Chapter 45
“I just saw Lama’s name on the competition registration website. Did you run into her? Did you talk to her? Did she agree to help me?” Russell asked eagerly, looking at Wyatt.
In his mind, as long as Wyatt said the word, there was no way Luna would say no. It seemed like his graduate school materials were finally falling into place. There was no need to look for Kevin or stay up late anymore.
Wyatt’s expression darkened. He really didn’t want to answer Russell, who was a bit dim-witted.
“Didn’t I already tell you? She’s no longer part of the team, so don’t keep pursuing her. Why can’t you take a hint? Do you want me to tell Professor Hanley you’re incapable?”
“No! Don’t tell Professor Hanley!” Russell replied, his face pale. He was confused about what had gone wrong.
Why was Wyatt so angry? Could it be because of Luna? That couldn’t be. How could Luna refuse Wyatt? Did he not even ask her?
After Wyatt left, Russell muttered, a bit disgruntled. “He promised to help me, but now he’s blaming me. If he didn’t want to help, he could’ve just said so.”
Mia pouted and pulled on Russell’s sleeve. “Russell, don’t blame Wyatt. He really did try talking to Luna, but not only did she ignore him, she said hurtful things. He managed to hold back only because of his good upbringing.”
“That’s impossible!” Russell instinctively didn’t believe her. “Luna has never said anything hurtful to anyone, especially not to Wyatt. She always listens to him.” Mia’s expression turned complicated, and she looked genuinely hurt.
“But she’s changed,” she said softly. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask her yourself. I’m not lying.”
“What do you mean?” Russell asked, puzzled.
“Well, she’s wearing makeup and a skirt. I guess men would like the way she looks now. I have to admit, she’s really pretty.”
“I’m just worried about her, though,” Mia continued. “Before, with you guys protecting her and her keeping a low profile, no one dared to cause her trouble. But now… You see, pretty ladies always attract the wrong kind of attention.”
She was almost implying that Luna was now dressing provocatively to attract attention.
“Forget it. I won’t say anymore. If you want to talk to her, go ahead. If you can get through to her, that’s great. I just don’t want anything bad to happen to her.”
“I intend to focus on the innovation competition now. Wyatt said I should focus on my studies, stay low-key, and do great things. Hopefully, I’ll be able to stand out in the competition.”
Mia watched Russell’s expression darken and knew her words had made an impact. She said nothing more and gave him a soft, concerned look before heading upstairs.
“I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry too much about the competition. I’ll think it through carefully.”
Russell felt frustrated. Over the past few days, he had been so distracted by Luna’s matter that he hadn’t given the competition proper attention. He wasn’t as focused as Mia, who had just joined the team.
He gave Mia a guilty look before walking out the door. If she refused to turn back, it would be her fault. From now on, all his focus would be on helping Mia. He swore this would be the last time he tried to convince Luna. Luna, that ungrateful person, wasn’t worth his efforts. Thinking about how Luisa had even ignored Wyatt’s words, he didn’t know why he even wanted to go to her. Perhaps he just couldn’t let go of their friendship of so many years; he had always treated her like a sister.
Mia returned to her workstation. This was the team’s designated laboratory provided by the school. Besides the experimental area, every team member had their own workstation with a computer. She looked around and made sure no one was paying attention before she clicked on a website. When she saw the private message’s content, her face lit up, and she quickly copied it into a document on her desktop. After making a few edits, she stood up and headed straight for Wyatt’s private office.