Chapter 409 Burden
"Hey, don't just walk away, we're not done talking!" I called out, chasing after Elliot as he strolled off like he didn't have a care in the world.
Elliot's laid-back attitude really puzzled me. I mean, who wouldn't be at least a little freaked out about a project that needed both cash and hard work with no guaranteed payoff? But not Elliot. He didn't even ask a single question before jumping on board. Was he that confident in me, or did he just not care about the money?
We'd only had a few academic chats before this. So why was he so quick to say yes to my invite? And why was he ready to fund the project without a second thought? Was he just super into the project?
"Hit me up on Facebook if you need anything. I really gotta go," Elliot said, his long legs carrying him away in big strides. I tried to keep up but quickly realized it was pointless. He clearly wasn't in the mood to chat more, so I let it go.
From what I could tell, Elliot seemed like a decent guy. But hey, that was just my take. With my limited experience, I could totally be wrong about him. I should probably ask Professor Evans for his opinion.
Professor Evans was sharp and wise, and he never sugarcoated things. If he vouched for Elliot, then I'd know for sure I should team up with him.
I got home early, buzzing with excitement about the new venture. I fired up my computer and dove into research on pigment formulas and industry trends.
I knew that just copying stuff would be plagiarism. I wanted to create something entirely my own. Reading up on this stuff was just to get a better grip on the industry.
It was going to be a long and tedious process, needing a lot of manpower, resources, and energy.
There was a ton of info online, and I got totally sucked into it.
I was so engrossed that I didn't even notice when Yancy and Mia got home from work.
"What are you so into?" Mia asked, standing at the study door, seeing me hunched over my desk. "If you love studying so much, why not just stay in school forever? When you're older, you can enroll in a senior university. Spending your whole life in school wouldn't be so bad."
If I wanted to spend my whole life in school, I could just become a teacher. No need for senior university.
"Mia, my project proposal got the green light from the school. I'm doing some research," I said.
"Think you can pull it off?" Mia asked, pushing the door open and plopping down on the sofa next to me. She glanced at the screen and looked a bit skeptical.
"Of course, it's my dream. I'm gonna make it happen," I said, grinning.
In the future, when my formula was released, we would start our own company. Our partners would mine the stones, and we would handle the production ourselves.
Mia's eyes lit up with admiration. "That's awesome, Jane. You're incredible. Without Brad around, you're even more impressive. You've always been exceptional; it's just that Brad's brilliance overshadowed you."
I knew that wasn't true.
Brad was one of the two people who loved me most in the world. He'd never want to overshadow me or make me dependent on him.
In the past, I stayed in the background because I enjoyed the comfort and didn't push myself to improve under Brad's protection. I let myself be carefree.
But now, I wanted to stand tall on my own, to be Brad's support, not a burden.
Just a few days ago, I was still bitter about Jenny. But now, I saw things differently. What she did pushed me to grow step by step. From learning to protect the people I love and my territory, to now wanting to become stronger and fight alongside Brad.
In a way, I should thank Jenny. Her constant pressure became my drive to move forward.
"Brad is the sun, and I'm the moon. Without the sun, no matter how hard I try, I can't shine. The reason I can shine is because of Brad's love. I used to just enjoy it, but this separation made me realize a lot. Love is a two-way street. Brad gives me all his love, and I want to give him the same, or even more. Now that Brad's in trouble, I want to bravely stay by his side. No matter where he is, he can feel my effort and love."
Listening to me talk about my dreams, Mia held my hand and said, "Jane, you've really changed."
"I want to become the best version of myself, so one day Brad can rely on me too. I'll give him all my love and face any difficulties together with him. Because Brad is worth it."
"Jane, I believe you can do it. Go for it."
"Mia, let's work hard together."
We bumped fists, encouraging each other.
"Let's work hard together. A beautiful future is waiting for us!"
We clasped hands and smiled at each other.
This world never disappointed those who worked hard. The harder we worked, the luckier we got. We were the luckiest.
"Mia, your first task is to win over Yancy." I pointed my thumb towards the kitchen.
I didn't need to look to know that diligent Yancy was probably busy around the stove, wearing an apron.
Dinner was light.
I quietly ate my meal, watching Yancy and Mia out of the corner of my eye. Seeing Yancy repeatedly offer food to Mia, despite being turned down each time, I wondered about the extent of their relationship and whether Yancy's confession had been successful.
I'd asked Mia several times about it, but I never got a straight answer. Whenever I brought it up, she'd either change the subject or pretend to be busy and walk away.
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