Chapter 613 - 609: Stinky

A girl to cherish...

Ethan Sterling lowered his gaze and smiled, a hint of deeper meaning in his expression.

But he quickly looked up at his sister and nodded gently. "I will, sister."

At least he had loved her with all his heart while he’d had the chance. The fact that they didn’t end up together wasn’t anyone’s fault; it was just a choice.

’I hope she didn’t choose wrong.’

「Lorcain U, Women’s Dormitory.」

"Seraphina?"

A soft call, accompanied by a tap on the shoulder, finally made Seraphina, who was sitting in her chair, turn her head. She looked at her roommate with a dazed expression. "Huh?"

Her roommate looked worried. "What’s wrong? I called your name several times and you didn’t respond. Are you not feeling well?"

Seraphina shook her head, forcing a tired smile. "I’m fine, just thinking about something."

"Did you have a fight with your boyfriend?" her roommate asked, pulling over a chair to sit beside her. "I feel like I haven’t seen him pick you up in a while. Weren’t you two seeing each other all the time before?"

At the mention of Owen Griffin, Seraphina’s expression changed noticeably. She said in a low voice, "He hasn’t been on campus recently. He’s sick, recuperating at home."

"Oh, is that it?" The roommate’s face cleared with understanding. "So you’re distracted because you’re worried about him? How about I go with you to visit him?"

Seraphina shook her head, her smile bitter. "No, it’s fine."

She had offered to visit Owen Griffin before, but he had refused.

Just then, another roommate returned. Seeing Seraphina in the dorm, she blurted out, "Seraphina, I just ran into your boyfriend in the cafeteria!"

Seraphina froze. The roommate beside her was also stunned, blinking as she instinctively looked at Seraphina.

"You saw Owen Griffin in the cafeteria?"

The newcomer stood awkwardly in the doorway, unsure how to respond. "Why are you guys making that face? Am I not allowed to run into him in the cafeteria?"

"That’s not what Seraphina meant. Are you sure the person you saw in the cafeteria was her boyfriend?"

The roommate nodded lightly, then looked at Seraphina and asked tentatively, "You’re still with him, right? Still Owen Griffin?"

"It is!"

Getting a firm answer, the roommate immediately confirmed, "Then I’m not mistaken. It was definitely him!"

Hearing this, Seraphina grabbed her jacket and headed out, leaving the two roommates staring at each other.

"What’s up with her?"

"Not sure, but it seems like they haven’t seen each other for a few days."

"Should we follow her and see what’s going on?"

"Nah, let’s not. Seraphina’s the type to handle things herself."

With that, the two stopped gossiping. But in their minds, Owen Griffin still ranked quite high.

Seraphina sprinted all the way to the cafeteria. Just as she reached the entrance, she saw Owen Griffin walking out with two of his classmates.

"Owen Griffin!"

Seraphina stopped in her tracks, calling his name breathlessly.

Owen Griffin and his friends looked over at the sound. Seeing it was Seraphina, his two friends tactfully said goodbye to Owen and left.

Owen Griffin smiled at Seraphina and walked over, reaching out to hug her.

But Seraphina sidestepped his embrace and took two steps back.

Owen Griffin’s gesture froze. He looked at Seraphina, confused. "What’s wrong?"

"Why didn’t you tell me you were back on campus?" Seraphina was furious, but she controlled herself, trying to keep her voice natural. "Even my roommate knew you were back before I did!"

"I wasn’t trying to hide it from you. I was just about to go find you," Owen Griffin said, taking a step forward to close the distance between them. "I haven’t seen you in days. I’ve missed you."

With that, he reached out to hug Seraphina again. This time, she didn’t dodge, letting Owen Griffin pull her into his arms.

"COUGH COUGH..."

But because she was still slightly out of breath from her run, the moment she got close to Owen Griffin, she took a sharp breath and inhaled a pungent whiff of cologne.

The scent was so strong it made her break into a fit of violent coughing.

"Are you okay, babe?" Owen Griffin asked, patting her on the back.

Seraphina waved a hand as she coughed. "I’m fine... You really overdid it with the cologne today. The smell is a little strong."

She didn’t think much of it, simply blurting out her first thought.

An unnatural expression flickered across Owen Griffin’s face before he feigned ignorance. "Really? It’s a new cologne. I didn’t expect the base notes to be this intense. I guess I didn’t get the amount right. I’ll be more careful next time."

The truth was, ever since he had soiled himself, Owen Griffin had developed a psychological complex about it. He constantly thought he smelled bad, which was why he frantically doused himself in cologne whenever he went out.

Once Seraphina had adjusted, she looked at Owen Griffin, still a little upset. "If you missed me like you said, then why didn’t you let me come visit you?"

"Oh, come on. I hit my head and got a huge, ugly bump!" Owen Griffin put on a pitiful expression, grabbing Seraphina’s hand and placing it on his forehead. "Feel it. It still hasn’t gone down completely. I just didn’t want you to worry, you know?"

When it came to handling girls, Owen Griffin was a natural.

A little bit of sweet-talking like that, and in just a few words, most of Seraphina’s anger melted away.

Feeling the still-present swelling on Owen Griffin’s forehead, she knew he wasn’t lying. Her heart softened. "I’m your girlfriend. Why would I think you’re ugly just because you got hurt? Don’t do that again."

"Okay." Owen Griffin smiled and took her hand. "Have you eaten? I’ll take you out for a big meal!"

"Don’t go to all that trouble. Just come with me to the cafeteria for a quick bite. I have Dance class in an hour. You can walk me there."

"Okay." Owen Griffin pressed close, hugging Seraphina and nuzzling against her. He whispered in her ear, "So, should we get a room tonight? You’ve missed me, haven’t you?"

Seraphina’s face instantly turned red. She shot him an annoyed glare. "You just got over being sick. Let’s wait a while."

"I’m all better now. Besides, I’ve missed you too, okay?"

Unable to resist Owen Griffin’s wheedling, Seraphina shyly nodded.

The two walked hand-in-hand into the cafeteria. Owen Griffin went to buy Seraphina a braised pork rice bowl, adding a side of assorted braised snacks.

Seraphina took a couple of bites and then suddenly stopped. She sniffed the air slightly and caught a sour, stinking odor lingering around her.

"What’s wrong?" Owen Griffin asked instinctively.

"There’s a stinky smell," Seraphina said honestly.

The word "stink," like a jolt from a faulty stun baton, sent goosebumps erupting all over Owen Griffin’s skin.

Almost unconsciously, he turned his head and sniffed lightly at his own shoulder. He didn’t know if it was just psychological, but he really thought he could smell something bad.

’I stink!’

But when Seraphina saw him do this, she couldn’t help but laugh. "Why are you smelling yourself? It’s definitely not coming from you!"

As she spoke, she picked up a piece of braised dried tofu and sniffed it. Her brow instantly furrowed. "Ugh, the braised snacks have gone bad! It’s sour and rotten!"