Seeing Liam Shaw get out of the car, Lianne assumed he was running a personal errand and relaxed, leaning back against the seat.
She glanced sideways.
Seth Sinclair's high-bridged nose split the light and shadow flowing into the car. His eyes were closed; he seemed to be resting.
Six minutes later, Liam Shaw returned with a bag bearing a pharmacy's logo and handed it straight to Lianne.
"Miss Lane."
"Thank you." Lianne took it instinctively.
She opened the bag and, using the faint light from the streetlamps, made out the assorted bottles and containers inside.
Anti-swelling medication and an ice pack.
Lianne found it strange.
After a few seconds of thought, it dawned on her.
'It must have been Ethan Sinclair's orders. How else would they know her hand was injured?'
The solid black luxury car blended into the deep night as it sped along the elevated highway, finally stopping in front of Lianne's apartment building.
"Thank you for tonight." Lianne got out of the car and offered her sincere thanks.
"Close the door." Seth Sinclair didn't open his eyes. His posture was languid, and his tone was cool and casual when he spoke.
Lianne closed the car door and stood there, watching the vehicle speed away until it disappeared.
It was a fully armored, extended-length Hongqi L9, with a sequential all-digit license plate.
'...A prestigious, mobile emblem of nobility.'
The light ahead turned red. Liam Shaw passed a file to the man in the back seat.
"Just as you predicted," Liam Shaw said. "It was Miss Lane who persuaded Mr. Mayer to sign the demolition agreement."
The group had long coveted the demolition project for the Belltower Lane district, but it had been consistently met with resistance, preventing any smooth progress.
At the beginning of the year, Mr. Mayer, the leader of the resistance, had penned a sprawling ten-thousand-word missive to the higher-ups. He wrote it in meticulous fly's-head script, each stroke grand and precise, the style formal and imposing.
Because of this, Mr. Sinclair himself had stepped in and said to leave the Belltower Lane district alone for the time being.
No one knew what method Miss Lane had used to crack a tough nut like Mr. Mayer.
Liam Shaw raised a hand to wipe the side of his nose.
'Does the boss think I'm completely useless? Is he going to tell me to pack my things and go sleep at a construction site?'
Seth Sinclair's expression didn't change. He flicked the file with a long finger and tossed it aside casually.
It landed right on the spot where Lianne had been sitting just a short while ago.
The light turned from red to green, but the boss still hadn't given any instructions. Liam Shaw started the car, breathing a sigh of relief.
*
The ointment's pain-relieving effect was immediate. In just two days, the swelling in Lianne's hand had mostly subsided, and there was no longer any pain when she flexed her fingers.
She was still a student, so for convenience, she lived in her apartment most of the time.
On Monday, Lianne returned to school for the final exam in one of her major courses. Once she passed it, she would have nearly enough credits to graduate.
After the exam, she left the science building and headed to the nearest cafeteria, Cafeteria 1, for lunch. After eating, she dropped her tray off at the return station and planned to head back to her dorm.
There were two Japanese pagoda trees at the south entrance of Cafeteria 1. The spot had once been the entrance to the Grand Council of the late Qing Dynasty.
Lianne was standing in the shade of the trees when her senior, Sophie Sheridan, sent her a WeChat message asking where she was, if she was free, and pleading for an urgent rescue.
Lianne replied that she was at Cafeteria 1 and was free.
Sophie Sheridan told her to go to the grand auditorium.
A major figure was visiting the dean today to make a huge donation, and student volunteers were needed. The outstanding Sophie Sheridan had been chosen, landing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. However, she had just remembered that a paper for one of her classes was due in two hours, so she'd scrambled to find a study room and was now furiously banging out a three-thousand-word paper on her laptop.
"Lia, the official remembers my name. If I make a bad impression on him, I'm afraid it'll affect my chances for awards and honors. Please, cover for me for a bit. I'll treat you to a meal another day, I'm begging you!" Sophie Sheridan's voice message was rushed, the words tumbling out.
"What about my appearance? Won't that give it away?"
"No, he's face-blind. He doesn't really remember faces!"
"Okay, I'm on my way."
She had dressed casually today, not putting much effort into her appearance, and was wearing a simple white linen shirt and jeans.
Which turned out to be convenient now.
Cafeteria 1 was about 500 meters from the grand auditorium, so Lianne arrived quickly. After the volunteers gathered, made their preparations, and went over the procedures and their tasks, she entered the auditorium with a few others.
The university's higher-ups, all in sharp suits, were clustered around a man as if he were the center of their universe. He sat relaxed on a black sofa, his well-tailored suit outlining his broad shoulders and long legs as he effortlessly handled conversations from all sides.
The streamlined light strips cast a ripple of golden light over Seth Sinclair.
The male and female students nearby kept stealing glances at him, not daring to stare for long before looking away.
The Sinclair Family and Principal Powell's families went way back. It was said their ancestors had served in the same military unit, and the two families were on good terms.
On the surface, this was just a charitable donation, but in reality, it could be considered a political alliance.
Normally, only bottled water was prepared for events like this. But the guest this time was too important; they couldn't let such a VIP drink something cold.
Lianne carried a Zisha teapot and poured the tea with single-minded focus.
She sensed Seth Sinclair's gaze drift over to her, then suddenly stop and linger.
In his line of sight were slender, fair fingers with nails like smooth, rounded mother-of-pearl. A little higher up, a bracelet adorned with two red jade pendants was loosely worn on a delicate wrist.
The shape and color of the jade pendants strongly resembled sweet, crisp cherries.
Seth Sinclair lifted his gaze, his eyes slowly moving from the document in his hand to her face.
His gaze was so intense that Lianne had to force herself to stay calm.
"Snuck out?" His cool, light voice was unhurried, laced with a faint, teasing amusement.
Lianne lifted her lashes, meeting Seth Sinclair's eyes for a fleeting moment before lowering her head again.
The man was in a custom black suit today, his tie fastened in a neat, handsome Eldredge knot. He had a strong brow, deep-set eyes, and a hint of a smile in his dark pupils, looking every bit the part of a refined yet distant CEO.
Lianne had been by Ethan Sinclair's side for nine years. Their statuses were worlds apart, and rumors spread that she was his kept canary, worthless.
As the second son of the Sinclair Family, Seth Sinclair represented the family. It was only logical that he would dislike her.
Lianne's long lashes trembled almost imperceptibly. "A student belongs in school, naturally," she said, her voice calm.
"When do you graduate?"
Lianne didn't understand why he was asking, but she answered honestly, "Next year."
Hearing this, Seth Sinclair seemed to chuckle.
Lianne returned to the meeting room, 909, where the volunteers were chatting animatedly.
"That guy is handsome on a whole other level!"
"He reminds me of those male celebrities who get by on their looks, but they pale in comparison. He's way more handsome and distinguished!"
"Seriously good-looking. Devastatingly handsome. Even I'm crushing on him, and I'm a guy."
"Ooh~"
"What's with the 'ooh'? I'm not gay, I'm painfully straight!"
The gossip was endless and lively.
In contrast, Lianne nonchalantly sipped her bottled water, not the least bit curious.
"Lianne, you're here too! Great!"
The speaker was Savannah Sutton. She and Lianne had once been members of the traditional music ensemble and had performed together at a school anniversary celebration. She was also one of her roommates.
Ethan Sinclair had come to the school looking for Lianne once and was seen by Savannah Sutton. So, Savannah knew that Lianne's relationship with Ethan Sinclair was not a simple one.
"Can you confirm something for me? Is that man the Sinclair Family's second son, Seth Sinclair?"