Chapter 044: Silas Is Innocent

Seeing Silas’s sudden anxious look, Seraphina was also a bit dazed. She quickly waved her hand. "No, no, I’m fine."

Hearing this, Silas breathed a silent sigh of relief. Seraphina knew he had reacted this way because she had spaced out for too long. Her mood grew more complex. However, these things couldn't be resolved in a moment; as long as she was aware, it was enough. Given Silas’s sharpness, if she spaced out a few more times, he would definitely catch on. Some things were better kept from him for now.

So, she continued the previous topic to distract him. "Then you really were several grades ahead of me."

Suddenly thinking that Silas might have special feelings for her, she worried that if she said she had never heard of him in all those years, he might be disappointed. She paused and added, "Back then, my focus was entirely on my studies and music. I didn't pay much attention to other things, so I didn't notice such a prominent figure transferring to the high school division. If I had known such an outstanding senior had joined, maybe we would have met much sooner."

As the words fell, Seraphina clearly saw a delighted smile spread across Silas’s face. After knowing him for so many years, she hadn't realized he was so easy to coax. Well, maybe she

had

known and simply forgotten.

Silas curved his lips and looked at her. "It’s okay. It’s not too late to meet now."

He was 190cm tall, and Seraphina was 170cm. Standing somewhat close, he had to tilt his head down to look at her, while she had to look up. First, she saw his collarbones where two shirt buttons were undone, then his Adam’s apple, followed by his strong, well-defined jawline, and finally that exquisite face...

It was a face she could clearly trace even with her eyes closed, yet Seraphina still felt her cheeks grow warm.

Damn it,

she thought.

She gave a light cough and shifted her gaze away. "Are you going back to the auditorium?"

Silas had taught Seraphina her skills; her comment about his sharpness was no lie. Silas had only been a bit lost earlier because of her sudden change in attitude. Now, he had mostly recovered. His mind was much clearer. Thus, Seraphina’s scrutiny of him—and the subsequent awkwardness—were both captured by him.

Alongside a flash of surprise, joy rippled through his heart. Pretending he noticed nothing, he walked alongside her and answered, "I’m not going back. I had planned to just walk around the school and then leave."

That naturally wasn't the plan. He had followed her out of the auditorium. He hadn't even thought they would actually meet, let alone be strolling through the campus side-by-side. He only wanted to watch her for a while longer and hadn't dared to hope for more. This was an unexpected joy for him.

Seraphina took out her phone. "It’s almost lunchtime. Are you busy? If not, want to grab lunch together?"

Silas’s body stiffened slightly. He stared at her for about two seconds before reacting and nodding quickly. "Sure! I’m not busy. I gave myself the day off."

He had actually wanted to invite her for lunch since they left the Arts Building, but he had hesitated, fearing that being too pushy right at their first meeting would annoy her. Her initiating the offer filled him with immense joy. "What would Miss Pierce like to eat? I’ll make a reservation."

"Anything is fine; you arrange it." Seraphina didn't argue with him on this, but looking at him, she couldn't help but smile.

Whether it was the Silas others spoke of or the one in her memories, he was always calm, composed, and in control—nothing like the man before her, who seemed like a fumbling novice. It was... refreshing. But she was happy to see this different side of him.

"Do you have any dietary restrictions?" he asked.

Seraphina maintained her smile. "None."

"Okay, then I’ll book it? I know a private kitchen with great flavor."

"Since you think it’s good, let’s go there."

Know a private kitchen?

She remembered clearly that he was the owner of that place. In her past life, he had taken her there many times. She had loved the food because many dishes were her favorites. If she had thought it was a coincidence before, she wasn't so naive now that she had gained some insight.

Silas smiled and agreed. "Okay." Then, remembering something, he hesitated before asking, "Should we invite the others? Your parents, your brother, and your friends should still be at school."

It was a polite question; in reality, he didn't want anyone else there at all. He wanted it to be just the two of them.

Seraphina looked at him with a smile, saying nothing, just staring. Silas felt as if he were being seen through, and his body stiffened. Just as he was getting nervous, Seraphina laughed and said, "No. The school has other arrangements this afternoon that they should attend. The school will provide lunch."

"Then shall we head to the parking lot? Or walk a while longer? My car is parked there."

"Let’s go now. If we wait until the performances at the auditorium end, there might be a traffic jam."

"Alright." Silas’s mood at this moment couldn't have been better.

On the long, tree-lined stone path, they walked side-by-side. Sunlight filtered through the branches in streaks, falling upon them in a shimmering dance. Both their exceptional faces carried faint smiles. A perfect match, and a scene of quiet beauty.

Indeed, they looked so harmonious that it made the person standing not far away look increasingly grim. Fists were clenched, teeth were gritted. Not one person, but three. However, the degree and focus of their resentment seemed different.

The three were Tina Wu, Bella Hu, and Lu Yun.

Tina had seen Seraphina leave and not return for a long time, and Silas was nowhere to be found in the auditorium. Frustrated, she had come out to see where Seraphina had gone, hoping to run into Silas by luck.

Bella had also noticed Seraphina’s long absence and used the excuse of the room being too stuffy to come out and investigate. Lu Yun followed Bella. Bella didn't have an invitation; she had come with him. He didn't want to miss a chance to be close to her. Even though Bella was displeased, she didn't show it. She was an expert at keeping Lu Yun on a hook; otherwise, he wouldn't have remained so devoted to her after all these years. But she wasn't content being with Lu Yun; she felt he wasn't good enough for her. The only one who was is Silas.

Tina wasn't with them, but all three stood in different spots, clearly seeing the two figures walking together. They were gnashing their teeth in hatred. The distance was too great to hear what Silas and Seraphina were saying, but the atmosphere between them was obvious to anyone with eyes. It was a rapport that others couldn't possibly break into.

After staring for a while, Tina had no intention of showing her face and turned to leave with a dark expression. Bella, however, was unwilling to give up. Even though they lived in the same city, she hadn't seen Silas for nearly two years. Even when she did, it was a distant glance at a banquet or on financial and entertainment news. At banquets, she didn't dare approach him because she usually attended as Lu Yun’s date, and it was no secret in their circle that Lu Yun viewed Silas as a rival.

"Bella, where are you going?" Lu Yun asked, though he already knew.

Perhaps pushed too far by the scene, Bella ignored him, causing Lu Yun’s face to darken further. It seemed he had been too indulgent with her! Women truly couldn't be pampered too much! He followed her with a grim expression. He wanted to see how Silas had managed to hook up with the Pierce heiress, who had never given Lu Yun an ounce of face! He wanted Silas to have other women so Bella would stop thinking of him, but he didn't want that woman to be Seraphina Pierce. If he could ruin this, all the better!

"CEO Sterling, I didn't expect to see you here."

As Seraphina and Silas were heading to the parking lot, someone approached them—it was Gloria Lin, a popular starlet under JH Entertainment. And Silas’s... first girlfriend in her past life!

Gloria greeted Silas shyly, then looked at Seraphina with a look of pure joy. "Miss Pierce, we meet again."

Then another voice rang out: "Quite a crowd here."

One Gloria Lin was already annoying enough; now here came Bella Hu. Seraphina shot a direct glare at Silas.

Silas: "..." He had no idea what was going on, and once again... he panicked.