As the midterms approached, even the senior students who usually skipped classes unless attendance was mandatory and the lazy ones "sealed by their blankets" had to bow to their GPAs. With graduation looming, no one wanted to mess up now.
Stella Orion arrived in the classroom two minutes before the lecture started, calmly walking to her seat under the watchful eyes of her classmates. Unlike the excited looks when gossip was brewing, these starry-eyed gazes were filled with expectation, trust, and a yearning for knowledge, as if they were seeing the Holy Grail of study guides.
As soon as she sat down, the class representative turned around and flashed a big, toothy grin at her, politely asking, "Stella, do you have any exam notes for us this time?"
The so-called "exam notes" were actually her class notes. Ever since Stella scored an average of 90+ in her first semester and ranked first in her major, classmates had been borrowing her notes to photocopy before exams. Stella, having developed the habit of detailed note-taking in her high school humanities class, enjoyed organizing notes filled with extensive text and complex content. She was quick and focused, capturing all the key points and additional knowledge the teachers covered in class.
Jane had once described Stella's notes as a work of art: clearly laid out, beautifully written, and highlighting the key points effectively. The best part was that they were incredibly useful. Even if you hadn't paid attention all semester, a thorough review of the starred points before the exam would ensure you didn't fail.
The class representative had always been helpful to everyone, and Stella had a good impression of him. She nodded, "I do have them, but I don't live on campus anymore, so borrowing and returning might be inconvenient. How about I scan them and send you a PDF?"
The class representative readily agreed, "That would be great, thanks a lot, Stella! I'll treat you to a drink later!"
Stella smiled slightly, "You're welcome."
Other classmates also asked for the notes, and she noted down their requests.
During the break, Stella returned from the restroom to find her desk stacked with over a dozen bottles of soy milk, both hot and cold, in various flavors.
They really did treat her to drinks.
She thanked her classmates and picked a chocolate-flavored one but put it down after a couple of sips, finding it too sweet.
Truly, "It's hard to go back to frugality after living in luxury," she thought. After getting used to the soy milk delivered daily to her home by Nine Creeks, the ones available on the market just didn't taste right.
With a soft click, the chair beside her unfolded, accompanied by a fresh, subtle woody scent.
Stella turned her head and saw a very beautiful woman.
The woman looked to be in her forties, with a flawlessly made-up face showing no wrinkles. She wore a long, dark gray satin coat with some embroidery on the cuffs and a light gray silk scarf tied at her neck, exuding elegance and poise.
"Wow, who is she? She's gorgeous!"
"She's sitting next to Stella. Could she be her mother?"
"How could that be? This isn't elementary school."
"Maybe she's a visiting professor…"
Stella wasn't sure if the woman was a teacher. The obvious air of wealth and refinement didn't quite match the typical image of a teacher.
What was most puzzling was that the woman had been staring at her since she sat down, with an intense, unblinking focus that was impossible to ignore.
Stella couldn't avoid such a burning gaze and politely greeted her, "Hello."
The woman's eyes lit up instantly, showing a hint of excitement that didn't quite match her elegant demeanor. She smiled warmly at Stella and said, "Hello there, I'm… My surname is Summer."
Stella chose a safe form of address, "Hello, Professor Summer."
Mrs. Summer showed no sign of correction, continuing their conversation with interest, "What's your name?"
"I'm Stella Orion."
"Orion? Like the constellation? What a beautiful name!" Mrs. Summer clapped her hands like a young girl. "Can I call you Stella?"
???
Something felt off…
Stella was a bit bewildered but nodded nonetheless, "Sure, that's fine."
As they talked, Professor Sterling on the podium noticed the commotion and quickly walked over. He was clearly puzzled, his brows furrowing deeply. There had been no prior notice from the academy, and this wasn't a public lecture. Why was someone suddenly auditing his class? An impromptu inspection, perhaps?
He walked over to Stella's desk and politely asked, "Excuse me, Professor… Are you here to audit the class?"
Mrs. Summer instantly retracted the warm smile she had been giving Stella and elegantly turned to look at Professor Sterling. Without saying "yes" or "no," she simply and cryptically said, "My surname is Summer."
Professor Sterling stood at attention, instantly respectful. This air of superiority and elegance—she must be an important figure!
He straightened his wrinkled shirt and delivered a three-hundred-word mini-lecture on the subject matter and curriculum plans, then, seemingly under Mrs. Summer's approving gaze, proudly returned to the podium.
Afterward, the entire class noticed that today, Professor Sterling seemed unusually energized. Normally a slow and deliberate speaker, often pausing between sentences to sip from his senior-citizen-style thermos, he now seemed as animated as a live television shopping host, his face flushed and enthusiastic, saliva flying along with the chalk dust.
Mrs. Summer turned to Stella, "Stella, can I borrow your notes?"
Stella handed over her notebook, "Of course."
Mrs. Summer was thrilled, flipping through the pages, "Your handwriting is beautiful. So this class is about this, huh? I can't understand a word your professor is saying."
"…" Stella glanced at the fervent Professor Sterling on the podium and silently lit a candle for him.
Mrs. Summer then pulled out her phone from her purse and hesitantly asked, "May I take some photos of your notes?"
Stella, still not understanding, nodded.
"Thank you, Stella!" Mrs. Summer explained as she snapped pictures, "My younger son is really not into studying. I've never seen him take notes. I'll show him yours to encourage him to study better!"
"My cousin doesn't like taking notes either. Maybe it's a boy thing," Stella commented casually. "Which grade is your younger son in?"
Mrs. Summer replied, "He's a senior in college!"
"..."
A senior in college? And still the younger son?
Stella was surprised. "You look so young. I thought your son was just in middle school…"
Mrs. Summer covered her mouth and laughed lightly. "You're so sweet! My older son is almost thirty!"
"..."
You wouldn't be able to tell.
Her phone buzzed twice. Stella was about to check it but then remembered the professor was nearby and quickly pulled her hand back.
Mrs. Summer, however, encouraged her, "Go ahead and check it. It might be something important."
"Thank you, Professor Summer." Stella turned on the screen, glanced quickly, and put the phone away obediently.
Mrs. Summer, still smiling, asked, "Was it from your boy… boyfriend? Don't you need to reply?"
"No," Stella answered. "It's just a notification from the school forum. It's not urgent; I can reply after class."
"Forum?" Mrs. Summer seemed a bit nervous. "Oh, don't worry too much about what you read online. It's full of half-truths and rumors."
Stella was taken aback for a moment but then smiled. "Alright, thank you, Professor Summer."
When the bell rang, Professor Sterling hurried over with an enthusiastic attitude. "Professor Summer, how did you find the class?"
"What do I think?" Mrs. Summer hesitated, then solemnly said, "I think your chairs are too hard."
Professor Sterling: "???"
"And these desks are too narrow. It's uncomfortable to write on them," Mrs. Summer pointed at Stella's wrist, "Look how it's digging into her wrist. It's turning red!"
Stella: "..."
Professor Sterling: "..."
What's with this professor?
Having said her piece, Mrs. Summer ignored the bewildered Professor Sterling and walked out of the classroom with Stella. "Stella, is the food at your cafeteria good?"
Stella replied, "Yes, it's good and very affordable."
"Really?" Mrs. Summer said, "I'm so hungry after sitting through that lecture. Let's go eat together!"
Stella had planned to go to the cafeteria anyway, so she nodded, "Alright."
"Great," Mrs. Summer warmly linked arms with Stella. Feeling Stella's stiffness, she discreetly let go. "Let's go then."
Twenty minutes later, Stella and Mrs. Summer sat across from each other in a corner of the cafeteria, each with a bowl of ginseng chicken soup and a serving of barbecue bibimbap in front of them.
"Stella, thank you for treating me to lunch. I didn't know you needed a student card to pay." Despite wearing an expensive outfit, Mrs. Summer seemed perfectly at ease in the bustling student cafeteria, exuding a charm that made people naturally like her.
Stella shook her head with a smile. "No need to thank me. I wasn't sure about your taste, so I ordered the same as mine."
Mrs. Summer said, "The same as yours is perfect. I love it."
Clink! A stainless steel spoon fell onto the marble floor with a crisp sound. Stella turned to see her dramatic brother-in-law, Evan Starr, standing nearby with a tray, looking utterly shocked.
She bent down to pick up the spoon that had fallen near her feet and asked the still-stunned Evan, "What's wrong?"
Evan snapped back to reality, looked up at the ceiling, and his expression was one of utter resignation.
"Wow, this young man is so handsome," Mrs. Summer said, batting her eyes at him and resting her chin on her hands in admiration. "Oh my, your mother must be a great beauty!"
Evan's mouth twitched as he struggled to look at Stella. "I'm sorry, but who is this?"
Stella replied, "This is Professor Summer from the Ministry of Education. She came to audit our class today."
"..." Evan looked at the unfazed Professor Summer and suddenly felt a bit suffocated.
When Stella went to the window to pick up the taro balls she had ordered, Evan put down his tray and sat across from Mrs. Summer.
The two stared at each other in silence. After a moment, Evan gave in, his expression utterly exasperated. "Mom, what are you doing?"