Chapter 720 A Sissy
Marshall led the students to lunch after the competition ended. They couldnât return yet, as the result of the competition would be announced in the afternoon. After discussing it, they all went to the designated cafeteria for the participants to have their meal.
As they sat down after ordering their food, they watched the Johnville Team, who appeared arrogant and insolent, swagger into the cafeteria.
Marshall, not wanting any trouble, advised his students, âAfter eating, letâs go to the rest area and rest for a while. Once the competition result comes out in the afternoon, we can go back to the hotel and take a good rest.â
Jason overheard these words as he passed by. âWhy wait for the afternoon? In a competition thatâs certain to be lost, waiting for the result is meaningless. I advise you guys not to waste time. Go buy a ticket back home early and focus on your coursework. Hah! Youâre going to lose anyway!â
Jasonâs disdainful laughter infuriated the students of Styre University. They wanted to retort, but they couldnât find any reason to support their argument. They didnât even believe in their own teamâs potential success, so who else would believe in them? Ultimately, they were not confident enough.
Eamon was worried that Jasonâs words would affect Catherineâs mood, so he kindly came over to comfort her. â
Catherine, donât be sad and donât be upset. You donât need to listen to that idiotâs nonsense. Youâre amazing, and we all admire you!â
Although it took some time for Catherine to execute the plan, resulting in a rushed completion of the experiment, her strategy was amazing. Even with a dayâs time, Eamon might not have been able to come up with a better one than Catherineâs. She was still so young, and she had a promising future.
Catherine remained silent. âWhy would I be sad?â she wondered.
The members who participated in the competition were well aware of Catherineâs capabilities. They had no complaints. Several of them tried to comfort Catherine.
Catherine swallowed her words back down. âForget it,â she thought. âLetâs wait for the result in the afternoon before wasting time on explanations.â
Those led by Paddy, after hearing these sarcastic remarks, all turned their criticism towards Catherine. In their eyes, it wouldnât have escalated to the current situation if it werenât for Catherineâs aggressive approach against the Johnville Team that made them issue a public apology.
Paddy couldnât contain his frustration as he watched Catherine eating calmly. âLooks like sheâs too stupid to understand whatâs going on,â he exclaimed. âShe caused so much trouble and tarnished the reputation of Styre University, yet she can still sit there and eat as if nothingâs happened. Itâs truly amazing!â
His sarcastic remarks were not directly targeting anyone, but everyone knew well who he was referring to.
Amelia, a staunch supporter of Catherine, couldnât hold back her anger anymore. âPaddy, what nonsense are you talking about? Arenât you from Styre University? Why are you joining in with a bunch of outsiders to mock us? What are you up to?â
Being criticized, Paddy was furious. He glared at Amelia, saying, âDid I say anything about you? Why are you so worked up? And tell me, am I wrong? Isnât Styre Universityâs reputation being tarnished by her?â
Paddy might have been average in studies, but he was quite the smooth talker. Unable to out-argue him, Amelia stomped her foot in frustration. âYouâ¦â
Seeing Ameliaâs frustration, Paddy felt a sense of triumph and taunted, âIf you canât speak, then sit the hell down!â
Amelia was seething, and seeing Catherine sitting calmly and elegantly eating, she was confused. âCatherine, why are you so composed? Paddy is slandering you. Arenât you angry?â
Catherine calmly put down her fork and looked at Amelia, asking her, âWhatâs there to be angry with a sissy like him?â
Amelia, who was initially fuming, suddenly burst into laughter upon hearing Catherineâs words. âYeah, thatâs true!â
Despite Paddyâs tall stature, his habit of gesturing and talking incessantly made him seem effeminate. After Catherineâs comment, everyone present thought of Paddyâs behavior and realized she had a point.
Paddy noticed the strange gazes everyone was giving him and became agitated. âWhat are you looking at? Is there something wrong with your eyes? Donât stare at me!â His voice rose and cracked, which became a more high- pitched and effeminate tone. The onlookers, unable to contain themselves, burst into laughter.
Unable to bear it any longer, Paddy slammed down his fork and prepared to leave. Before he departed, he issued a final barb at Catherine. âWait and see how youâll embarrass yourself this afternoon!â
Fergus shook his head in the direction Paddy had left and then walked over to apologize to Marshall. âMarshall, Iâm sorry. I didnât teach my student well.â
Marshall quickly waved his hand, telling Fergus not to worry. There were plenty of people with thoughts similar to Paddyâs. It was just that Paddy was too eager to show his inner feelings, which made sense. Furthermore, Fergus had publicly apologized. If Marshall were to hold a grudge, it would just make him a laughingstock.
After accepting Fergusâs apology, Marshall lost his appetite. He looked at the students sitting beside him and thought about Paddyâs words before leaving. He was considering leaving with the students now rather than staying here and subjecting them to ridicule. Heâd rather bear the brunt of the insults alone!
While everyone else was busy watching the drama unfold, Catherine had already finished her meal. Then, she took out her phone and sent a photo. Almost immediately, she received a reply. [Good girl!] These two simple words contained endless indulgence.
Meanwhile, Branden had been busy as well. He took the opportunity to inspect the business in Alton. He indulged Catherine in many ways, but he also had his bottom line. If she didnât eat on time, he would put aside his official duties and come to watch her finish her meal before leaving.
After receiving the reply, Catherine put away her phone and stood up. Before leaving, she lightly pressed her hand on Marshallâs shoulder. âProfessor Hartley, desertion is not something a man should do!â
Marshall was stunned, his eyes fixed on Catherineâs graceful figure as she left. â How did she seem to read my mind?â he wondered. She guessed his thoughts as soon as they occurred to him, which was truly amazing!