Chapter 21 Gracious Stature

• "Which university do you go to? Southeast University, Southeast Normal University, or Imperial University?"
• Ben carried on and said, "There are a few more universities not too far away from University Town. The most famous and largest are London University, London Normal University, and LondonTech University."
• "I... I go to London University."
• "London University?"
• "Ah...yea... what's wrong? Is there any problem?" For a second, Tilly was taken aback. She got uneasy.
• "Nothing. Then that makes me your senior from the same university."
• "Senior? You... are you a graduate of London University?"
• "No, I'm not."
• "Then...then...then how does that make you my senior?" Tilly was confused by Ben.
• "I shall say… I used to attend London University, but I didn't graduate as planned because I got expelled from the university before graduation. Is this explanation better? It wouldn't be plausible for a London University graduate to wound up selling barbeque on the street, right?"
• "You were expelled? Why?"
• "A month before graduation, I assaulted one of the lecturers, and he was admitted to the hospital. And that's how I got expelled from the university." Ben said nonchalantly.
• "Assaulted a lecturer? But why?" Tilly was shocked. She was curious about what Ben had done at that time.
• "Nothing specifically. That b*stard deserved it." Ben didn't explain why.
• "I assume the lecturer did something bad to deserve it."
• "Ah...why would you think that?"
• "Because you are a good person."
• "I... girl... your thinking is bizarre and unworldly. How do you determine good and bad? There are no good or bad people in this world. The disparity is set between the wealthy and the impoverished. I am not a good person, and I am impoverished. Although I am poor, I will strive not to be corrupt."
• "Are you... really in need of money?"
• "Yes, I am very much in need of money. Everyone needs and wants money; the wealthiest people do too. Even more so with us, the regular people. Why would I even bother to run a barbeque stall if I didn't need money? Who doesn't like a well-compensated higher management job in an air-conditioned office? Oh well, that makes me sound bitter. Okay, enough about me. Now tell me, what is your major?"
• "I...I... specialize in dancing."
• "Dance department?"
• "Yeah, doesn't London University have a dance department in its curriculum?"
• "I'm not sure, but I guess so. I think it's self-explanatory to have a graceful and proportionate stature like yours."
• Both of them chatted while manning the barbeque stall. They didn't realize they got along very well and had grown into each other.
• It was getting late, and Tilly still hung around at the barbeque stall. When the clock hit eleven in the night, Ben chased her home. She was a student and had classes to attend the next day. He didn't want to tamper with her studies with the little money he was paying her. He would feel bad if Tilly's grade deteriorated because of him.
• Tilly left the barbeque stall in a good mood. In fact, she had only decided to work at Ben's barbeque stall, to whom she owed her gratitude. But her curiosity about him burgeoned from the get-go when she found out Ben was a barbecue stall vendor. She found herself liking the time she had spent with him in the past two days. The interactivity between them was amicable. Before this, she had never liked nor used to eat barbeque by the street, but she had developed an affinity for street food ever since she started working at Ben's barbeque stall.
• Tilly walked to the same place where she parked her car yesterday. She sneaked into her Ferrari and left straight off. She had contemplated and decided to move out of her parents' house. It would be a better idea for her to rent an apartment herself. Her parents had been calling her around the clock, and if she still lived with her parents, then it would be impossible for her to work at Ben's barbeque stall anymore.
• God knew how her parents would react if they found out their daughter worked as a cashier at a streetside barbecue stall.
• At twelve midnight, Ben was ready to go home. The business was good today, and the profit for the day had once again exceeded the previous day, so he had decided he would close the stall at twelve o'clock sharp every day. This proved that having a beautiful young woman at the stall would evidently boost sales.
• Vincy called when Ben was packing up.
• "Hello, what's up?
• "Are you... still busy? Have you closed the stall?" Vincy asked Ben.
• "Well, soon. I'm about to call it a day. Is Annie crying again?"
• "Uh... yeah. She has been very difficult all night asking for you to tuck her in bed. She has been a handful with fits of crying and temper tantrums, and she hasn't slept until now. I was going to teach her a lesson, but... I..."
• Ben understood her sentiment. In fact, Vincy could have given Annie the ultimatum, but she couldn't bring herself to do it when she thought of poor Annie's numbered days. All she wanted to do was to try her best to meet Annie's needs.
• "I see. Get her on the phone, and I'll talk to her. Hello, Annie. This is daddy. I'm still at work, but I'll be done soon. I'll cuddle with you once I'm home, okay? But you have to be a good girl at home. Don't cry, be cooperative and wait patiently for daddy to come over, alright? Now, can you please give the phone to mommy?"
• "Hey."
• "I have talked to her. I'm going to pack up and head home now. I'll rush over after getting a shower after about an hour or so."
• "Why don't I pick you up? It's hard to get a taxi at this hour."
• "Uh... Okay, that would work too. My house is still in the same place. You know where it is."
• "Okay, I'll be there."
• "Drive safe." Ben hung up the phone, then hit the road on his tricycle.
• It was already past twelve midnight by the time Ben got home. He parked and secured his tricycle at a designated place. To his surprise, he saw a woman standing in front of his house.
• She looked beautiful. Ben had known her well. In fact, he had known her too well, and it hurt.
• The woman looked at him as he met her gaze.
• Ben almost burst into tears when he saw the woman because he had never expected to see her. It felt surreal to see her here.
• He managed to recompose himself and remained unaffected as possible. He looked at the woman with a poker face.
• The woman stared vacantly at Ben in front of his door. He could see that the woman's eyes were red and teary.
• "Why didn't you show up at the dinner? Don't you want to see me again?" She asked Ben in her strained voice.
• "As you can see, I have things to do at night. I have to man a barbeque stall."
• "Lame excuse!" The woman rebuked.