Chapter 1902

“Are you sure? I’ve actually gained a few pounds.” Julian helped Stella with the bag and said jokingly, “But you certainly looked chubbier now. You must be eating well at Keegan’s house.”

Stella suddenly felt like smacking this kid. With a stern face, she said, “Shut up if you don’t have anything nice to say. I’m curvy, unlike a skeleton like you. Your limbs are so thin that they make you look weak. I doubt any girl would be interested in you.”

Julian snorted, “I’m still growing.”

“Cut the nonsense and help me buy things.”

Every New Year, Stella would buy a lot of things to give to the children at the welfare center. The kids loved receiving gifts from her; it reminded them that someone still cared for them.

When Stella was picking the gifts, Julian said, “Stella, you don’t have to pay for my tuition fees next year.”

Without looking at him, Stella put some items into the shopping cart and said, “Did you hit the lottery?”

“Nope.” Julian cleared his throat and said, “I should be able to get a scholarship next year.”

Stella paused and teased him, “You’re only in your first semester now, and there’s another semester left for this year. How can you be so sure that you’ll get it?”

Julian said, “I got a GPA of 4.0 in the first semester, and the second place was 3.8. If they want to surpass me in the second semester, they have to get a perfect score.

However, well be taking a philosophy course next semester, which no one has ever been able to score full marks.”

Then, he added with a slightly proud tone, “I’m definitely getting the scholarship next year.”

Stella smiled, “Save your prize money. You don’t have to worry about tuition fees and living expenses;

I’ll take care of them for you. Enjoy your university life and focus on studying. You can pay me back when you have a job and an income after graduating.”

Julian kept quiet for a while before he said, “You talk just like Keegan. No wonder you two are together.”

Stella chuckled softly, “Study when it’s time to study and make money when it’s time to make money. If you want to do everything at the same time, you’ll end up losing everything.”

She then grabbed a down jacket in front of her and said,” This doesn’t look bad. Try it on.”

Julian refused, “I already have one.”

“If you don’t want me to buy every clothes in this shop, then you’d better put it on.”

Julian pursed his lips and chose another slightly cheaper one, “I’ll try this then.”

Stella nodded, “Go ahead.”

After they were done shopping, Stella told Julian to put on the down jacket she had just bought for him.

Previously, the welfare center was always short of money. Julian, the sensible boy he was, never asked Shelley for anything. He would wear the same down jacket for several years. Even if he grew too tall to fit it anymore, he never complained.

Shelley did give him some money to buy new clothes, but he was reluctant to spend it because he knew that the welfare center had other kids to take care of. So, he spent the money on other children instead.

He always felt that after growing up, the welfare center had no reason to continue supporting him.

Stella could always notice these small details that others may have overlooked.

For example, when others saw him not wearing a jacket, they would say, “He’s young. I bet the cold weather has nothing on him.”

But that was not true at all.

Julian tucked his hands into the pockets of the down jacket, and the warmth would spread from his fingertips to all over his body.

Across the street, Dahlia was staring at Stella from her car with her brows tightly furrowed.

Half an hour before, she called Aurora to ask what Stella was doing. Aurora told her that Stella was sleeping at home.

‘Why did Aurora lie to me?’ Dahlia wondered to herself.

With a stern face, she dialed Aurora’s number.

At that time, Aurora was having an awkward conversation with Aldor.

Cordelia had forced her to go on a date with him. He brought her to a cafe where he worked, and Aurora sat there absentmindedly.

‘Why can’t he do this during working hours? What is he even thinking? Is he simply showing that he has no interest in me? Well, I don’t want to be with him either!’

Just as Aurora was pondering on how to lead Aldor into making a big mistake so that Cordelia would take the initiative to cancel the engagement, Dahlia’s call came through.

She paused and turned to answer the call, “Hello, Mom.”

“Where’s Stella now?” Dahlia asked in a displeased tone.