Chapter 988

"Of course I know it!" Victor Laurent's voice suddenly rose an octave as he stubbornly stared at the drink menu. "Isn't it that... what's it called... Boba Milk Tea? Get me one with ice!"

The bubble tea shop employee stifled laughter, shoulders shaking. Vivian Dempsey doubled over in hysterics. "You actually said it out loud? Hahaha..."

Even the usually stoic Alexander Hamilton couldn't help curling his lips.

He hadn't meant to laugh, but Victor's expression while pronouncing the cutesy drink name was priceless—a six-foot-tall man grimacing through the saccharine beverage title.

Alexander instinctively glanced toward Evelyn Carter under the parasol. She was smiling too.

Her crescent-moon eyes sparkled in the sunlight, radiating quiet beauty.

Alexander couldn't look away. No one noticed Jasmine Valentine watching Vivian with the same intensity—she wasn't laughing at Victor, but simply mirroring Vivian's joy.

Victor, thick-skinned as ever, asked, "What are you all having? My treat today."

Vivian wiped tears of laughter. "Same as you."

Jasmine fidgeted with her bag strap, hesitant.

"Can you handle ice?" Vivian slung an arm around her shoulders. "Don't hold back—order something expensive."

Jasmine pressed her lips together, smiling. "I'll have the same."

Five drinks arrived quickly.

Alexander returned to Evelyn with two jasmine milk teas, their little world complete.

Victor stared at his plain pearl milk tea, temple twitching. "It's just regular bubble tea! Why give it such a ridiculous name?"

"It's an internet meme," Vivian said incredulously. "Don't tell me you actually didn't know?"

Victor reached for his drink with his crutch but nearly toppled—balancing on one foot while holding a cup proved impossible.

"To-go, please," he sighed to the employee.

Vivian rolled her eyes and snatched both cups. "Keep standing like that and you'll faceplant."

"Jinx! Don't curse me!"

"If I could actually jinx people, I'd use it on clients to make them give all contracts to Dempsey Group..." Work talk dominated Vivian's every third sentence.

Jasmine stood quietly nearby, eyes smiling. Vivian, not wanting to exclude her, kept drawing her into conversation.

"The southern market has huge potential. Once production capacity increases next year, we should expand..."

She'd intended to find common ground, but Jasmine earnestly engaged:

"I know some material suppliers there—I could ask around..."

"The school's distance doesn't matter, I pass by often..."

"If you need a tour guide, I can..."

Vivian got pulled into work talk until realizing Victor was boredly slurping pearls.

Changing topics abruptly felt forced, so she switched to drinks: "Is the campus bubble tea shop still there? I miss it."

Victor said gloomily, "It was under construction when I transferred."

Jasmine murmured, "I didn't drink these much in school."

Vivian suddenly remembered the three of them were the only classmates who skipped graduation trip. Memories flooded back, draining her complexion. "It's so hot..."

This trick always worked.

Victor touched her cup—the ice had completely melted. He grabbed his crutch to buy menthol oil.

Jasmine moved faster, pulling menthol oil, bug spray, wipes... and miraculously produced a folding fan, gently fanning Vivian. "Better now?"