Chapter 245 - 244: Bloodline Suppression, Belated but Inevitable

’Right, I’d almost forgotten this old lady was a total sucker for a pretty face.’

Who would’ve thought that the first thing to win the old lady’s favor wasn’t her excellent grades or super-high IQ, but this face of hers—a face so beautiful it could make fish sink and geese fall, eclipse the moon and shame the flowers, a face so charming it could topple kingdoms and captivate nations.

It got to the point where even when she and Professor Vivian had disagreements during their discussions, Vivian would never raise her voice at her.

’Thank you, Dad! Thank you, Mom! Thank you to the powerful and superior genes of the Lowell and Sutton Families!’

Of course, Yvonne Lowell wouldn’t refuse, and she proceeded to introduce them one by one.

"Of course! These are my parents, my eldest and third brothers, and my boyfriend."

"Oh my god! Your family’s genes are absolutely fantastic! Every single one of you is so good-looking!

In Aurelia, you have a saying about being ’skilled at preserving one’s youth,’ don’t you? It must be talking about your family!

And your boyfriend, he’s so handsome too. He looks a bit like a young Chris Evans!

And, and, your second brother, Yancy, is a wonderful and very handsome actor too!

My granddaughter loves his work; she even started learning the Aurelian language because of him. The last time I watched one of his shows with her, I saw you as well!"

Professor Vivian chattered on endlessly.

Her eyes were literally sparkling as she looked at the faces of the group.

’She looked like someone who’d been starving for eight lifetimes and had just laid eyes on a feast. Why was her stare giving them the creeps?’

But creeped out or not, they all maintained perfectly appropriate smiles.

Principal Patrick cut in, "Alright, Vivian. We still need to arrange the interview. Don’t keep Spencer waiting. You can chat with Lowell’s family in a bit."

A teasing smile flashed in Yvonne Lowell’s eyes. ’Arranging the interview is just an excuse. The real reason is he’s jealous, isn’t it?’

The only person who dared to interrupt Patrick while he was speaking was Vivian.

Vivian had told her their love story more than a few times. It was a classic case of love at first sight—on her part—followed by a relentless pursuit. He fled, she gave chase, and he couldn’t have escaped even if he’d grown wings.

Even after she’d finally won him over and they had children and grandchildren, Patrick was still as tight-lipped as ever.

"Oh, look at me. I got too excited. Let’s hurry inside."

Professor Vivian went over, linked arms with Wendy Sutton, and started to head inside. "Lowell’s mother, you are simply too beautiful! You’re exactly my image of an Eastern beauty. I like you so much!"

"Thank you so much. You’re very beautiful as well, dear Professor Vivian," Wendy Sutton replied with a smile.

Even Wendy Sutton, who had met plenty of enthusiastic foreigners, found this forward old woman a bit hard to handle.

Charles Lowell: ’Where’s my wife? I had a perfectly good wife right here a second ago!’

Patrick: ’Heh, my wife made off with her. Are you mad? What a coincidence, so am I.’

The abandoned Patrick walked beside Yvonne Lowell and glanced at his watch.

"Dear Yvonne, the interview will begin in 30 minutes. Is your brother ready?"

"Of course. He’s dying to meet that scruffy old man, Spencer. In front of his idol, his little sister doesn’t rank at all."

Patrick chuckled at her words. "Actually, Spencer got all dressed up today. He even put on a suit to personally sit in on the interview. It just goes to show how highly he regards your brother, the math prodigy. I’m afraid your place in his heart is about to be usurped."

"Oh, I couldn’t be happier to hear that. Discussing math problems is a bit of a struggle for an economics major like myself."

In truth, it wasn’t the difficulty of the problems that gave Yvonne Lowell trouble. It was that she was lazy and didn’t want to think. Even more, she didn’t want to get cornered by those old professors.

"Hahaha, what you find to be a struggle is not getting any rest, isn’t it? I remember you skipped class once, and he summoned you to discuss a math problem. After that, you became a frequent guest in every professor’s office."

Yvonne Lowell’s lips twitched. "Principal Patrick, I wasn’t skipping class. I had completed my assignments ahead of schedule."

’Why is he bringing up the past and tattling on me? Can’t he see the great President Lowell behind us? He’s practically flaying me alive with his gaze!’

...

「In front of the mathematics building.」

Only staff and the candidates themselves were allowed upstairs, so the family could only escort him this far.

Charles Lowell stepped forward, straightened Yancy Lowell’s collar, and patted his shoulder.

He said nothing, yet it felt as if he had said everything.

Yancy Lowell nodded to them, then turned and followed a teaching assistant upstairs.

Yvonne Lowell couldn’t help but mutter under her breath, "This whole production makes it feel like we’re sending a kid off to their college entrance exams."

Leo Grant, amused, gave her palm a gentle squeeze. "Just think of it as a dry run for when we send our own kids to their exams one day."

"Get lost!"

"Yvonne, would you perhaps like to give your family a tour of the campus? Some areas have been renovated in the past couple of years, so it looks a little different now," Principal Patrick suggested.

"Of course, I was just planning to," Yvonne Lowell nodded.

"That’s wonderful. You really should take a look around. Perhaps when you return, we could all have lunch together?"

"I’d love to. I’ve been missing the food in the faculty cafeteria."

"Then let’s go! I’ll be your tour guide! Patrick, we’ll be back later to get you for lunch."

With that, Vivian linked arms with Wendy Sutton again and walked off without a backward glance.

The other professors had their own business to attend to; it was already a testament to their regard for her that they had taken the time to greet her at the gate.

Besides, having worked at the university for so many years, they didn’t feel there was much to see, so they didn’t join the tour.

Yvonne Lowell and Patrick exchanged a look, shrugged innocently, and followed behind the two women.

’Just so you know, your wife’s the one who insisted on coming. It has nothing to do with me.’

Patrick: ’...So?’

Vivian and Wendy Sutton walked at the front, with Vivian pointing out and describing various landmarks and buildings along the way.

Charles Lowell grabbed Yvonne Lowell by the back of her collar. "Professor Lowell," he said menacingly, "why don’t you tell me what this business is about getting caught skipping class?"

’Great. The bloodline suppression is kicking in. Late, but never absent.’

"Dad! Pa! Daddy! Class was just so boring, you know? And I had already finished my coursework ahead of schedule, with my advisor’s permission! It wasn’t skipping!"

I had other things to do! Between Pluto and my other side hustles, I was completely swamped!"

As she spoke, Yvonne Lowell shot a pleading look at the two men who were enjoying the show from the sidelines.

But they were suddenly very interested in the sky and the ground—anywhere but at her.

’Sorry, sis/darling. The wrath of a father/future father-in-law is not a fire we can put out.’

Yvonne Lowell: ’...I don’t dare to open my eyes. I hope this is just a bad dream.’

"You really weren’t skipping?" Charles Lowell asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"President Lowell, have you ever met anyone who skipped class every day and still managed to become a lifetime honorary professor? Now, could you please let go of me? Classes are about to get out. What if students see this? Don’t I have a reputation to maintain?!"

Yvonne Lowell pursed her lips. ’Of course I was skipping. The officially approved, above-board kind of skipping.’

"Hmph. I’ll choose to believe you, just this once."

Charles Lowell shot her a sidelong glance and finally let go.

As if on cue, the moment Charles Lowell let go, the class dismissal bell rang.