Chapter 5 Not Quite Right

"What's up with Leopold?"

Oliver shot a look at Leopold, who was sulking over his drink, and slid closer to Simon.

Leopold had stormed in with a face like thunder.

The room, which had been buzzing, suddenly got really quiet.

"He got blocked by Camilla," Simon said, stirring the pot.

Leopold's face got even darker at that.

He slammed his glass on the table, unbuttoning his shirt with one hand, looking like he was ready to throw down.

"I told you not to bring her up again. You deaf or something?"

Simon just shrugged, keeping his mouth shut.

The vibe shifted, and the person singing wisely zipped it. Everyone else went silent, too, not wanting to poke the bear.

Oliver nearly choked on his drink. Was Camilla really serious this time?

Marcus, a bit buzzed, leaned over to Oliver and whispered, "Did Camilla go back?"

Oliver shook his head, not daring to say much. "I dunno."

Marcus got the hint; she probably hadn't gone back yet.

The bartender brought over another round, and someone suggested, "How about a game of Truth or Dare?"

Everyone was quick on the uptake; they all had someone with them, and with a few winks and nudges, they jumped in to break the tension.

"Yeah, sounds fun!"

Just then, a woman walked in.

"Hey, over here! We need one more at Leopold's table."

The woman got pushed to sit next to Leopold. She was the top hostess at the club and had hung out with Leopold before.

"Leopold."

Leopold stood up suddenly, looking bored. "You guys play, I'm out."

He left behind a bunch of stunned faces.

Outside the bar, the driver asked Leopold in the back seat where to go.

After two glasses of brandy, he was feeling it.

Thinking of his empty villa, he said, "To the office."

"Mr. Wipere? What brings you here?"

At ten at night, the assistant was about to leave when she saw Leopold coming out of the elevator.

Her surprised look made Leopold even more annoyed.

Usually, around this time, Camilla would nag him about his late hours and tell him to get some sleep. If he didn't listen, she'd come over and act all cute. He'd pretend to be annoyed but end up going to bed anyway.

"Are you off work?"

"Yeah, need anything else?"

Leopold wanted to say no, but he hadn't eaten since the afternoon and had two drinks, making his stomach hurt. His face went a bit pale. "Get me some porridge."

After a moment, he added, "From the best place."

The assistant was quick, and twenty minutes later, she brought a fancy meal box to Leopold.

But as soon as he opened it, he frowned.

"Why corn porridge?"

The assistant looked confused. "It's their signature dish, you..."

"Never mind, you can go."

The corn porridge looked good and smelled great.

But after a few bites, he lost his appetite and put down the spoon.

Leopold couldn't help but miss the porridge Camilla used to make.

"Damn it!"

He must be losing it!

Back at the apartment from the hospital.

Camilla felt for the switch on the wall and pressed it, hearing some intimate noises.

The lights came on, revealing Juniper in a sexy silk nightgown, making out with a Moore guy.

They were on the sofa, Juniper's hands roaming under the guy's shirt, showing off his six-pack.

Their mouths were all over each other, leaving red marks on Juniper's neck that screamed "suggestive."

The room was steamy and full of tension.

Juniper squinted at the sudden light, still a bit dazed, and instinctively stopped the guy from kissing her.

"Oh? Camilla, you're back."

"How about you two put some clothes on first?"

Camilla's mouth twitched, and she sensibly turned around to give them some privacy.

She sighed, thinking, 'Guess I can't crash at Juniper's place for long. No matter how tight friends are, everyone needs their own space. Living together too long is a hassle for both.'

Juniper, however, just smiled casually, not bothered by what had just happened.

She pulled up the strap that had slipped to her arm, grabbed a coat, and tossed a jacket to the guy.

With a lipstick mark on his handsome face, the guy's eyes were still a bit red. Juniper patted his face soothingly. "Be good, wait for me in the bedroom."

The guy obediently picked up his clothes, barely covering his chest, his shoulder full of kiss marks, and smiled at Camilla. "Hey, good evening."

Camilla instinctively replied, "Hi, Keven."

The guy smiled and went into the room without saying anything.

Juniper poured herself a glass of red wine, took a sip, the sweet and slightly bitter taste spreading on her tongue. She sighed contentedly and slowly corrected, "This one's name is Steven, not Keven."

Camilla was stunned.

"Where'd you go so late?" Juniper noticed her red eyes and frowned slightly. "Have you been crying?"

Camilla poured herself a glass of water and said absentmindedly, "I went to visit Professor Garcia at the hospital today."

Juniper and Camilla were college classmates and both Aurora's students. Juniper was still in the college group chat and had heard about it.

She glanced at Camilla. "You..."

She started to speak but hesitated.

Back then, Camilla was Aurora's most promising student.

Others didn't know, but as her roommate and best friend, Juniper had seen Aurora give Camilla one-on-one tutoring, even including her in writing thesis.

Camilla was just an undergrad at the time, and Aurora wasn't even her official supervisor.

Yet she was willing to give Camilla so many academic resources.

Following the path Aurora had planned for her, Camilla could have become the Mooreest Ph.D. in biological sciences in the country within five years.

To this day, Juniper couldn't understand why Camilla gave up her studies.

Thinking of Aurora's favoritism, she couldn't help but sigh, 'Maybe some people don't cherish what comes too easily. Geniuses, after all, have the right to be willful.'

"I heard Professor Garcia's illness is quite serious this time. How is she recovering after the surgery?" Juniper asked.

Camilla shook her head.

Juniper laughed in exasperation. "What kind of visit was that, not knowing anything about the patient's condition?"

"I didn't dare go in."

"So cowardly?" Seeing her expression, Juniper couldn't help but say, "You deserve it!"

Camilla's eyelashes trembled, but she didn't speak.

Juniper saw her stubborn look and realized that the food from this morning was meant for Aurora.

"Are you planning to keep it this way?"

Camilla had always been brave and decisive, but now she was too scared to even show her face.

Camilla was still clear-headed. "Professor Garcia and I will have to meet eventually. Some problems can't be solved by avoiding them."

The next second, she looked up. "Juniper, will you go with me to see her?"

"What are you planning?"