Chapter 1270 Abstaining from Emotions
The next day, Emeric was waiting outside the building where Stella had her classes, arriving early.
When he saw her walking out, distracted and holding her books, he immediately approached her. His usual aloof demeanor was replaced with a hint of eagerness. "Hey, did you talk to him for me?"
Stella didn't even notice him or hear what he said. She walked right past him.
Emeric was puzzled.
Stella's roommate, who was walking behind her, gently nudged her. "Stella, what are you daydreaming about? He's talking to you!"
Stella slowly came back to her senses and turned around, finally noticing Emeric. Her eyes were dull, and she asked indifferently, "Emeric, are you looking for me?"
Emeric added, "Did you ask Randy for me? You weren't busy yesterday, right? You must have had time to ask him, didn't you?"
Mentioning Randy brought Stella back to reality. She remembered what Randy had said the day before, and her eyes dimmed even more.
"Randy didn't agree! He said you don't meet his standards for taking on students!"
Emeric's expression changed immediately.
He struggled to maintain his composure. "You're his cousin. Even if you asked, he wouldn't agree? I can tell he cares about you."
Stella felt even worse.
Yes, even Emeric could see how much Randy cared for her.
But why? Why had he suddenly become so distant?
She had spent the entire night trying to figure out why Randy's attitude towards her had changed so drastically.
"Randy said he can agree to anything for me, except this. He said he will only take on one student in his lifetime, and that student must be carefully selected and unique. He said you have the effort but lack the talent, and you don't meet his standards." Her mind was a mess, and she forgot what she should and shouldn't say, blurting out Randy's words verbatim.
A flash of embarrassment crossed Emeric's eyes.
Randy was the first and only person to say he lacked talent.
All his life, his teachers had praised him for his talent, saying he was a promising music student.
Even the seniors and classmates in his department praised him.
But Randy didn't think he was good enough.
Stella didn't notice his discomfort and continued, "But Randy said he can get us VIP seats! The best view!"
Emeric's expression didn't soften at all.
His mind was stuck on the phrase "effort but lack of talent."
That phrase deeply wounded him.
Emeric asked reluctantly, "Is there no room for negotiation?"
Stella shook her head. "No! Randy was very firm about it!"
Emeric's hands clenched into fists at his sides.
He used all his strength and rationality to keep his emotions from showing on his face, maintaining his aloof image. He said calmly, "If Randy is so firm, then let's drop it. Maybe I'm just not meant to be his student."
Stella said indifferently, "But Randy did say that even though he can't take you on as a student, he can still give you guidance. If you encounter any problems, you can go to him. He'll help you for my sake."
Emeric smiled slightly. "We'll see."
Then, he suddenly changed the subject. "You haven't had lunch yet, right? Let's go eat together!"
Stella wasn't in the mood and had no appetite. "No, thanks. We don't have classes this afternoon, so I'm heading home. You go ahead."
With that, she walked away with her books, not giving Emeric another glance.
Emeric didn't try to stop her. He stood there, watching her until she disappeared from sight, his expression gradually turning grim.
Damn it. He had failed.
He thought that using Stella would guarantee success.
But Randy had refused.
He had to find another way. He had to stay by Randy's side no matter what.
Since yesterday, Stella had been in a daze, completely unaware of Emeric's cold gaze.
Her roommate, walking with her, couldn't help but ask, "Stella, weren't you trying to win over Emeric? Why are you so cold to him? How are you going to win him over like this?"
Everyone around them knew Stella was trying to win over the most popular guy in the music department, Emeric.
At first, everyone had joined in, betting on when she would succeed.
But now, seeing her attitude, it didn't seem like she was trying to win him over at all!
Stella said weakly, "I already did. We got together over a week ago."
"What?" Her roommate was so shocked that she didn't react for a long time.
By the time she snapped out of it, Stella had already boarded the school bus and left.
In the days that followed, Stella stuck to her routine. She went to school in the morning, went home after classes, occasionally had meals with Emeric, practiced piano for two hours in the evening, and then went to bed.
She hadn't contacted Randy for two whole weeks.
One night, after taking a shower, Stella lay in bed, staring at Randy's number in her phone contacts. Her finger hovered over it for a long time, but she didn't press it.
She exited the contacts and opened her Facebook chat with Randy.
Their last conversation was the day before Hannah's wedding.
Since Hannah's wedding, she and Randy hadn't talked at all.
She scrolled through their chat history.
The more she read, the more her eyes stung.
Everything had been fine before.
Randy used to update her on his whereabouts every morning and ask where she was. He always spoke to her gently and patiently.
But why had he suddenly become so cold?
It was as if they were just ordinary cousins.
As if all the kindness and indulgence he had shown her before were just her imagination.
Stella's phone screen stayed on their Facebook chat.
Her slender fingers hovered over the keyboard, typing and deleting repeatedly, but she couldn't bring herself to send a message.
Little did she know, Randy was also looking at their chat history.
He silently stared at the "typing..." indicator at the top of the chat, feeling a complex mix of emotions. It was as if a sharp knife had pierced his heart, making it hard to breathe.
They hadn't contacted each other for two weeks.
It felt like a vital organ was slowly being torn from his body, causing immense pain.
But he knew that no matter how painful it was, he had to endure it.
The process was painful, but the outcome would be good.
He just had to hold on a little longer, and the pain would eventually fade.
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