Chapter 17 Unwritten Lines and Unexpected Roles

At that moment, the scene from the original novel depicting Zach and Emma's intimate encounter suddenly flashed in Sophia Smith's mind. It wasn't long, probably just about two hundred words, but she vaguely remembered it went something like this—

"Emma realized deeply that Zach was the one person she would do anything to have in her life. She was willing to sacrifice everything to make him feel her presence, hoping for just a glance or a moment of his attention. After meeting him, she understood what true loneliness felt like. She didn't know whether what she was doing was right or wrong; perhaps she would end up regretting it, but she didn't care about his past. She longed to be by his side, even if it meant dealing with his darker side. She didn't want anything else but his heart.

In a daze, Emma felt Zach's gentle touch, and with her eyes closed, she was swept away by the sensations. She wanted to open her eyes, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't muster the strength. She didn't know why, but it didn't matter. After all, this was the man she loved most; reaching this point felt like a blessing from fate. What more could she possibly ask for?

Emma tilted her head in impatience, convinced that Zach couldn't resist her. To ensure the success of her plan, she had hinted at her feelings in subtle ways, hoping to capture his attention and his heart."

Sophia shivered and abruptly stepped back from Zach, the lingering details of that scene tightening her chest with unexplainable frustration. She didn't understand why she felt this way or why such thoughts made her unhappy. Unable to control her emotions, she decided to leave the room and clear her mind.

Zach watched her retreating figure, a mix of calmness and a barely perceptible weariness in his eyes. He had already seen through her; Sophia was simply afraid of getting too close. Otherwise, she wouldn't avoid him so completely. There weren't so many reasons behind her actions—too much confidence often bordered on arrogance, something he would never admit to.

He genuinely wanted to treat her better. He wasn't cold-hearted; he just didn't know how to be tender. He wasn't sad—he just felt it was all a waste, though shamefully, he couldn't stop himself.

Furrowing his brow, Zach turned to leave, but then he spotted Emma standing a short distance away. It dawned on him why Sophia had run off so distressingly; he had initially thought it was his fault, but it seemed he had overthought it. Alright, then.

"I remember you." Emma approached Zach, playfully winking with a smile. "Even though your previous actions were quite baffling and rude, I'm not angry at you." She confidently extended her hand towards him. "Hello, let me reintroduce myself. I'm Emma, nice to meet you."

Zach cast a dispassionate glance at the woman, who could only be described as "pretty" in the narrowest sense. There was an added chill to his indifferent demeanor as his sharp eyes narrowed slightly. He brushed past her without even offering a word.

Her overwhelming confidence was off-putting to him… As Zach walked away, he pondered whether he could give her some space to understand herself better.

It had to be said that in terms of perspective, Zach and Sophia shared a subtle alignment in some ways. And our Professor Zach, beneath his complex layers, was actually a deeply caring person at heart. He possessed a strong sense of responsibility and kindness that knew no bounds, regardless of time or place. How else could one explain his current behavior?

Why couldn't he let anyone enjoy a good night's sleep? First, it had been his "students," and now, it was him. Sophia felt a sense of despair.

Originally, she had been trying on a dress prepared by a kind neighbor. But upon seeing the lingerie included with the outfit, tears streamed down her face. Since meeting Zach, she had practically given up on wearing anything too extravagant; he either didn't provide her with much clothing or only gave her the basics, leaving her wondering if he was intentionally clueless about women's needs for undergarments!

After putting on the lingerie, Sophia looked at the playful sailor suit laid out on the bed with mixed feelings. According to the neighbor who delivered the clothes, clean new clothes were limited to uniforms due to current circumstances. Considering the limited options, Sophia hesitated to complain and reluctantly slipped into the sailor suit.

Just as she pulled her hair from the collar, a knock sounded on the door. When she opened it, it was Lucas, a young assistant.

Lucas stood there, momentarily taken aback by Sophia wearing the traditional sailor suit. His ears flushed with heat as he stammered, "Ms. Smith, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but Professor Zach has requested you as an assistant for his urgent project on developing a remedy to neutralize toxins in the environment. He specifically asked for you…"

"I'm not a science person…" Sophia mumbled, feeling awkward. Lucas, hearing her, felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He lowered his head, sincerity evident in his tone. "Ms. Smith, I truly apologize, but if you can agree to this, I'm willing to help in any way I can!"

"…"

"For the sake of the community that can live peacefully, I would do anything necessary!"

"…"

"I'm willing to assist you with anything you need, Ms. Smith—as long as you agree to this small request."

"…"

"Ms. Smith…"

"Alright, let's just talk without the dramatics." Sophia relented, rubbing her temples. "I'll go."

Lucas released a deep sigh of relief, looking at her with admiration. "Ms. Smith, you truly are the kindest and most wonderful person I've ever met."

"That's probably because you haven't met enough people." Sophia dismissed him, turning to close the door as she prepared to find Zach. The gentle breeze lifted the hem of her short skirt, making her feel almost as if she were wearing nothing at all. She thought about going back to put on her shorts, but Lucas seemed afraid she might change her mind. He quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

"Ms. Smith, although I might be younger than you, I'm almost twenty. My experience is limited, but even if I met more people, I don't think I could ever find someone better than you." Lucas effortlessly dispensed sweet words, making Sophia's ears tingle and her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

Just as Zach opened the laboratory door, he caught sight of their flirtatious exchange. His expression turned cold as he furrowed his brow, pulling Sophia inside without waiting for Lucas to say a word. With a loud "bang," he shut the door and locked it, drawing the curtains closed for good measure.

Sophia stood there in shock, feeling like she had just stepped into something unexpected.

"Uh, isn't this about developing some kind of solution? Is it really necessary to lock the door? Can't Lucas observe?" she asked cautiously, trying to create some distance between them.

At that moment, Zach was back in his pristine white lab coat, his frameless glasses perched on his high nose. He raised his right hand, and in the blink of an eye, Sophia was dazzled by a flash of white light, as if she had glimpsed something extraordinary.