Chapter 172 Mr. Wipere, We Are Not Close
Juniper slapped the hand off her shoulder, stood up straight, and secretly felt relieved that she had discarded the cigarette butt early.
Camilla struggled to close her mouth. "Juniper, you forgot your bag."
She really just came to deliver a bag, but what did she see?
Juniper was actually arm-in-arm with a man, looking very intimate?
And why did this man's back look so familiar?
The moment they turned around, the mystery was solved—it was Simon!
So, this was the collaborator Juniper mentioned?
Juniper stepped forward and took the bag from her hand. "Thanks, Camilla! Coming out so late to bring me my bag, you should head back, it's not safe. I'll stay here and watch you go upstairs. Wave to me from the balcony when you get there, and then I'll leave."
"Okay."
Camilla turned and went home.
She knew Juniper, and she knew that although Juniper seemed carefree, she always had a plan.
So she didn't say much.
Sometimes, silence was the greatest respect between friends.
Juniper kept her word and stood there until she saw Camilla wave to her from the balcony, then she left.
"You took my car, aren't you giving me a ride?" Simon caught up.
"We're not going the same way, how can I give you a ride? Just call a cab, it won't cost much." Juniper sincerely suggested.
As she spoke, she revved the engine loudly, counted down silently, then released the handbrake, and the car shot out like an arrow.
Simon's voice was completely left behind.
"Juniper, didn't you get your car fixed?! Why did you take mine?! Be careful, it's a new car, don't scratch it!"
However, the next day he saw Juniper driving his car down Finance Street.
The top was down, and there was a young, handsome guy in the passenger seat!
Simon gritted his teeth on the spot.
At the end of July, Camilla finally finalized her three papers.
After all the data came out, she spent a week, with Sebastian's help, revising them six times.
Once confirmed, she submitted them to three different scientific journals.
Now, she just had to wait for a response.
No need to rush to the lab early, no need to prepare lunch in advance every day, and no need to worry about not finishing the day's data if she overslept during lunch break.
With free time, the days seemed to slow down.
She could leisurely browse the farmers' market, take her time tending to her plants, and occasionally try out new recipes.
She could also video chat with her parents more often, sometimes for half an hour.
Alistair asked, "Are all three papers done?"
"Yes. Thanks to Sebastian lending me his lab, otherwise, I don't know when I would have collected all the data."
Of course, without the data, the papers couldn't be finished.
"Other people would go to great lengths to get those resources, and that professor just gave them to you for free. Shouldn't you thank him properly?"
At first, Camilla didn't realized how in-demand Sebastian's lab was.
Before her, many people had tried to borrow or rent it, offering money, but Sebastian had refused them all.
Yet he made an exception for her.
No wonder Betty and the others had looked at her so strangely at first.
The next day, Camilla went out for a morning run.
With her free time, she had picked up the habit again. After a sweaty run and a shower, she felt energized all day.
"Morning, Sebastian."
"Morning."
Sebastian had already finished his run and was about to head back. Seeing her, he turned around. "I'll run with you for a bit."
"Won't it delay your lab work?"
"Hector is in charge of the new project, so I'm not too busy lately."
"Then Hector must have some complaints." Camilla joked.
"Complaints are useless; he still has to work." Sebastian replied seriously.
If Hector were there, he would probably go crazy hearing that.
They ran two laps around the park, and Camilla started to struggle.
Sebastian noticed. "Adjust your breathing, keep the rhythm, follow me. Breathe in, out, in, out..."
Camilla followed his instructions and indeed felt better. "Much better!"
"Want more running?"
"That's enough for today."
"Okay."
They went for breakfast together before heading back.
"Any response to the papers you submitted?"
Camilla shook her head. "Not yet."
"That's normal. The review process for academic journals is complicated. It takes even longer for prestigious ones."
Talking about the papers, Camilla said, "Thank you for lending me your lab. I wouldn't have been able to complete the papers without it. If I offered you rent, you wouldn't accept it, and it would seem too tacky. But I feel bad not repaying you somehow. So, after thinking it over, how about I treat you to a meal?"
Sebastian smiled and readily agreed. "Sure. Who wouldn't want a free meal?"
"What do you want to eat? How about..." booking a restaurant.
Sebastian said quickly, "Anything is fine. Your cooking is great."
Camilla was stunned.
When did she say she would cook?
But it was clear that Sebastian had assumed that.
Alright then.
It was hot these days, and she didn't cook much herself, but Sebastian requested it.
"How about lunch today? Are you free?"
"Yes."
They chatted as they walked, and when they reached the alley, Camilla suddenly stopped.
Sebastian stopped too. "What's wrong?"
Following her gaze, he saw Leopold standing outside the apartment building, looking at them.
Dressed in a black shirt and black suit pants, Leopold stood under a tree, his whole body shrouded in shadows cast by the branches.
Light and shadow intertwined on him, making him look fragmented.
At first glance, he seemed mottled.
"Camilla." Leopold walked up, his eyes greedily fixed on Camilla's face.
Maybe because she had just exercised, Camilla's forehead was slightly sweaty, but her eyes were bright and clear.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, making her look full of energy.
Leopold didn't look at Sebastian, not because he didn't notice, but because he found him annoying and didn't want to look.
But he couldn't get rid of him, so he convinced himself to ignore him.
"Is there something you need, Mr. Wipere?" Camilla asked.
Her words made them seem to be strangers.
Leopold smiled bitterly. "Do we really need to be so formal?"
Camilla looked at him and slowly shook her head. "We're not close."
"Can't we even be friends?"
"There's no need."
A proper ex should stay out of her life.
And the so-called being friends was just one side being unwilling to let go, while the other still has lingering feelings.
But Camilla had neither of these.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
