Chapter 23

Luna choked on her pasta and violently coughed. Rhett handed her a napkin and ordered another plate of pasta for himself. When Luna finally stopped coughing, she asked, "How much was that? I'll Venmo you."

"Tell me about that innovation of yours," Rhett said, ignoring her question. He adopted a more serious tone.

Luna's eyes lit up. "Does this mean you agree to consider my idea?"

"Check the group chat," Rhett replied coldly. "We don't have much time. You have ten days to come up with a proposal. If you don't, we can't finish the rest. Got it?"

Luna nodded furiously. "Yes, I'll complete the proposal. But Rhett, I'll need your help afterward."

Having eaten, Luna wolfed down the pasta and nearly choked again. Rhett once more called her a fool.

"I won't fight you for your food! Slow down!"

"Heh! I just want to hurry up and write the proposal," Luna said, setting her fork down. "Rhett, thanks for helping out. I'll Venmo you for the pasta." She added silently that she wouldn't have gone with Russell even if Rhett hadn't intervened, but his timely action certainly spared her trouble.

Afterward, Luna picked up her bag, ready to leave. Rhett tossed his fork onto the table, muttering, "Little rascal!" However, a smile played on his lips as he recalled Luna's attitude toward Russell. That was intriguing.

After leaving the cafeteria, Luna checked the group chat. Erin had replied, "We can do that. Write the proposal!"

Erin possessed two PhDs and decades of experience as a professor, specializing in cell biology and acupuncture. Rumors suggested she even practiced clinical medicine in university.

Since Erin had given her the green light, Luna's idea seemed feasible. Luna was a beginner in acupuncture, having mostly read beginner books. Despite that, she felt confident in writing the proposal. After all, with Suzie and Rhett, she didn't have to worry about the more technical aspects later in the project.

Russell glumly returned to his seat in the cafeteria. Wyatt glanced behind him and asked, "Where's Luna?"

"She didn't come with me," Russell replied, his anger resurfacing at the memory of the earlier events. "Rhett ordered her a plate of linguine, and she happily ate it all."

Kevin clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "I can't believe he bought her off with a plate of pasta. Luna's really something. Is our spread here not as good as Rhett's pasta?"

"Haven't you guys figured it out?" Trevor adjusted his glasses. "Luna is determined to learn acupuncture. She's totally given up on Professor Hanley and doesn't want to rejoin our team."

Ethan remained incredulous. "Isn't she affected by the online comments? Everyone in medical school knows what's popular and what's not. But she insists on going against the grain. Something's very wrong with her!"

Wyatt, his anger subsiding, felt uneasy. He hadn't expected Luna to be serious. "What's so good about Rhett? Why is she on his team? Is this her way of provoking me?"

"Wyatt, why don't you coax her? She listens to you the most. She might rejoin if you talk to her," Russell pleaded, staring at Wyatt desperately.

Wyatt hesitated, close to agreeing.