Chapter 168: Sometimes, Inaction Is Also a Form of Instigation
Luna Morgan smiled bitterly. "Don’t try to comfort me. How can I possibly compare to Miss Lancaster?"
Back in school, Jane Lancaster was the campus goddess.
Even though she was low-key, didn’t join any clubs, and rarely made public appearances, everyone just liked her.
During every class officer meeting, everyone would argue endlessly over some issue, but the moment Jane Lancaster spoke, they all listened to her.
Beautiful and smart, low-key and down-to-earth, and most importantly, completely without any airs. Luna Morgan didn’t envy other people, but she desperately wanted to be someone like Jane Lancaster.
That’s why so many people could never forgive her after Jane Lancaster took a knife for her and fell from a building.
Even Caleb Lowell had questioned her with bone-deep hatred, "Why weren’t you the one who was stabbed and fell?"
Luna Morgan hugged her arms, feeling as if she had been plunged into an icy cavern, as if she were once again in that situation from years ago, scorned by all.
Chloe Dave grew anxious. ’Why is she getting so hung up on this?’ "Luna, that incident is in the past! You..."
Sitting behind the screen, Beverly Lynch finally couldn’t take it anymore. She shot to her feet. "Of course you can’t compare to Jane Lancaster."
She had a meeting scheduled today, but the person she was supposed to meet never showed up. Instead, these two had sat down and started chattering away nonstop.
Beverly Lynch crossed her arms and lifted her chin slightly. "If you want the truth, that’s the truth."
Chloe Dave was furious. "Beverly Lynch, why are you always targeting Luna? Did she do something to you?"
Beverly Lynch: "I’m targeting you. You’re the one who provoked me. A grown man badmouthing people behind their backs every day, isn’t it annoying? And ’returned goods’? You’re the returned goods! A worthless write-off nobody wants!"
Chloe Dave’s face flushed, but he quickly became indignant again. Beverly Lynch’s words were just too harsh.
"I’m not wrong. Jane Lancaster was only in the young geniuses program for a few months before she dropped out. Who knows what happened there? She hasn’t had any contact with Sylvan or Cecilia Nash for over ten years. That proves their relationship wasn’t great, and she’s not as amazing as everyone claims."
Beverly Lynch laughed in exasperation. "Proves? A toad shouldn’t be judging humans. You idiot!"
Chloe Dave: "Then why did the university acceptance party end on bad terms? And why didn’t she take the opportunity to become Chairman Gould’s apprentice? Why didn’t she get Sylvan and Cecilia Nash to stay?"
"Was it because she didn’t want to?" His final question was delivered with resounding force.
In Chloe Dave’s view, Jane Lancaster herself should have been the last person who wanted the party to fall apart.
In her moment of glory, she must have been feeling quite smug. She should have done whatever it took to keep her guests and save face.
Beverly Lynch: "Shut up! Are you tired of living, you psycho?!"
Chloe Dave was stunned by her shouting for a moment. "You can’t just support Jane Lancaster and twist the truth to say she’s better than Luna just because you don’t like Luna, can you?"
Pauline Shaw, who had just walked in, paused. ’So that’s how it is. No wonder Beverly Lynch has been so "kind" lately, always taking Jane Lancaster’s side.’
’It was all to go against Luna Morgan.’
’Actually, Beverly Lynch doesn’t need to target Luna Morgan so intensely. Why would a rich young lady like her have it in for Luna Morgan?’
’Ultimately, it must be because of a "white lotus" like Willow Summers stirring up trouble by her side.’
’But Willow Summers is just following Jane Lancaster’s orders, so the root of the problem is still Jane Lancaster.’
Beverly Lynch shot Chloe Dave a look. "Psycho. Hasn’t Jane Lancaster already beaten Luna Morgan?"
Chloe Dave said seriously, "Are you talking about perfect color sense? That can be trained. Luna has never been trained; she’s never even systematically studied art. Besides, Luna knows traditional Chinese medicine and music..."
"Chloe Dave, stop talking!" Luna Morgan quickly cut him off. ’She didn’t want others to know that she had transferred the rights to her music to Jane Lancaster.’
Beverly Lynch got annoyed just looking at Luna Morgan’s forbearing expression. "If you have something to say, say it! If you have to fart, then fart! So what if she knows music? Is that such a big deal?"
Back in high school, the music club was full of hidden talents. There were countless students who could play the violin, cello, and piano. Beverly Lynch herself could play the piano.
In her opinion, Luna Morgan’s erhu only stood out because it was an uncommon instrument that few students learned. That was the only reason Luna Morgan had a spot in every school arts festival.
Unlike other instruments, where the competition was basically a battle of the gods.
Chloe Dave: "I’m not talking to you. Just you wait. Luna has more power than you can possibly imagine. Jane Lancaster is no match for her."
’In any case, it was already a settled fact that Jane Lancaster had stolen Luna Morgan’s musical work.’
He turned his head and was startled to see several people standing nearby.
Sylvan, Cecilia Nash, and even Jasper Sterling were there.
Sylvan turned to Jasper Sterling. "Owen, what do you think?"
Jasper Sterling looked at Luna Morgan. "You think so too?"
Luna Morgan froze for a second, then quickly explained, "I don’t! Miss Lancaster has a good family background, she’s beautiful and smart. I can’t compare to her at all..."
Jasper Sterling let out a soft chuckle. His alluring eyes were unbelievably beautiful, yet utterly cold and heartless.
"You say you can’t compare to her, but in reality, you’re secretly comparing yourself. But Jay would never say anything about comparing herself to anyone."
’On the surface, it looked like Chloe Dave was the one pitching a fit while Luna Morgan was the innocent victim. But she clearly could have taken a firm stance and told Chloe Dave to stop talking, yet she didn’t.’
"Sometimes, allowing something to happen is a form of instigation, wouldn’t you agree, Miss Morgan?"
Luna Morgan’s face turned deathly pale in an instant. She subconsciously clutched the hem of her skirt and took two steps back.
"I... I didn’t..." Her face was on the verge of tears. ’She didn’t understand why he saw her that way.’
The other patrons in the coffee shop all turned to look.
The girl looked heart-wrenchingly pitiful. In contrast, the other group appeared loathsome.
They cast condemning glances toward the other party, but when they saw the other person involved, they felt that might not be the whole story.
Even as Jasper Sterling spoke cold words, his face, with its faintly mixed-race features, inspired an inexplicable sense of trust, making people feel he wasn’t that kind of person.
Sylvan sighed. ’Owen just has that kind of magic. As long as he shows that face of his, everyone automatically thinks it’s the other person’s fault.’
’This girl really picked a fight with the wrong person. Owen’s charm is no joke.’
"Regardless of whether you did or not, I have to make a declaration: our relationship with Little Ian is great!"
He looked at Chloe Dave with a serious expression. "You! You spread rumors that our relationship wasn’t good, and you said Little Ian didn’t want to keep us around. You’ve deeply wounded my heart!!"
Sylvan put his hands on his hips. ’Ah, this is so infuriating! That guy was basically stabbing him in the heart.’
Chloe Dave: "What?"
"You asked if it was because she didn’t want to? Yes, she didn’t want to! It’s not that we were unwilling. I was very willing to stay! I was all ready to help her slap the faces of those who looked down on her!"
The more Sylvan thought about it, the angrier he got. "Why did you have to stab me in the heart? You have to apologize!"
Cecilia Nash said with a smile, "Little Ian probably just thought you were too noisy."
Chloe Dave started to panic. ’He hadn’t expected these people to be so incredibly close.’
’Weren’t there rumors that Sullivan the Great was cold and aloof, and only cared about math?’
"...I’m sorry." He had no choice but to apologize quickly.
Sylvan: "Also, Little Ian wasn’t ’returned goods.’ She chose to drop out herself. To this day, her professor regrets it for life. Before I came, he even asked me to sound her out and see if Little Ian would be willing to become his apprentice now."
’This point had to be clarified!’