Chapter 797 More Rumors
Catherine had just entered the dormitory when her phone started to ring. She slid the button on the screen, and Branden’s handsome face appeared.
“Have you arrived at the dormitory?” Branden’s voice came through the earpiece. She wasn’t surprised at all by his precise control over her whereabouts. Carlo must have informed him of her return to school. Judging by her pace, this time was enough for her to reach the laboratory or the dormitory building. His control over time had always been accurate. That was why she had just stepped into the dormitory when he called her.
“I’ve just arrived,” she replied.
“I’m almost done with things on my end. I should be able to return to Loxton the day after tomorrow,” Branden said, his eyes fixed on Catherine’s face through the screen, his words carrying a hint of probing.
Catherine knew exactly what was on his mind. Leaning to one side, she looked at him with a smile in her eyes. So, are you applying to return to Loxton?” she asked.
At her words, Branden immediately dropped his smile and saluted Catherine with his phone held up. Chief, permission to go to Loxton,” he said.
Catherine was taken aback for a moment. Branden’s reaction exceeded her expectations; he was becoming more and more unpredictable.
“Alright, if you’ve got everything sorted, then come back,” she finally agreed.
Branden breathed a sigh of relief. With his pace already quickened, he just needed a little more time to wrap up things in Casier.
“Alright, I’ll hang up. I want to rest in the dorm for a while and then go to the lab,” Catherine said.
Branden was reluctant to chat further upon hearing that she needed rest. ” Take good rest. Contact me if you need anything,” he added before she hung up.
Then, Catherine returned to the dormitory.
Amelia approached Catherine as Catherine entered. “I heard your voice just now. Why did it take you so long to come in?”
“I received a call!” Catherine replied, sitting in a chair to rest.
Amelia leaned in closer. “By the way, I have a question. What’s your relationship with that handsome guy?” she asked.
Catherine frowned slightly. Amelia wasn’t one to gossip for no reason, so her continuous questioning was unusual.
Noticing Catherine’s expression, Amelia explained, “Don’t blame me for being curious. That handsome guy has been around these days. He’ll be downstairs waiting for you if you’re not in the lab, rain or shine. You know how handsome he looks, right? The girls at school have been going crazy over him lately.”
Pausing, Amelia looked at Catherine’s face, which seemed okay, before she continued, “You took him to the cafeteria the other day, and someone recognized you. Now rumors are spreading about you and that handsome guy, and they’re not very flattering.”
Amelia had an embarrassed expression as she looked at Catherine. She didn’t want to gossip, but she didn’t want Catherine to get slandered, either. She knew Catherine’s personality well. Catherine was not only cool in temperament but also indifferent to most things. For minor matters like this, Catherine wouldn’t bother to explain, letting those people talk behind her back.
Amelia wanted to explain, but she wasn’t sure about Catherine’s relationship with the handsome guy, so she hesitated. That was why she wanted to clarify with Catherine to make those people shut up.
Hearing Amelia’s words, Catherine roughly understood the situation. She replied calmly, “It’s okay. We’re just friends.” If it weren’t for Amelia’s sake, she wouldn’t have even bothered to say that much. She didn’t care what people said about her. If they had the guts, they could talk face-to-face with her.
Seeing Catherine’s indifferent attitude, Amelia had a general idea. It seemed that the handsome guy wouldn’t catch Catherine’s attention. That made sense. With a boyfriend like Branden, Catherine wouldn’t be interested in anyone else.
“Okay, I won’t disturb you. If they gossip again, I’ll help you shut them down,” Amelia said.
Catherine didn’t respond, agreeing to Amelia’s words.
After resting in the dorm for a while, Catherine went to the laboratory. Along the way, many people stopped and whispered as they saw her. She noticed but didn’t care. If it weren’t for Amelia’s reminder, she might have been curious about what was going on. But now that Catherine knew why these people were paying attention to her, she had lost interest.
Catherine made her way to the laboratory under people’s curious gazes fixed on her. In the distance, she spotted a familiar figure. Initially, she had intended to continue forward, but Amelia’s words echoed in her mind. Catherine didn’t want to cause trouble for those around her, so she turned and took a detour through a side path, preparing to enter the laboratory through the back entrance.
As Catherine reached the back entrance, she encountered Marshall, who was humming a tune. Since winning the competition, Marshall’s status and influence at the school had been growing. However, he paid little attention to that. He was pleased with his increased authority and autonomy in his experiments.
Seeing Catherine entering through the back entrance, Marshall looked at her with a sly smile. “Why did you end up sneaking in through the back entrance, girl? Are you feeling guilty or something?” he wondered.
Marshall’s dormitory was not far from the laboratory’s back entrance, and he preferred to enter through there. The back entrance was strictly guarded, requiring registration for entry. Aside from Marshall’s occasional use, it was less frequented by others.
Catherine glanced at Marshall with a look of disdain. “Why do you use the back entrance every day, Professor Hartley? Guilty conscience, huh?”
“Hey, watch your mouth, girl!” Marshall chuckled at her remark. The two exchanged a smile and entered the laboratory together. As they passed through the lobby, Marshall caught sight of a familiar figure at the entrance. He looked at Catherine and teased, “So, you are avoiding the handsome guy, huh? Being good- looking can be troublesome. There’s a crowd chasing after you every day.”
Seeing Catherine ignore him, Marshall approached her and persisted, “I’ve seen that guy. He’s good-looking, not any worse than Branden. Why don’t you give it a try…”
Catherine halted, her cold gaze landing on Marshall. Then, she smiled faintly, which made Marshall inexplicably uneasy, and he was about to speak up when Catherine, in a cold tone, said, ” Branden is coming back tomorrow. Why don’t you talk to him for me and make him give up?”
“Hey, you…” Marshall was taken aback by her words. He stood there, dumbfounded, as Catherine left gracefully.
Marshall was left fuming, thinking, “If I talk to Branden about this, he’ll kill me! You ungrateful little girl!”
