Chapter 13: How’s Everything Going?

Although Scarlett had made a fortune, she still kept a low profile. There was only one person she wanted to share the news with her younger brother, Skyler. So, she gave Skyler a call and asked if they could get dinner in the coming week.

Scarlett arrived at Skyler’s lab 20 minutes earlier than their appointed time. She leaned against a tree and played some games on her phone to pass the time.

At a top science and engineering school like the one Skyler went to, there were usually many more male students than female. So, as one would expect, Scarlett drew a lot of attention on such a campus.

The school was always worried about the disastrous consequences of having such a hypermasculine institution– it further discouraged women from entering STEM fields when they saw how skewed in favor of women the demographics of most science schools were.

“Scarlett!” Skyler called out to her from a distance. It looked like he hadn’t had a haircut for quite a long time, so his hair flopped down his forehead and was long enough to cover his eyes.

When Scarlett heard the familiar voice, she immediately threw her phone into her bag. She walked towards Skyler and held his arm with a smile.

“How’s everything going?” Scarlett pulled his long bangs side and asked.

“Good. I mean… just as usual. You know, I’m one of the lab guys... or whatever.” Skyler smiled.

“I made a small fortune recently. So whatever you wanna buy and whatever you wanna eat, just let me know, and I got you!” Scarlett looked at Skyler, proud and excited.

She did not dare tell him that she had gone racing again. Although Skyler was always pretty relaxed, he was likely to get angry and start nagging her about it.

Scarlett took Skyler by his arm, and the two walked across campus. Innocent passers-by who knew nothing of them thought they looked like the perfect couple.

“Well, so, what do you wanna eat? Wanna get some Kung Pao Chicken at that little Chinese restaurant down the street?” Skyler was thinking of his favorite food and grew hungry at the thought alone.

Scarlett rolled her eyes at him, “Come on, you lab guys get Chinese takeout pretty much every day! I told you, I have money! Let me take you somewhere else. Where do you wanna go?”

But Skyler was obsessed with Chinese food. He tried to convince Scarlett of the genius of Chinese food, but she was not convinced.

Scarlett stopped him promptly and said, “Stop, stop. Alright, fine, I’ll just have to make the decision for us then.”

Finally, the Uber pulled up in the parking lot of Spring Mall.

“Wait, what? You wanna get dinner here?” Skyler was puzzled. “We need to dress up a little bit for the restaurant I wanna take you to, Skyler.” As they entered a luxury clothing store, the sales clerks were pleased.

Scarlett and Skyler were like models: tall, lean, and beautiful. The clothes looked even more luxurious when they wore them.

Scarlett finally decided on two dresses and a pair of high heels. Then, she chose a black suit and some casual clothes for Skyler.

She looked at Skyler in the black suit and said, “Look at you! What…a 20-something unmarried and super-rich prince?” She laughed. “Anyway, you’ll need to clean up and dress formally for those international academic conferences, won’t you?”

Skyler nodded; he was pleased with the clothes that Scarlett had chosen for him. Scarlett had always had good taste, and she was the one who took full charge of Skyler’s clothes, even though he was an adult. She chose simple, fitted garments that suited Skyler exceedingly well.

Scarlett then changed into the rose gold dress that Skyler had picked out for her. Both the color and cut suited Scarlett, and she felt beautiful wearing it. It was nipped in at the waist and cinched by an elegant belt. The thigh-high slits had a sexy and rebellious charm to them but still looked very classy and mature. She had to admit that her brother, Skyler, had good taste too. Both Scarlett and Skyler had gotten their sense of style and fashion sensibilities from their dear mother.

***

When Scarlett and Skyler stepped into the Michelin star restaurant, the usually haughty French hostess couldn’t discern that they were just poor college students and served them, instead, with above-average politeness.

Though it was the first time in an expensive restaurant like this one, their manner was natural and effortless. They remained calm and collected– Skyler because of his innocence and Scarlett because of her experience.

The waitress stood beside the table and waited for the siblings to order from the extensive menu. She suddenly realized that she had given the two guests the French menu, so she offered to change it out for an English version.

Scarlett waved her hand and said, “No need, thanks.” She asked the waitress a few questions in French and then ordered two chef’s specials and a whole bottle of Bordeaux white wine.

When the waitress walked away, Skyler lowered his voice and said, “Did you see her astonished face?” He chuckled.

Scarlett snorted, “Yeah… I didn’t even realize she had given us a French menu at first. I meant to speak to her in English, but once I saw the menu, I just started thinking in French too and… you know…”

Skyler giggled, “Hey…when in Rome, right?”

Scarlett looked out through the large bay windows; they offered great views of the city. Soon, she was lost in thought. After a while, she asked Skyler, in an unusually low voice, “Do you think I should pursue a postgraduate degree?”

This was the first time Scarlett had felt so uncertain about something. She felt hesitant about making such a big decision for herself.

This was also the first time Skyler had responded to Scarlett's question with unwavering positivity. He did not have any hesitation.

“Of course you should do it! You've been working so hard for many years, and now we have a better life, and we’re not short of money like we were before. I have a scholarship and a stipend too, and I can manage my life.