Natasha's gaze swept across the room like a hawk's, then she gave Pamela a look. The two exchanged a silent conversation.
"Help me out. There are too many lunatics here."
"I can help, but the payment..."
"First of all, I should state that I'm not gay."
"To be honest, my psychological gender is male."
"Then we have no problem."
Pamela rose and walked over to Clark. She clinked glasses with him first, and Clark turned to look at her in confusion. Pamela said, "A new Professor Schiller has arrived. Aren't you going to say hello?"
Clark immediately stood up and walked toward Schiller with Pamela, asking, "How should I address him?"
"Doctor, of course."
"He's a psychiatrist? Uh, I'm not saying Professor Schiller isn't, but he usually doesn't let people call him Doctor."
"Yes, this Schiller is a psychiatrist, and a famous one at that. His consultation fees are enough to make even Bruce Wayne balk."
"Then he must be incredible." Clark immediately walked over and bent down with a smile. Schiller turned and looked up at him, then instantly squinted as though he had seen the sun. That smile was a little too dazzling.
When Peter was little—meaning when he had just started high school, around sixteen—he used to smile like that often too. But after he started high school, everyone was trying to look cool. Once, Peter said rather dejectedly that people had told him his smile looked stupid. He never smiled like that again.
It was one of the few things Schiller and those around him regretted, because no one had ever praised Peter's smile before. That was probably an important reason behind his decision, though society generally called it growing up.
Schiller smiled and took the initiative to clink glasses with Clark. Clark looked flattered, but