"Sure, that's fine." Darcy nodded. Five minutes later, Hugo made his entrance. He wore a grey turtleneck sweater under a long black overcoat, exuding an air of effortless sophistication. As soon as he stepped in, he became the center of attention in the restaurant. Young women at nearby tables blushed and discreetly raised their phones to take pictures. Hugo took a seat and gave Darcy a slight nod of acknowledgment. Darcy responded with a faint nod of her own. "What did you order?" he asked. Gwen immediately handed him the menu. "Let's add this dish as well," Hugo said, flagging down a waiter and giving the order. Darcy paused, her glass of water halfway to her lips.She remembered mentioning she liked that dish during a casual dinner conversation with him once. "Since when do you like that? I thought you didn't," Gwen said, confused, assuming her cousin's tastes had simply changed. Hugo smiled but didn't explain. Their food arrived. Darcy had ordered a steak. As the waiter approached, Hugo, seated on the aisle, smoothly intercepted the plate. He then picked up a knife and fork, meticulously cut the steak into bite-sized pieces, and slid the plate back in front of Darcy. Darcy pressed her lips together. "Thank you." Across the table, Gwen, who had been observing everything, raised an eyebrow. Geez. Used by him again. Halfway through the meal, Gwen excused herself to use the restroom. Hugo turned his attention to Darcy. "The exam is next month. Feeling nervous?"Darcy replied flatly, "Not really." Two short words. Hugo understood she didn't want an extended conversation with him. However, considering the purpose of his visit, he decided to proceed. "I heard you're taking legal action against SummitCore?" Darcy immediately misunderstood, thinking he was there to persuade her to back down. She put down her fork, becoming defensive like a provoked kitten. "If you're here to talk me out of it, then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I'm not afraid of facing SummitCore in court." Hugo pressed his lips together. "You misunderstand. That's not my intention at all." "Then what is your intention?" Hugo fell silent. Darcy took his silence as confirmation and felt even more disgusted, connecting it to this arranged lunch."So, you had Gwen bring me here on purpose?" she said, her voice sharp. She grabbed a napkin, wiped her mouth, and threw it forcefully onto the table. She stood up to leave. Hugo didn't move aside, lifting his eyes to meet hers. "Move, please!" Darcy said coldly. After a pause, Hugo finally spoke, "I came to ask if you need a lawyer." What? Darcy blinked, not quite processing. Why did he ask if I need a lawyer? Shouldn't he be hoping I've got no legal help and lose everything? While she was still processing, Hugo continued, "The best labor law attorneys in the country work for Sterling Group. If you need them, I can arrange for them to represent you." Darcy froze in place.What was he saying? Have Sterling Group's lawyers help me sue SummitCore? She looked at him, then slowly shook her head. "No, thank you. I can handle it myself." She stood up again to leave. This time, Hugo didn't stop her. He shifted aside, watching as she walked out of the restaurant. A little while later, Gwen returned from the restroom. "Hey, where's Darcy?" Hugo rubbed his temples. "She left." "What? She didn't wait for me? I need to hurry back to the library." Gwen began eating quickly. As she finished, Hugo signaled the waiter and pointed to the untouched steak beside him. "Could you pack this to go, please?" "Who's it for?" "You can take it to Darcy later."Gwen stared, dumbfounded. Darcy left without eating? Understanding dawned instantly. "Did you make Darcy leave?" "No. She has some... misunderstandings about me," Hugo said. His relationship with Darcy was rather complicated. He stood and patted Gwen's head. "I'll explain after your exams are over." Gwen didn't bother finishing her own food. She grabbed the takeout container and hurried back to the library. Thank God—Darcy's still there. "Darcy, I swear! Today was not a setup! My cousin showing up was a complete coincidence!" Gwen looked like she wanted to swear an oath. She had finally gotten closer to Darcy and didn't want to ruin their budding friendship. Darcy had calmed down by now.Even though she didn't understand Hugo's strange offer, she sensed he didn't have ill intentions. "It's alright. I'm not blaming you," Darcy said, pinching Gwen's cheek playfully. "Oh, good! Here, this is—" Gwen caught herself, changing her words mid-sentence. "Uh, this is for you. I packed it for you." Probably best not to mention Hugo. Come to think of it, Darcy must've argued with her cousin, or she wouldn't have left without eating. So yeah, her cousin wasn't all that. The elders at home praised him to the skies, but his moves with women were pretty basic. Please. She could do better. At least she had the guts to go all in and cling like crazy. ... Having finished the tasks his professor assigned, Bram hurried towards the library. As he walked, he mentally counted the days.