Three Years Forgotten, Why Go Crazy When I Say Goodbye? novel Chapter 396

Before long, Professor Smith emerged.

Walking at a steady pace at the edge of the crowd, he pulled a simple black carry-on. Dressed in understated casual wear, he looked completely unassuming. Trailing behind him were seven or eight foreign colleagues of varying ages and genders, but a single glance revealed they all shared the same grounded, unpretentious aura.

The moment Professor Smith laid eyes on the obnoxious, blinding spectacle waiting for him, his brows locked into a hard frown. A flash of profound irritation crossed his face, and his footsteps visibly slowed.

Vivienne, completely oblivious to his disdain, remained trapped in her own fantasy. She plastered on a radiant smile and rushed forward. "Professor! You made it! It is an absolute honor to have you here. I welcome you on behalf of the entire Sinclair Group."

Smith's expression didn't thaw. His jaw remained tight. He spoke decent Mandarin, and he didn't mince his words. "This is a standard business trip. There was absolutely no need for this kind of wasteful extravagance. You know perfectly well I despise making a scene and inconveniencing others. This is entirely too much."

Vivienne's smile froze instantly. Having her meticulously crafted grandstand dismantled in front of an audience left her flushed with embarrassment.

More troublingly, Smith didn't seem to harbor an ounce of the warm affection she had bragged about to everyone. If he did, he wouldn't have publicly humiliated her.

So, despite the sting of his public reprimand, Vivienne forced herself to pivot. As long as it served her agenda, she could twist his cold scolding into the affectionate chiding of an old mentor.

Ignoring the harshness of his words, she kept her sugary smile fixed in place, pretending she hadn't heard the annoyance in his voice. She reached for his suitcase, laughing lightly to break the tension. "You're completely right, Professor. That was an oversight on my part. But you traveled so far, I just wanted to make sure you were properly taken care of! Please, don't hold it against me. I'll know better for next time."

Smith smoothly dodged her hand, keeping a firm grip on his own luggage. His tone remained frosty. "Let's go. Moving forward, dispense with the pageantry and just focus on the work."