Chapter 1353
Chapter 1353
Sophia strolled around the campus on her own. It was still early, so she decided to walk around and explore the place. Her meal card had just been topped up with cash, so she was about to go to the cafeteria to grab a bite when a bicycle suddenly came to a halt beside her. Its rider had the Fletchers’ signature crew cut.
Without turning back, he parked the bike to one side and said, “Get on.”
Delighted to see him, Sophia mounted the bike while asking, “Nate, are you here for your classes too?”
Focused on riding his bike, Nathan answered, “Yeah.”
He had been raised in the manor since he was young and was taught by the best private tutors who provided him with the finest education. But, because Michael didn’t have time to look after him, he was distant and cold. Having refused to go to kindergarten, he began his studies at Bayside University when he was five years old after Michael donated a building.
Just like that, he had already been at Bayside University for ten years.
A few years ago, Sophia had brought him from the East Entrance to the South Entrance on her Yamaha bike. She had brought him to the cafeteria to grab a meal, held him while he performed a slam dunk, and even brought him to the cybercafé to play games. She had even brought him to eat kebabs and to the night market to play ring toss.
Those memories were filled with a riot of colors.
After all these years, he was now the one carrying her on his bicycle.
Sitting in the back seat, Sophia was smiling as brightly as the sun. As she enjoyed the early summer breeze, she caught a whiff of the fresh smell that had appeared in her dreams. Perhaps it was from one of the memories that she had lost.
Eyes, a shade of green, and the smell of books. No, something seems to be missing…
All of a sudden, she saw a bicycle catching up to them on the tree-lined path that was covered by overlapping greenery.
Warm sunlight shone down on the man, making him appear radiant. He seemed to emit a faint milky white halo and was as ethereal as a light feather. Every pore on his body was exuding the fresh aura of sunlight as if he was a God who had just descended into the mortal world from the heavens.
He looked like he was once clad in golden armor and divine clothing but was now dressed in a white shirt. The colorful clouds he used to step on had transformed into a rented ofo.
In Sophia’s eyes, he would always be the unparalleled deity who arrived on colorful clouds. He was her hero, and he belonged to her alone.
Michael chased them from behind, closing the distance between him and Sophia. She seemed to be able to glimpse the layer of sweat on his head rising, forming a faint fog.
“Michael!” Sophia called out.
Michael grinned, his eternally young face still full of vigor.
Sitting in front, Nathan glanced at Michael, who was catching up on his ofo, and scoffed. Oh, you old man.
He didn’t know what Sophia saw in this old man back then.
How nice would it have been if she had gotten with Claude instead!
With this thought in mind, Nathan pedaled harder. His bike was far ahead, and the gap between them widened.
Michael frowned. Brat! Now that your wings have hardened, not only do you want to fly, but you’re even trying to swat me away.
He exerted more strength and the two bicycles advanced together. Soon, they caught up to Harry, who was up front, as well as Stanley and Sean who were at the concession stand buying water and snacks.
“Hey, wait for us!” Stanley quickly threw the snacks and water into his basket before rushing to catch up.
Sophia waved at them. “Come on, stupid dog!”
They were no longer teenagers, but the lot of them laughed and joked around as they sped off toward the warm sunlight.
Quinton was riding an ofo as well, but he didn’t join them for classes. Instead, he rode toward the concession stand. After returning the bike, he went in to buy a coffee, then realized that he could only pay with a meal card, not cash.
He opened his wallet to search for it, then found the teacher’s meal card he had used years ago, which still happened to have several thousand in it.
He bought a cup of coffee, then walked into the school. He got to the university’s alumni corridor where photos and information of the most decorated students that Bayside University had for the past century since their establishment was posted.
There was Michael, Harry, Sophia, Cooper, Linus, and of course, himself.
Unfortunately, his was a black-and-white portrait. A few years ago, his identity was exposed, and he was ready to capture Sophia, but everything ended up in smoke. Afterward, he disappeared from the world.
According to the news, he had volunteered to be taken hostage in order to save the students that had been kidnapped by a terrorist group. After getting them out, he had sacrificed himself. Property © NôvelDrama.Org.
Bayside University had hung his picture in the alumni corridor where freshmen would get to know him at the start of every school year.
Every student knew that there used to be a handsome and charming teacher at Bayside University who taught economic law and financial accounting. He was the second son of the distinguished Clark Family and Bayside University’s youngest teacher. Every year during summer break, he would go to Africa to do volunteer work, as his biggest dream was to leave everything behind and go teach in the remote mountainous areas.
He was supposedly buried in the cemetery outside the city, and every year during Ancestors’ Day, the students of Bayside University would visit his grave and pay their respects.
Tilting his head, Quinton looked up at his former face smiling back at him in the black and white frame.
When the photo was taken, his smile had been serious and genuine.
Looking back on the past thirty years, he was happiest when he was studying and working at Bayside University.
Following Tanya’s advice, he married into the Clark Family. All they knew was that he came from abroad, his grades were excellent, and that he had successfully gotten into Bayside University. He continued his studies abroad after graduating, then upon returning, he went back to Bayside University to be a teacher. He would go overseas from time to time to participate in academic seminars as well as travel during the holidays.
His stepfather treated him well and regarded Quinton as his own. He was proud of him, and would often boast about how outstanding his second son was.
Quinton would call him ‘Dad’, and their relationship was genuine.
Everything was obviously splendid, but he still managed to ruin everything with his own hands.
No one knew that at the age of fourteen, he was already the leader of the Phantom Wolf and he had countless blood debts on his hands.
His past had been filled with lies and illusions. Tanya had helped him remarry so that he could have a new identity that would facilitate his movements in Bayside City. However, their ultimate goal was to take revenge on the Fletchers.
Nevertheless, even in that illusion, everyone had been sincerely good to him, but he had pushed them all away, tearing up this perfect but real illusion with his bare hands.
The thought of living in this fantasy forever had, in fact, crossed his mind often. Oh, how great it would’ve been!
Looking at his former self, Quinton took a sip of coffee and a faint smile played on his lips. He exhaled a cocoa-infused breath, then turned around to throw away the cup. Unknowingly, his eyes had gotten moist with tears.
Sophia was in class, so Michael wandered around to enjoy a breath of fresh air. At some point, he saw Quinton sitting on the grass, basking in the sun. Surrounded by several students, he held a book as he explained a topic to a student.
“The answer to this question is not complete. This question covers four main points, and according to the case materials, there is a trap here…”
In a serious manner, he explained the question with ease. Michael waited for the group of students to leave before walking up to him and asking, “How about you come back to continue teaching?”