Chapter 203
The words left Sophia's mouth, and she immediately regretted them.
But spoken words are like spilled water; impossible to take back.
Sebastian chuckled softly. "You."
His gaze was intense. "I'm interested in you."
Sophia immediately looked up at the sky.
The man raised an eyebrow. "Stop pretending. I know you understood."
"I can't hear you," she said, clearing her throat lightly. "Don't say things like that in the future."
Seeing her play dumb, Sebastian couldn't help but laugh. "Hide all you want. You can avoid today, but not forever."
"Ah," Sophia interrupted him. "I forgot to bring tissues. Do you have any?"
"I do."
"Lend me one, thanks."
Sebastian smiled knowingly. "Can you hear me now?"
Sophia fell silent.
She had guessed correctly. Sebastian did have something to find her about.
He waited until her milk tea was almost finished before getting to the point.
"Professor Murphy is stuck on a research subject. There's been no progress for two months. He wanted to hear your thoughts. Here are all the materials."
He handed her a USB drive.
Sophia reached for it, but Sebastian didn't let go immediately.
Their fingertips touched.
His body temperature was noticeably higher than hers. The sensation was distinctly clear.
Sophia took the drive and quickly withdrew her hand.
Sebastian's smile deepened, tinged with amusement.
On purpose!
He absolutely did that on purpose!
Sophia glared at him, but he proactively offered her a tissue.
"Wipe it. Stop complaining about it."
Sophia fell silent again. Anger was one thing, but it faded in an instant.
When someone says that, holding a grudge just seems petty.
Bumping into people accidentally on the street is common. Why was she so hung up on it happening with Sebastian?
Didn't that prove, subconsciously, she didn't see him as just an ordinary person?
It was a trap no matter which way she looked at it!
After leaving the milk tea shop, Sebastian walked her to her building.
As they parted, Sophia suddenly spoke. "You're too calculating. It's better if we have less contact in the future!"
Hearing this, he wasn't angry but laughed instead. "You're scared."
"Scared of what?" Sophia frowned.
"Scared of being moved by me. Scared of losing your heart without even realizing it." The current Sebastian was confident and bold.
Pfft—
Sophia nearly choked. "I'm scared of being led around by you and falling into a trap!"
"Well, the meaning is similar."
Sophia: "?"
How was it similar? It was completely different!
"Whatever. I won't argue with you. I can never win against you anyway."
With that, she turned and went upstairs.
Sebastian stood where he was, watching her leave.
He didn't look away until the girl's figure disappeared around the stairwell.
He waited until the light in her window turned on before finally leaving.
After finishing her washing, Sophia took out the USB drive and plugged it into her computer.
While waiting for it to load, she suddenly realized—
Professor Murphy had classes every day. Wouldn't it have been more convenient to just give it to her at school?
Why would he have Sebastian specially deliver it late at night?
She'd been tricked again!
Meanwhile, Sebastian was driving home when he received a call from Professor Benjamin Murphy.
"Professor, what is it?"
"My USB drive? Did you see it when you came over today? I remember putting it in the drawer…"
"Oh, I took it."
"Huh? Why did you take it? It's full of research materials! I was planning to give it to Sophia tomorrow. You—"
"I already delivered it to her."
"…What?" Professor Murphy was stunned.
"Who delivered it? When? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I happened to be at school today. I heard you mention this afternoon you wanted to give it to Sophia, so I brought it to her on my way."
"Is that so… You should have told me. I've been looking for it everywhere…"
Sebastian thought to himself that explaining beforehand would have been troublesome. It was better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
Out loud, he said, "It was a last-minute decision. I forgot to tell you."
"Alright. As long as she has it."
"Mm."
Ending the call, the man rested his hands on the steering wheel and whistled cheerfully.
…
In the study, Alexander Laurent was compiling experimental data.
But he couldn't concentrate.
His mind kept replaying the scene he'd witnessed two hours ago from his balcony—
Sebastian and her walking side by side from the alley entrance.
The man was saying something, his head lowered. Sophia listened, frowned first, then rolled her eyes in exasperation before finally running off.
Sebastian stood there watching her, like one would watch a mischievous child, with a mix of helplessness and indulgence.
Under the streetlights, their shadows stretched long.
Parts of them overlapped, like a couple in intimacy.
So… the person she had plans with was Sebastian?
Alexander snapped back to attention, looking at the computer screen. It was a mess again…
Which column did he start from?
Which row was he on?
In the end, he had to start over from scratch.
At 3 a.m., the light in the study was still on.
Alexander closed his laptop. He still hadn't managed to sort it out.
Forget it. He would deal with it tomorrow.
He washed his face briefly and lay down, but tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
When he finally did fall asleep, it wasn't peaceful—
His dreams were chaotic and absurd.
The specific scenes were unclear, everything hazy before his eyes, as if veiled by a thin gauze.
A slender figure drew closer and closer to him.
He felt feverish, loosening his tie, unbuttoning his shirt collar, his throat moving slightly.
But it wasn't nearly enough. His body felt scorched by flames, a thirst burning from the inside out.
Uncomfortable, agonized, and an indescribable… yearning.
As if bewitched, he moved closer to that figure, took the woman's soft hand, let his touch wander to her arm, then caressed her slender neck.
The woman's jade-like skin was like a spring quenching thirst, making him want to draw more from it.
With a cautious yearning, he finally pressed against those red lips. The woman let out a soft moan.
The sound seemed magical, easily pulling out the desires hidden in his heart, making the fire within him burn fiercer and fiercer…
The woman turned her head. He finally saw her face clearly.
Sophia…
The next morning, Alexander looked at his damp sleep pants. Shame and frustration nearly overwhelmed him.
Recalling those chaotic and suggestive scenes from his dream, he felt utterly mortified.
How could he have such a dream?
How could he have such a dream?
Alexander Laurent, what on earth were you thinking?!
…
Sophia was blissfully unaware of someone's anguish.
She had slept soundly and woke up refreshed, heading to school with plenty of energy.
Her morning was packed with classes.
After lunch, she, Marcus Lawrence, and Hannah Morse went to the laboratory.
Professor Eleanor Watson happened to be there too.
Sophia walked over to her. "Professor, can I talk to you for a moment?"
Professor Watson was taken aback.
"Okay."