Adrian fell silent, lost in thought.
One moment she was sharp-tongued and fiery, and the next she was obedient and soft. How could one person have so many different sides?
He opened his eyes, deleted the message without hesitation, and slipped the sachet back into his pocket. Then he returned to work as if nothing had happened. It was the first time he had not replied to a message, and strangely enough, he felt lighter because of it.
Class Seven had no afternoon lectures, so Riley headed back to the staff dorms to pick something up. The moment she stepped outside, she spotted a person by the artificial pond. A tall figure leaned casually against a tree in stylish casual clothes, one hand tucked into his pocket, looking like he had stepped straight out of a magazine spread.
Students kept passing by, sneaking photos when they thought he was not looking. Some lingered nearby, blushing as they stole glances at him, while a few bolder ones worked up the courage to approach, only to be turned away without hesitation and leave on the verge of tears. In that quiet corner of campus, Lucas was impossible to miss.
Riley walked over with the stuffed bunny in her arms, her face expressionless. Lucas noticed her immediately, pushed his sunglasses up, and hurried over.
"Riley..."
"Do you need something?" Riley cut in at once, shooting him a warning look.
Lucas blinked, then quickly remembered that their relationship was not public. Grinning sheepishly, he fell into step beside her. "What are you doing here?"
This was the staff dorm area. She had no reason to be here.
"What am I doing here?" Riley rolled her eyes. "I'm helping my professor with something. What else? Do you think I live here?"
That explanation made sense, but she still looked at him suspiciously. "Don't you have anything better to do? Why are you always hanging around our school?"
For a moment, Lucas's expression shifted. His usual flashy confidence faded, replaced by something unexpectedly subdued, almost lonely. "I'm looking for someone," he said quietly. "But she only showed up here once, so whenever I have time, I come and wait. I still haven't seen her again."
Then his eyes lit up. "But I finally found a lead."
Riley's heart skipped a beat. "What lead?"
Please do not tell me I slipped up again. Adrian alone was already enough trouble. If Lucas started questioning me too, it will be disastrous.
Her gaze swept the area around them. A few students lingered in the distance, but no one was close. Quietly, she reached behind her stuffed bunny and unzipped it just enough for her fingers to close around a wrench.
Knock him out. Problem solved.
Completely oblivious, Lucas kept talking excitedly. "The person I'm looking for is your professor."
Riley froze.
Oh. That.
Her grip loosened, and she calmly zipped the stuffed bunny shut again as if nothing had happened.
Lucas leaned closer and lowered his voice. "You're in Class Seven now, right? Have you seen your professor before?"
Riley tilted her head as if thinking it over. "No. Our lecture is usually online."
"Ah." He sighed in disappointment. "Figures. Someone that skilled would never be easy to find."
But in the next second, he perked up again and edged closer like he was about to share a secret. "Hey, can you give me the livestream password for your class? I tried getting in before, but it's encrypted. I just want to hear her voice."
"No."
The refusal came so fast it made Riley shiver a little herself. "I don't know it. I've never attended."
She immediately picked up her pace, but Lucas stared at her in disbelief before exploding in outrage. "How can you be like this? Do you even know how lucky you are? Attending her lecture is a blessing, and you're skipping it? Are you for real?"
He pointed at her accusingly. "I'm telling Adrian. You're wasting your talent, you hopeless underachiever."
Riley walked faster, practically escaping. "Can't hear you. What did you just said?" she called over her shoulder.
Lucas gritted his teeth in frustration.
Fine. If she would not tell me, I will just find another way. Class Seven had plenty of students, and all I need is one easy target.
As if on cue, Rylie walked out of the academic building. Still drifting through her usual after-class daze, she did not notice him until he stepped directly into her path. She looked up and froze.
The face in front of her was so striking it almost did not seem real, and her heartbeat stumbled.
"Hey there," Lucas said with an easy smile, "Are you from Class Seven?"
If it had been anyone else blocking her way, she would have snapped at them. But faced with someone like this, she could only nod shyly, warmth rising to her cheeks.
Lucas caught the reaction immediately.
Right on time.
With a confident flick of his hair, he pulled out his phone and opened his QR code. "Miss." he said in a voice as gentle as spring wind, "Can I have your number? If you say yes, it might be the happiest moment of my life."
His smile was dazzling. His tone was sincere. Before Rylie even fully understood what was happening, she had already scanned the code.
And just like that, she told him everything she knew. She told him about their procedure, their schedules, and even the livestream password.
By the time Lucas left, satisfied and triumphant, Rylie was still standing there in a daze. It was only when she noticed the jealous stares from nearby students burning into her that she finally snapped out of it and ran off with her face bright red.
Elsewhere, Riley carried her stuffed bunny past the rock garden and followed a narrow path. Suddenly, someone grabbed her wrist.
"Ah!"
Instinct took over. She twisted hard, her fist already flying toward her attacker's face.
"Ahhh!"
Evan dropped to the ground, clutching his eye and howling in pain.
Riley blinked.
Evan?
"You're insane!" Evan snapped, his face flushed with anger.
Riley tilted her head and corrected him with complete seriousness. "I'm not insane. I'm just silly."
Evan nearly choked on his own anger and could not get a word out for a moment. At last, he forced the words through gritted teeth. "Come here. I need to talk to you."
That commanding tone really did make her want to hit him again.
A faint smile tugged at Riley's lips as she stepped closer. Evan immediately backed up, all his arrogance faltering. "Y-you... what are you doing?"
She said nothing, but the look on her face was answer enough.
Just as the tension between them sharpened, a group of students happened to walk by. Riley clicked her tongue inwardly, annoyed that the moment had been ruined, and stopped where she was. Only after the students had gone did Evan straighten again and try to recover some of his dignity.
He glanced at her with a frown. "Who was that guy just now? Do you know him?"
I have seen that man before, the one who had been with the woman in red. Could he be here looking for her?
The thought tightened something in Evan's chest. That woman had only crossed his path twice, yet she lingered in his mind like an itch he could not scratch. And what had happened at Imperial Bar, being thrown out like garbage, had never left him. He had not forgotten it for a single second.
Now, seeing Riley walking with that same man, irritation surged through him.
Before she could answer, he snapped, "Can you have some self-respect? Do you feel uncomfortable if you go a single day without flirting with some man? Even if you're not that bright, as long as you behave yourself, the Cole family won't let you starve. Compared to Felicia, you're nothing. I've never seen anyone as shameless as you."
Every word landed cold and sharp.
But Riley only looked at him.