Yes," Sheila Hughes said earnestly. "I was watching you solve that problem we were all discussing. Just seeing you do it made so many of the steps click in my head."

"I want to get a good score. The advisor said there’s prize money for placing well in the competition..."

She lowered her voice sheepishly as she mentioned her goal.

But Cecilia nodded without the slightest hesitation. "Of course!"

"Really?" Sheila Hughes hadn’t expected Cecilia to agree so readily and was pleasantly surprised. "Thank you so much!"

"Don’t mention it. I promised Mr. Stone I’d do my best to help my teammates. Those other two guys are probably too afraid of Elias Warner’s status as the student union VP to approach me, so I’ll help you."

"Not today, though. Today is my niece’s one-month celebration, so I have to get going." Cecilia glanced at the time and said to Sheila Hughes, "How about tomorrow? We can meet in the cafeteria at noon. Bring all the problem types you’re having trouble with, and we’ll go over them one by one."

Sheila Hughes nodded vigorously, then watched as Cecilia turned and headed for the main entrance. In her eyes, Cecilia’s retreating figure seemed to be sparkling.

「At that same time, in an office in the obstetrics and gynecology department of the Second Military Hospital.」

"Here, nurse. Some Full Moon Fruit for you. Please take it."

"Dr. Hughes, this is for you. There’s plenty for everyone, so please don’t be shy."

"Here, take a little more. Thank you all for taking such good care of me recently."

Zelda Warner had come to the hospital with Full Moon Fruit for Phoebe’s celebration to thank the doctors and nurses who had looked after her. Her postpartum recovery had gone very well. In addition to Mrs. Yates’s devoted care, the doctors and nurses at the hospital had also been incredibly conscientious.

Finally, she knocked on the door to Emeric Grant’s office.

When he saw Zelda Warner, Emeric Grant’s expression remained neutral, but his eyes flickered with surprise for a moment before he instinctively glanced behind her.

"Dr. Grant, sorry to bother you. I just came by to drop off some Full Moon Fruit. Phoebe turned one month old today. Thank you for taking such good care of me," Zelda Warner said with a warm smile, placing two bags of the fruit on Emeric Grant’s desk as she spoke.

Emeric Grant snapped out of his daze, his expression softening slightly as he offered a quiet thanks. "You don’t have to do this. It’s just my job."

"Of course I do. It’s to share the good fortune."

Emeric Grant didn’t refuse. It was common for the OB/GYN staff to receive Full Moon Fruit from new mothers; some were even invited to the one-month celebrations.

A few pieces of fruit weren’t a valuable gift, so there was no reason to be overly cautious about accepting them.

Out of professional habit, Emeric Grant looked at Zelda Warner and asked, "How have you been feeling lately? You went home before completing your postpartum stay at the hospital. Even though your follow-up tests came back fine, you should still take it easy."

"Everything’s great. I’ve been following your instructions for recovery to the letter and being very careful."

Emeric Grant nodded. His eyes drifted back to the open office door, a clear sense of anticipation in his heart as he hoped to see a certain person appear.

"Well, I’ll let you get back to work, Dr. Grant. I should be going."

As Zelda Warner was about to leave, Emeric Grant finally couldn’t resist asking, "Did you come by yourself?"

Zelda Warner stopped and looked around, confused. ’Was someone else supposed to come with me?’