Chapter 30: Confidence
“Next time, just come. Don’t bother with all these gifts; it’s like I don’t have enough to eat around here,” Professor Lauren said with a mock frown.
Chloe knew better. The professor’s words were lighthearted, and she understood that the professor was always looking out for her.
“Got it, I’ll behave next time,” Chloe teased, lightly tugging at the professor’s arm. Professor Lauren chuckled. This girl still had that same playful charm she’d had since she was a student.
The professor patted Chloe’s hand and motioned for her to follow him upstairs. “Co n, I’ve prepared a few sets of problems for you to solve. I want to see where your skills stand and whether you’re really ready for graduate school.”
Chloe widened her eyes in mock surprise. “No way! I thought you called me over just to introduce me to that senior and help me make friends. I didn’t realize you were going to make me do problems! I’ve already been giving you progress reports!”
“None of that! I’m making sure you’re keeping up with your studies, and I want to see for myself if you remember all the things I’ve taught you over the years,” the professor retorted.
Chloe had no choice but to follow Professor Lauren into the study and start working through the problem sets. Seeing her so focused and determined, the professor couldn’t help but smile.
They spent the whole day at the professor’s house. Chloe not only studied but also helped prepare lunch and dinner and cleaned the house before finally leaving.
Later that evening, after returning home, Chloe continued studying. She had completed two problem sets with the professor’s guidance earlier and felt her confidence returning.
Halfway through her study session, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Matthew, asking if she wanted to join him at the library the next day for a study session.
Since Chloe had already planned to study, and knowing that Matthew could help her with some tricky topics, she quickly agreed.
**[See you tomorrow.]**
**[See you then.]**
The next morning, Chloe arrived at the library early and saw Matthew waiting for her by the entrance. He waved at her with a smile.
“You’re early today. Have you had breakfast? I grabbed something from the school café; it’s been a while since I’ve had anything from there,” Matthew said, handing her some food.
Chloe hadn’t eaten yet, so she gratefully accepted the breakfast and thanked him. Together, they headed inside.
Matthew had already saved seats for them. Just as they were about to step into the elevator, hurried footsteps approached from behind. A group of people rushed past them and darted into the elevator. Among them were Layla and her roommate.
Layla had set an alarm, but she didn’t wake up on time and had almost been late. Now, they were rushing to the library.
Chloe glanced at Layla as she stepped into the elevator. “Which floor?”
Chapter 30: Confidence
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Layla hadn’t expected to run into Chloe here, but seeing how calm Chloe was, she maintained her composure. “Second floor.”
As they exited the elevator, Layla noticed that Chloe was carrying study materials, and upon closer inspection, she realized they were graduate school preparation books. Layla’s expression soured.
“Do you really think you’ll be able to get into graduate school? So many current students can’t even pass the exams, and you’ve been out of school for years. You think you can make it? What a joke,” Layla said, not hesitating to mock Chloe.
Chloe’s face remained neutral. Whether or not. she could pass had nothing to do with Layla. “Whether current students can pass or not isn’t my concern. Or are you just worried that you can’t pass?”
Layla’s expression faltered. She hadn’t really thought about graduate school
e, assuming she would work after graduation. But after getting together with Julian, she decided she hau time and wanted to pursue further studies to make herself more worthy of him. Hearing Chloe’s remark stung.
Layla’s roommate had already begun her study plan for graduate school, while Layla had been coasting, unsure if she’d even pass. Chloe’s words felt like an insult, even if Chloe hadn’t meant it that way.
“Not everyone needs to struggle like you to get mediocre results. Julian told me he’d support me no matter what, and whatever I want, he’ll give me,” Layla retorted, trying to regain her confidence.
Chloe smiled lightly and said, “Well, then, I wish you the best of luck in keeping that confidence.”
With that, she walked away, leaving Layla fuming behind her.
Layla’s roommate, who didn’t know much about Chloe, sensed the tension between them. “Who was that? Did she offend you?”
Layla waved it off. “No, just someone I’ve met a few times. Let’s hurry; we don’t want to lose our spots. As they hurried along, Layla suddenly remembered something and asked, “By the way, do you know how to make porridge?”
“Uh, there are tutorials online, right? I’m not very good at it, but we can look it up,” her roommate replied. Layla thought that made sense, so she quickly pulled out her phone to search for a detailed recipe. Although they had come to the library to study, Layla spent the entire morning focused on learning how to make porridge. Her roommate thought about saying something but decided against it–after all, their lives were now heading in different directions.
When they left the library at noon, Layla rushed to the supermarket, buying an array of cooking supplies. Her roommate was stunned by the sight of all the pots and pans.
“From now on, I’m going to learn how to cook and become a perfect girlfriend,” Layla declared.
Her roommate was at a loss for words. What was she thinking?
But Layla was determined. She told herself she could do it–anything Chloe could do, she could do better.
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Chapter 31: Everything She Wants
