Chapter 985

Victor Laurent had bizarre academic strengths in school. He ranked top three in English but barely passed Chinese. His homework was always disorganized, yet his handwriting was effortlessly elegant—a stark contrast to Vivian Dempsey's chicken scratch.

Vivian twisted his ear sharply. "You never complained about my handwriting when begging me to finish your homework!"

"Ow! Mercy, Your Highness!" Victor yelped theatrically.

His outburst drew stares from single classmates, including Jasmine Valentine whom Vivian had mentioned.

Jasmine sat quietly in the corner until the noise made her glance up. Her gaze lingered on Victor briefly before coolly shifting away.

Vivian's eyes sparkled. "Jasmine used to like you. She's still single, you know."

Victor nearly choked on his own saliva.

What kind of twisted matchmaking was this? His childhood crush playing cupid for him?

Seeing Victor's conflicted expression, Vivian mistook it for shyness and clapped his shoulder. "Relax, I'll set you up!"

"No—" Before Victor could protest, Jasmine was already approaching.

He stared at the ceiling, plotting escape routes. If not for his injured leg, he'd have bolted to Nathan York's table already.

Jasmine greeted him softly, "How's your injury, Victor?" Then she smiled at Vivian. "Long time no see."

Vivian looked surprised. "I heard you moved south for work?"

"Yes, my vacation coincided with this reunion." Jasmine's eyes shone as she looked at Vivian.

Their conversation flowed effortlessly. Whenever Jasmine mentioned work struggles, Vivian offered clever solutions. Their laughter soon filled the air.

The banquet hall grew livelier. Married couples swapped parenting tips while dating pairs shared sweet anecdotes. Naturally, the remaining singles clustered together at one table.

Evelyn Carter arrived late, her pregnant belly prominent as Alexander Hamilton hovered protectively. They immediately spotted the animated duo of Vivian and Jasmine—and Victor's miserable expression.

Victor's emotions were in turmoil. While relieved Vivian forgot her matchmaking scheme, being utterly ignored left him fidgeting.

Evelyn's arrival was a godsend.

Victor waved frantically, interrupting the girls' chat. Though Jasmine was harmless, some primal alarm bells rang in his head.

"What's so interesting?" Evelyn seamlessly joined them.

Vivian grinned. "Jasmine was telling me this hilarious story from the south..."

Evelyn nodded knowingly. She remembered Jasmine's history with them—how Vivian and Victor once got hospitalized and disciplined respectively while helping Jasmine retrieve stolen tuition money. They'd kept Jasmine's family struggles secret even from the police.

Alexander stood dutifully behind Evelyn. Jasmine visibly tensed around strangers—her social anxiety from school days resurfacing.

Noticing this, Evelyn excused herself, dragging Alexander toward the married couples' table. Alexander's grin nearly split his face—Evelyn had just publicly acknowledged their relationship.

Victor gaped. Some battle buddy you are!

With outsiders gone, Jasmine relaxed again. Blushing, she asked Vivian, "Are you and Victor... together?"

Vivian waved dismissively. "God no! We're just buddies." She shot Victor a meaningful look. "Right?"

Victor, engrossed in another conversation, missed the cue entirely.

Vivian rolled her eyes. The trio ended up seated in the singles' section facing away from the married tables. She wanted Victor as buffer, but the idiot was already deep in conversation elsewhere.

This clueless blockhead—no wonder he's still single!