Chapter 507 You’re So Good to Me
When Jean noticed the change in Ludwig’s expression, she quickly shook her head and said in a light tone, “I was just kidding. They treat me really well.”
But clearly, that wasn’t enough to ease Ludwig’s worry. His brows furrowed as he asked, “Then why would you even think about something like that?”
Jean gave him a faint smile and replied, “I’ve always liked to n ahead. You know that, don’t you?”
Ludwig didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he kept his gaze on Jean, dark eyes locked in with hers, unreadable.
After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, his voice cool and calm like a peppermint breeze. “I don’t know what exactly is making you feel unsettled, but no matter what-”
His lips curved into a subtle, almost imperceptible smile.
“I’ll always be here for you.”
Jean blinked, caught off guard.
<i>Hearing </i><i>something </i><i>like </i><i>that</i><i>… </i><i>of </i><i>course </i><i>it </i><i>moved </i><i>me</i>.
<i>Ludwig </i><i>had </i><i>been </i><i>helping </i><i>me </i><i>all </i><i>these </i><i>years </i><i>without </i><i>asking </i><i>for </i><i>anything </i><i>in </i><i>return</i><i>. </i><i>If </i><i>I </i><i>ever </i><i>needed </i><i>him</i><i>, </i>he was always <i>there</i><i>. </i>
She looked into those gentle, dark eyes of his, and a warm feeling slowly spread through her chest.
<i>He </i>didn’t look <i>all </i><i>that </i><i>different </i><i>from </i><i>when </i><i>I </i><i>first </i><i>met </i><i>him </i><i>years </i><i>ago</i>.
His skin was still <i>so </i><i>pale</i><i>, </i><i>like </i><i>the </i><i>sun </i><i>never </i><i>touched </i><i>it</i>.
<i>Those </i><i>long</i><i>, </i><i>cold </i><i>eyes </i><i>matched </i><i>perfectly </i>with <i>that </i><i>cool </i><iplexion</i>. <i>He </i><i>still </i><i>reminded </i><i>me </i><i>of </i><i>a </i><i>proud </i><i>cat</i><i>–</i><i>distant </i><i>and </i><i>elegant</i>.
<i>The </i><i>only </i><i>differences </i><i>were </i><i>that </i><i>he’d </i><i>gotten </i><i>a </i><i>bit </i><i>taller</i>… <i>and </i><i>his </i><i>gaze </i><i>had </i><i>be </i><i>sharper</i><i>, </i><i>colder</i>.
<i>Today</i>, Ludwig was <i>dressed </i><i>entirely </i><i>in </i><i>ck </i><i>again</i><i>, </i>with <i>a </i><i>ck </i><i>baseball </i><i>cap </i><i>pulled </i><i>low </i><i>over </i><i>his </i><i>head</i>.
<i>He </i><i>never </i><i>did </i><i>like </i><i>drawing </i><i>attention </i><i>when </i><i>he </i><i>was </i><i>out</i>.
“What are you staring at?” Ludwig asked, the corners of his mouth lifting into a slight smirk. “Is there something on my face?”
Jean blinked, then grinned.
“I was just thinking… You’re really good to me, Ludwig.”
He clearly didn’t expect that.
His <b>ever</b><b>–</b>stoic face, calm andposed, finally cracked–his dark pupils trembled for just a second.
He quickly looked away and turned his head, not meeting Jean’s gaze anymore<b>. </b>
His longshes cast a faint shadow over his eyes, hiding <b>whatever </b>emotions <b>were </b><b>shifting </b><b>beneath </b><b>them</b><b>. </b>
Me
the so good to M
His reaction left her confused. “Did I say something wrong?”
<i>That </i><i>was </i><i>from </i><i>the </i><i>heart</i>. <i>Why </i><i>would </i><i>he </i><i>react </i><i>like </i><i>that</i><i>? </i>
“It’s nothing.” He finally spoke again, voice steady now. He gave a small shake of his head and didn’t say anything else.
Jean got the message and didn’t push further.
The two of them sat by the tall window and continued chatting, catching each other up on everything- what was happening in the Ginger family, what was happening in the organization…
When they finished, Ludwig did what he always did–personally drove Jean home on his motorcycle.
Every time Jean slipped on that helmet, weaving through the city streets with the wind slicing past her cheeks and ears, she felt like she could finally let go and breathe. The world slowed down, and everything felt light.
<i>After </i><i>talking </i><i>things </i><i>out </i>with <i>Ludwig </i><i>and </i><i>riding </i>with <i>him </i><i>through </i><i>the </i><i>city</i><i>, </i><i>most </i><i>of </i><i>the </i><i>tension </i><i>that </i><b><i>had </i></b><i>been </i>weighing on me was <i>gone</i>.
<i>That </i><i>was </i><i>exactly </i>why <i>I </i><i>reached </i><i>out </i><i>to </i><i>him </i><i>today</i>.
Two dayster, SAT scores were finally released.
Just as Jean’s expected.
She got nearly a perfect score. Tied with Asher for first ce in the entire city.
Sofia came in fourth, just five points behind them.
Seeing that all three of them did well, Jean felt happy–and relieved.
<i>Now </i><i>that </i><i>the </i><i>scores </i><i>were </i><i>out</i><i>, </i><i>the </i><i>next </i><i>step</i>… <i>was </i><i>choosing </i>which <i>college </i><i>to </i><i>attend</i>.
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