Chapter 689 - 685: I Won’t Go Back to an Old Flame

"Still looking?"

Her mother’s voice suddenly sounded from behind. Kylie Churchill’s pretty face flushed as she turned around to see Mrs. Churchill asking with a smile, "Hasn’t he left yet?"

"He left, he left."

Seeing her daughter’s expression, Mrs. Churchill knew she must have fallen for the young man from the Lane Family.

"You two have been seeing each other for a few days now. How do you feel about him?" Mrs. Churchill took her daughter’s hand and sat beside her on the bed. "It seems to me you quite like him?"

Kylie Churchill lowered her head, looking every bit the part of a young girl with a budding crush.

Mrs. Churchill said gently, "Your father has been hesitating about whether to agree to the partnership with the Lane Group. If you really start dating the Lane boy, I imagine your dad will agree."

"Why wouldn’t he agree?" Kylie Churchill looked up at her mother.

Mrs. Churchill shook her head. "I’m not too clear on business matters. This is just what I’ve overheard your dad mentioning at the dinner table."

"Mom, Shawn Lane is a really good person. Not only is he handsome, but he’s also a complete gentleman. Most importantly, he’s assertive, has good judgment, and is especially smart and kind..."

"That’s just ’beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ Because you like him, you think everything about him is perfect."

"But he really is that good!" Kylie Churchill said anxiously.

"Alright, if my daughter likes him, then I’m sure he must be an excellent young man. But he’s still studying abroad right now. That’s something you need to consider carefully."

At her mother’s reminder, Kylie Churchill’s spirits fell. "I was deliberately trying not to think about that, and you just had to remind me."

"It’s reality. There’s no use in running from it."

Kylie Churchill pressed her thin lips together, but in her heart, she had already made up her mind.

「At a Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in the city center.」

A young man cautiously entered the restaurant.

Before he could look around, Shawn Lane stood up from a nearby table and waved. "Vincent!"

Seeing Shawn Lane, Vincent Coleman broke into a smile and walked over. "Shawn, why’d you pick such an expensive place? We could have just grabbed a casual bite somewhere."

"Nothing casual about it. We haven’t seen each other in so long, it has to be something proper." Shawn Lane handed him the menu. "I’m treating you to some Moutai today!"

"Oh, come on. I’m a country bumpkin who can’t appreciate the finer things; treating me would be a total waste." He flipped open the menu, took one look, and quickly handed it back. "You should order. Just looking at these prices makes me nervous."

Shawn Lane smiled and nodded. "Alright, I’ll order then. I remember what you like anyway."

The two had been high school classmates and had both gotten into Lorcain Tech for university, though they were in different majors. They had always remained good friends.

After going abroad, Shawn Lane had cut ties with all his fair-weather friends back home, even blocking his school classmates. The only one he’d kept in touch with was Vincent Coleman.

"How’s it been abroad? You always tell me it’s fine, it’s fine, but you’re not really used to it, are you?" Vincent Coleman asked.

A small smile played on Shawn Lane’s lips. "It’s actually been fine. I wasn’t in a good state before I left the country, but I’ve slowly adjusted since then. I’m adapting well."

"You really have changed a lot." Vincent Coleman looked at Shawn Lane and said sincerely, "Your whole vibe is different. You seem much more mature and composed than before."

Shawn Lane gave a noncommittal response, then called the waiter over and ordered several dishes in one go. He only stopped when Vincent Coleman grabbed his arm, insisting it was more than enough.

And he really did order the Moutai.

"So, how are things at school for you?"

"Same old, same old." Vincent Coleman seemed to recall something, sighed, and said slowly, "I’m thinking about grad school. Late last year, the university put together a team for the Physics Olympiad. You know physics is my strong suit, so I was hoping to get on the team, get a good result, and have an edge and something to highlight when I apply for a direct recommendation to the graduate program."

"What? You didn’t make the cut?"

Vincent Coleman nodded with a wry smile. "I don’t know how the spots were decided, but I wasn’t on the list. Guess who was?"

At his question, Shawn Lane’s expression froze. He hesitated for a moment before venturing, "Cecilia Sterling?"

Vincent Coleman gave him a thumbs-up. "Bingo. And Cecilia Sterling got a perfect score in the preliminaries."

Shawn Lane wasn’t surprised at all. He knew better than anyone just how smart Cecilia Sterling was.

And in truth, the reason he had asked Vincent Coleman out today was to ask about how Cecilia Sterling was doing at school.

He hadn’t expected Vincent to bring her up on his own.

"It’s been over a year. You should be over it by now, right?" Vincent Coleman asked cautiously.

Shawn Lane laughed freely, putting on a show of indifference. "Of course. Do I look like I’m still hung up on her?"

"That’s good. Cecilia Sterling is outstanding, but you’re no slouch either. You’ll definitely meet someone suitable in the future."

Just then, the liquor arrived. The waiter opened the bottle and filled two small, exquisite cups for them.

They both raised their cups, downed the contents in one gulp, and then grimaced at the same time.

Vincent Coleman said with satisfaction, "I’m moving up in the world. I’ve even had Moutai now."

Shawn Lane, however, asked with feigned nonchalance, "So... has she dated anyone this past year?"

"I think so," Vincent Coleman said, recalling. "But it doesn’t seem to be anyone from school. People have occasionally seen her boyfriend pick her up from the university gate. It’s always outside campus."

"How old is he?"

"That I don’t know. I’ve barely seen her since you left. I just spot her from a distance in the school cafeteria sometimes, but we’ve never said hi."

Shawn Lane nodded. ’If he’s from outside the university, he’s probably not our age,’ he thought.

’Could it be the guy I saw with her at Cirrus Palace today?’

But he immediately dismissed the idea. How could a girl say something like she had "used someone else" in front of her current boyfriend?

’So it’s probably not him.’

Vincent Coleman added, "She seems to have kept a pretty low profile at school lately. I haven’t heard any major gossip. But there’s still no shortage of talk about her on campus, especially among the guys. After all, she’s so beautiful."

"Oh, right. In the Olympiad group, it seems she really doesn’t get along with Elias Warner. Do you remember Elias Warner?"

Shawn Lane furrowed his brow, thinking for a moment. "That moron from the student council?"

"Yup."

Shawn Lane scoffed. "He has a beef with Cecilia Sterling? Who’d you hear that from?"

"Heard it from Lee Warner in my class. He’s in the Olympiad group. It’s not exactly a ’beef,’ I guess. It’s just that Elias Warner is a pretty pretentious guy. He looked down on Cecilia Sterling at first, but she ended up putting him in his place so thoroughly he became completely submissive."

Vincent Coleman couldn’t help but laugh as he said this, then looked at Shawn Lane. "Shawn, have you seen Cecilia Sterling since you got back?"

"I have," Shawn Lane said directly. "In fact, I ran into her by chance at a jadeite exhibition just today. She hasn’t changed much..."

"So, you two..."

"Heh." Shawn Lane let out a soft laugh, raising a handsome eyebrow. "What? You want me to get back together with her?"

"Forget it. I’m not one to go back for seconds."