Chapter 69

Lade was feeling extremely frustrated. “I truly didn’t anticipate them behaving this way. A group of young men—awfully nosy troublemakers.”

“They’re just like these annoying trolls,” Suzie chimed in. “People with ugly hearts will see flaws in anything. I think they just can’t stand seeing Lima do better after leaving their team.”

Lama pulled Jade over. “Let me introduce you. This is Suzie Hoffman, and this is Rhett Wilder. They’re my seniors and students of Professor Wilder.”

“Hi, I’m Jade Cyrinn, Lima’s roommate and good friend. Thank you for looking out for Lima,” Jade said, expressing her gratitude.

Suzie chuckled at her words. “Oh, so you’re Luusa’s family, huh?”

“Suzie!” Luru was confused about how the conversation shifted to family. But then again, Lama had never really had a family. If Jade, as she offered, didn’t mind, she would love to think of them as her own sisters.

Suzie laughed heartily. “Just kidding! Your friend is my friend as well. If you need anything, just let us know. I’ve got your back!”

Sure then pinched Jade’s cheek. “I must be incredibly lucky to have the chance to pinch the cheek of the campus belle.”

She really didn’t discriminate. She was pinching everyone without a second thought.

Rhett glanced over. “You’re Jade? The campus belle?”

“That was just something the students made up. Please don’t mind it,” Jade replied, her face turning red from his serious tone.

Rhett remained expressionless. “Our team is short-handed at the moment. Are you interested in helping out for a few days?”

“Helping?” Jade looked at Lama, clearly bewildered.

“Yeah, Jade, could you come?” Luna gazed at her eagerly.

Rhett’s suggestion came out of nowhere, but their team had just been formed, and they were about to participate in an upcoming campus competition. There was a lot to do, so having an extra person would definitely be helpful.

Jade hesitated. “But as far as I know, once the name list of the team for the competition is finalized, it can’t be changed. Even if I agree, I can’t officially join your team, right?”

Rhett nodded. “Yeah. So, it’s just for helping out.”

That was pretty shameless, and Luna was honestly shocked. She glanced at Rhett again, wondering if he was just trying to get free labor or if it was because of Jade. Suzie couldn’t help but swallow, feeling a bit puzzled by Rhett’s intentions. But even if she didn’t quite get it, since Rhett was trying to bring Jade—the campus belle—into the fold, as her cousin, she was more than happy to lend a hand.

“Rhett isn’t great with words, so please bear with him, Jade. Our team is truly short-handed. Recruiting extensively is too much trouble, and we don’t really know anyone…”

“But you’re Luna’s roommate, and with your academic record, we trust you. Plus, we’ll make sure you’re compensated for your help. How does a 3,000-dollar-a-month assistant salary sound?”

Seeing that Jade was still hesitant, Suzie added, “By helping out, you’d be doing Lani a favor. She’s way busier than any of us right now. She has to learn new course material and prepare for the competition. With you here, she’ll have some help.”

Indeed, what she said was true.

When Luna caught Jade looking at her again, she nodded firmly. “Come on, please?”

“I’ll think about it,” Jade replied, not outright refusing.

Rhett didn’t press further, keeping his attitude cool and indifferent. “Um, let Luna know once you’ve made up your mind and give us a heads-up when you’re ready to come.”

With that, he turned and left. His distant, detached attitude was somewhat out of place compared to his earlier invitation.

This left everyone momentarily stunned.

“That’s just how he is. He’s a bit cold, but once you get to know him, he’s not a bad guy. It’ll be fine once you’re familiar with him.” She then added, “Luna, we’re heading back to the lab. Take your time to chat with Jade. No rush.”

Suzie chuckled awkwardly.

Chapter 70