The medical community is the large apricot forest beneath Jenson Hall at the National Medical University. It's not secluded; it's terrifying.
For students of the National Medical University, it's truly frightening. Every time graduate students go, they're on edge, fearing experiments gone wrong and being scolded... criticized by Milo Sinclair.
Although every student who was criticized ended up making great research discoveries, Milo Sinclair is still very intimidating.
This terror was something Ariana Thorne already felt when she came to Jenson Hall.
Now that Shea Thorne is asked to practice piano in the apricot forest, she can't help but suspect Milo Sinclair's motives.
"So, how about it? The apricot forest is huge, and students usually don't linger there. As long as you avoid peak class times, no one will disturb you."
No way?
Does he not know that someone was live streaming in the apricot forest that night? What kind of misconceptions does Milo Sinclair have about the students of Jenson Hall?
"You're acting out of character; do you know that?" Shea Thorne directly pointed out, "What happened to the 'Living Devil' persona?"
Now, he seems like a very handsome guy preparing to lure young girls into doing inappropriate things.
The annoying thing is, he's not even sleazy. Isn't that infuriating?
"Persona? What kind of persona should I have?" Milo Sinclair didn't react at first, then understood her meaning, put on a serious face like a stern dean, and said, "Go back and write a 40,000-word dating reflection today. If you slack off, beware of failing your relationship credits!"
Even he couldn't help but laugh at the end.
The joke was amusing, and Shea Thorne nodded. He actually understood personas, indicating there's not much of a generation gap.
"It seems you have quite a big misunderstanding about me. I'm just older than you; I'm not an antique." Milo Sinclair noticed Shea Thorne's thoughts and added, "I also use computers and phones. I go online when I have time. I'm not stuck in the feudal era, obsessively wallowing in my own world."
"I don't have a persona. Being serious and meticulous is a responsibility to students; it doesn't mean I have to always put on a stern face." Milo Sinclair thought for a moment and added, "It's not about putting on airs; nowadays, you call that being pretentious."
With this, the "Living Devil" filter in Shea Thorne's eyes was completely shattered. He was a genuinely humorous person, good at making girls happy, knowing what they wanted to hear, and capable of lowering his stance to close the gap.
However, the school gate is like a wall. Even if there's just a one-year gap, as long as one person is inside, it involuntarily feels like there's a huge chasm, as if they're not from the same world.
If it weren't for Shea Thorne herself battling in society, knowing that men in society are more suitable for her than those at school, for someone like Ariana Thorne, a housewife abandoned by society, Milo Sinclair would be completely unsuitable, the kind she would dismiss at first glance.
Perhaps because of this, Ariana Thorne resists change and stubbornly clings to Miles Crawford, rejecting new people and a new life.
But the truth is, after getting in touch, they find that to win over a girl, they're willing to make many concessions.
"So, what do you think about my proposal?" Milo Sinclair asked.
Standing up to walk back, with Milo Sinclair by her side, they passed by many students carrying instruments. This carefree atmosphere made Shea Thorne feel envious.
Once, she too was like this, commuting between practice rooms and competition venues in pursuit of ultimate music. But now, despite being reborn, she was confined by Ariana Thorne.
She could sense that Ariana Thorne also envied them, but her real thought was to practice in the apricot forest at the National Medical University, so she could be closer to Miles Crawford and perhaps let him see her merits.
In her heart, she once again rose to the idea of washing clothes and cooking for Miles Crawford, shaking her head, refusing, "No, I'm afraid if one day I anger Professor Sinclair, I'll end up crying under an apricot tree from being scolded."
His illustrious achievements at the National Medical University are no secret. His reputation circulates among freshmen, yet despite that, there's still a crowd of admirers chasing after just that face, female students charging forward.
Shea Thorne recalled that on F University's forum, someone had even offered a high reward for a picture of his abs; the price was perfect. Perhaps while he's attentive in these few days, she could trick him into a hotel, take some unguarded photos, and earn some pocket money?
"Rest assured, I'm particularly amiable to people outside of students, especially to you."
As they walked along, Shea Thorne reminisced about the meat floss rice balls she used to eat here, making a point to look, and found they were still available.
Surprisingly, Milo Sinclair offered Shea Thorne a seat on a side bench to rest and volunteered to queue, which honestly surprised Shea Thorne. She had expected him to be the type that waited for a girlfriend to serve him, not the one pursuing a girl.
Yet perhaps this was his cunning, starting with small gestures to woo her, and after catching her, reversing the roles for her to serve. The more Shea Thorne thought, the further she drifted, even recalling the cold violence from Miles Crawford in her past lives, souring her mood and losing appetite.
Returning with the meat floss rice balls, Shea Thorne was visibly unenthused, and Milo Sinclair didn't ask much. Back in the car, Shea Thorne tossed the rice balls aside, leaning back without a word.
Milo Sinclair handed his phone to Shea Thorne, saying, "On account of the rice balls, to avoid making me wait for you at the music shop next time, share a hint, will you?"
The black phone was unlocked, swaying before Shea Thorne, signaling her to input her number.
Well... Shea Thorne realized she didn't even know her own number. The recent chaos had left no time for such trivial matters like remembering a phone number.
But she couldn't show that now. Taking his phone, she deliberately swiped a couple of times on the screen, saying, "Just handing this to me, not afraid I'll find secrets?"
The car started, slowly moving on the road. The National Conservatory of Music was founded too early, so later on, it was encircled in the bustling city due to urban expansion. Now, in the peak after-school hour, students and pedestrians were everywhere, causing traffic jams.
"What counts as a secret to you?" Milo Sinclair understood her implication, playfully asking back, "A wife's phone number? Or photos of an ex-girlfriend?"
"Perhaps it's a fiancée's shopping list, or maybe a paternity photo left by an ex-wife." Shea Thorne continued his line, laughingly saying, "At Professor Sinclair's age, trying to trick a girl in her early twenties like me, I have every reason to suspect you're fooling around outside, behind the backs of women at home. Isn't that right?"
With that, she put down Milo Sinclair's phone and opened her own, playing some perspective-shattering social news: "Female college student deceived by professor, ends up pregnant and has an abortion for true love, only to be cornered and stripped at the school gate by the wife, who then beats her, while the professor insists it's the dishonorable seduction by the student."
Milo Sinclair laughed heartily at the news. It felt just like describing him and Shea Thorne. The whimsical thoughts of the young girl were truly amusing.
What a cutie; he certainly made the right choice.
Once again, he unlocked his phone and handed it to Shea Thorne, saying, "The twelfth video from the top of the album, play it."
Shea Thorne didn't back down. She opened the album and played the video he mentioned, finding there was no sound, only a small maroon booklet flipping page by page. There were four pages, and Milo Sinclair's name appeared on the third page, with another name similar to his on the last page, Cecilia Sinclair.
This was Milo Sinclair's household registration document!
Shea Thorne looked up in disbelief at Milo Sinclair, who was driving, saying, "Do you carry this kind of thing with you?! Have you used this to fool many naïve girls?"
Milo Sinclair chuckled: "I need this to deceive naïve girls?!"
True, with his looks and physique, he could directly play the male lead in a drama; he wouldn't need to deceive naïve girls to follow him.
Shea Thorne said nothing more, her fingers returning his photo album, discovering that most of the album's content consisted of document-like photos and videos, presumably materials needed for work. There were no personal life photos or images of female celebrities or two-dimensional beauties.
His phone was very clean; the matte finish didn't even have a case, and the apps inside were all usual tools, devoid of games or any recreational apps.
Judging by the phone alone, if not for the document images from two years ago in the albums, this device could easily have mistaken for a brand new out-of-the-box model at a store.
Milo Sinclair was either intentional or willful.