Chapter 292 Desk Mate Oliver
Natalie attended the Food and Nutrition class first, where she was immediately asked about fermentation time and dough relaxation.
She thought that was it, but then the professor asked her about residual toxins in aquatic products, which caught the second-year students off guard since the topic was not covered in their textbooks.
In the end, Natalie, taken aback for a moment, managed to answer the question, impressing everyone.
With that, the live chat was soon filled with comments praising Natalie, calling her a straight-A student.
After the class, Natalie quickly moved on to the next class, International Trade.
She settled into her seat and began to review the textbook.
In fact, the production team was not very strict. The team had allowed them to study the relevant textbooks. This meant that all Natalie needed to do was review the section that was going to be discussed in class.
While Natalie was studying the textbook, she suddenly felt that something was amiss when someone took a seat next to her. After all, she had been told that she would not have a deskmate. She instinctively turned to look, feeling inexplicably nervous.
Oliver wore a black duckbill cap, which concealed most of his face, and he was looking at her with a cold gaze. His presence was commanding and seemed out of place in the classroom.
Natalie was so shocked that she completely forgot about the live broadcast and looked to the cameramen for an explanation.
A cameraman gestured toward his camera, reminding Natalie of the live broadcast.
The cameramen had received notification from the director just a moment ago, informing them that an investor wanted to meet Natalie. They were also told to keep the investor out of frame.
Natalie, feeling bewildered, hesitated before sneaking another glance at Oliver. She wondered why he was here. Did he come to settle scores with her? Did he have so much free time?
She contemplated asking him, but the room was too quiet, and the professor was deeply engrossed in the lecture. Any attempt to speak would surely draw attention from both the classmates and the cameras.
The professor then directed the class's attention to the differences between foreign and domestic trade before he posed a question. The kind old man was aware that Natalie had a task to complete, so he subtly encouraged her to respond.
When Natalie met the professor's encouraging gaze, she instinctively raised her hand.
The professor was delighted. "Good, Natalie! Please answer!"
This prompted the other students to turn their attention toward Natalie and, inadvertently, to Oliver, who was sitting next to her. Although most of his face was hidden. It was not difficult to see that he was handsome.
Questions and whispers spread among the female students about the identity of the strikingly handsome man beside Natalie.
One of them whispered, “Which department is that handsome guy from?”
“Is he from our school?”
“I don’t think so! Otherwise, we would’ve heard about him!”
Amidst the whispers and speculation, the professor asked, “What’s your answer, Natalie?”
Natalie, who was distracted by the hushed commotion, finally returned to her senses at this moment. Her mind was blank, and for the first time since elementary school, she experienced the embarrassment of not being able to respond to a teacher's question. She closed her eyes, trying to recall what she had read, but she could not remember anything due to Oliver’s sudden appearance.
Meanwhile, the kind and encouraging professor looked at her expectantly.
Oliver looked at her before he looked away, writing ‘culture’ and ‘trade’ on the blank piece of paper in front of him.
With Oliver's subtle hint, Natalie's memory clicked into place. She confidently explained, "There are two primary reasons. One pertains to the differences in cultural environments, and the other involves the disparities in trade environments. Specifically, the cultural environment..."
The professor, after a brief pause, nodded in approval. "Well done, you’re right!"
Then, with a kind smile, he advised, "Don’t be nervous. Remember to take a deep breath when you answer the next question. You spoke quite fast, and at my age, it’s challenging to keep up.”
Laughter, warm and friendly, filled the room.
Natalie sat down and hid her face behind her hands, masking her embarrassment. It was a novel experience for her, feeling so anxious and embarrassed before a teacher and her peers.
At the same time, Oliver’s gaze softened when he saw her blushing cheeks. He adjusted his cap, ensuring his face was better hidden, to deter the female students from stealing glances at him.
Unbeknownst to them, these moments were all seen by the live audience. Once again, the viewers were abuzz with comments.
[Did anyone else notice the dazed expressions on the students’ faces?]
[I’m sure the female students had seen a handsome guy!]
[Did you see the stunned and bewildered expression on Natalie’s face when class started? Something’s not right.]
[Natalie is so adorable!]
[She was very articulate when she answered the question.]
[Didn’t you see her studying the textbook earlier?]
The debate among the viewers continued.
Meanwhile, Natalie, still in the classroom, felt as though time had slowed to a crawl. When the class finally ended, she thanked the professor for the learning opportunity and quickly exited the room.
Initially shocked by Oliver's presence, she only wanted to ignore him now.
Oliver narrowed his eyes as he watched Natalie leave, but his gaze soon softened.
At this moment, a girl approached him and asked hopefully, “Hi, can I have your number? I…”
However, she was quickly intimidated by Oliver’s imposing aura, causing her to stop talking mid-sentence.
He stood towering over her. From her perspective, she had an unobstructed view of Oliver’s face, which was refined and handsome. However, his gaze sent chills down her spine.
"Step aside," he ordered in a voice as unwelcoming as winter's chill.
Upon witnessing this, the other girls, who were initially eager to ask for his number, were frightened, automatically moving to the side to make way for him.
Jamie, who was among the staff, sighed as he hurried after Oliver and Natalie. At the same time, he wondered inwardly, ‘What’s going on? Why does it feel like their conflict has escalated?’
Meanwhile, the students in the room looked at each other. Some of the girls were not put off by Oliver’s behavior. They thought that with his looks, height, and aura, he had the right to be arrogant.
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