Later, they got scared someone would find out.
So they hid the iPad in the storage closet.
The plan was to wait a few days.
Once Emily was sure it was gone, she’d take it and sell it.
If anything went wrong, Olivia would come to the dorm and help her pack.
But something felt off.
She just couldn’t figure out how Olivia had been in the dorm that day.
When Evelyn pulled the iPad out of her closet, she let out a huge sigh of relief.
The knot in her chest finally loosened.
Truth was, when Emily called the counselor to investigate, Evelyn started regretting everything.
In the end, things worked out in her favor.
Stella brought it up years later, when they’d all graduated and started working.
She still got emotional talking about it.
Emily just smiled and patted her on the shoulder.
She said she’d actually suspected Stella back then.
But once she found her stuff, she let it go.
Evelyn added that the past was the past.
Everyone makes mistakes sometimes.
Luckily, Stella never mentioned Olivia’s name.
Otherwise, things would’ve gotten way messier.
Stella relaxed, and everyone else did too.
When you’re young, you do stupid things without thinking.
But at least you can learn from them.
Friday night, Alexander came to pick Evelyn up.
They drove to the villa instead of the apartment.
While driving, he asked how her prep for the second round was going.
Evelyn froze.
“I’ve been busy lately,” she finally said. “Haven’t practiced much.”
“What are you planning to perform?”
“The same song I did last time.”
“Can you use the same act?” Alexander sounded surprised.
“Yeah. You can use the same act all the way through, as long as you pass.”
“I’d suggest changing the song. The next round is for the school celebration, not a singing contest. You need something more fitting.”
“But the competition is tomorrow.”
“You still have tonight and tomorrow morning to prepare, don’t you?” Alexander replied casually.
Evelyn suddenly realized.
Alexander really wanted her to perform at the school celebration.
When they got to the villa, they made dinner first.
Evelyn washed the vegetables. Alexander cut the meat.
He stir-fried. She made soup.
They worked well together.
Dinner was ready in less than half an hour.
Evelyn thought that if she and Alexander could always get along like this, it would be pretty great.
She was in a good mood, so her appetite was good.
Everything tasted delicious.
Maybe because she couldn’t peel shrimp.
Now Alexander even deboned the fish for her.
He cut the meat into small pieces and handed it to her.
Evelyn felt like he was treating her like a child.
When he cut the braised pork into small pieces and gave them to her, she couldn’t help saying, “I can do it myself.”
“Can you?” Alexander looked up at her.
“I can,” Evelyn said awkwardly.
Alexander smirked. “Being independent is good. But it’s also nice to let someone take care of you sometimes.”
Evelyn couldn’t argue.
Honestly, she was touched.
She looked up at him and couldn’t help smiling sweetly.
“After dinner, we’ll talk about your performance.”
“Huh? Can’t I just do the same thing as the preliminaries?” Evelyn asked.
“Better not. Since you’re in it, do your best. Don’t half-ass it.”
“Okay, I get it.” Evelyn nodded.
After dinner and a short break, they started discussing what to prepare for tomorrow’s rematch.
If Evelyn wanted to play and sing again, she’d need a more suitable song.
But learning a new song took time.
So Alexander asked what other songs she could sing besides those two.
Evelyn was confused. “Besides ‘Umbrella Love,’ what’s the other one?”
“The grapevine in front of Amena,” Alexander replied.
Evelyn froze for a second.
Then she burst out laughing.
“That’s ‘Snail and Oriole’!” she finally managed to say.
“Sorry, I forgot the title.” Alexander wasn’t angry. He was very gentle.
Evelyn felt embarrassed instead.
She cleared her throat and sat up straight. “Besides those, I know a few more. But most of them are campus songs.”
“Campus songs are fine. But your last song was a sad love song. That’s not right for a school celebration. Let’s pick one of your campus songs,” Alexander said.
They spent the next half hour discussing.
Finally, they chose “Mother’s Kiss” from Evelyn’s repertoire.
Evelyn’s voice was sweet.
It was perfect for that song.
With piano accompaniment, if she played it well, the effect would be amazing.
They practiced until eleven.
The rhythm and music were mostly settled.
Evelyn would practice again tomorrow morning.
She should be fine.
If she passed the second round, she’d have plenty of time to keep improving before the school celebration next year.
Maybe it was the pressure.
Or all the singing practice.
Evelyn felt sleepy after her bath.
When Alexander talked to her, she heard the second half of his sentence but forgot the first half.
Alexander couldn’t help but laugh.
He told her to go to bed.
“Go to sleep. We’ll talk about everything else tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Evelyn nodded like a pecking bird.
Then she walked toward the big bed.
She looked so obedient.
She fell asleep as soon as she lay down.
Right now, she was curled up in a corner of the bed like a silkworm.
Docile and charming.
Alexander looked away.
He left the bedroom and stood by the window to smoke.
At noon, Grace called Evelyn to pick her up for modeling.
Alexander had a business trip this afternoon.
He’d be gone for a week.
Evelyn thought she should say something to him before he left.
After all, he was going away for a week.
Even though they weren’t really husband and wife, they were legally married.
It seemed wrong not to say anything.
But she didn’t know how to say it.
Finally, after a long pause, she managed to say awkwardly, “Um… be safe on your trip. Hope work goes well. Come back soon.”
“Okay.” Alexander looked down at her and smiled. “I might not be back early, but I’ll come back as soon as I finish.”
“No rush. Work is more important,” Evelyn said quickly.
Did she say something wrong?
Alexander ruffled her hair.
He just looked at her quietly.
Evelyn’s face slowly turned red.
Finally, she said in embarrassment, “I’m going to be late!”
Without waiting for his reply, she turned and ran downstairs.
Her face was burning red.