Sofia was undoubtedly a striking beauty, but when she tried to leave her phone number and WhatsApp contact with William, he refused her with a sense of righteousness.
“I’ve said it before; if fate brings us together again, I’ll be willing to teach you. But there’s no need to exchange contact details.”
Such moral uprightness, entirely unmoved by physical attraction.
If anyone else had said such words, Lila and Alice might have suspected them of playing hard to get.
Going by William’s logic, it could make someone let their guard down, making it easier to orchestrate a ‘chance’ encounter later on, attributing it to fate, and teaching them the violin – wouldn’t that be a way to win them over?
Yet, when William spoke these words, Lila believed him.
In terms of attractiveness, she was no less than Sofia, but William treated her akin to a servant and was often blunt in his speech.
If William wasn’t attracted to her, then it wasn’t surprising that he wasn’t smitten by Sofia either.
It made sense for Alice to believe William too. From what she knew of him, apart from Evelyn, William seemed indifferent to all other girls. So his refusal was entirely in character. His promise to teach her upon their next meeting already seemed gentle enough.
As William wasn’t willing to share his contact, Sofia had no choice but to leave in disappointment, sitting by the door, silent, and no longer playing.
William’s prior performance had eclipsed her own to such an extent that she was now unsure of what piece to play.
Or rather, she began doubting what she had been playing all these years.
The disparity was just too vast!
After gaining a general understanding of the live streaming industry, William planned to attend an interview at Lila’s friend’s company the next afternoon.
Before long, Walker approached the entrance of the shop and noticed Sofia lost in her thoughts. She looked somewhat despondent and confused, which made one want to comfort her.
“What a memorable beauty,” Walker thought to himself.
His heartbeat raced at the first sight of Sofia. Although he had recently become closer to Alice, Walker was always curious, enjoying the pursuit of new thrills and experiences. It seemed he always had a list in his mind, recording every girl he had ever been infatuated with.
“Alice is just one name on that list,” Walker mused, “Sofia might soon be the next one.”
Walker was even confident that these beautiful women would surely be attracted to his charm and have a romantic encounter with him. ｂ𝚍ｎｏ𝚟ｌ.
Upon seeing Sofia not playing and appearing deeply preoccupied, Walker didn’t immediately approach her. Instead, he made his way to the table where Alice and her group were seated.
The moment he laid eyes on Lila, they lit up again.
Yet another stunning beauty!
Walker narcissistically thought that this beauty must be destined for him. It seemed he truly was someone chosen by fate.
“Alice, is this beauty another friend of yours?”
It was Walker’s first time seeing Lila. Her beauty rivaled Alice’s. Since this was a team dinner and Alice invited her, their relationship must be close, he reasoned.
Alice’s brows furrowed slightly. Her relationship with Lila wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t particularly good either. If Lila hadn’t insisted on coming herself, Alice would’ve likely left her behind without a second thought.
Walker always acted foolishly infatuated around beauties, which Alice found utterly distasteful.
“Her name is Lila Carter.”
Such a simple introduction. Alice wasn’t going to exaggerate and call her a close friend or sister. Except for Evelyn, anyone who tried to rival her for their mentor’s attention was seen as an adversary.
At that moment, Alice was seated next to William, with Lila opposite them. Walker unabashedly took the seat next to Lila, smiling, “Miss Carter, hello, I’m Walker, a friend of Alice’s.”
“Hello!” Lila responded with a polite smile. She gave Walker a slight nod, then immediately looked down and took a sip of her water.
The look Walker had given her when he first saw her was all too familiar. She wasn’t particularly fond of people like him.
Her smile was merely a product of good upbringing, neither too distant nor too intimate, just enough to be polite, especially since Walker had introduced himself as Alice’s friend.
“You two must be very close friends,” Walker began, making assumptions.
“Cough!” Lila, who was sipping her water, almost spat it out upon hearing his words, but managed to swallow it down, ending up in a coughing fit.
It was clear that she and Alice were definitely not close friends.
“I’m sorry, my throat’s been a bit off lately, might be coming down with a cold,” Lila said, feeling it was slightly impolite. It seemed as though she was indirectly telling everyone that her relationship with Alice wasn’t that great.
“Catching a cold? Want me to check you out? I’ve studied a bit of medical knowledge,” Walker offered earnestly.
Lila waved her hands dismissively, “It’s nothing serious, just a minor discomfort. I’ll take some medicine and be fine.”
“I could still check you out. I have ways to quickly assess you,” said Walker, attempting to touch Lila’s forehead to gauge her temperature.
Lila gave Walker a puzzled look, thinking, “Is something wrong with his thinking process?” Didn’t he realize her mention of a “cold” was just to change the subject? But since he’d touched her forehead, perhaps he could genuinely determine if something was wrong. Any sane person should understand she was just trying to dodge certain topics.
You… your temperature is normal, but your skin is somewhat pale. It might be your menstrual period. Drinking more hot water is good for your body.
Lila’s eyes nearly bulged out. How did he even know? Even if he had guessed, was it appropriate to mention it aloud? This person definitely has a screw loose in their head!
She responded with slight annoyance, “I know how to take care of myself. No need for your advice!”
Sitting across, Alice was trying hard not to laugh. This entertaining exchange between Walker and Lila almost made her choke. Inviting Walker had been the right choice.
After all, Lila did try to cozy up to her mentor!
Serves her right!
Unaware that Lila was irritated, Walker thought she must be flustered and impressed by his medical prowess. Having identified her monthly cycle, he assumed she must be feeling quite shy.
“Oh, I noticed the violin by the door, but the lady hasn’t played it. Why don’t I play a tune for everyone?”
William had just played “Paganini’s Caprice No. 24,” showcasing supreme mastery. From William’s and Sofia’s conversation, Lila and others knew it was a fidula. Even though calling it a violin wasn’t wrong, it felt like Walker just wanted to show off.
“You play then,” Alice said, not particularly interested. William had already played a piece. Unfortunately, Walker had arrived late and missed it. Now, if he wanted to play, she would let him, curious to see the gap between an ordinary person and her mentor.
Upon hearing Alice’s remark, Walker quickly stood up, “Alice, what would you like to hear?”
Alice, being a medical student, wasn’t very familiar with music and didn’t know many pieces. But since Walker asked, she responded, “How about ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’? Can you play that?”
“Paganini’s Caprice No. 24?” Walker froze momentarily. How did Alice even know about this piece?
That particular piece was notoriously difficult. Although Walker had learned some instrument playing from his mentor, his knowledge was basic. Even his mentor struggled with “Paganini’s Caprice No. 24.” How was he supposed to play it?
Seeing him startled, Alice queried, “Can you?”
“Of course! I started learning the violin at five. By the age of ten, I had played ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’ countless times,” Walker boasted. Now he felt committed, thinking that most people probably hadn’t heard this challenging piece anyway. As long as it sounded somewhat decent, it should be okay.