Chapter 13: Henry Sterling
Outside the Faulkner Group building.
Vivian was escorted to the car by Vance Wyatt. After she gave the driver an address, the car slowly pulled away.
Vivian leaned against the back of her seat. Through the rearview mirror, she could see Vance Wyatt still standing at the entrance of the Faulkner Group building, giving a deep bow in the direction she was leaving.
"..."
Vivian shook her head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
She finally understood why, despite the Faulkner Group’s notoriously high standards, someone as young as Vance Wyatt had been able to stay by Julian Faulkner’s side for so many years and become so deeply trusted.
She was, after all, just the CEO’s wife by contract, yet Vance treated her with such respect, meticulously arranging every detail. His competence was truly impeccable.
The car soon arrived at Tanya’s Pet Hospital.
After getting out of the car, Vivian found Eleanor on the second floor of the pet hospital, in a room dedicated to housing rescued strays.
"Tanya."
"Vivian!"
Eleanor had just finished putting eye drops on a small orange and white cat and placing it back in its cage. When she saw Vivian, she said, "’Swollen Eyes’ has herpes, but it’s not a bad case."
"’Swollen Eyes’ seems to be in good spirits and has a sweet temperament. I think once the herpes clears up in a few days, we’ll have no trouble finding him a home!"
Vivian nodded.
’So "Swollen Eyes" must be the name Eleanor gave the little orange and white cat she just rescued. Eleanor was terrible at naming things. Back when they were at Aethelburg University, she’d rescued a kitten that was stuck in a tree and couldn’t get down. She promptly named it "Stuck-in-a-Tree." Good thing cats don’t understand human language. Otherwise, Vivian was sure the cats Eleanor rescued would never be so sweet to her!’
"’He’s a handsome long-haired ginger, so I’m sure he won’t have trouble finding a home," Vivian agreed, then pulled out her phone to check the time.
It was already a little after four.
Professor Sterling’s lecture started at five and ended at six-thirty. The university wasn’t far, so it was the perfect time to head over.
"Let’s go."
Vivian helped make sure all the cat cages were securely closed, and then she and Eleanor left the pet hospital.
Returning to Aethelburg University, Vivian was filled with a familiar, pleasant nostalgia. She had loved design back then, spending all her time outside of class in the library.
She would pore over design materials and work on her own projects. She never expected to be so lucky, but her very first piece received recognition from the International Designers Association.
They continued on their way and soon reached the lecture hall.
Vivian and Eleanor arrived a little late to find the tiered lecture hall already packed. Everyone was there for Professor Sterling’s class.
Vivian and Eleanor found a couple of seats in a corner. As they sat down, they overheard the two girls next to them talking about Professor Sterling.
"’When is Professor Sterling getting here? My graduation thesis is due soon, and I’d love to have him as my advisor! But it’s a long shot. So many people want him, I doubt I’ll be that lucky!’"
The girl let out a sigh.
Vivian overheard and stole a glance at Eleanor, who simply puffed out her cheeks without a word, her eyes fixed on the entrance as she waited for Professor Sterling to appear.
At four-fifty, with a little time to spare before the lecture, Professor Sterling arrived.
The moment he entered, the noisy lecture hall fell silent. The eyes of many of the female students were fixed on his face.
Professor Sterling—Henry Sterling—was the youngest and most handsome male professor at Aethelburg University. A graduate of the university’s own program for gifted youth, he had gone on to study abroad. Despite lucrative offers overseas, he had chosen to return to his home country and teach at Aethelburg.
He was a man of good character and a pleasant disposition, a meticulous teacher, and as handsome as a movie star. It was no surprise that many of the girls at Aethelburg University had a crush on him.
But Eleanor hadn’t fallen for Henry Sterling for any of those reasons.
They had met during an animal rescue.
A calico cat had gotten trapped in Henry Sterling’s laboratory. The problem was, rescuing it meant his experimental data would be destroyed.
At the time, several of his students advised against it.
Henry’s data was crucial. Starting over would mean half a year of their hard work would be for nothing, not to mention the considerable funds it had taken to gather that data in the first place.
To them, a little cat’s life wasn’t worth the cost.
This was the dilemma facing Vivian and Eleanor when they arrived at the lab.
The price of saving the cat was immense. If Vivian and Eleanor were expected to cover the damages, they, as ordinary students, couldn’t possibly afford it.
Vivian had assumed Henry would choose to save his data, but without a moment’s hesitation, he told her and Eleanor to rescue the cat.
Henry even said he would personally cover all losses and would work overtime to make up for any delays in his research.
The incident left both Vivian and Eleanor deeply impressed with Henry. Afterward, they helped him run errands, hoping to minimize any delays to his experiment.
And that was why Eleanor had fallen for him.
The reason she gave was that he was different from other people. Beneath all his glittering accolades, the man himself felt so real and vibrantly alive.
Vivian was noncommittal.
’A man like Henry—compassionate and kind, on top of all his other brilliant qualities—was, admittedly, impeccably good.’
The ninety-minute lecture passed quickly.
Vivian had filled several pages with notes on what she’d learned. Just as the lecture ended, she received a text back from Henry Sterling.
"Yes."
!!
Vivian showed the message to Eleanor. Having just woken up from a doze, Eleanor was so thrilled she nearly jumped out of her seat.
Vivian couldn’t resist teasing her.
"You must be the only person on earth who could fall asleep during Professor Sterling’s lecture. I can’t wait to see how awkward you are at dinner!"
"..." Eleanor scratched her head. "I was busy at the hospital until late last night," she explained, looking defeated. "Then on my way home, a kitten basically scammed me!"
"What could I do? I had to take it home, get it settled, and give it a check-up. By the time I actually got to my own bed, it was three in the morning. And I had surgery first thing today. I’m just so sleepy~"
Eleanor yawned, then mumbled, "Professor Sterling is a great lecturer, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t understand any of it. There’s so much technical jargon... it’s the perfect lullaby!"
Vivian patted Eleanor’s head. She looked so adorable that Vivian decided they should head out first.
’They could go get a table at the restaurant first. Professor Sterling was still surrounded by students asking questions after class; he wouldn’t be able to get away for a while.’
「Half an hour later.」
Vivian finished placing their order. Just as she was about to ask Eleanor if there was anything else she wanted, she noticed her friend was staring intently at a small doll in the window of a shop next to the restaurant.
"Tanya."
Vivian had barely opened her mouth to speak when Eleanor, her back still turned, called out hastily, "That sunny day doll is so cute! I have to buy it! Wait for me, I’ll be right back!"
And with that, Eleanor dashed off in a flurry.
"..."
Left with no other choice, Vivian went ahead and placed the order.
And right at that moment, Henry Sterling arrived.
He was carrying a document bag, looking as though he’d rushed straight from his lecture to meet them without even stopping by his office.
"Sorry I’m late."
Henry’s tone was gentle, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. He sat down across from Vivian. "I’ve looked over your design drafts," he said. "They’re excellent. I don’t think there’s much I can add."
"It’s very kind of you, though. I didn’t really help, and yet here you are, treating me to dinner."