Julia, with her hair in a mess, grabbed her USB drive and dashed out the door.
She couldn't be late!
Absolutely couldn't be late!
But now, she was definitely going to be late!
Wearing formal attire naturally meant wearing high heels, and Julia began sprinting in them.
Her mind was filled with worry.
Zenith Film Academy took graduation defenses very seriously. Unlike other art schools where once you sign with a company and become famous, the defense becomes a mere formality, Zenith Film Academy, known for its rigor, would never tolerate such laxity.
There was once a star who had become incredibly popular by graduation but couldn't fit the defense into their schedule. As a result, the school refused to issue the diploma and even put the star's name on the school's blacklist, demanding that the star repeat the year and defend again according to the school's rules, or else no diploma would be given.
Zenith Film Academy had nurtured countless stars and produced many famous directors and screenwriters. Being blacklisted by the school was a terrifying prospect for any star.
The star eventually had to comply, and only then did the school relent.
Graduation defenses were always rigorous and highly valued by the school leadership. Missing it meant repeating the year.
Julia couldn't afford to repeat the year; she simply didn't have the time!
Thinking about it, Julia became even more frantic.
Just then, a familiar car screeched to a halt beside her.
A blue Ferrari LaFerrari!
Julia's eyes lit up as she quickly opened the passenger door and jumped in.
"Drive me to school, quick! I'm going to be late for my graduation defense."
At this moment, she didn't have time to wonder why Royce was here again. He had shown up out of nowhere several times already.
Right now, Julia felt a sudden rush of gratitude for Royce's unexpected appearance.
"Don't worry, with me around, you're safe!" Royce floored the gas pedal, and the Ferrari roared to life, speeding off.
Julia was startled by the sudden acceleration.
Royce drove fast, and since the rush hour had passed, the roads were relatively clear.
Julia glanced at the time. Only twenty minutes left.
She was still worried they might not make it.
Royce glanced at Julia and said, "Relax, I won't let you be late."
Julia looked up at Royce's carefree smile and suddenly felt a warm sense of reassurance.
With one hand on the steering wheel, Royce used his other hand to open a drawer in the car and pulled something out.
"Why don't you fix that bird's nest on your head first?" Royce said, flipping down the sun visor in front of the passenger seat, revealing a mirror.
Julia glanced at her reflection and was horrified. It wasn't a bird's nest; it was more like a dog's nest! She immediately began to comb her hair.
Royce pointed to the glove compartment he had just opened. "There are some cosmetics left by one of my clients. You still have time to freshen up."
If she had gotten up earlier, putting on makeup would have been a must as a sign of respect for the school. Julia quickly grabbed the cosmetics, applied some foundation, and put on a bit of lipstick.
Despite Royce's fast driving, the ride was incredibly smooth. Julia finished her makeup, looked at herself in the mirror, and felt quite satisfied.
At that moment, the car came to a steady stop. She looked out and realized they had arrived! She was stunned. A trip that normally took an hour had only taken Royce twenty minutes?! What kind of crazy speed was that?!
"You have one minute to get inside. Hurry up!" Royce urged.
"Alright, I'm going!" Julia quickly got out of the car. Today, she was dressed in professional attire and high heels, looking very different from her usual self—more like a corporate elite.
As Royce watched Julia's back, he rolled down the window and shouted, "Julia, you got this!"
Julia froze in her tracks.
"Go for it..."
This was only the second time in her life that someone had cheered her on.
Growing up, whether it was exams, job interviews, or anything else, she always faced it alone, fighting her battles in solitude.
No one ever cheered for her.
The only other time was when she was five years old, participating in her first cheerleading competition. Her mom had said to her,"Julia, don't be nervous. Go for it."
Julia's eyes welled up with tears. Without turning back, she raised her hand and waved before quickly rushing into the graduation defense hall.
Watching Julia disappear from his sight,
Royce silently lowered his gaze and thought to himself...
"It's just a change in style, just putting on makeup in front of you. Why are you so excited? I just fed you last night, can't you calm down a bit?!"
When Julia arrived at the graduation defense site, her advisor saw her and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The order of the defense was determined by drawing lots. Since she hadn't arrived yet, she naturally got the last remaining number, 35.
Good, she was still early and had some time to prepare.
Calming her still-racing heart, she took out the printed version of her thesis from her bag.
The defense went smoothly today.
After her thesis defense, Julia finally let out a sigh of relief. Although the results weren't immediate, as long as there were no major mistakes, she was likely to pass. The final grade would depend on the professors' evaluation.
For Julia, passing was enough.
After the defense, there were still some school matters to attend to, and by the time she finished, it was already 7 PM.
Humming a little tune, Julia walked out of the school and noticed people around her seemed to be talking about something.
"Wow, that guy is so handsome!"
"He looks like a mix!"
"That Ferrari is so cool!"
A blue Ferrari!
So flashy!
And it's still here?!
Julia immediately ran over to the Ferrari.
Royce was sitting in the driver's seat, playing a game on his phone!
She knocked on the window. "You're still here?"
"Damn!" Royce tossed his phone aside. "You finally came out!"
"You waited for me, all day?" Julia asked in surprise.
"Well, I figured I'd see it through to the end. So, are you touched? If you are, how about spending the night with me..."
Julia reached out and knocked on Royce's head. "I treat you like a brother, and you've been wanting to sleep with me all along!"
Royce scoffed, "Get in the car and buy me dinner!"
Huh?
Usually, when a guy picks up a girl, isn't it supposed to be, "Get in the car, I'll buy you dinner"?
Why was this guy reversing the roles?
But Julia still got into the car.
"Got any plans for tomorrow?" Royce asked casually.
Julia slapped her forehead. "I forgot! Tomorrow is Bailey and Harry's engagement party! I haven't even picked out a dress yet! Oh no, oh no!"
"Hey, lucky girl, it just so happens I have a dress I was going to give to a client. You can use it for now."
Royce pointed to a gift box on the back seat.
Julia's eyes immediately sharpened, staring intently at Royce Butler.