Chapter 176 Is Sebastian Married?
Sebastian quickly deduced their identities from their ages and appearances.
Smiling, he stepped forward and greeted them, "Hello, I'm Sebastian, Camilla's neighbor."
Camilla snapped out of her daze and immediately introduced everyone. "Dad, Mom, this is Professor Russell, the one who lent me the lab."
Alistair suddenly realized, "I didn't expect Professor Russell to be so young. Truly impressive."
Bella was also surprised but quickly smiled and said, "Thank you, Professor Russell, for taking care of Camilla these days."
"You're too kind. Just call me Sebastian."
"Oh? What's that?" Alistair noticed a brown paper-covered item in Sebastian's hand that looked like a book but not quite.
Sebastian replied, "This is a calendar notebook I borrowed from Professor Harvey in the Physics Department at Cascade College."
Fearing Alistair might not understand, he further explained, "The calendar notebook is a tradition in the Physics Department at Cascade College. Each professor has their top students create a notebook based on current hot research topics, where they can jot down notes anytime. Although it's just for note-taking, these students usually analyze hot topics and future global research trends. Each student passes on the notebook to the next, typically every four years, after the previous student graduates."
He continued, "Professor Harvey has compiled these notebooks from his students over the years, binding them simply by year, much like a calendar, hence the name calendar notebook."
Despite Sebastian's efforts to simplify the explanation, it still seemed a bit complex.
Alistair looked a bit dazed after hearing it, as if he was overwhelmed.
Sebastian asked, "Sorry, did I make it too complicated?"
Suddenly, Bella turned to Alistair, "Isn't your mentor also named Harvey?"
Sebastian was surprised, "Is it Gilbert Harvey?"
"Yes, yes, Gilbert Harvey!"
Sebastian was even more surprised, "Did you graduate from Cascade College's Physics Department?"
Alistair scratched his head sheepishly, "Yes, but I'm ashamed. Most of Professor Harvey's students went into research and are now leaders in their fields. I'm the only one who didn't quite measure up."
Gilbert had even reserved a direct PhD spot for him.
But Alistair wanted to return to Starlight City to stay close to his parents, so he declined Gilbert's offer.
Since then, he and his mentor hadn't seen each other.
"How is Professor Harvey's health?"
Sebastian replied, "He's still going strong."
Alistair nodded, "He's always been energetic. Good to hear he's healthy. Sebastian, are you also from Cascade College's Physics Department?"
Sebastian said, "I studied physics, but I'm from Harmony College."
Alistair's eyes lit up, "Physics is great, exploring endless mysteries. What's your specific field of research..."
"Alright," Bella quickly interrupted, "Sebastian has to go out. Are you done yet?"
Alistair noticed the bag in Sebastian's hand, "Sorry, I tend to go on and on. You go ahead."
"No problem, I enjoyed chatting with you. Since you just arrived today, I won't disturb you further. Once you're settled, we can talk more."
Alistair quickly nodded, "Sure, sure, we'll talk later."
Sebastian nodded slightly and then left.
Inside the house, Camilla was busy unpacking.
Bella and Alistair started looking around Camilla's place.
A two-bedroom apartment, not too big or small.
Although the layout and basic decor were visibly old, the soft furnishings were thoughtfully arranged.
The sofa, cabinets, and appliances were all new.
Some unavoidable flaws were cleverly covered with decorations, making the place look cozy and refined.
Initially, seeing the dirty and messy stairwell, they had low expectations for Camilla's living conditions.
But once inside, it was a different world.
Bella was very pleased.
Not just because Camilla had decorated the rented place so nicely, but because it showed Camilla's care for life.
In Bella's view, life could be makeshift, but one's attitude towards life shouldn't be.
When she and Alistair first got married, Alistair's monthly salary was only $3,200, and he had to give $2,000 to his parents, leaving them with just $1,200.
After Camilla was born, finances were even tighter.
But even so, Bella would buy a bouquet of flowers every two weeks.
If they had a bit more money, she'd buy something nicer; if it was the end of the month and they were broke, she'd pick wildflowers during weekend hikes and put them in a vase, which was also nice.
Camilla always thought her mother Bella was quite sophisticated.
Sometimes, Bella's occasional generosity didn't seem like it came from an ordinary family background.
But when asked about the past, Bella always said she forgot and couldn't remember even if she tried.
Camilla guessed that Bella's family must have been well-off.
Alistair thought the same, so he never restricted Bella's spending, even if he had to be frugal himself.
He often said, "Your mom has been through a lot with me. All my good luck was used up the day I saved her from the river."
So he accepted any misfortune with a smile.
Alistair said, "You know the first law of thermodynamics, right? The law of energy conservation. Meeting your mom was an energy gain; life's other difficulties are energy losses. Since I gained so much at once, the losses have to come slowly, right?"
At the time, Camilla was in middle school and had just started participating in physics competitions.
After hearing this, she concluded two things:
1. Alistair didn't think he was unlucky.
2. It didn't matter if he was unlucky for life.
Alistair was stunned.
Bella laughed.
"Dad, Mom, don't just stand there. Sit down and rest, have some water."
After pushing the luggage into the bedroom, Camilla made some tea.
"Camilla," Bella asked after taking a sip, "Is Sebastian married?"
"I don't think so."
"Does he have a girlfriend?"
Camilla paused, amused, "Mom, are you that nosy?"
"Just curious. With his looks and successful career, he must have no shortage of girls around him, right?"
Camilla thought seriously, "Since I moved here, I haven't seen any girls around him."
Bella seemed to be deep in thought.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
