CHAPTER 145: CHAPTER 145: "RENEE WINSLOW, YOU’RE JUST ASKING FOR IT...

Renee Winslow muttered "shameless" under her breath, and after cursing, hung up the phone in a panic.

After waiting for a while, Jack Yates didn’t call back.

She secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Jack didn’t call again to push her to say those words. If he kept calling and pushing her, she wouldn’t have been able to handle it.

Their relationship had just improved. She didn’t want to have another falling out with him, as it wouldn’t do her any good.

After the holiday, Renee returned to school. Ivy Jansen and Joyce Pierce asked her where she went during the break.

Renee casually lied, saying she went back to her hometown for a few days.

Although Jack didn’t specifically instruct her not to talk about what happened in Bancourt and Maekong, Renee still chose to keep her mouth shut.

She knew what should be said and what shouldn’t be said.

The dangerous experiences in Bancourt and Maekong were not things she would mention to anyone.

Those days felt like a wild midnight dream to Renee.

If she hadn’t been with Jack, she probably wouldn’t have encountered such experiences in her lifetime. Thinking about it still left her a bit shaken.

Ivy laughed and asked, "Didn’t Mr. Yates take you out to play?"

Renee smiled, "He went abroad on a business trip."

Seeing Ivy still wanted to ask more, Renee quickly diverted the topic, "By the way, we can register for the teacher qualification exam next week. Are you guys going to take it?"

Ivy: "Of course, we have to take it now. If we don’t, we won’t have time after graduating."

Joyce said, "My parents want me to take the civil service exam."

Ivy: "That’s not a conflict. You can take the teacher qualification exam and then the civil service exam after graduation."

The three of them agreed to register together and went to the bookstore that afternoon to buy study materials.

For the next five days, Renee’s life was peaceful and bland.

During this time, Jack seemed very busy and didn’t contact her once.

Of course, it might also be due to the time difference.

When it was eight in the morning in Northcity, it was seven in the evening in Corazon, so their times didn’t align well.

On Friday, after her morning classes, Renee was reading and doing exercises in the library in the afternoon.

After finishing her exam papers, she stood up, planning to stand by the window for a bit to rest her eyes when her phone vibrated in her pocket.

Renee took out her phone and saw Jack’s name on the caller ID, quickly stepping out of the library to answer the call.

"Hello," she said softly, "Is something up?"

Jack’s voice was cold and low, "Renee Winslow, can’t I call you if there’s nothing up?"

Renee chuckled: "I didn’t mean that."

Jack scoffed: "If I don’t call you, does that mean you won’t call me?"

Renee explained, "No, I wanted to call you, but there’s a time difference. When I finish school, it’s already nighttime over there."

Jack: "You get out at noon, that’s twelve your time, it’s eleven at night for me, why can’t you call?"

Renee didn’t reply; it was indeed her oversight, though it wasn’t exactly negligence. Mainly, she didn’t want to call Jack.

She and Jack had nothing in common. When they called, they’d either argue, or Jack would make teasing comments.

So if Jack didn’t contact her first, she wouldn’t rush to call him.

Jack knew what Renee was thinking and didn’t want to argue with her. If he did, it would only make him angry.

"Where are you now?" he asked.

Renee quickly replied, "I’m doing exercises in the school library."

Jack: "Isn’t there a study room at home? Why are you doing exercises in the library? What exercises? How many exercises can your Chinese major possibly have?"

Listening to his barrage of questions, Renee remained unperturbed and gently answered, "I registered for the teacher qualification exam."

Jack laughed, "Do you really want to be a teacher?"

Renee: "Not really."

Jack said, "Do whatever you want. Don’t force yourself."

Renee’s voice was gentle, "It doesn’t feel like forcing. I just want to give myself more options."

Jack chuckled: "With me around, you don’t have to worry about these things."

Not wanting to continue the topic, Renee asked, "When are you coming back?"

Jack teased, "Miss me?"

Renee couldn’t say she didn’t, so she vaguely responded, "Mm."

Jack felt a warmth in his heart, his voice lowered, "I miss you too, I miss you so much it hurts."

Renee: "..."

She regretted asking him!

Jack asked in a deep voice, "How much longer until you’re done?"

Renee sighed, "I’ve finished the exercises, I’ll leave soon."

Jack: "No rush, leave in half an hour. Exit through the east gate; Carrington will pick you up there."

Renee Winslow asked skeptically, "Why at the East Gate?"

Normally, it’s at the South Gate, because it’s closer to go back from there. Taking the East Gate would mean going the long way around.

Jack Yates: "Are you a child? Why so many questions? Just go to the East Gate when I tell you to."

Renee Winslow mumbled, "Compared to you, I am a child."

Jack Yates’s voice turned heavy, "Renee Winslow, you really need a..."

He stopped himself from saying the word "scolding," finding it too crude.

"When I get back, I’ll deal with you properly."

Renee Winslow kept silent, thinking to herself, you’re the one who needs dealing with.

Jack Yates said forcefully, "Go to the East Gate, got it?"

Renee Winslow replied dismissively, "Yeah, yeah, got it."

Hanging up the phone, Renee Winslow went back to the library and immersed herself in reading.

What she didn’t know was that Jack Yates had already returned and was driving to her school right then.

Half an hour later, Renee Winslow left the library and headed toward the East Gate.

Meanwhile, a black custom Cullinan stopped outside the East Gate.

After getting off the plane, Jack Yates didn’t go home but drove straight to Renee Winslow’s school, intending to surprise her.

The autumn dusk was graced by a gentle breeze.

A pure and tender girl cradled a few books in her arms as she walked through the vibrant campus.

Bathed in the sunset, the girl’s petite and delicate face resembled a peach blossom, rosy and charming. Her bright, watery eyes seemed to reflect a galaxy, dazzlingly black and bright, captivating any onlooker.

Jack Yates sat in his car, holding a cigarette between his slender fingers. His tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth, suppressing an itch in his throat with effort.

Watching Renee Winslow approach, Jack Yates felt his throat itch, but his heart even more so. His heart quickened like a young boy’s, pulsating faster as if his blood was boiling.

His entire being grew restless, nervously agitated.

Ironically, he had never felt this way when he was actually a young boy.

It was at the age of twenty-eight when he met Renee Winslow that the floodgates of desire burst open, and there was no turning back.

Jack Yates fought the urge to get out of the car, taking two fierce drags on his cigarette.

Just as Renee Winslow was nearing the gate, she suddenly heard someone calling her name.

She turned to see a guy from the same department, from the class next door, who seemed to be named Seth Sheridan.

Seth Sheridan walked up to her and handed her a pink Labubu keychain, "You dropped your Labubu."

Only then did Renee Winslow notice her Labubu that had fallen from her bag, leaving just a silver clasp swaying on the bag.

"Thank you," she said, smiling as she took it from him.

Seth Sheridan turned up the corners of his mouth in a smile, "You’re welcome."

Seeing the reference books in Renee Winslow’s arms, Seth Sheridan asked, "Are you studying for teaching certification too?"

Renee Winslow nodded, "Yeah." Out of politeness, she asked, "What about you?"

Seth Sheridan replied with a smile, "I signed up for it too."

Inside the black Cullinan, Jack Yates narrowed his eyes, his expression dark and menacing. He pressed his fingers hard against the cigarette, causing the ash to scatter onto his legs.

His chest was ablaze with interwoven frustration and fury, burning so hot that his eyes turned crimson.

He turned his head to look out the window at the vibrant young man and woman, standing together and laughing. It was like a sharp knife stabbing at his eyes.

Jack Yates glanced at the rearview mirror, observing his own icy, hardened features that bore not a hint of youthful charm—his features even showed traces of age.

It was only at this moment that Jack Yates deeply realized, the gap between him and Renee Winslow wasn’t just ten years’ worth of time.

Suddenly, the fires of anger and frustration that raged within his chest extinguished, leaving only hot ashes behind.

Renee Winslow nodded to Seth Sheridan, "I have to go now."

Seth Sheridan waved, "Bye-bye."

Without further hesitation, Renee Winslow walked briskly out of the school gate.

Seeing the Cullinan parked by the roadside, Renee Winslow furrowed her brow slightly.

This was Jack Yates’s car, she had been in it before, which is why she recognized it.

But Carrington had never driven this car to pick her up; it was always Jack Yates himself who drove this car.

Just as Renee Winslow was filled with questions, the car window rolled down slowly, revealing Jack Yates’s cold, stern face.

Renee Winslow’s eyes widened in shock, "..."

Suddenly, Seth Sheridan’s voice called out from behind her, "Renee Winslow."

Renee Winslow watched Jack Yates’s face turn even colder. His already sharp features became more strained and intense, his falcon-like eyes chilling and dark, with a hint of red at the corners.

Too terrifying, this Jack Yates was utterly terrifying!

Renee Winslow didn’t dare to move forward, standing still in her tracks.

Seth Sheridan, unaware, walked right beside Renee Winslow and smiled, "Renee Winslow, the day after tomorrow is my twentieth birthday. I’d like to invite you to my birthday party. Would you like to come?"