Chapter 364

Because he had no clue what Matthew had said to Lemira, Orion took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool. “Don’t let his words get to you.”

“I know.”

Lemira had calmed down quite a bit now, taking a sip of water. “I only asked him one thing, but he didn’t even answer.”

“What did you ask?”

Orion’s heart tightened, more than it ever did during business negotiations. Lemira hesitated for a moment before looking at him. Considering he also knew Matthew and seemed to be on good terms, maybe Orion would have the answer? Matthew must have dropped out of the finals for someone important.

“Do you not trust me?” Orion asked, looking her straight in the eye.

“No, it’s just… I was curious if someone could make him drop out of the finals.”

Lemira felt her question was a bit inappropriate. How was Matthew supposed to respond to that? After hearing her, Orion found it odd. “Why would you ask something like that?”

“Just curious, that’s all.”

Lemira wasn’t ready to tell the whole truth. Recalling Matthew’s remarks, Orion couldn’t help but smirk, understanding why Matthew was all huffy when he came to him. “You’re not trying to find Matthew’s weak spot so he drops out of next year’s competition, are you?”

“What kind of logic is that? Is that how low you think of me?”

The thought had never even crossed Lemira’s mind. She believed in fair play; winning by deceit wasn’t a victory worth celebrating. But seeing Orion’s expression, she realized Matthew must have misunderstood, too.

“Then why ask? It obviously upset you.”

Orion remembered the scene where Lemira and Matthew stood together during the competition, feeling an inexplicable discomfort. Lemira wanted to explain, but without revealing her true intentions, she paused. “Okay, I admit, it was a bit of a probe.”

That was the only answer she could give. Orion studied her for a moment, sensing she wasn’t being entirely honest.

“You seem very curious about Matthew?”

Lemira nodded. “A little.”

She had thought that to confirm if Matthew was the person from her past life, she’d need to interact with him more. Orion, squeezing his water bottle tightly, his gaze intense, remarked, “He’s just a kid.”

“He’s two years older than me. We’re both adults here, what ‘kid’? Does that make you feel old or something?”

Orion couldn’t help but pinch her cheek. “You mean I’m old?”

Rubbing her face, Lemira retorted, “Whoever admits it.”

Looking at Orion, she couldn’t help but notice he wasn’t old at all—young, handsome, with a great physique. The atmosphere between them felt tinged with ambiguity. Standing up, she said, “I’m going to change.”

She hurriedly left, patting her face to clear her thoughts. After changing and coming out, she saw him leaning against the wall, his figure striking. They left the gym together, walking side by side towards the University, their shadows merging.

Lucian’s car was parked by the curb, and he rushed over, looking troubled. Lemira frowned, not in the mood to deal with him. But Lucian didn’t give up. “Lemmy, I heard Asher is pulling strings in the legal world to make things difficult for you.”

Lemira raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“Lemmy, the Langstons losing the bid has cost them dearly, and Asher is livid. You’ve made your point against the Langstons. Why push for a lawsuit and take this to court?”