"Mom, I'm home."
Vernon took off his shoes and went straight to the kitchen, where his mother, Janet Lin was cooking something very delicious, judging by the overbearing smell that had already filled the whole apartment.
"Vernon? You're home early today. What about your part-time job?"
"I am working from home today."
Mrs. Lin made a slight commotion in the kitchen, then rushed to greet her son and embraced him in a tight hug full of motherly affection.
"These new companies that allow you to work from anywhere you want... I guess I'm not smart enough to understand how it's even possible."
The woman offered Vernon an awkward smile which was met with a quiet scoff and a light peck on the forehead which for Vernon was as far as his limited affection could go.
"I am tutoring a rich kid from my university for some extra money, so don't worry about the rent this month. Take a break from your part-time job and rest. I will schedule another doctor appointment soon as well."
"Vernon..."
Mrs. Lin's expression turned rather serious and sad.
Ever since her husband and Vernon's father, Michael Lin, passed away, both Vernon and she had to face the harsh reality of living solely relying on their own abilities which forced Vernon to grow up way too early in order to start providing for the two of them.
Not to mention her deteriorating health which left little room for any job flexibility.
Of course, thanks to her son's impeccable intellectual abilities and hard work, once he started high school, he was already making a name for himself in the world of tech companies and although he had many chances to join famous companies even before his graduation, Vernon still decided to honor his mother's wish and entered the country's top university to acquire the status that came with its graduation paper.
Having noticed his mother's worried face, Vernon offered her a warm smile and shook his head as if trying to brush off her worries with that half-meaningless gesture.
"It's alright, Mom, I can handle it."
"I know you can, Vernon, you are as strong as your father was, I just... Don't think you have to. It's not fair."
It was true that Vernon never complained about anything and always wore a reassuring smile on his face whenever Janet showed any sign of worry.
However, she knew that her son's success came at a price ––the price of his wasted youth, lost in poverty, and an unending struggle that he had to endure against his will.
The woman let out a long sigh and went back to the kitchen, while Vernon placed his laptop on the kitchen table and started typing on its keyboard with an extreme sense of urgency.
Having spent two and a half hours of his time on Jane Devold set him back on his other tasks, and since today was the anniversary of his father's death, he promised both his mother and himself that, at least today, he would take a much-needed break and spend some time paying his respects to the man whose early departure caused him to become the person he was now.
***
"What?! I cannot believe this! Both your father and Professor Taylor are insane!"
Charles banged his big hand on the coffee shop table and furrowed his perfectly shaped, rye-colored eyebrows.
"Is there no one else to help you study besides Vernon Lin?!"
His reaction seemed rather extreme and Jane could not help but only shrug her tender shoulders in response to his frustration.
"He is actually very s-smart! We went over a l-lot of things in j-just sixty minutes!"
Charles widened his eyes and let out a somewhat irritated exhale.
Yes, his girlfriend was gullible and naive, but that was precisely why he had been with her all this time. Even at the rather mature age of nineteen, she still couldn't distinguish between good and bad.
"Jane, just because he is smart, does not mean he is a good person. You said it yourself that he treated you like trash! That piece of garbage, his reputation is that bad for a reason!"
Jane could almost see the fumes coming out of her boyfriend's angry face.
Charles was right, Vernon Lin was definitely far from being a good person, however, she also could not deny the fact that he was a good teacher, and while she, too, was not particularly excited about being around him, it would not be wise of her to reject his tutoring simply because he was not that nice of a person.
On the contrary, having someone as bold and straightforward as Vernon Lin in her surroundings, brought a previously unknown kind of fascination into her otherwise dull life.
Somewhat disappointed by Jane's lack of reaction to what seemed like a reasonable warning, Charles cleared his throat, ordered more coffee, and changed the topic of their conversation.
"So, Felicity is going to become a real actress? How about that."
"Uh-huh."
Charles looked at Jane's uninterested face and faked an encouraging smile, covering her small and soft hand with his.
"Come on, Princess, don't be upset. You know she would never abandon you. After all, she has no other friends but us. No one else can tolerate her frivolous personality anyway."
He mumbled the last sentence under his breath, hoping that Jane wouldn't hear him and scold him for criticizing her best friend so ruthlessly.
Charles had only met Felicity Walker through Jane and immediately felt the stark contrast between the two.
While Felicity was short-tempered and sly, his girlfriend was adorable and compliant. This made it even more difficult for him to comprehend how they could remain friends for over a decade, considering their completely opposite personalities.
'I guess opposites do attract sometimes.' Was the only thing he could think about when he met Felicity Walker, and now, thanks to Jane's unstoppable effort, she was a crucial part of his life as well.
"Our d-department is having a p-party after the S-spring Expo, Fel p-promised she'd be there."
"Alright, then we all can have some fun after that."
"...Yeah."
Charles let out another hearty sigh and pushed a small plate stacked with pink macarons toward Jane's cup of coffee. He needed to bribe his girlfriend for what he was about to lay on her.
"Jane, about the Expo... I was asked to join the presentation project for the Business Department this year, so..."
The Spring Expo was an annual event whose sole purpose was to advertise every university department to potential applicants among high school graduates.
Being chosen to participate in your department's presentation meant that one's efforts as a freshman were noted and acknowledged, which consequently put one on the radar of other successful students, mentors, and professors.
Unfortunately for Jane, it also meant that her boyfriend would become even busier for the next few weeks. And for someone as coddled as Princess Jane, it meant only one thing––boredom.