At the end of December, Elgerson welcomed the second snowfall of the winter. This snowfall was much heavier than the previous one and lasted almost two days. The entire city was blanketed in white snow.

Early in the morning, Miranda knocked on Paul’s door, feeling a little apologetic and quilty.

“Dr. Jefferson,” she called out hesitantly.

Paul appeared at the door with his hair tousled and still dressed in pajamas. Noticing her hesitation, his heart clenched with worry. “What’s wrong?”

“No, no!” Miranda felt even more apologetic after realizing how early it was. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she knew that her actions could seem rude. “Did I… wake you?”

Paul replied, “No, I should be up anyway. Is there something you need?”

“Do you still have the snow toys kit from last time?” she asked.

He was momentarily taken aback before turning to look out the window. Sure enough, the snow

stopped.

Are you going out this early to play in the snow?” he asked with uncertainty.

Miranda’s eyes lit up. “Yes! If we go early, the snow will be clean and untouched by footprints.”

Paul let out a laugh. “You’re still like a kid, huh?”

had

“There’s no age limit to playing in the snow. It’s about whether you’re from the South or the North.”

“Walt here.” After saying that, Paul went back inside. He soon returned with a small bucket containing some tools from the last time. There were molds for ducks, dinosaurs, and bears, along with a shovel and

rake.

“Thank you, Dr. Jefferson! I’m off then!” She took the bucket and dashed downstairs.

Ten minutes later, Paul appeared downstairs, fully dressed. He watched as her figure darted in and out. amongst a group of children.

Miranda was dressed in a winter jacket and bright red hat. Her white jacket blended in with the snowy background, while the touch of red on her hat stood out brilliantly.

“Dr. Jefferson! Come and play!” she called out with a grin.

Paul waved at her. “You go ahead.”

Miranda snorted lightly and crouched down to dig af something. A few seconds later, she stood up and threw her hand back. At that moment, a small snowball flew in Paul’s direction.

He froze for a couple of seconds. While he was still in a daze, the snowball hit his shoulder and broke into scattered bits of snow before he could dodge in time.

Stunned, Miranda asked, “Dr. Jefferson, why didn’t you dodge?”

“I didn’t react in time.”

מוד

“I’m sorry…

“It’s fine. Go on and enjoy yourself.”

Just then, a child tugged at her hand. “Miranda, the snowman’s not finished yet!”

Miranda was pulled away. After she inserted the snowman’s nose in place, she clapped her hands in satisfaction, “All done!”

Suddenly, Paul called her name loudly. “Mirandal”

“Huh?” She turned instinctively.

To her surprise, a snowball flew straight at her. Luckily, she managed to dodge and the snowball just grazed her neck.

Her eyes widened in shock. “Dr. Jefferson, you…” Belongs © to .

Paul laughed. “I almost got a headshot!”

“I thought you said you weren’t playing?” She stomped her foot.

“A little play once in a while isn’t so bad.”

“You’re playing dirty!”

“Well, right back at you.”

The faculty’s annual review meeting took place at the end of the month. All faculty and students were gathered, with the faculty administration seated on stage.

The research groups presented their reports one by one.

Notably, Sophie’s team published an SCI paper, while Yasmine published a thesis that month. Although it wasn’t in a SCI journal, it was still in a reputable journal within the country.

“Dr. Xander’s team is amazing!”

“Joli never disappoints!”

“If I wasn’t mistaken, Yasmine had just published a SCI paper last month. Her productivity is unbelievable.”

“That said, I see her attending club activities all the time. She could balance fun while writing papers… She’s incredible.”

“Talented people excel at everything.”

On stage, Joseph cleared his throat, signaling for quiet. “Which research group is next?”

Miranda stood up. “This month, our research was delayed due to the lab fire safety rectifications. Thus, we don’t have any substantial results to report.”

With that, she was about to sit down when a sneer broke the silence.

Hank taunted, “A whole month with no results whatsoever? This really makes one wonder if it’s really due

23

Chapter Do12

to the renovations or if your team is just using that as an excuse for your incompetence.”

Madison retorted, “You guys should know best why our lab was slapped with a fire safety violation. And yet you still have the nerve to bring this up!”

“Know what? It’s your own fault that your lab falled the fire safety Inspection. Be reasonable, and don’t blame others. Just because you’re fat doesn’t mean you can throw your weight around!”

Upon hearing that, Madison’s expression turned murderous.

“That’s right,” Yasmine said with a smirk, her arms crossed. “You guys neglected your responsibilities and failed the fire safety standards, which affected your research progress. How could you blame others for it?”