Chapter 1165: Chapter 1165: What If I Insist on Aiming Higher?
Jeffrey Foster hesitated slightly when he heard the report from his subordinate, "Lock them up for now."
The person on the other end immediately responded and went to carry out the order.
Isabelle Martin heard Jeffrey Foster speak but didn’t catch what he said. She looked at him confused, "What did you just say?"
"It’s nothing, let’s go." Jeffrey Foster didn’t intend to let Isabelle Martin know about his messy affairs.
Isabelle Martin wanted to ask more, but just then a waiter came over, who recognized Isabelle and led them inside without much ado.
This hot pot restaurant’s reputation matched its flavor; it was very popular. They struggled to find a seat, and once they finally sat down, Isabelle looked at Jeffrey Foster nervously, afraid the man wouldn’t adapt.
Fortunately, although Jeffrey Foster’s expression wasn’t particularly good, it wasn’t bad either. Isabelle let out a deep sigh of relief and asked, "Shall we get the double-flavor hot pot, one spicy butter, and the other one? Would you like mushroom soup or tomato? Or maybe bone broth?"
"Mushroom soup, I guess." Jeffrey Foster casually answered. Isabelle read out a list of dishes, and since Jeffrey Foster wasn’t picky, he let Isabelle order according to her judgment.
Isabelle didn’t ask further and placed orders based on her usual observations of Jeffrey Foster’s tastes. Then through the red and white double-flavor soup, she looked at the man across from her, feeling indescribable.
Back in school, she never thought she’d one day sit across from Jeffrey Foster eating hot pot alone; it felt like bringing an immortal down to earth and simultaneously like a dream come true.
She wanted to burst out laughing.
But before her joy lasted, Isabelle suddenly felt unlucky. Just as the waiter finished serving the dishes, she bumped into a college classmate and nemesis at the condiment station.
Even more melodramatic, standing next to the nemesis was the student council president who once pursued her.
If Isabelle were there alone or with someone else, she wouldn’t mind running into them. But at the moment, she was with Jeffrey Foster.
Although Jeffrey wasn’t at the medical university anymore, he was still their teacher, and now that he was blind and injured, Isabelle wasn’t sure if he minded being seen or this being spread back to the school. So she turned aside, trying to avoid them.
But while she wanted to avoid them, they had no intention of avoiding her.
While Isabelle was shielding half her face with her hand and moving forward, a well-dressed Jasmine Gladstone stood in front of her, exclaiming in surprise, "Isabelle, what a coincidence!"
The affected voice caught not only Isabelle’s attention but also those nearby.
Isabelle cursed the person in her heart and smilingly replied, "Yeah, what a coincidence."
"Yeah, today is our first anniversary. I didn’t expect to run into you here. By the way, who are you here with? Maybe we can share a table; it’s been a while since I’ve heard you didn’t go to an international hospital but joined a property company as a housekeeper. Is that true?" Jasmine asked in a warm yet subtly boastful tone, squeezing in a jab at Isabelle.
"Yes, it’s true." Isabelle kept up her smiling façade, already feeling impatient inside. She hoped this woman would finish soon because she was worried Jeffrey might be anxious waiting for her.
"Ah, this... It’s such a pity with your skills to be working at a property company. You don’t know how Simon and I both got promoted at the city hospital this year." Jasmine acted baffled by Isabelle’s choice but didn’t forget to flaunt their achievements.
Isabelle smiled, "Congratulations then."
"Haha, mate, aren’t you going to greet Isabelle?" Jasmine noticed Isabelle was unmoved by her long-windedness and was upset, inwardly accusing her of acting aloof, then turned to call her boyfriend over.
During university, Simon Miller passionately pursued Isabelle, but she decisively rejected him. This wasn’t just known to Jasmine; their entire class of medical students knew about it. Now, Jasmine called Simon over to show Isabelle how well the man she rejected was doing, while Isabelle couldn’t even get into a regular hospital and ended up as a housekeeper at a shabby property company.
"Hello." Simon’s eyes flashed with a hint of embarrassment, but thinking of Isabelle’s current plight, he secretly felt gratified, instinctively comparing Isabelle and Jasmine, and thinking that although Isabelle was pretty, she couldn’t compete with Jasmine in terms of figure, nor had a decent job. He was glad she rejected him back then.
Isabelle forced a smile, looking for an excuse to leave, but Jasmine suddenly spoke up, "Isabelle, I heard you used to have a crush on Professor Foster, but it’s a pity he went abroad; otherwise, you might have had a chance."
Her words seemed regretful, but they were merely disguised mockery of Isabelle.
After Jasmine said that, her boyfriend’s expression changed subtly; he still remembered publicly declaring his feelings to Isabelle with flowers and being rejected on the spot, with the reason being she was in love with someone else.
He hadn’t expected the person Isabelle fancied to be Professor Foster, which brought a sneer and a "self-important" remark from him.
"Oh Simon, how can you say that about Isabelle? She’s so beautiful, and if Professor Foster hadn’t left early, they might have been together." Jasmine appeared to lament Isabelle’s situation, yet emphasized the word "pretty" to imply that Isabelle’s beauty wasn’t enough for Professor Foster.
Simon, not perceiving his girlfriend’s sarcasm, arrogantly raised an eyebrow, "She’s dreaming if she thinks she fits with Professor Foster."
"A dream is still my own choice. Are you both done? If so, please step aside." Isabelle had tolerated them long enough and no longer remained polite.
"Isabelle, are you upset? Simon’s words may be harsh, but they are true. Professor Foster is indeed out of reach for us!" Jasmine was delighted to see Isabelle finally lose her usual calm demeanor.
"But what if I’m determined to reach?" Isabelle suddenly looked at them with sharp eyes.
Simon snorted, believing Isabelle was out of her mind, and Jasmine’s expression wasn’t much better; she let out a derisive laugh, "It’s good to have dreams, Isabelle, but we’re not young anymore; you need to be realistic."
"Haha, well... thank you!" Isabelle spat out at their synchronized ridicule. She really wanted to drag them to Jeffrey Foster and make them see who the man across from her was, but considering his current condition, she held back. Changing the topic, she offered a fake smile, thanked them sarcastically, and prepared to leave when suddenly, a tall figure appeared behind her.
"Isabelle, why is it taking so long?" Jeffrey Foster’s voice was warm and magnetic, clear and soothing amidst the bustling environment, like a refreshing summer spring.
Isabelle snapped back to reality and nearly bumped into Jeffrey Foster’s embrace, asking worriedly, "Why did you come over?"
Jeffrey smoothly wrapped an arm around her waist, "You were too slow."
"It’s done." Suddenly ensconced in his arms, Isabelle’s heart raced as she held two condiment bowls, not daring to move.
"Then let’s go." Jeffrey chuckled softly, led Isabelle back to their table, and ignored the other two entirely.
"Okay, are you starving from the wait? It’s all because of those two chatterboxes holding you up." Isabelle teased deliberately.
"Oh, then just ignore them next time."
"Okay."
It wasn’t until the two disappeared from the condiment station that Simon Miller and Jasmine Gladstone snapped back to reality.
Jasmine’s voice trembled slightly, "Did you just see that?"
"I saw it." Simon’s voice was wooden.
"How is this possible? Professor Foster is with Isabelle Martin, that vase?" Jasmine simply couldn’t believe it.
Simon couldn’t believe it either, but he had just seen Jeffrey Foster pulling Isabelle Martin into his arms and leaving with her. Unlike Isabelle and Jasmine, who had only attended Jeffrey Foster’s large lectures, Simon had taken Jeffrey’s specialized course and knew well how incredible and difficult he was. Yet Isabelle managed to be with him. How did she do it? How could it be possible? Was Professor Foster blind?
......
A little later, a refresh.
Even more ridiculous was that standing beside them was the student union president who had once pursued her.
If Isabelle had come alone today or with someone else, she wouldn’t have minded running into them at all. But right now, she was with Jeffrey Foster.
Although Jeffrey Foster was no longer at the medical university, he was still their teacher, and now that he was blind and injured, Isabelle wasn’t sure if he would mind being seen by others or if the news would spread back to the school. So she turned sideways, intending to avoid the two.
But while she wanted to avoid them, they had no intention of avoiding her.
Just as Isabelle was shielding half of her face and walking forward, she found Jasmine Gladstone, dressed charmingly, standing right in front of her, exclaiming with surprise, "Isabelle, what a coincidence!"
This affected tone drew attention not just from Isabelle, but from the people around as well.
Isabelle inwardly cursed her once before dropping her hand and responding with a sweet smile, "Yeah, what a coincidence indeed."
"Yeah, today is our one-year anniversary, I never thought I’d run into you here. By the way, who did you come with? Why don’t we share a table? It’s been a while since we last met, I heard you didn’t go to the international hospital but went to work as a manager at a property company instead, is that true?" Jasmine’s tone was warm, flaunting while not forgetting to take a jab at Isabelle.
"Yeah, it’s true." Isabelle still wore her cheerful smile, but she was already impatient inside, hoping this woman would finish soon as she was afraid Jeffrey Foster would get worried if she took too long.
"Ah, that... it’s such a shame for someone with your expertise to go to a property company, isn’t it? Did you know Simon and I got confirmed positions at the central city hospital this year?" Jasmine acted as if she couldn’t comprehend Isabelle’s choices, yet didn’t forget to boast about themselves to Isabelle.
Isabelle smiled, "Well, congratulations."
"Haha, dear aren’t you going to say hi to Isabelle?" Jasmine, seeing that her words hadn’t fazed Isabelle, felt displeased and inwardly called Isabelle stuck up, then turned to call over her boyfriend.
During college, Simon had eagerly pursued Isabelle, but unfortunately got rejected by her decisively. All the medical students of their batch knew this. Now, Jasmine called Simon over to show off how well the man Isabelle rejected was doing, while Isabelle herself couldn’t even get into a regular hospital, ending up as a manager at a rundown property company.
"Hello." Simon showed a hint of awkwardness in his eyes, but thinking of Isabelle’s current plight, he felt a sense of dark satisfaction, subconsciously comparing Isabelle with Jasmine, thinking to himself that although Isabelle was pretty, her figure couldn’t compare to Jasmine’s, and with her career in shambles, it was fortunate she had rejected him back then.
Isabelle forced a fake smile, planning to find an excuse to leave, but Jasmine suddenly spoke up, "Isabelle, I heard you used to have a crush on Professor Foster, but unfortunately he went abroad, otherwise you might have had a chance."
This sounded sympathetic, but it was simply a veiled way to mock Isabelle.
However, right after Jasmine said this, the expression of the boyfriend by her side subtly changed. He remembered confessing to Isabelle with a bouquet in front of everyone, only to be rejected on the spot with the reason that she already liked someone else.
He didn’t expect that the person Isabelle liked was actually Professor Foster, and he let out a faintly sneering laugh, "Professor Foster? Isn’t that a bit too ambitious?"
"Dashan, how could you say that about Isabelle? She’s so beautiful that if Professor Foster hadn’t left early, they might have ended up together." Jasmine seemed to pity Isabelle, but made sure to emphasize the word ’pretty,’ implying that as a vase, Isabelle wouldn’t match up to Professor Foster.
Simon didn’t catch the sarcasm in his girlfriend’s words and rudely raised an eyebrow, "Her with Professor Foster? Dream on."
"Dream or not, it’s my business. Are you done? If you’re done, could you please step aside?" Isabelle had stayed there long enough and wasn’t going to be polite anymore.
"Isabelle, are you mad? Dashan may have been harsh, but it’s true; Professor Foster is indeed too much of a reach for us!" Jasmine was gleeful to see Isabelle finally drop her usual calm demeanor.
"But what if I insist on aiming high?" Isabelle suddenly looked at them with a fierce expression.
Simon snorted lightly, thinking Isabelle was simply being delusional. Jasmine’s expression wasn’t much better as she burst into laughter at Isabelle, "It’s nice to have dreams, Isabelle, but we’re not young anymore; you should be a bit more realistic."
"Ha, I... I thank you for that!" Isabelle was so irritated by their jesting that she wanted to drag them right to Jeffrey Foster and make them see who was beside her. But remembering his current state, Isabelle held back, shifted her tone, and gave them a sardonic "thank you," planning to leave right after. However, at that moment, a tall figure stood just behind her.
"Isabelle, why aren’t you ready yet?" Jeffrey Foster’s voice was warm and magnetic, calming like a summer stream despite the surrounding clamor.
Isabelle was so startled she almost backed into Jeffrey’s embrace, worriedly asking, "Why did you come over?"
Jeffrey smoothly wrapped an arm around her waist, "You were taking too long."
"I’m ready now." Suddenly being embraced by Jeffrey made Isabelle’s heart race, and holding two condiment bowls made her stand completely still.
"Alright then, let’s go." Jeffrey chuckled softly, then turned with Isabelle in his arms, heading back to their table without saying a word to the other two.
"Okay, did you get hungry waiting? Sorry about those two chatterboxes delaying your meal." Isabelle deliberately Tsukkomi-ed.
"Oh, then just ignore them next time."
"Okay."
It wasn’t until the two disappeared from the condiment station that Simon Miller and Jasmine Gladstone snapped back to reality.
Jasmine’s voice trembled slightly, "Did you just see that?"
"I saw it." Simon’s voice was wooden.
"How is this possible? Professor Foster is with Isabelle Martin, that vase?" Jasmine simply couldn’t believe it.
Simon couldn’t believe it either, but he had just seen Jeffrey Foster pulling Isabelle Martin into his arms and leaving with her. Unlike Isabelle and Jasmine, who had only attended Jeffrey Foster’s large lectures, Simon had taken Jeffrey’s specialized course and knew well how incredible and difficult he was. Yet Isabelle managed to be with him. How did she do it?