Love or Die: CEO’ s Daily Dose of Swoon (Cordelia) novel Chapter 199

Sweetheart was vehement, her voice slicing through the noise. "Does she have the guts to compete in the National Math Olympiad? If she doesn't, then she's just a fraud, right?"

The comments section was filled with people defending Cordelia:

—"This is just stirring up trouble. Everyone knows that students with guaranteed admissions don’t bother with exams or competitions anymore since they've already secured their spots."

—"Totally agree. If they do well, it's expected. If they don't, people like you criticize them for getting a free pass. That's why most of them just relax and wait for college. Sweetheart is really showing her true colors here!"

—"Her expression is twisted with jealousy. She's the one who messed up, and now she's blaming others. We've been tricked into attacking the poor girl!"

The audience wasn't easily swayed by Sweetheart's rhetoric.

The unwritten rules of the scholarship circle were well known.

But Sweetheart kept pushing: "I don't care, Cordelia! Are you brave enough to enter the National Math Olympiad or not?"

Someone reported Sweetheart's stream, and when officials reviewed it, they saw her shouting, which ironically drew more viewers and boosted app downloads. They chose to ignore it for now, hoping to maximize the traffic.

#SweetheartGoesCrazy started trending, gaining more attention, especially after a retweet by the celebrity Bland.

Cordelia had been quietly reading, ignoring the online drama.

But when Sweetheart's taunts became too direct, she couldn't just sit back.

Being publicly insulted and not responding? That wasn't being indifferent; that was being a pushover!

So, after Little Parrot showed her the stream, Cordelia logged onto her social media and posted her fourth-ever tweet: a photo of her Math Olympiad registration form, dated two weeks prior, thanks to Mr. Latham's recommendation for a winter camp.

Her post was a direct hit to Sweetheart.

Instantly, Sweetheart's stream was bombarded with comments:

—"She's already signed up. What are you even talking about?"

—"Get lost. And what's with this streaming platform? Not shutting down the stream? Remember when WhiteLight got banned just for a study video? Seriously, you guys play favorites!"

—"Don't fall for it, folks. The streaming service is just trying to get us to download their app!"

...

Merry was fuming at her phone: "Sweetheart chickened out. And the platform only bans her now? Disgusting. Good thing I never signed with them. Time to move on!"

Cordelia nodded, and Little Parrot turned to her, hesitant, before asking, "Lia, are you really going to do the Math Olympiad?"

Cordelia nodded again: "Yeah, I hear the winter camp's a goldmine for learning."

Merry's mouth twitched: "Aren't you even a little stressed? If you don't do well, the internet will have a field day, saying you didn't deserve the scholarship to Superiority College."

Cordelia: "Would Superiority College rescind the offer if I bombed it?"

Merry just stared, shaking her head: "No, they wouldn't."

Cordelia uttered a casual "Oh," and went back to her problem sets. "Then I'm good."

Everard arrived at her door, travel-light and carefree: "I'm on vacation. Midnight Scent is closed for the month. Let's hit Ontoky City together."

The camp was less than a month, ending just in time for the National Mathematics Olympiad.

Cordelia just stood there, speechless.

To her, there was little to say about him. After all, his stay in Greenmeadow didn't exactly fill his pockets. So, she nodded in acknowledgment.

But as she turned around, there was Merry, lugging her suitcase toward her, a sheepish look on her face. "So, my hubby got me a spot in this acting workshop in Ontoky City," Merry said with a hint of embarrassment. "He wants me to train there, so guess what? I’m hitching a ride with you!"

Cordelia nodded again, her response measured.

Yet, just as they were about to set off, a sleek stretch limo pulled up to the curb, and Yates hopped out. "Getting to Ontoky City by plane or train is a real hassle from here, so I figured I’d give you a lift!"

Cordelia blinked in surprise.

Her phone buzzed with a notification at that moment. Glancing down, she saw a message from a fellow gamer: [Hey Lia, you're heading to Ontoky City for the Autumn Camp today, right? I'm already here. Time for some hometown hospitality. When do you arrive? Dinner's on me.]

Cordelia read the message and then looked up at Yates.

Little Flame seemed distant, his gaze flickering, obviously preoccupied with something.

She cleared her throat and asked, "Are you coming with me then?"

Yates’ eyes sharpened, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face as if the question irked him. But upon seeing Cordelia, he managed to suppress his irritation, hopped back into the limo, and waved everyone in, "Hop in!"