Chapter 18: Chapter 18: This Is What the Top Supporter Should See
「The next day.」
Cecilia Sterling had a morning class, so she got up extra early. Seeing Estelle Goodman fast asleep, she quietly got ready and slipped out of the dorm by herself.
It was still early, so the school cafeteria was mostly empty, with only a handful of other early risers having breakfast.
After buying a bowl of soy milk, a boiled egg, and two steamed buns, Cecilia found an open table in a corner and sat down.
She took out her phone and saw a message from her younger sister.
"Sis, our military training starts tomorrow. We can’t have our phones, so I probably won’t be able to contact you for a while!"
A fond, maternal smile appeared on Cecilia’s face as she read the message.
"I know. Don’t forget to wear sunscreen during training, and stay safe."
"You’re up this early too, Sis? Do you have class today?"
"Yeah, I’m at the cafeteria having breakfast now. Make sure you eat breakfast, too. And don’t be afraid to spend the money I sent you. I’ll give you more when it runs out."
"I know! But it looks like it’s going to rain. Did you bring an umbrella, Sis?"
Cecilia instinctively glanced outside as she read the message. As if on cue, large raindrops began to PATTER against the window.
And she hadn’t brought an umbrella.
A moment later, the cafeteria’s quiet was broken by a clamor of footsteps and laughter coming from the main entrance.
A group of guys in basketball jerseys crowded in. The sudden downpour had clearly caught them on the court, soaking them to the bone.
Cecilia immediately recognized Yannick. His rain-soaked jersey clung tightly to his body, revealing the powerful muscles of his chest and the distinct outline of his abs.
He casually grabbed a few napkins to towel-dry his hair, the careless motion oozing raw, masculine energy.
Youthful. Passionate.
Cecilia let her gaze linger for a moment before looking away. ’As his top supporter,’ she thought, ’I’ve earned this view.’
"I told you to bring an umbrella! I knew it was going to rain."
"You brought one and still didn’t get to open it in time, did you?"
"Exactly. That rain came out of nowhere."
"I’m getting some vermicelli soup. Anyone else want some? It’s on me."
"Yannick, what do you want? I’ll grab it for you."
"I’ll have some soup dumplings and savory jellied tofu."
The five or six guys were making a racket. In the midst of it all, Sean was the first to spot Cecilia. He immediately grabbed Yannick, his voice filled with excitement. "Cecilia’s over there!"
Yannick followed his friend’s gaze and saw Cecilia sitting by herself at a quiet table in the corner by the window, head bowed as she focused on peeling a boiled egg.
"You think I should go over and thank her?" Sean asked.
After all, Cecilia had sent him twenty "Carnivals." He’d netted a whole three yuan from it, which shattered his daily earnings record for his entire streaming career.
But just as he was about to go, Yannick pulled him back. "Forget it. Don’t bother her."
"Right." Sean calmed down and nodded. "It’s a little awkward to bring up, huh? Maybe Cecilia thinks her identity is a secret. If I tell her I know who she is, she might stop watching my stream."
The words were barely out of his mouth when Yannick smacked him hard on the back of the head.
"What’d you hit me for?" Sean yelped.
Yannick’s expression darkened. "Stop thinking about all this nonsense and go get your food."
As the rain intensified, even fewer people came to the cafeteria. Cecilia finished her meal but didn’t leave; without an umbrella, she had to wait for the rain to stop.
But after waiting for a bit, she received a message from her academic advisor.
"Cecilia Sterling, please come to my office. I need to ask you something."
"Okay, I’ll be right over."
After replying, Cecilia glanced at the gloomy sky, then got up and walked over to the steamed bun counter. "Excuse me, ma’am," she asked the woman working there, "do you happen to have an umbrella I could borrow? I can bring it back at lunchtime."
"Sorry, dear, we didn’t bring any umbrellas either."
Cecilia pressed her lips together and nodded, momentarily unsure of what to do.
She walked to the entrance of the cafeteria and looked out. ’It doesn’t look like this rain is going to stop anytime soon.’
Meanwhile, Yannick, who had appeared to be focused on his food, had actually been watching Cecilia out of the corner of his eye. Seeing her predicament, he suddenly stood up, snatched the umbrella Sean had left on the table, and, to the astonishment of his friends, strode toward Cecilia at the entrance.
Cecilia was just about to text Director Lawson to explain that she’d have to wait for the rain to stop when an umbrella was suddenly held out in front of her.
"If you’re in a hurry, you can use this."
It was Yannick. This was the first time he’d ever spoken to Cecilia, and he struggled to keep his gaze from flitting away and to hold his voice steady.
"Holy crap, that’s my umbrella!" Sean’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw what was happening.
’He just told me not to bother Cecilia, and now look at him, finding a chance to get on her good side!’
Cecilia glanced up and was a little surprised to see it was Yannick. After all, while they knew of each other, they’d never actually interacted before.
With a single glance, however, Cecilia saw right through his feigned composure.
His gaze, which tried to be steady, was unconsciously darting about, and the nervous bob of his Adam’s apple betrayed the panic he was trying so hard to hide.
Cecilia pretended not to notice, her expression serene as she asked, "What about you?"
"I don’t have class this morning," Yannick said. "I can wait for the rain to stop."
Cecilia took the umbrella. "Alright, thank you," she said politely. "I’ll return it to you here at lunchtime."
Yannick just nodded, then turned and walked away without another word.
Cecilia smiled, then pushed the door open, unfurled the umbrella, and quickly vanished into the downpour.
The moment Yannick sat back down, he was met with a chorus of teasing from the other guys.
"Smooth move, my man. Playing the hero with Sean’s umbrella."
"Didn’t know you had it in you, Yannick. None of us even noticed Cecilia needed an umbrella. You’re pretty sharp."
"I always thought you were the most straight-laced one of the group, Yannick. Turns out still waters run deep."
Sean was the most indignant of all. He glared at Yannick and said through gritted teeth, "You hypocrite!"
Yannick shot them an impatient look. "Just hurry up and eat. Can’t you even keep your mouths shut while you’re eating?"
He then lowered his head to eat his jellied tofu, but a faint, almost imperceptible smile touched the corners of his lips.
In the administration building’s faculty office, the door was open. Cecilia gave it a courtesy knock, her eyes having already found John Lawson.
John Lawson looked up from his desk. Seeing it was Cecilia, he didn’t invite her in, but instead stood up and came out to meet her.
He led Cecilia to a deserted section of the hallway. He first let out a sigh, looking at her with a complex expression but saying nothing.
Cecilia sensed that something was off with Director Lawson’s demeanor, and her own expression turned serious. Unable to wait, she spoke first. "Director Lawson, what’s going on? You don’t look like you have good news for me."
John Lawson sighed heavily again and nodded. "It’s definitely not. Someone has reported you to the dean’s office for wearing expensive luxury goods while receiving a student financial aid grant from the school."
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