Chapter 186 Am I Just Too Slow to Warm Up, Making You Lose Patience?

Chapter 186 Am I Just Too Slow to Warm Up, Making You Lose Patience?
Johnson froze for a moment.
Michael had seemed fine just a moment ago. Why did his expression suddenly turn so grim after talking with Zoe?
Nevertheless, Johnson quickly went to the Rising Star Contest production team to register.
Meanwhile, Jennifer had no idea that Michael was rushing over at the last minute.
On the first day of the event, the instructors and production team gave a brief overview of the competition rules and filming procedures. Then, everyone was assigned dorm rooms to rest.
Jennifer’s roommates were all from Bluebridge University next door.
BlueBridge University ranked higher than Los University, and her roommates were highly skilled. They all got along quite well.
After a brief introduction, everyone began the first round of live competition the next day.
Since it was the first round, there were many contestants, and the elimination rate was high—twenty people were eliminated in a single day.
The audience was still getting used to the format and the contestants, so no contestant had gone viral online yet.
After the first round, neither Jennifer nor Lily was eliminated.
Surprisingly, Daniel made it through as well.
The topic for the first day happened to be foreign art history, his specialty.
Having grown up surrounded by the vast collection of artworks housed in the museum funded by the Kowalski family, Daniel managed to pull through this round.
After the first round, the remaining contestants were the cream of the crop.
After finishing her review, Jennifer went for a night run on the camp’s sports field.
To her surprise, she spotted Liam.
“Liam? What are you doing here?"
Liam, who was holding a stack of documents, scratched his head. "Oh, I'm an intern in the art department for the Rising Star Contest. I’m working here over the summer.”
“No wonder,” Jennifer said. “I didn’t see your name on the list of contestants the other day.”
Given Liam’s abilities, Jennifer knew he was more than capable of making it into the top three.
However, since he hadn’t signed up, it was quite a coincidence to run into him here.
However, Liam had known all along that Jennifer would be participating.
He thought for a moment, then mustered the courage to speak.
"Jennifer, there's something I want to ask you. I don't know if you'll agree."
"Hmm?"
This idea had been swirling in Liam’s mind for a long time.
The filming camp for the New Star Contest was set on a hillside in the suburbs of City A, a popular spot for locals seeking relief from the summer heat with its beautiful scenery of mountains and water.
It was a rare opportunity for the two of them to be there together.
Liam suppressed his pounding heart and said, "Jennifer, in a few days, the most spectacular meteor shower of the Northern Hemisphere will occur—it just happens to fall on the day after your competition."
"I know a great spot for stargazing, and I brought my equipment and a telescope specifically for this. Would you like to come with me?”
Liam had planned this in advance, timing it specifically for after her competition ended so as not to affect her performance.
He’d mustered the courage to confess his feelings.
Jennifer had intended to refuse, but she guessed what he was up to. After a moment’s thought, she finally agreed.
"Sure. Will it be late?"
Liam was overjoyed. "No, it won't be late. The best viewing window is only an hour. Afterwards, you can go back to the dorm to rest and take the production team’s bus back to the city the next day.”
Jennifer smiled. "Then let's go."
Liam was overjoyed; his face was filled with anticipation for their first trip together.
However, Jennifer had other plans. She wanted to use this opportunity to set things straight with Liam.
She didn’t like him, and besides, she had Michael in her life.
Although she and Michael weren’t exactly boyfriend and girlfriend, their relationship was too complicated to untangle in the short term.
Until she found out whether Michael had actually been covering for the Novaks, her mission wouldn't be complete.
After what happened with James, Jennifer didn’t want to hurt Liam anymore.
So she accepted Liam’s invitation.
Liam had no idea that she was agreeing to go with him just to reject him. With a look of deep affection, he said to her, "Jennifer, you're definitely going to win the competition tomorrow. I’ll be waiting to see you win the award. Good luck!”
"Thanks."
After her workout, Jennifer returned to the dorm and started rummaging through her things to get ready for a shower.
But when she looked through her suitcase, she realized that her travel-sized shower gel and other toiletries were gone.
She searched for ages but couldn’t find them.
She had planned to borrow some from her roommate, but the dorm was empty.
Jennifer remembered that the students at BlueBridge University were organizing a social gathering that night.
She had no choice but to look around the neighborhood for any stores.
The campsite was quite remote, and town was quite a walk away.
As she walked out onto the balcony to grab some clean clothes, she saw someone standing directly below.
He held a cigarette between his fingers, the tip glowing red.
Seeing her, he looked up and smiled.
A faint curve formed at the corner of Michael’s mouth.
Jennifer froze for a moment, caught off guard completely by his sudden appearance.
Dressed entirely in black, he almost blended into the night.
She glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then hurried downstairs without saying a word.
She really did need to go shopping, and running into Michael was practically inevitable.
“Why are you here?” she asked.
Michael gave a cold laugh.
"To deliver something to you."
Jennifer had thought he was a creep who had snuck into the women’s dorm to steal her body wash, forcing her to come out on purpose.
But when he pulled out the bag, Jennifer froze.
Inside the bag was not body wash but the crown he’d given her, still in its original packaging.
The scene was somewhat ironic. He twirled the blue ribbon on the gift box with his finger, watching her with a playful expression.
“Weren’t you worried about not being able to ship it?”
“Well, here it is, delivered right to you.”
Jennifer didn’t know how Michael had found out that she was planning to sell the crown on a secondhand platform.
But she could tell he was in a terrible mood, suppressing a strong surge of anger.
Jennifer pushed the bag back toward him, smiling with perfect ease. “Who said I was selling it? I just listed it for fun. I didn’t expect anyone to bid on it.”
"Take it back. I’ll have her cancel the transaction right away.”
Michael stood there, listening to Jennifer quietly.
It was obvious he didn’t believe a word she said.
Suddenly, Michael took a step forward.
Jennifer took a deep breath and looked up at him.
The outdoor unit of the first-floor dormitory’s air conditioner stood behind her, and the hum of the machine drowned out her slightly rapid heartbeat.
She kept her hands clasped behind her back and her gaze slightly lowered. Yet, the toes of her sandals brushed lightly against his leather shoes.
“What are you doing? You look like you’re about to eat me alive.”
Jennifer didn’t want to be seen, so she tried to appear friendly.
Michael was indeed furious.
After all, it was something he treasured so much. Logan and Zoe had both asked him for it, but he refused. Yet, she had casually listed it for auction on a secondhand platform. How could he not be angry?
“Jennifer, I’m giving you one minute to let me cool off.”
He took a step forward, nearly pinning her against the air conditioner.
Jennifer reached out to push him away, only to realize that he wasn’t actually that close. It was just that he was so tall, his presence casting a shadow over her entire body and creating an overwhelming sense of pressure.
She leaned diagonally against the first-floor window, behind which other contestants were still living.
Fortunately, the curtains were tightly drawn, so no one could see the couple flirting outside.
Jennifer gave a faint smile. “How do you want me to calm you down? I haven’t even showered yet, and it's almost lights-out in the dorm.”
"If we don't win the award, we'll have an even smaller chance of being together."
Michael wasn’t that easy to fool.
In fact, he had been right there the whole time when she and Liam had just made plans to watch the meteor shower.
He grabbed her chin firmly.
"First, you sell the gift I gave you. Then, you plan to watch a meteor shower alone with Liam in the middle of the night? What are you playing at? Huh? Do you just want to use me and then dump me?”
"Uncle Michael..."
“Even if you want to dump me, you should get your money’s worth first, don't you think?”
Michael didn't give her a chance to lie.
"Haven't you been begging to sleep with me?"
"Am I just too slow to warm up, making you impatient?"