Chapter 117

As if by tacit agreement, when it came to finding Freya and her son Zack, Joshua simply instructed his people to handle it, while Shermaine could fully exploit her status to boss him around.

Shermaine smiled and said playfully, “If you ever run into any tricky project issues you can’t handle, just let me take care of them. It’s on the house.”

Joshua knew there were certainly things he needed, but he didn’t want Shermaine to feel obligated to repay him for everything. So he said casually, “Not for now. I’ll let you know if anything comes up.”

Just then, the car pulled over by the roadside. Shermaine hopped out, dashed across the street to a chestnut vendor, and returned with a small bag of freshly roasted, steaming hot chestnuts.

Joshua was behind the wheel.

Shermaine peeled a chestnut and popped one into her mouth.

It was absolutely delicious.

Joshua teased, “Shermaine, don’t keep all the good stuff to yourself.”

“I’ll save some for you,” she replied.

Joshua said, “They’ll get cold.”

Their place had a microwave. If she heated them up later, it wouldn’t affect their taste.

However, Joshua insisted with a playful pout, “I want them right now.”

Shermaine had no choice but to peel a chestnut for him. Seeing his hands firmly on the steering wheel, she held it up to his mouth with a smile and said, “Here, you really earned this today.”

“Thanks,” Joshua smiled as he ate the chestnut. Honestly, this might just be the best chestnut he had ever tasted.

The monthly exams were held on the 21st of this month.

Perhaps it was the pressure from exams, or maybe it was those low-quality acne treatment products she used, but Summer’s acne not only failed to clear up; it actually worsened aggressively.

To make matters worse, she had an allergic reaction, leaving her cheeks flushed like sunburned highland redness. It was quite an unsightly sight.

So after the exam, she looked really gloomy and seemed to be crying. Her classmates gathered around to comfort her; some suggested effective acne treatments, while others advised her to see a doctor to get it checked out.

Since Shermaine finished her exam early, she slipped off to the lab for a while. When she returned, she found Summer sniffling at her desk. Shermaine took her seat and asked with concern, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

One of the classmates explained, “Summer didn’t do well on the exam. What’s worse, it looks like she had an allergic reaction to some acne product. Now, not only is her acne getting worse, but her face is also breaking out badly.”

“Hey, look at me. Let me check it out,” Shermaine said gently.

Shermaine examined her skin, then handed her a small glass jar containing the miracle cream she had finally perfected that day. Though it hadn’t been tested on anyone yet, she was confident in her creation.

With a reassuring smile, she said, “Here, take this. Wash your face thoroughly tonight before applying it. And don’t stress yourself out. You’ve got six months until the college entrance exams. That’s plenty of time to improve.”

Looking just scared, Summer said quietly,

“What are you afraid of?” Shermaine asked.

“Mom said if I don’t get into a top university, I shouldn’t even bother continuing my education,” Summer replied hesitantly as she accepted the small bottle from Shermaine.

Shermaine arched her brow and said directly, “If you start preparing early, you’ve got a great shot at making it. You gotta believe in yourself. Want to bet? This time your exam results will top the last ones.”

“No way. That’s impossible,” Summer muttered, feeling utterly defeated. She was convinced she’d bombed the exam and had zero confidence she could do better than last time.

Shermaine said calmly, “I never make empty promises.” She gently patted her shoulder. “Just listen to me, okay?”

After Shermaine’s comforting words, Summer felt much better emotionally. Wiping away her tears, she said gratefully, “Thank you.”

“No problem. If this cream causes any irritation, just let me know and stop using it right away, okay?”

“Alright,” Summer replied softly.

Since it was winter, darkness fell early. Around 5 pm, the capital city was already enveloped in night. But with Christmas approaching, the shops lining the streets were adorned with festive decorations, brimming with holiday spirit.

There were also noticeably more couples strolling hand in hand, enjoying the romantic atmosphere.

That night, following Shermaine’s instructions, Summer carefully washed her face with cleanser before bed. Then she applied the pearly cream, gently spreading it evenly across her skin, hoping it would really work.

The cream felt cool and refreshing against her skin, causing no irritation whatsoever. In fact, it was extremely soothing as she applied it to her face. With that done, she climbed into bed, pulled up the covers, and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, as soon as Summer woke up, her first instinct was to look in the mirror, a habit she’d developed over the past few days. But when she saw her reflection, her eyes widened in disbelief.

“Where… where did her pimples go?”

Summer gasped, “Oh my god!”

Her pimples were all gone!

The cream Shermaine had given her was just amazing!

Meanwhile, Shermaine and Joshua were having breakfast when Joshua suddenly asked, “Got any plans for Christmas Day?”