"Is it just because of that girl?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.
"If you don't know her, then please be quiet," Emir replied, his tone calm but firm.
After a brief pause, he added, "About yesterday, you don't have to worry. I'll handle it myself."
"Okay, but who is she?" she pressed, her curiosity deepening. She had never seen the girl before, and it puzzled her.
"She's my friend from India," Emir answered simply.
"You never mentioned her before," she said, her brows furrowing slightly.
"Let's talk about this later," he replied, stealing a glance to his side—and that's when he noticed Ember.
Ember froze. She had been caught. "Oh no! He saw me... Where's the book?" she panicked internally. Her eyes darted to a nearby shelf, and in a flurry of movement, she grabbed a random book and used it to shield her face. Heart pounding, she tried to piece together what they were discussing, but their words, spoken in Chinese, were a mystery to her.
"Let me introduce you to her," Emir said to the girl beside him.
Ember peeked cautiously from behind the book, wondering if Emir was still watching her. She was startled to find the space he had been occupying was now empty. "Whew! What a relief," she thought, letting out a soft sigh. Her moment of reprieve, however, was short-lived.
"What happened? Are you looking for someone?" a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.
Her breath caught as she turned around. It was him—Emir. He stood there, his gaze unwavering and tinged with amusement.
"Hello, what are you doing here? I thought you went to fetch some books," Ember said, forcing a smile and pretending not to have heard anything earlier.
"Oh, Ember, let me introduce you to my friend, Cheng Xiao," Emir said with a warm smile, gesturing toward the girl standing beside him.
"Hello, Miss Cheng. I'm Ember," Ember said, offering a polite nod.
"Hello," Cheng replied, her tone neutral but polite.
"Oh, Xiao, we're getting late. We'll talk later. Bye," Emir said, turning toward Cheng with a quick farewell.
"Goodbye, Miss Xiao," Ember echoed, her voice carrying a polite tone as she watched Cheng walk away.
"Now it's time to do homework," Emir said, trying to engage her.
Ember gave him a smile and replied, "Okay," even though she didn't feel like studying.
Emir, sensing her reluctance, found a way to simplify things. "So, this is what you need to understand. Management accounting is about managing the financial records of a business or an organization..." He hadn't even finished his sentence when Ember interrupted him.
"Who is she?" she asked abruptly, her curiosity spilling out.
Emir sighed and tried to redirect her focus. "Focus on studying," he said firmly.
"Okay," she replied, but her eyes betrayed her as they wandered off, searching for the girl she had seen earlier.
Emir noticed and asked, "So, what was I telling you?"
"Management accounting," she answered absentmindedly, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.
He raised an eyebrow and continued, "So, what is it?"
Ember hesitated before blurting out, "Forget it... I can't focus. Just tell me, is she your girlfriend?"
Emir's frustration was evident as he asked, "Are you studying or not?"
Realizing she had pushed him too far, Ember softened her tone. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me," she said, looking away.
Emir reached out and flicked her forehead lightly. "What do you want to know?" he asked, exasperation mixing with amusement.
"Ouch!" Ember winced, rubbing her forehead. "About management accounting," she muttered, trying to steer the conversation back to their studies.
Emir chuckled and replied, "That's good to know."
After finishing their study session, they began gathering their things to leave the library.
"Let's go," Emir said, standing up.
"Wait, I need to use the restroom," Ember told him, looking a little uncomfortable.
"Let's go," Emir said again, his tone teasing.
"It's the girl's restroom," Ember pointed out, frowning slightly.
"I'll wait outside," he replied, reaching out to hold her hand.
"No!" Ember exclaimed loudly, pulling her hand away.
Emir frowned playfully and asked, "Do you even know where the restroom is?"
Ember froze, realizing her mistake. Her voice dropped to a sheepish tone. "No."
Emir grinned, clearly amused. "Am I going?"
"Where are you going?" she asked, confused.
"Of course, to the car," he said with a smirk.
Ember quickly made a request. "Can you wait here in the library?"
"No," he replied casually, turning to leave.
Panicking, Ember reached out and grabbed his hand. "Please stay," she pleaded.
Emir paused, his expression softening. "Okay," he agreed with a small sigh.
As Ember walked toward the restroom, Emir watched her go, leaning back against a shelf. His thoughts lingered on her, and a faint smile appeared on his face. "Why can't I stay mad at her? Sigh..." he thought to himself, shaking his head lightly.
IN THE BATHROOM
As Ember stepped into the restroom, her thoughts began to wander. "It's good that the signs are in English too. Makes it so much easier to find... What did Emir say earlier? Did he ask if I knew where the restroom was? Sometimes he can be so caring. And that act of getting mad at me—he doesn't even look mad; he just looks cute when he's annoyed." A small smile tugged at her lips as she let her thoughts linger on Emir.
While washing her hands, she noticed a group of girls approaching her. Their expressions hinted at something less than friendly.
"Hey, what's your name?" one of them asked, her tone sharp but veiled with a forced politeness.
"Hello, my name is Ember. Nice to meet you," Ember replied, offering a polite smile, though their stares unsettled her.
"What are you doing with Dylan?" one of the girls asked, her voice laced with accusation.
Caught off guard, Ember blinked. "Oh, Dylan? He's my best friend's friend," she explained casually.
The girl narrowed her eyes. "Who's your best friend?"
"Emir. Is there a problem?" Ember asked, her tone calm but curious about their sudden interrogation. The girls exchanged strange looks before one of them stepped forward.
"So, you're Emir's friend. Then what were you doing with Dylan in the library?" another asked, her tone dripping with suspicion.
Confused, Ember tried to clarify. "In the library, I was with Emir, not Dylan."
The girls didn't seem convinced. "What are you saying? Do you take us for fools or something? I saw with my own eyes that you were with Dylan."
Ember's brows knitted together. "No, I was with Emir," she said firmly, though the conversation left her more perplexed by the second.
One of the girls crossed her arms and smirked. "Just forget it. Stay away from Dylan from now on. . The one you are with in the library .If you don't, you'll have to deal with the consequences."
Ember tilted her head slightly, trying to make sense of their hostility. "Why?" she asked, seeking some confirmation for their words.
The leader of the group stepped closer, her voice icy. "He's our college star. Who do you think you are? We were the ones chasing him first, not you. Just stay away from him. Consider yourself warned."
Ember remained silent, her mind racing to piece together the situation. The girls stared at her for a moment longer before turning and leaving the restroom. Ember exhaled softly, gripping the edge of the sink. Her earlier thoughts about Emir felt distant now, replaced by the tension lingering from the girls' strange behavior. "What was that all about?" she wondered,
Ember's heart felt like it was being squeezed, her emotions tumbling out as tears streamed silently down her cheeks. The encounter had shaken her, and an unsettling wave of doubt washed over her. She couldn't help but wonder if Emir was keeping something from her. The uncertainty gnawed at her, filling her mind with a whirlwind of thoughts.
"Why is he hiding this? Could those girls be right? I've heard Dylan call him 'Dylan,' and Miss Xiao also starts conversations with 'Dylan.' Ah! My head hurts just thinking about it. Why is he hiding... Maybe he has his reasons, reasons he hasn't told me yet. What should I do?"
The weight of it all pressed heavily on her chest, leaving her feeling lost and confused. Just then, a gentle knock on the restroom door broke through her chaotic thoughts.
"Knock, knock... Ember, are you there?" Emir's familiar voice called out, tinged with concern.
"Yes, coming," she replied, hastily wiping away her tears and forcing herself to take a steadying breath. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, her resolve slowly building. She whispered to herself, "He will tell me if he wants to, and that's okay. I'll wait for him."
But before she could fully collect herself, Emir's voice interrupted again, this time with a mix of impatience and worry. "You're taking too long; I'm coming in."
Panic surged through her, her eyes widening. "No!" she cried out, but it was too late. The door opened, and Emir stepped in.
He stopped short when he saw her, his brows knitting together with concern. Ember's voice trembled as she tried to compose herself. "Why are you...?" she began, her emotions still raw and threatening to spill over.
Emir tilted his head slightly, his eyes scanning her face. "Why am I what?" he asked softly, his tone far gentler than she expected. "You've been crying, haven't you?"
Caught off guard by his directness, Ember bit her lip, her tears threatening to resurface. She wanted to say something—anything—but the words caught in her throat. Emir stepped closer, his voice steady and calm. "Ember, what's wrong?"
Her heart ached, torn between wanting to share her fears and keeping them to herself. "It's nothing," she mumbled, looking away.
"If it's nothing, then why are you crying?" he pressed, his tone firm but kind.
Ember's gaze flickered to his, and she saw the sincerity in his eyes. For a moment, her resolve wavered, and she wondered if maybe, just maybe, she could trust him with everything swirling in her mind.