Chapter 18

Chapter 18
Nina saw that Scott was nearby and feared he might overhear, which would be very awkward. She asked Yvonne not to say anything more to avoid any embarrassment.
Yvonne had no choice but to listen to her and remained silent. After exchanging pleasantries with others, Scott returned to Nina’s side.
Yvonne called out, “Mr. Lucas, what a rare guest!”
Scott replied, “Miss Turner’s exhibition was very successful, undoubtedly leaving a significant impact.”
“My refined tastes of literati can’t compare to Mr. Lucas’s,” Yvonne nudged Nina, “I just found out you two are old classmates. How about you accompany Nina? She has to return to the company this afternoon.”
Suddenly pushed forward by Yvonne,
Nina felt a bit flustered. Before she could say anything, Scott immediately said, Sure, I’m free. I can escort her.”
Yvonne winked at Nina and politely said, “Thank you for your trouble.”
She pushed Nina towards Scott, “Old classmates should catch up. You two take your time. I won’t accompany you.”
She wanted to give them more time together. Nina looked at Yvonne, many words on the tip of her tongue, but hesitated with Scott around. She couldn’t say them.
After everything was settled, Yvonne slipped away. Nina looked at Scott. Although they were classmates once, it had been so long since they last met. She didn’t know how to catch up.
“Don’t listen to Yvonne. If you’re busy, you don’t have to accompany me,” she said.
She hadn’t forgotten that Nash was supposed to go back to the company with her.
Scott replied, “Just escorting you for a bit won’t hurt. Besides, I’d like to have a chat with you.”
Nina was taken aback, “Huh?”
Scott smiled and said, “Don’t get me wrong. After being abroad for so long, I don’t have many friends here. Meeting you makes me happy.”
Nina instinctively tucked her hair behind her ear and walked slowly with him. “I just read about your accomplishments abroad. I didn’t expect you to do so well.”
“Good luck, and a bit of hard work. But, Nina, you’re still the same. You haven’t changed at all,” Scott said, turning to her.
“Really? No wonder you recognized me at a glance,” she replied.
She wasn’t sure if she had changed over the years. But she felt like she did. She had grown taller and matured, and her appearance wasn’t as youthful as before.
Scott gazed at Nina, his lips subtly curling upwards. This was how he remembered her: serene, with long black hair, not particularly talkative but
excelling academically. She walked with a book in hand, often keeping her head down.
Sometimes when she bumped into someone, she would get flustered and immediately apologize. She liked to tuck her hair behind her ears, revealing her fair neck. Her profile was beautiful. She wasn’t easy to approach, always distant, but he knew she had a kind heart, feeding stray cats on the street.
He also knew she wasn’t as strong as she seemed; when she was sad, she would secretly cry alone in a corner.
Maintaining a sense of distance was her best defense mechanism.
Seeing her, Scott felt like he was back in those days, sitting in the back row, watching the girl who seemed close yet. unreachable.
Scott pulled himself out of his thoughts and asked, “How have you been these years?”
Nina thought for a moment. Scott seemed to have gone abroad around the time they were finishing middle school. That year, she had experienced a near-death ordeal but was fortunate enough to survive. She got into her dream high school and then attended university. Her life seemed calm and stable, without many ups and downs.
“It’s been alright…” Nina replied thoughtfully, her life lacking much excitement.
In the underground parking garage, a car sped towards them.
As Nina seemed absent-minded and on the verge of being hit, Scott swiftly reached out and grabbed her arm, cautioning, “Watch out, Nina.”
With a tug, Nina ended up in Scott’s arms, her nose accidentally bumping into his chest. Scott held her with both arms, maintaining a gentlemanly demeanor, avoiding touching any inappropriate areas, just keeping his body positioned to shield her from harm.
Coincidentally, Nash arrived in the underground garage via the elevator and, upon hearing the name “Nina,” looked in their direction.