Chapter 3: Self-Introductions

The school-wide broadcast finally came to an end.

It was as if the students in the classroom had just finished a long meeting; some stretched their arms, while others let out a long, relaxed breath.

Grace casually chatted with her deskmate, Yang Qi.

"So you and your sister are fraternal twins," Yang Qi said, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. "You really can't tell at all."

Grace gave a superficial nod, holding back the subtle annoyance in her heart. She had answered this exact same question countless times while growing up:

*Are you two really twins?*

*How come you two look nothing alike?*

*Oh, fraternal twins.*

*Your older sister is so pretty.*

*The younger sister is so delicate and well-behaved too.*

Grace had lost count of how many times she had answered variations of these statements.

Beside her, Yang Qi pressed on with her inquiry: "Is your mom really pretty?"

Grace paused to recall. "Yeah."

Lu Meihua was indeed beautiful. Even now that she was getting older, she maintained herself exceptionally well—after all, those expensive beauty salon visits weren't for nothing. On top of that, she had raised both sisters to take meticulous care of their skin from a young age.

Yang Qi held her pen against her chest, squinting dreamily. "I'm so jealous."

*Jealous of what?*

*Jealous of having a pretty mom, or jealous of having a pretty sister?*

Grace turned her head to glance at Yang Qi.

On her slightly chubby cheeks, adolescent acne was clearly visible.

Grace smiled faintly, choosing to say nothing.

"I used to be in Class 3 last year," the shy Yang Qi said, attempting to get closer to her quiet new deskmate by rambling on. "I remember you and your sister were in Class 7, right? Your sister used to be pretty famous across the grade."

Holding a pencil, Grace idly flipped open a textbook, located an illustration of an ancient scholar, and shaded the white space black.

Yang Qi stole a cautious glance behind them and lowered her voice: "The guy sitting behind you is really famous too. Did you know he's great at basketball, gets amazing grades, and rumor has it his family is pretty well-off?"

Seeing that Grace didn't respond, Yang Qi assumed she didn't know and leaned in closer. "Plus, he's super handsome."

Grace pressed her lips together and replied knowingly, "That last sentence was the main point, wasn't it?"

Having her little secret exposed, Yang Qi flushed with embarrassment. For a girl her age who read too many romance novels, her mind was always filled with romantic fantasies.

Honestly, she had been overjoyed when her exceptionally good exam performance allowed her to get into Class 1. Being in the same class as a few of the school's most famous figures was genuinely thrilling—it almost felt as if she had stepped into their circle.

A girl sitting in front of Yang Qi overheard their conversation, quietly turning around to chime in: "But he has a pretty bad temper."

Yang Qi asked, "How do you know?"

"I was in the same class as them last year, of course I know! Once, when he was sleeping, his deskmate accidentally woke him up, and he lost his temper right on the spot."

The girl in front stole a quick, gossipy peek toward the back row.

"Really? No way," Yang Qi gasped, her eyes widening.

"Really! His deskmate was a girl named Yu Li, and she was practically brought to tears," the girl added with a sense of justice, afraid they wouldn't believe her.

*A little exaggeration wouldn't hurt, right?* she thought to herself.

In reality, Ethan wasn't entirely to blame—he was actually the innocent party. Whenever he didn't get enough sleep, he tended to be short-tempered; everyone around him knew it, and no one dared to cross him when he was cranky.

What actually happened was that Yu Li had been messing around with a classmate. The classmate noticed Ethan sleeping behind her with his cap pulled over his face and decided to play a prank, repeatedly pushing Yu Li back toward Ethan.

During adolescence, physical contact between boys and girls easily sparked playful teasing. Yu Li resisted slightly, though it was mostly out of embarrassment.

Unexpectedly, the final push actually sent Yu Li stumbling directly into Ethan, bumping into his back.

Knocked sideways, Ethan woke up instantly. Irritated, he raised his head, his dark, impatient eyes sweeping over the two messing around beside him with a heavy frown.

Both Yu Li and her classmate were caught entirely off guard.

Just as an explosion seemed imminent, Ethan ultimately said nothing. He muttered a low curse under his breath and kicked the corner of the desk hard. Pulling his cap back onto his head, he stood up sharply and walked straight out of the classroom.

A few girls in the class watched the scene unfold in secret.

Hurt pride and teenage sensitivity proved too much for Yu Li, leaving her teary-eyed.

Yang Qi clicked her tongue, remaining silent for a moment before remarking, "That's kind of cool, though."

The girl in front, Guo Jiao, nodded in full agreement.

The corner of Grace's mouth twitched slightly. *Is that supposed to be cool?* Still, she was relieved that someone else was finally keeping Yang Qi company in her gossip.

In the back row, Mason clutched Chloe's class schedule, looking utterly disinterested. "Chinese class... so Ms. Lee's up first."

"Man, don't tell me we have to do self-introductions all over again," Liam complained, tapping his phone buttons furiously as he reached the final level of his game.

Chloe turned her head. "Why do you call her 'Ms. Twist'?"

"Heh, you'll find out later," Noah chimed in. "Because out of 365 days a year, Ms. Lee wears her hair in a French twist for 360 of them."

Noah threw an arm around Ethan's shoulder, grinning impishly. "Ethan, are you going to reuse your self-introduction from last year?"

"You blew Ms. Lee's top off on the very first day of school last year. Do it again this year!" Mason's eyes sparkled with eager anticipation.

Ethan let out a low, mocking laugh, ignoring him.

*Ring, ring, ring.*

The first bell rang out.

Not quite getting the joke, Chloe raised an eyebrow, snatched her schedule back from Mason, and turned around to sit properly.

Seeing that the scholar in her textbook was now completely shaded in black, Grace closed her book and tucked her pencil into her pencil case.

Ms. Lee walked briskly into the classroom, carrying a heavy stack of lesson plans.

The noisy chatter in the room gradually faded until complete silence fell.

Ms. Lee picked up the seating chart first, leaning against the podium as she announced, "First of all, these seats are set. There won't be any seating changes this semester."

Before she could finish, a collective sigh of disappointment echoed from the students below.

Ms. Lee cleared her throat, turned around, and wrote her name on the blackboard with chalk.

"My name is Ms. Lee, and I will be your homeroom teacher as well as your Chinese teacher from now on."

"All fifty students sitting here are the absolute elite of this grade. It wasn't easy for any of you to earn a place in this class."

Ms. Lee's strict gaze swept over every student in the room. "During such a high-pressure year as sophomore year, I hope you will hold yourselves to high standards. Don't slack off just because you got into Class 1—you need to realize that exams will be coming thick and fast from here on, and the workload is intense."

"Especially a certain few students—don't neglect your studies just because you get good grades. Doing so might not hurt you personally, but it will ruin the study atmosphere for the rest of the class." Ms. Lee emphasized this point while staring fixedly at a specific individual.

Liam and Noah kept their heads down to stifle their laughter, while Mason, completely fearless, even poked the person sitting in front of him with his finger.

Ethan looked up and met Ms. Lee's gaze with provocative indifference for a few seconds before curling his lips into a careless smile.

Ms. Lee sighed internally, clapping her hands together. "Today is the first day of school, and there are some students I don't know yet. Let me have everyone do a brief self-introduction so we can get to know each other."

As soon as the words left her mouth, a wave of groans swept across the room.

Mason raised his hand, speaking in a sarcastic tone: "Teacher, I think we're all pretty familiar with each other already, there's really no need for introductions."

Liam chimed in from the side, "Yeah, teacher, we're all super familiar. As for the girls we don't know yet, we can just get to know them after class!"

The entire class burst into laughter.

A classmate teased, "Liam, how exactly do you plan on getting to know them?"

Leaning lazily against his chair, Ethan smirked at the remark, turned around, and swiped at the two guys behind him through the air.

"Mason, Liam, shut your mouths and sit up straight! Look at yourselves!" Ms. Lee raised her voice and barked. She then picked up the grade ranking list, scanned the names, and read briskly, "We'll start with the top scorer, Shen Shu-jun."

Afraid the atmosphere would derail again, Ms. Lee sped up the process.

Grace watched as a boy sitting two rows away stood up. He was of average height, wore thick glasses, and had a buzzcut—looking every bit the quintessential star student.

Grace thought to herself, *So this is the number one student in the grade.*

"Hello, classmates. My name is Shen Shu-jun. Moving forward, let's work hard together to get into good universities. I really love studying, so if you ever have any academic questions, feel free to ask me."

Mason remarked in a loose, casual tone, "Classmate Shen, what if we don't have academic questions—can we still hang out with you?"

Shen Shu-jun adjusted his glasses, answering in all seriousness, "Hang out and do what?"

Another wave of laughter rippled through the classroom.

A few boys teased playfully, "Whatever you want to do!"

Shen Shu-jun lowered his head and sat down in embarrassment.

Ms. Lee glared sternly at Mason before frowning and reading the next name.

None of these troublemakers gave her a moment's peace. It would have been fine if they were in another class, but every single one of them had somehow managed to squeeze into Class 1.

"Ethan."

No one stood up. Feeling a surge of irritation, Ms. Lee stared at Ethan and repeated his name.

The entire class turned around, looking on with curiosity.

Grace turned back as well.

Only then did Ethan stand up at his own pace under everyone's gaze, keeping his hands shoved in his pockets.

Grace noticed that he was nearly two heads taller than Shen Shu-jun had been. Standing tall with an upright posture, he was handsome and refined, with sharp dark brows that exuded a trace of wild, unchecked confidence. The Mingde school uniform fitted him impeccably.

Ethan parted his thin lips, delivering his words with an arrogant flair.

"My name is Ethan. If there's anything you don't understand in the future, definitely don't ask me—I won't know either."

Silence hung in the air for a second.

*Pfft.*

Mason couldn't hold it in and almost spat out his water.

A chorus of playful jeers broke out among the boys in class.

*Who's going to believe you don't know?*

*Did you rank second in the grade by accident?*

Ms. Lee's mouth twitched as she quickly intervened, "Alright, alright, take a seat. Next, Chloe."

Ethan shrugged nonchalantly and sat down.

When he turned back, his buddies were all giving him a thumbs-up.

"Hello, everyone! My name is Chloe. I'm good at playing the piano, and I was the class president of Class 7 last year. I'm really happy to join Class 1."

Chloe smiled with bright confidence. "I also have a younger sister. We're twins, and she's in this class too. I hope we can encourage each other and make progress together in the coming year."

When her sister was mentioned, several classmates looked toward Grace with curiosity.

Grace lowered her eyelashes.

Ms. Lee nodded repeatedly, clearly pleased with Chloe's poise and confidence—a world apart from Ethan's performance moments ago.

"Next."

By the time it was Grace's turn, more than half the class had already finished.

She stood up.

"My name is Grace. I like drawing, and I can take charge of designing the blackboard bulletin for our class."

Her voice was delicate and soft—neither quiet nor loud, yet grounded and gentle, sweeping across the room like a light breeze.

Ethan didn't pay much attention to what she said.

His focus was entirely fixed on her back.

Her slightly oversized uniform made her look even more delicate and petite, her shoulder blades subtly outlining the fabric. She wasn't particularly short either; Ethan estimated she reached just above his shoulders.

The moment she finished speaking, Ethan lowered his head in disinterest, running a hand through his hair as he prepared to catch up on some sleep. He still hadn't fully recovered from staying up late watching that intense basketball game last night.

By the time the last person finished, half an hour had passed.

"Now that everyone has introduced themselves, I hope you all get along well in the new semester."

Ms. Lee nodded, glancing at her watch. "Alright, open your Chinese textbooks to the first lesson. Let's begin."

Chapter 4: Lunch Together

Time slipped by in the blink of an eye.

By noon, the rest of the class had all left, leaving only a few girls sluggishly packing up their textbooks.

Yang Qi packed her pencil case while looking out the window with a dismal, gloomy expression.

Outside, the heavy rain poured down relentlessly in full force. The sky grew dim, as if a black curtain was slowly being pulled across the horizon by the torrential downpour.

She sighed, "I miss *Yi Xian Qian* near the school so much! I thought I'd finally get to eat there today, but why does it have to rain?"

The school cafeteria at Mingde No. 1 High School was generally quite expensive, and the food wasn't particularly delicious.

Consequently, the small eateries near the school enjoyed booming business. Every noon, those shops were packed to the brim, overwhelmed with customers.

*Yi Xian Qian* was one of those places, specializing in "Bridge-Crossing Rice Noodles."

The shop owner had given the place an intriguing name and renovated the interior to follow the latest trends, adding a touch of charm and appeal.

Grace and her sister had eaten there a few times—the taste wasn't bad, but it wasn't extraordinarily delicious either. Perhaps she was just a picky eater.

"If you can't go to *Yi Xian Qian*, we can just eat at the cafeteria. They serve rice noodles too," Guo Jiao called out from inside, bobbing her head toward Grace, who was also waiting by the door. "Where are you going for lunch?"

Grace leaned against the second-floor railing, extending her hand to catch a few raindrops. "Probably going to the cafeteria with my sister."

"Oh."

Guo Jiao paused for a second before asking tentatively, "So... do you mind if we join you?"

Grace nodded casually, answering softly, "Sure."

"Will she... agree to it?" Guo Jiao pointed toward Chloe, who was inside the classroom speaking with the homeroom teacher.

Grace froze for a second, then turned her head.

*Is my sister really that intimidating?*

Her dark pupils stared at Guo Jiao for a brief moment.

Suddenly tilting her head, a faint smile played at the corners of Grace's lips. "She will—she'll agree."

"That's good, then," Guo Jiao mumbled, nodding along.

Up close, Guo Jiao realized that Grace was actually remarkably pretty, though it was completely different from Chloe's bright, glamorous beauty.

Grace had exceptionally pale skin and long, fluttering eyelashes. When she wasn't smiling, she gave off an air of distant detachment; but when she smiled, one could easily get lost in her glistening, water-filled eyes.

Once Chloe finished her conversation, the group headed to the cafeteria together.

Along the way, Chloe was bright, poised, and eloquent, chatting casually with the two classmates without showing a trace of her usual pride.

Guo Jiao and Yang Qi gradually relaxed.

The school cafeteria was large, spanning two floors.

The first floor was the standard meal line, serving rice and noodle dishes. The second floor offered made-to-order dishes that tasted quite good, though they were relatively more expensive.

"Hey, Chloe!"

A voice called out from the convenience store across from the cafeteria.

The group stopped in their tracks. Mason jogged up to catch up with them, clutching a few bottles of water while breathing heavily. "You guys eating at the cafeteria too?"

"Yeah, didn't feel like going outside in the rain," Chloe said, handing him a tissue. "What were you doing? Why are you sweating so much?"

"Thanks," Mason said, tucking the water bottles under his arm to take the tissue, carelessly wiping the sweat from his forehead. "We were playing indoor basketball with the seniors just now. Came to the cafeteria as soon as our stomachs started growling."

Recalling something, he added, "Hey, why don't you guys eat with us? Up on the second floor—my treat, how about it?"

Chloe thought about it for a moment before flashing a bright smile. "Sure!"

Mason turned his gaze to Grace. "Younger sister?"

Grace replied, "I'm fine with whatever."

"What about you two?" Mason asked the two classmates standing behind Chloe, though he spent a second realizing he couldn't remember their names.

Guo Jiao and Yang Qi didn't speak, but they nodded repeatedly. They were completely dazed by the sudden turn of events—jokes aside, how could they possibly pass up such a golden opportunity?

Eating lunch at the same table as the school's top legends on the very first day?

Just the thought of it was thrilling.

"Alright, let me lead the way then."

Mason tilted his chin and took the lead.

The five of them walked up the stairs. The second-floor cafeteria was sparsely populated, with only a few people seated scattered about. Since they had arrived late, most students had already finished their meals, so it didn't feel crowded at all.

They walked over to the table closest to the window, where several boys sat in relaxed postures, crossing their legs and leaning back lazily.

Mason rubbed his hands together, squinting at the spread on the table: "Whoa, all the dishes are here!"

Noah and Liam looked dumbfounded. *Since when did Mason become this charming? He actually brought a whole line of girls behind him!*

Ethan, who was playing on his phone, raised his head when he heard the commotion. He froze for a second, his dark gaze sweeping past the group before his brows furrowed in annoyance. "I told you to buy four bottles of water, not to bring four women back."

His voice was low, deep, and laced with irritation.

Guo Jiao and Yang Qi, walking at the back of the line, felt anxious and hesitant, their footsteps slowing down immediately. *It seems the top legend is angry.*

Grace pressed her lips together, feeling a bit uneasy as well. She tugged lightly on Chloe's sleeve. "Let's go eat at the table next to them."

Chloe cast her bright eyes toward Ethan for a moment, then nodded.

Mason panicked. Seeing that the people he brought were about to leave, he quickly rushed forward to block them, saying, "Hey, don't leave! Let's eat together! Just ignore him—he always has that terrible temper."

"Come on, sit down, everyone sit down!"

Mason forcefully coaxed and pulled them to stay, flashing a flattering smile as he pressed them into their seats one by one. He added, "We're all classmates, and the teacher said we need to get to know each other! Sit down, I'll go order a few more dishes."

After reassuring the girls, Mason clapped Ethan hard on the shoulder, whispering a threat: "Would it kill you to be a little nicer to the girls in our class?"

Ethan let out a quiet, sarcastic chuckle.

Grace grumbled internally.

*Get to know each other? You couldn't even call out Guo Jiao and Yang Qi's names!*

Liam scoffed, "If there ever comes a day when he willingly and patiently sits down to have a meal with a girl, I'll quit playing games for the rest of my life."

"Holy crap, don't you dare go back on your word!"

Noah's mischievous streak kicked in. He leaned closer to Ethan and teased, "Ethan, go ask out that girl, Summer, for a meal tomorrow! Don't worry, just one meal—she won't be able to take advantage of you."

Ethan's brows knitted tightly together as he kicked Noah's leg, saying lazily, "Got a death wish? If you've got nothing better to do, go fetch the food."

Noah stood up with a rogue grin, giving Ethan a mock salute. "Yes, sir, Boss."

Their banter helped ease the previously awkward atmosphere.

Yang Qi and Guo Jiao hardly dared to move, sitting stiffly with tension, though they still managed to steal a few peeked glances.

Ethan changed his posture in an unhurried, commanding manner, his long legs spread out casually.

Grace had been pressed into the seat right beside Ethan by Mason. His long legs were practically reaching into her space, and she could faintly feel the warmth radiating from him, making her shift uncomfortably.

A quiet hush fell over the table, with no one speaking for a moment.

Grace turned her head with a soft smile and asked Chloe for a tissue, then proceeded to carefully wipe away the grime in front of her table space, which was a bit dirty.

Hearing her, Liam looked up from his PSP with a grin. "Younger sister, clean my spot too, will you? Thanks a bunch!"

Grace paused for a brief second without showing any emotion. She pulled out another tissue and wiped down everyone's spot at the table.

Guo Jiao and Yang Qi quickly took tissues to wipe their own spots.

Ethan raised his eyes, expressionlessly glancing at the slender, fair hand in front of him. Pressing his tongue against the corner of his cheek, he lowered his eyes again, lazily playing with his phone.

"Why are you calling her 'younger sister'? She's *my* sister," Chloe said, displeased.

"Tsk, don't be so stingy! I don't have a sister, so let me enjoy saying it," Liam shouted at Grace, "Sister, sister, sister, sister!"

Silence fell over the table for a brief second.

*Pfft.*

Ethan couldn't hold it in and let out a lopsided smile.

Everyone at the table looked bewildered.

Grace quietly continued wiping the table.

---

After lunch, the boys and girls parted ways. The boys casually headed toward the small gazebo behind the cafeteria.

Chloe stared at a certain retreating back for a moment before heading upstairs to the classroom.

With only a few minutes left before the first afternoon period, the tall boys finally sauntered into the classroom, arms slung over each other's shoulders and laughing aloud.

Grace lay flat on her desk, pretending to sleep with her head buried in her arms.

Someone walked past.

The desk behind her rattled slightly.

Grace's mind drifted.

The person who had just walked past carried a crisp, pleasant scent of mint—just like the mint leaves grown at home.

It refreshed Grace's sleepy mind for a brief second. She twitched her nose, taking a subtle sniff, and then frowned slightly.

Underneath the mint, there was a faint trace of tobacco smoke.

---

At the end of the day, Grace returned to her room, grabbed her clothes, and went to take a shower.

Chloe's umbrella was too small for both of them, leaving Grace's shoulder drenched on one side.

By the time she finished her shower, her father, Frank, had returned home.

The family sat down for dinner.

At the dinner table, as usual, her mother, Mary, asked about school.

Chloe answered every question in detail.

Suddenly, as if recalling something, she said with great interest, "Mom, do you remember that boy who always scored first place in middle school? The one who ranked second in the entire grade during this class division?"

"Oh, him? Yes, I remember. What about him?"

"He became my desk mate this time," Chloe pursed her lips, an unwilling expression on her face. "I don't even see him listening much in class, so how does he always manage to score higher than me?"

Grace silently glanced at Chloe, then lowered her head and continued quietly eating her food.

"That's not something you can just envy—some people are just born smart and talented," Mary dished out a bowl of soup and handed it to Grace. "You need to pull yourself together too. Don't think your current grades are enough. Competition is fierce nowadays, so raise your expectations for yourself, learn more from your sister, and ask her whenever there's something you don't understand."

Mary's last sentence was clearly directed at Grace.

Grace nodded, answering softly, "Got it."

Frank placed a piece of food into Mary's bowl. "We're having dinner, let's not talk about work and school now."

---

After dinner, Grace went back to her room to do her homework.

She put on her headphones, set a song on loop, and spread out her math workbook.

After finishing a few problems, her mind began to wander.

Truth be told, Grace's grades were already quite good, but compared to her sister's, her report card was far less impressive.

Grace recalled her middle school days—there was one time she performed exceptionally well on a math test. Excitedly, she had shown her score to Mary, eagerly waiting for her praise.

But praise never came. She still remembered Mary frowning and lecturing her instead: *"You're satisfied with just this? How many points is this compared to your sister's score? Take a look at hers and reflect on yours."*

In truth, Grace really wanted to surpass her sister too.

Yet there was nothing she could do. Sometimes, when it comes to studying, hard work simply isn't enough. Just as her mother said, it relies on talent.

She suddenly recalled what Chloe had said at the dinner table and let out a faint, self-deprecating laugh.

Chloe wanted to surpass Ethan, while she only wanted to surpass Chloe.

What was this—a closed loop?

Grace rubbed her eyes.

She continued writing her homework.

Into the night, the soft yellow light bathed the girl's gentle, fair face in a warm glow.

Quiet and pristine.

Chapter 5: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

The next day, at noon.

The summer was scorching hot, with blazing sunlight pouring down and cicadas buzzing endlessly among the tree branches.

Inside a milk tea shop near the school, the wall-mounted air conditioner hummed continuously, blasting cool air into every corner of the store.

Four tall boys sat at the innermost table.

Mason took a deep gulp of his icy, sweet milk tea, feeling the chilled liquid slide down his throat and cool him straight to his core. "Fuck, I'm finally back to life."

Noah squinted at him. "Are you exaggerating or what?"

"How is it an exaggeration? I walked outside for five minutes and was already dripping with sweat!"

Drenched in sweat, Mason tried in vain to wipe his hands clean. Pouting, he stood up and walked over to the neighboring table, flashing a bright smile. "Hey beauties, could I borrow a pack of tissues?"

The girls hesitated for a moment before handing him a pack.

"Thanks a lot."

Mason returned to his seat, muttering another curse under his breath. "It's so inconvenient not having a girl around—you bunch of rough guys don't even carry a single tissue."

"Always making a big fuss," Noah motioned toward Ethan, adding casually, "Look at him—not a single drop of sweat on his face."

Ethan was still wearing his black baseball cap, a cigarette dangling lazily from the corner of his lips as he leaned back against his chair, legs crossed in a relaxed pose.

He lowered his eyes, his fingers tapping rhythmically away on his handheld console with a relaxed expression.

A second later, he tossed the console over to Liam, who was watching from the side.

"Holy crap! I spent ages trying to clear this level and couldn't, but you beat it so fast?!" Liam held the console in disbelief.

Noah mocked him, "When have you ever beaten Ethan in a game?"

Refusing to back down, Liam said indignantly, "No way, I haven't surrendered yet! If you've got the guts, let's play Dota—mid lane 1v1 solo. You game?"

Mason looked surprised. "Whoa, bro, you're taking this seriously now? Bringing out your secret weapon?"

Dota was a game Liam had been playing since primary school; he had played hundreds, if not thousands, of matches by now.

Taking a drag from his cigarette, Ethan extinguished it carelessly in the ashtray. He raised an eyebrow, eyeing Liam provocatively. "Bring it on."

Noah blew a whistle. "Now this is going to be good."

He added, "Let's put something on the line, otherwise it's no fun."

Mason scanned the table with a mischievous grin. "How about a month's worth of milk tea?"

"Deal!" Liam nodded.

The boys chatted for a while.

Noah suddenly asked, "Hey, Suicide Squad, why did you pull a whole line of girls to eat with us yesterday? You know how Ethan gets."

The more Noah thought about it, the more suspicious it felt. He gave Mason a dubious look. "Don't tell me you're interested in one of them?"

Mason suddenly lost his temper. "Fuck! I told you not to call me that, or we're done as bros!"

"Hahahahahahaha! OK, OK!" Noah clutched his stomach in laughter, making a pacifying gesture.

Ethan's lips slowly curled into a smirk as well.

*Mason? Suicide Squad?*

Mason hated those nicknames more than anything, thinking they brought bad luck.

Munching on tapioca pearls, Mason mumbled incoherently around a mouthful of tea, "I wasn't doing it for myself—I was helping Ethan!"

Ethan frowned at the comment, saying impatiently, "What the fuck does that have to do with me?"

"How does it not? Let me ask you guys: who's prettier, Summer or Chloe?"

Noah: "Chloe."

Liam: "Chloe."

Noah pondered for a moment. "I always feel like Summer lacks confidence—too timid and reserved, not as open and graceful as Chloe."

Mason threw his hands up. "There you go! Since Ethan isn't interested in Summer, he's bound to find Chloe attractive, right?"

"Let me tell you, I bumped into Jiang Cheng from Class 7 this morning. He said tons of guys used to chase Chloe back then, but she rejected them all with one statement: she doesn't like guys with bad grades."

*Ah, how many classmates had burned the midnight oil studying just because of that!*

Mason clicked his tongue and added, "Tsk tsk, you really couldn't tell with that girl. She's got pretty high standards and lofty ambitions."

Liam stroked his chin. "Doesn't Ethan meet all her criteria then?"

Mason nodded. "Exactly! Who do you think I went through all that trouble for?"

Noah grinned wickedly. "Then doesn't that nerd in our class have a chance too?"

Ethan stretched lazily, completely disinterested in their topic of conversation. "Boring. I'm leaving."

"Sir, here is your milk tea."

The waiter politely handed a bag to Mason.

"What's that for? You're taking it back to drink in class?" Noah asked.

"Mind your own business, I'm thirsty."

"You're getting more and more sassy, aren't you?"

"Hey, hey, look over there! Something's happening!"

Liam nudged the two of them, gesturing with his chin toward Ethan, who had reached the doorway first, watching intently.

The girl who had just lent Mason the pack of tissues was standing in front of Ethan, stammering something nervously.

In fact, the girl's face was bright red as she asked Ethan for his phone number.

Ethan tightened his baseball cap, shoved his hands into his pockets, and pressed his thin lips into a straight line before unhurriedly reciting a string of numbers.

*Huh?*

*Is something actually going on this time?*

The three brothers stared with wide eyes.

---

During the noon break, the ceiling fans in the classroom hummed and rattled overhead.

A handful of scattered students were either napping at their desks or rushing to finish their morning homework.

Grace turned around and leaned over Chloe's desk, resting her chin on her hand as she asked about a math problem she hadn't understood that morning. Her pen traced out the calculations on scrap paper.

"Um, what about the next step?"

No response.

Grace looked up. "Chloe?"

"Oh..." Chloe gave the next step absentmindedly.

However, she stopped mid-sentence, her face turned toward Grace's direction.

Her eyes were unfocused, her head tilted slightly as if listening intently to something behind them.

Grace suddenly realized what was happening.

She glanced toward the back row.

Mason was pressing for answers: "Ethan, did you really give her your phone number?"

"No way... what do you even see in her?"

"Her figure and face don't seem like anything special to me."

Noah chimed in, "Ethan isn't that superficial to only care about looks."

"Holy crap, he said it himself back then—he wants a girl with a good figure and a pretty face!" Mason continued relentlessly. "Don't tell me you were touched by her act of kindness just because she gave me a pack of tissues?"

Ethan was currently occupying Liam's seat, leaning over to do his homework lazily. Whenever he encountered a trickier problem, his brow would knit together in thought while his slender, pale fingers effortlessly spun his pen.

Ethan ignored him completely.

Mason took a deep breath. "Seriously, are you really into that girl?"

Ethan finished writing a complex problem quickly and clearly before finally looking up, answering nonchalantly, "Take a guess."

Ethan and Grace were sitting diagonally opposite each other, separated by an empty seat in the middle.

The moment he raised his head, his gaze happened to meet Grace's clear, innocent eyes.

He froze for a second.

The fragile, slender girl at the desk in front of him had a slightly pale face, and a pair of jet-black, transparent eyes as quiet and deep as a clear pool, reaching straight into one's heart.

In that instant, absolute silence fell.

A stray beam of sunlight squeezed through the window, scattering dappled light across their faces. The subtle fragrance of gardenias filled the entire classroom.

Grace expressionlessly lowered her eyes, turning back to her own desk with her exercise book in hand.

Ethan stared at her slender, straight back, lost in thought.

Suddenly, a loud crash shattered the quiet.

"Holy shit, Ethan, you're so devious!" Mason pulled back his chair and leaped up, holding his phone in one hand while grabbing Ethan's shoulder in disbelief. "You actually gave her MY phone number?! You're shameless!"

Hearing this, Noah leaned in to look at the phone screen, reading aloud word for word: "'Can I buy you a cup of milk tea after school on Friday?' Hahahahaha!"

Liam slammed his hands on the desk, roaring with laughter.

Ethan's gaze was broken by Mason's tugging. Hearing the text, his thin lips parted slightly as he teased with great amusement, "What? You're not happy about it?"

"Happy my foot!" Mason slumped back into his chair, muttering, "I'm not interested in little girls who haven't even fully developed."

Chloe patted Grace's shoulder. "Don't turn back around yet—I haven't finished explaining the last problem."

Grace looked back at her sister's relaxed expression, shook her head with a smile, and said, "I've already figured it out."

---

The class bell rang.

The homeroom teacher walked into the classroom carrying a small box.

"Class is starting, class is starting! Ethan, Liam, head back to your own seats and sit properly." She clapped her hands, raising her voice.

Noah shouted out, "Isn't this period supposed to be self-study?"

Ms. Lee replied, "We're going to take up a little bit of self-study time to elect our class committee."

Ms. Lee distributed slips of white paper. "Shen Shu-jun, come up and tally the votes."

Halfway through the process, the results came in: Chloe was elected Class President, Shen Shu-jun as Academic Secretary, Ji Kang as League Branch Secretary, and Xia Ji as Sports Committeeperson...

Ms. Lee glanced at the list and read, "Next, we have two candidates running for Arts Committeeperson."

Shen Jiawen and Yuni both went up to the podium to give their campaign speeches.

Liam asked, "Which one are we voting for?"

Mason answered without hesitation, "Whichever one is prettier!"

"Isn't that a bit too superficial?"

"Superficial my ass! The Arts Committeeperson is supposed to be the prettiest girl in class. Look at Summer back in our freshman year—wasn't she?"

"Then let's write down Yuni. Her skin might be a bit dark, but she's got a great figure—pretty hot."

Leaning sideways while playing on his console, Ethan's fingers paused for a fraction of a second.

Shen Shu-jun walked over carrying the ballot box. Just as he was about to pass Ethan, he was stopped.

Ethan held a piece of paper in his fingers, tossing it into the ballot slot in an unhurried manner.

Shen Shu-jun paused for a moment before moving on to the next person.

Ethan lowered his eyes, continuing to play his game as if no one else were around.

After tossing in his own vote, Mason leaned forward. "Ethan, who did you vote for? You clearly abstained earlier."

Having cleared another level, Ethan spat out two plain words.

"Take a guess."

"Fuck! I don't want to hear those two words ever again today!"

Ms. Lee frowned. "Mason, why are you shouting so loud?"

---

Shen Shu-jun read out each vote one by one as Ms. Lee tallied them on the blackboard with chalk.

Halfway through the counting, the two candidates were neck and neck.

Shen Shu-jun pulled out another ballot, but suddenly froze.

After a brief, hesitant pause, he called out the name:

"Grace."

The entire class broke into a commotion.

Grace was even more bewildered than anyone else. She hadn't even run for the position—why would someone vote for her?

*Was it a prank? How childish.*

In the end, Yuni was elected as the Arts Committeeperson.