《The raise of Maureen Smith and her Good Luck System》


 Chapter 1: Dead and Rebirth

    Chapter 1: Dead and Rebirth"Ever watched ''Love and Death''?


    The current situation of Maureen is somewhat similar to that of the real heiress who is the antagonist in the novel.


    After the heiress was lost in the countryside, it took a whole year to find her.


    However, when she came back, she found out that a more lively, naive, and cute girl had fully taken her place in the family during these fifteen years.


    The only difference may be that I am even more foolish," Maureen thought resentfully.


    These past two years, Maureen had tried really hard to please this family, always remembering everyone''s birthdays and personal preferences.


    She carefully massaged her mother''s shoulder, but her mother got up uncomfortably and walked upstairs, saying,


    "You don''t have to do this."


    Once, when they all went out for dinner at a restaurant, a waitress accidentally tipped over the soup bowl.


    Seeing that the soup was going to splash on her eldest brother Oliver, she quickly moved in to block it.


    However, by the time she got back to her senses, the whole family had rushed to the hospital with Bianca, who had gotten a tiny burn spot on his thigh.


    When she was left stunned and belatedly discovered a small burn mark on her own face, the family was nowhere to be seen.


    The next day, only her sixteen-year-old brother Smith Chris noticed.


    Maureen thought that at least her younger brother Smith Chris treated her equally.


    But half a month ago, there was a chemistry competition which only accepted one participant from each family.


    When Smith Chris found out that Bianca wanted to go, he sneaked away with Maureen''s application form.


    Maureen lost her qualification to the chemistry competition and obtained a small scar on her cheek that made her wear a face mask for the whole year.


    When Bianca got an allergic reaction after mistakenly eating peanut butter at her friend''s ice cream shop, the whole family assumed that she had deliberately harmed Bianca.


    Even her explanations didn''t convince them. All these, they were no problem.


    She was okay.


    She wasn''t even that angry.


    After all, she had a tough personality and never swallowed her words.


    She had given the entire family a piece of her mind when they upset her.


    Anyway, her textbooks used to say that continuous water drops could wear down even the hardest stones, and she believed that if she kept trying for a few more years, she''d eventually make it.


    But she was wrong.


    Just when it seemed like her family was finally starting to accept her.


    She died at the age of twenty-three from advanced brain cancer. Is this a joke to them?


    How is this different from reaching the final level in a grueling game, only for it to crash?


    It wasn''t until after her death that Maureen realized she was living in a tragedy.


    She was nothing more than a supporting character in a book.


    Summing up the life of supporting character Smith Maureen, the description was:


    "Since childhood, she lived in a rundown small town in the north.


    At the age of 15, she was brought back by the Smith family.


    After that, she went all out trying to snatch the Smith family from the female protagonist, Bianca, due to envy.


    After knowing Bianca and Oliver''s secret feelings for each other, she went even farther and meddled in their relationship...


    Finally, she died of cancer and was forgiven by everyone after her death."


    What? "Snatch"??? Wait a minute, wasn''t this family her own in the first place?


    So her actions in her past life were all defined as "snatching" from the female protagonist, Bianca, by this book?


    On what basis? Just because Bianca is heaven''s favored child, a fragile and innocent little lily, and woman of destiny?


    And Bianca even had a fling with her older brother Oliver?


    Maureen''s expression was like ''grandfather-looking-at-cellphone.jpg.''


    She didn''t know if it was because of her strange way of dying, but after her brief 23-year-life as a tool, Maureen surprisingly returned to her seventeen-year-old self.


    This time, she has gained a [Support System for the Female Supporting Character]. System:


    "Your role is set as a villain destined for a tragic end, so your luck quota is definitely negative.


    Walking could lead to getting hit by a car, drinking cold water could lead to a toothache, and any illness you get will undoubtedly be incurable.


    But what if you could quietly turn yourself into a protagonist?" Maureen stared blankly,


    "What do you mean?" System:


    "I mean you should try to rub off some luck from others.


    You won''t be able to get any luck from the male and female leads, Bianca and Oliver, but you could siphon off some from secondary characters with high popularity.


    Over time, your incurable disease might even be cured under the influence of good luck."


    Maureen slapped her thigh,


    "I get it! You''re suggesting I should make friends with popular characters, right?"


    In every book, besides the male and female leads, there are also some characters who don''t appear frequently, yet have very stylish and attractive character settings.


    If the readers like these characters, she could frequently show up around them, be in the spotlight, do some good deeds and get the chance to siphon off some luck.


    The system was very pleased, "


    That''s why I picked you, a poverty-stricken supporting female character, because you got it in one shot!"


    Who doesn''t want to live a good life?


    Even if she lived a confused and silly life in her previous one, now that she has the opportunity to start over, Maureen will seize it!


    Especially after suffering from the taste of withering due to an incurable disease, she doesn''t want to experience it again.


    "And after you''ve garnered some luck," the system continued,


    "The scars on your face should heal quickly."


    Maureen touched her left cheek and her eyes sparkled.


    The burn marks are on her face, and in order to avoid scars, the doctor recommended she use sun protection all year round until the skin has completely recovered.


    This had resulted in her wearing a mask for a whole year, hiding her originally beautiful face.


    The system gave Maureen a list titled "People Whose Luck Can Be Siphoned".


    She glanced over it, finding a good number of names listed.


    However, it seems that only the first few have higher return rates, namely Liam, the direct grandson of the century-old financial group Williams family, the second grandson Mr. Williams, along with the famous Drake of the Brown family.


    These three were well-known to Maureen, they were all notable figures at school.


    After them were the top students (''nerds'') and handsome guys from each grade.


    The class president of Maureen''s Senior III class 6, a bit of a simpleton, was also on the list!


    Maureen was immediately elated, as she was quite close to the class president from her class! However...


    The class president was ranked at 108th place, and the fortune return rate written in parentheses next to his name was only 0.000001% - what''s the difference between being on the list and not being on the list??? Everything before Maureen''s eyes turned black.


    Holding the life-saving list in her hand, Maureen stood up to get a cup of water to calm her shock and said,


    "I think I need to have a medical check-up as soon as possible."


    In her previous life, she died at the age of twenty-three.


    Now she''s only seventeen.


    What if she doesn''t have cancer yet, or is still in the early stages of cancer?


    There''s still hope to survive, right?


    "No need." the system said,


    "In the end, your death from a terminal illness is not a physical problem, but the fortune problem of you being a villain.


    Even if you go to the hospital for an examination and treat it in advance, if your fortune value doesn''t change, you''ll still die when it''s time.


    What''s the difference between dying from a car accident and dying from cancer?"


    Upon hearing the system''s words, deep sadness welled up in Maureen, and she burst into tears.


    So, her only way out is this list before her eyes.


    With a return rate of 6%, Liam, who tops the list and outdoes everyone else, is said to be extremely difficult to deal with, being flamboyant, domineering, and acting recklessly, like an aloof high school genius in other stories.


    Even so, spurred by his status as the heir apparent of the Williams family, everyone desperately flocked to his side.


    It was just very difficult to even get a word in with him. Recognising the difficulty, Maureen''s gaze moved down the list.


    Williams Demon is currently studying abroad, and there are no signs of him returning.


    As for this Drake ¨C she seemed to recall he is a decent guy. She even saw him giving a gentle and polite speech last semester.


    He should be the easiest one to befriend. However, how come the return rate for the two of them is only 2% each?!!


    This is so embarrassing! Oh well, even a mosquito''s leg is meat no matter how small it is.


    Maureen decided not to set a target for now, she would go for whichever Good luck big shot she could catch.


    "Weren''t your scores from last week ranked in the top three of the entire grade?


    According to your school''s rules, the top five can freely transfer classes, right?"


    Maureen cooperated very well:


    "You mean I should first transfer to the international class that''s filled with the children of nobility?"


    The system responded,


    "Yes, being in the same class as these people will rub off some Good luck on you. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although it''s not much, it''s better than none."


    The high school section of A Middle School where Maureen studies has not only regular classes, but also international classes, evergreen classes, and gold medal classes.


    The latter two classes are self-explanatory, they are classes for students with excellent academic performance and for those who participate in national competitions.


    The international class, on the other hand, is where the heirs of renowned families who have no academic skills gather.


    In her past life, Maureen also reached this node and transferred from a regular class to the gold medal class.


    One very important reason for this was that Richard, who was engaged to her when they were children, was in the gold medal class.


    In her past life, she was a bit shameless, she indeed really liked Richard.


    After all, Richard was handsome, talented but a bit cold in character.


    And Richard treated her and Bianca equally - of course, he was aloof and arrogant to both of them.


    But this still attracted Maureen.


    However, she didn''t manage to pursue him in the end, and it just faded away.


    Maureen couldn''t be bothered to think about these things anymore, and her life was the most urgent matter at hand.


    She was already once dead, did family or Richard even matter anymore? "


    Alright, I''ll apply now.


    I should be able to report to the international class tomorrow."


    Maureen had a very strong ability to take action, she immediately went to her desk, turned on her computer, slightly modified the already filled out information, changed the gold class to the international class, and sent it to the Headmaster''s email.


    After finishing this task, she opened her suitcase and spread it out on the floor, starting to pack her clothes one by one.


    From outside the door, urgent knocks sounded, it was Smith Chris''s lowered voice saying,


    "Sister Maureen, Bianca was discharged from the hospital and just got home.


    What are you doing hiding in your room?


    While the whole family is downstairs, you should apologize to Sister Bianca.


    Let''s forget about the allergy incident!"


    A few days ago, there was a huge commotion in the house.


    Bianca had an allergic reaction to peanut butter in one of Josephine''s chain stores.


    Josephine was Maureen''s friend, so the family thought Maureen was responsible.


    Maureen was so angry that she went to Josephine''s store and started to look at the surveillance tapes one by one, but it wasn''t that simple.


    Despite being red-eyed from exhaustion, she was unable to prove her innocence. Maureen found it stupid.


    How do you even prove that you didn''t do something?


    In her previous life, did she care so much about what her family thought of her?


    Was she really that desperately worried about them disliking her?


    In the end, this all was like tying herself up.


    Maureen zipped up her suitcase and opened the door.


    Smith Chris almost fell inside, he was about to persuade her again, but his face immediately turned sour when he saw Maureen''s suitcase:


    " Maureen, are you going to play this trick again?


    Are you running away from home or going to live in school?


    Won''t you obediently come back in a few days? Is all this fuss worth it over such a trivial matter?"


    "Is this a trivial matter?"


    Maureen''s face turned icy cold, and the wheels of her suitcase almost rolled over Chris''s foot.


    "Move aside!" Chris promptly stepped back, looking at Maureen''s expression, he blanked out for a moment.


    Whether the members of the household either disliked Maureen or were distant toward her.


    When Maureen first came to the house, he was only fourteen years old, hence his relationship with Maureen was arguably the best.


    After two years of living together, he had never seen Maureen treat him with a cold, knife-like attitude, demonstrating a desire to sever ties ¡ª Maureen had always been slightly ingratiating toward him and the other members of the household.


    Chris didn''t really think too much about it for a moment. He, too, was becoming agitated. "Isn''t this a minor matter?


    Even if Bianca''s allergy has nothing to do with you - I believe you, isn''t that good enough?


    But Bianca just came out of the hospital, would it kill you to say something comforting?


    You are always so stubborn, which is why no one in our family gets along with you!"


    "If you can''t get along, then don''t bother."


    Chris froze in place, he watched Maureen''s retreating figure in disbelief.


    Maureen''s words were devoid of any emotion, merely a straightforward statement.


    Moreover, her eyes did not redden, nor did she spare him another glance, surprisingly it did not seem like a spat out of anger as it used to be.


    Chris had an inexplicable feeling of dread welling up in his heart for some reason. He continued to follow her.


    Seeing Maureen dragging her suitcases downstairs, the faces of the family who had just picked up Bianca from the hospital dropped.


    Mr. Smith and younger brother, Mike, were still at the company.


    Mrs. Smith, supporting the just-discharged Bianca, took a seat on the sofa and annoyed, glanced at Maureen,


    "What are you up to again?


    Can''t you just stay put for a few days?"


    Other than Maureen and Bianca, there are eight people in the Smith family.


    Mr. Smith is completely focused on his career, seldom paying attention to domestic affairs. Mike was a minor actor in the entertainment circle with 18 lines to his name.


    He''s always been critical of Maureen, either mocking her or outright ignoring her.


    Fortunately, he is on the road most of the time, barely spending any days at home within a year.


    The ones who spend most of their time at home, apart from youngest brother Chris and their mother, and it is Oliver, who runs a company.


    Despite being the lead male, his outstanding abstinence personality strikes a gentle character.


    But, when Maureen learned from the system that he would develop a romantic line with Bianca, Maureen could no longer face him comfortably.


    Their mother has never been particularly fond of Maureen, and Maureen couldn''t care less.


    She walked directly towards Oliver, pulled out two pieces of paper, and handed them to him, saying,


    "Help me sign these." Oliver, was somewhat troubled,


    "Maureen, don''t be unreasonable.


    This time¡ª" Maureen interrupted him, "


    Just sign them.


    I''m going to board at school."


    Her eyes were clearly black and white, calm and indifferent, unlike her usual fussiness.


    Oliver keenly noticed that something was off with Maureen today, but he couldn''t quite put his finger on it.


    "Just sign it!"


    Their mother snarled furiously, "She creates a ruckus daily, let her go to the boarding school.


    We''ve compensated for everything we could have, what more does she want?"


    Oliver was a tolerant person and he''d never blamed Maureen.


    He thought Maureen was just a child who refused to grow up, her rebellions were just her desperate attempts to snatch attention from Bianca.


    However, humans are emotional beings and they all have had a seventeen-year emotional bond with Bianca, a connection that no one can take away.


    Perhaps it''s time for Maureen to experience some hardships at boarding school.


    After a while, she might come to her senses and obediently come back.


    If she stopped competing with Bianca, Oliver would be able to treat her as his dear younger sister.


    Oliver absent-mindedly signed the papers. One was for an application for boarding school, and the other was a request for a class transfer.


    He had long heard from Bianca that Maureen was always following around that Richard family boy at school, as if she wanted to transfer to his class.


    After waiting for him to sign, Maureen promptly snatched the document away, turned around with her luggage, and walked out of the Smith family''s front door.


    The September air was a little chilly, but what she saw was a world of golden warmth.


    Maureen took a gentle breath, put on a mask reflecting it was a time for her to change her destiny.


    She would no longer waste her time pleasing this family.


    Everything could still be changed in time. Mrs. Smith glanced at her and felt a headache coming from her audacity, "


    Just you wait, that ungrateful girl will come crying back in a few days."


    Oliver capped his pen, feeling something odd and asked Bianca,


    "Didn''t you mention Maureen intended to apply for the elite class?"


    "Yes, big brother," Bianca, who had been quiet all along, propped her head up from her mother''s hug.


    "Maureen has always been following Richard.


    Rumors at school aren''t flattering... Richard hasn''t visited us recently, presumably wanting some peace."


    "But why did she write that she wanted to transfer to the international class on her application?"


    Both Bianca and Chris were taken aback and said incredulously,


    "That''s impossible."

 Chapter 2: Moving forward with my system

    Chapter 2: Moving forward with my systemLeaving the Smith family was simpler than Maureen had imagined.


    Indeed, the truth proved that she had only spun a web of her own making in her previous life.


    Once she decided to leave her family behind, she no longer felt the sadness brought on by the interference of unworthy people.


    Now, Maureen was solely focused on preserving her life.


    She acted quickly and started packing up her books after processing her transfer procedures the next morning.


    The system gave Maureen a bare potted plant with only soil - something only she could see.


    "With each bit of luck you accumulate, a tiny bud will grow.


    Only when the potted plant is entirely full will the negative karma of the villain brought upon you be essentially eliminated.


    After that, your fate will no longer be ''meeting a miserable end,''" said the system.


    "Even if you manage to grow the potted plant thick enough, your luck might even surpass that of Bianca."


    Maureen asked, "Will this impact those who the luck is drawn from?"


    "That won''t happen.


    Have you ever heard of Wi-Fi hotspots?


    You are leeching off their luck, but their own luck won''t decrease."


    That put Maureen at ease.


    After getting the potted plant, she was full of excitement and decided to try it out on the class president of class 6.


    Before she left, she gave him a massive hug.


    The class president was pleasantly surprised.


    As Maureen held the president in a deep hug, she intently stared at the floating potted plant in the air, just as a husband would wait for his wife to give birth.


    ...After a full three minutes of hugging, the bare pile of soil in the potted plant didn''t move an inch. It was like a static jpg. Maureen:


    "The system is comforted,


    "Your class president is just too unremarkable, the return rate is only 0.000001%, you should better focus on the people at the top of the list."


    Maureen felt like her world was falling apart.


    The pot of soil was as big as her head, how long will she have to plant trees?!


    And she has to surpass Bianca, she has already given up, hoping not to suffer from an incurable disease and die.


    With a wounded heart, Maureen pantingly helped the class president carry the books to the building where the Evergreen class, the Top-ranked class, and the International class were located.


    She was wearing an oversized dark school uniform of A Middle School, her long black hair fell over her collarbones, her skin was pale white, and she had a red string around her neck, tied to a piece of jade.


    Sweat dripped from her fair nose, and she always wore a mask on her face.


    This mask made it difficult for Maureen to breathe.


    But she couldn''t just take it off.


    In her last life, she did not listen to the doctor''s advice and stopped wearing a mask early, relying only on sunscreen, and as a result, there was always a faint mark on her face that scar cream was ineffective against.


    It wasn''t so noticeable from a distance, but up close, it was like a stain on an otherwise flawless vase, the kind that would make its creator curse the heavens for putting a mark on a perfect creation.


    If it wasn''t for her face, Bianca probably wouldn''t have been the school beauty.


    Maureen was also helpless, maybe because she was a villain, so she was always at a disadvantage.


    Anyway, she must bear it this time until the wound is completely healed.


    Richard was dealing with the gifts people had crammed into his desk over the weekend.


    The unfinished circuit board and the thick competition question book in his desk were all squeezed by the gift boxes.


    He picked up the trash can and set it next to his desk with a "clang."


    He hung his eyes low, not even bothering to look properly, he swept all the chaotically arranged gifts into the table drawer.


    Using two fingers, he picked out a pink letter.


    The likely afraid person who sent the love letter thought he would discard it without even laying his eyes on it, and had purposely tied a tight knot with a slim silk ribbon through the envelope, fastening it sturdily onto a gold medal he had dumped in the drawer.


    Richard''s chilly eyebrows knit so tightly it looked like they could squish a fly.


    The next second, with a "plop," the love letter and the gold medal were both tossed into the trash.


    Suddenly, a few people leaning on the windowsill spoke, "--- Isn''t that Smith Maureen? Is she moving here?


    Holy shit, she even got into the top five!" Richard was just about to pull his chair out, but his movement abruptly halted.


    Richard, who twisted his head from the window asked:


    "Holy shit, Richard, do you know what we just saw? Maureen is downstairs!


    She''s indeed awesome, "doggedly persistent", she studied tirelessly for a whole year--- just to be in your class, how do you feel about it?"


    "Boring." Richard''s expression didn''t seem to falter at all, he sat down, lowering his gaze and connected the circuit board of the miniature robot,


    "As per school rules, the top five from the regular class are free to transfer to other classes, this is her right, it has nothing to do with me."


    "We are going to be in the same class, what if she sticks to you and doesn''t let go?"


    "The results have just been announced and she''s already moving here, she''s quick on her feet!"


    Richard remained indifferent, not even raising his eyelids, and coldly said,


    "I''m not in for puppy love."


    Everyone''s sparks of gossip were doused by Richard''s coolness.


    Maureen transferred to this school a year ago, she never once took off the mask on her face, rumour has it that she accidentally wounded her cheek, wearing it for sun protection.


    However, not many people in the gold class were interested in her face, probably just above average looks, nothing out of the ordinary.


    What they were interested in was the matter of Maureen pursuing Richard.


    This girl was rather fierce and determined, incredibly going non-stop from being just one of their plain, average classes all the way into the top five.


    Again, all just to transfer to a different class. However, judging from Richard''s indifference, they knew he had no interest in this socialite. Richard touched his nose,


    "But you can rest assured. If she joins our class but can''t keep up with the pace, she''ll have to return to her original class.


    She won''t stay for too long.


    If she clings too much and hinders your competition, the teacher would likely kick her out."


    Richard raised an eyebrow, about to speak. The silhouettes of Maureen and the class president appeared in the corridor.


    "She''s coming," someone laughed, "


    Richard, your life is about to become colourful, best luck to you¡ª"


    However, before he could finish his sentence, he saw Maureen and the class president of class six carrying books, passing right by them in the corridor.


    The atmosphere inside their elite class instantly fell silent for five seconds.


    Richard''s face expressed his bewilderment,


    "But ahead is the international class, did she go the wrong way?"


    Oblivious to the thoughts of the neighboring elite class, Maureen had no mind to consider it.


    As she walked into the back door of the international class with her arms full of books, her vision started to darken without any warning, as though she was stepping on cotton.


    "In my past life, there were times when I felt like this too. I just thought I had low blood sugar, but wait--"


    Maureen suddenly woke up, "could this be a precursor to some terminal illness?"


    "Yes, what else could it be?"


    The system said, "Even in novels, there''s logic and foreshadowing.


    Even the most annoying villain wouldn''t suddenly drop dead.


    It will certainly foreshadow readers through subtle sentences, such as ''Smith Maureen inexplicably felt unwell'' or ''Smith Maureen had a bruise on her ankle that wouldn''t fade.''"


    "Maureen had no energy left to bicker with the system.


    She held her book, swaying. In the pitch black before her eyes, a few pale white orbs of light appeared at various seats.


    The system said, "Those are the fortunes/lifelines.


    The brighter they are, the higher their rank on the list I gave you."


    Maureen, like a drowning fish, heedlessly headed for the brightest position without a second thought.


    When she sat down in a state of exhaustion, her hands loosened, and the book noisily hit the floor. She couldn''t care less.


    She slumped onto the table, deeply inhaling in the direction of the brightest light on the right.


    A faint, pine scent infused with a hint of medicinal herbs unexpectedly filled her nostrils.


    It was like fresh oxygen pumping into her brain, instantly relieving Maureen''s discomfort.


    The potted plant in front of her suddenly shivered.


    At its edge, a tiny, weak sprout sprouted forth.


    Less than one millimeter, it looked to be only about one-tenth the size of a complete sprout ¡ª but Maureen''s eyes widened in awe, almost moved to tears.


    "What is this?! Why did the first one suddenly sprout?"


    She asked the system excitedly.


    The system: "Look who''s sitting next to you."


    Maureen raised her head. The whole international class was deathly quiet, all eyes were fixed on her.


    Everyone watched as this strange girl walked in with a mask and a book, not even saying hello, and went straight to the second last row by the aisle and plunked down!


    Then she took a deep sniff towards Liam. Among the stupefying silent crowd, someone said, "Damn, you''ve got guts." Someone else whispered in alarm,


    "That''s Liam next to you, and you just smelled him.


    You''re done for when he wakes up."


    " Liam equals Liam?"


    Maureen immediately looks to her right. The first thing that catches her eye is the back of a head with a short red porcupine haircut that screams


    "I''m the cockiest."


    A young man is lying sprawled on the table, wearing silver noise-cancelling headphones, clutching a sports jacket, and is lazily sleeping with his back to her.


    He is at least 1.88 meters tall and because of his long legs, which look almost coiled up under the table, he appears quite scrunched up.


    He is wearing a black long-sleeved shirt with a pale neck and a thin black and gold skull chain hanging from it.


    From Maureen''s angle, she can only see half of his side face.


    There is a small mole near the tail of his right eye. He is strikingly handsome.


    His eyebrows are slightly furrowed, forming wrinkles that make him look unemployed and rebellious.


    In Maureen''s head immediately pop the words


    "Irritable dumb beauty." Someone asks,


    "Who are you? Nobody ever sits there!" Maureen turns to look at the person and replies,


    "I''m Maureen, transferred from Class 6. Why can''t I sit here?"


    "You''re looking for death?"


    he exclaims,


    "Have you ever heard of the future head of the Williams family?"


    He''s the school bully.


    Anyone who dares to sit on his side will definitely be threatened and average errands. But Maureen wouldn''t mind running some errands for Liam.


    Run more errands, wouldn''t her luck value come in torrents?


    It''s a lose-lose situation anyway.


    She doesn''t think that a seventeen year old stupid brat could pose a bigger threat than the villainous backlash to her.


    Quickly seizing the chance, Maureen inhales deeply in stealth, and continues pulling in some of the luck value of Liam.


    As she watched the faint white light enveloping him finally transitioned a tiny bit onto her, she felt a ray of hope, even though it was as small as a fingernail and could be easily neglected.


    She gracefully picked up the books on the ground one by one.


    "Yeah, I got it. But there are no other seats available, so I will just sit here."


    The international class students were dumbstruck.


    Many had tried to get close to Liam, but this masked girl, whose face couldn''t even be seen clearly, was the first to approach him with such a "screw it all" attitude.


    She was... smelling him.


    Smelling him, like how one would smell a cat. Oh my god!.


    The commotion woke Liam up.


    Once Liam woke up, no one dared to make a sound, eagerly waiting for Liam to explode his anger.


    Liam took off his noise-cancelling headphones and nonchalantly tossed them onto the desk.


    He rubbed his hair listlessly, his actions seemingly soft and limp.


    Then, he started rummaging through his desk, eyes closed as he pulled out several white bottles. Whether they contained vitamins or something else, no one could tell.


    He poured a handful into his palm with a swooshing noise.


    Maureen watched him with impressive sparkling eyes.


    Her gaze was like how one would look at WiFi hotspots on busy streets, at chilled watermelons during summer, or at the most expensive cat in a cat cafe.


    She picked up the water jug on his desk and handed it to him.


    "Thanks," Liam, who had just woken up, said hoarsely.


    He took a sip of water and swallowed the pills with his eyes closed.


    Only after swallowing did he suddenly become aware of Maureen''s presence.


    Liam reacted strongly and stood up abruptly.


    His tall and long-legged frame almost knocked the table behind him over. He looked down at


    Maureen from a superior position, his facial expression darkening suddenly.


    He seemed to have a "stay away from stranger" sign written all over him.


    "Who is this woman sitting next to me?"


    Everyone in the international class thought to themselves:


    Don''t even think about it, she obviously has a crush on you.


    Maureen, patient as ever, explained herself to the one destined to be her optimal wifi hotspot in the future.


    "My name is Maureen Smith, I just transferred from Class 6."


    Damn.


    The crowd collectively thought to themselves: she actually worked so hard to be among the top five in her grade and transferred over.


    Studying into the wee hours, diligently doing exercise after exercise must have been tough.


    Unbelievable, she must really like this.


    Liam apparently also thought of this point, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.


    He swallowed back the curse he was about to utter, but his face was still irritable.


    "Change seats immediately. No one ever sits next to me."


    Maureen knew that it wouldn''t be so easy.


    She was reluctant to move, grinding her bottom against the chair without getting up.


    If this was before, she would''ve left already.


    But glancing around, among the whole international class, Liam''s aura was the most prosperous ¡ª- perhaps sucking in a little more every day, she might sprout several tender shoots after ten days or half a month.


    "Send me away as if I threatened your life."


    Just as Maureen was saying this inwardly, she suddenly sensed a silence sweeping the classroom.


    She shivered as she raised her head, all faces in the room were gaping at her in astonishment, eyes wide in utter shock. Liam''s ears turned a physiological crimson-red, he was infuriated.


    "What, what did you just say?"


    Damn it. It was then she realized that she had accidentally vocalized her inner monologue.


    "Pack up her books and move her away."


    Just as Liam finished his cold command in an iron tone, the head teacher of the international class stormed into the room carrying a stack of books.


    As soon as he entered, his eyes scanned through the class and landed directly on Liam.


    Maureen suddenly recalled the scene in her mind.


    The original storyline focuses more on Bianca, Smith Oliver and herself, with bits and pieces on Liam.


    However, Maureen remembers that in her previous life, just the day after Bianca was discharged from the hospital, the school flag pole noticed criticized a few students from the international class who rode in a motorbike wild race over the weekend.


    Of course, with Liam''s status, he couldn''t possibly be punished, so the list only carried names of insignificant students.


    But when the teacher walked in, she glanced straight at Liam, meaning this matter must have something to do with him.


    Just as she expected, the teacher walked toward them, face as stern as stone, and slapped down a stack of newspapers,


    "Liam, look at this mess you''ve caused!"


    The newspaper slammed down in front of Maureen, giving her a start.


    She took a glance and saw that A Middle School students made the news.


    She guessed the teacher''s bonus was probably all gone, no wonder she was furious.


    The class, majority of them seemed aware about the issue, fell silent, with no one daring to speak up.


    Liam hooked the chair with his foot and sat down resolutely.


    He casually picked up the newspaper to browse, and laughed,


    "Teacher Logan, it''s not the era of reading newspapers anymore."


    The teacher was fuming, the veins on her forehead throbbing,


    "You think no one can manage you? Now you go run thirty laps for me!


    If you don''t finish, I''ll do nothing but wait in the office for your parents!"


    The smirk on Liam''s lips faded.


    He was eyeing the teacher, just about to say something when Maureen suddenly stood up.


    "Um, can I run for him?"


    The international class went completely silent, and everyone was caught by surprise. The system said,


    "Exchanging labor for luck has the highest return ratio.


    If my calculation is correct, after you finish running, you should be able to grow at least three sprouts."


    Maureen''s eyes lit up with excitement, a bit dizzy from the happiness.


    Thirty laps add up to twelve kilometers, how much luck can she gain from this?!


    Her hand was shaking with excitement.


    Suddenly, gaining a pot of fortune energy doesn''t seem too challenging, she might actually be able to escape the fate of a tragic side character suffering from terminal illness!


    Everyone was thinking:


    Damn, is she that fond of him?


    There were not a few who approached Liam, but honestly speaking, there were not many women who truly liked their ''Liam''.


    They were just after either his money or his family name.


    Apart from these pursuits, the most they did was present love letters and chocolates.


    This was the first time anyone had taken it this far.


    They were all dumbfounded. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even Liam, who was seventeen years old, was encountering this for the first time in his life.


    He had encountered those who feared him, those who buttered up to him, and those who confessed their love to him, but very few had done anything genuine for him.


    Liam finally turned his head, giving Maureen a thorough look.


    The girl was slender and petite, her skin was pale like jade.


    The hand she raised was as delicate as a scallion, trembling ever so slightly¡ªshe was clearly terrified of the thirty laps, even her hand was shaking, but she stepped up.


    The Classroom teacher was near the end of his tether.


    His anger was suddenly redirected towards Maureen:


    "Good, you go and run.


    You''re not allowed back in class until you finish!"


    "Yes!" Maureen darted out like an arrow. ¡ª


    Was she so scared that the teacher would continue to punish Liam, was she so afraid the teacher would regret his decision that she immediately and without hesitation started running?


    Niel, seated in the last row, lifted his dropped jaw, snapped it shut, and stared dumbfounded, patting Liam on the back:


    "Liam, where on earth did you find such a girl who is¡ª"


    Unable to find the right adjective, Niel resorted to an old-fashioned phrase,


    "madly in love."


    Liam''s gaze fell on the window, on Maureen''s figure as she ran down the stairs.


    He tried hard to maintain his indifferent expression, but he couldn''t control the blush creeping up his ears.


    He lowered his gaze, licked his lips, suppressing his sense of pride and happiness.


    "Sheesh." He seemed very troubled.


    "It''s charisma, I can''t help it."


    "We can''t let her actually run the thirty laps, that would be a disaster for my reputation." He said leisurely.


    "Let''s have someone go to the gym and stop her."


    "News in the International Class always spread at a swift pace.


    Just as their class ended, students at the Gold Medal Class were informed.


    A boy burst into the room, shouting,


    "Bombshell news, Richard, you''re spared!


    I heard Smith Maureen has applied to transfer to the International Class!"


    Ever since Richard became a part of their class, everyone knew Smith Maureen as his most ardent suitor.


    Upon hearing the news, everyone swiveled in their seats to look at the source, faces expressing nothing short of astonishment. Richard:


    "How is that possible???" The boy continued,


    "And it seems she...she has shifted her target - she''s chasing Liam now. Folks from the International Class are saying she was punished by running laps because of Liam."


    "The air held its breath for five seconds. "What''s with Smith Maureen? Richard, is this some kind of prank?"


    Richard flat out refused to believe it.


    Even mentioning Liam - they''d never even met before.


    Aside from that, why would she transfer to the International Class?


    She worked hard to rank into the top five, opened up the opportunity to transfer classes, only to not transfer to the Gold Medal Class. Next month, getting into the top five won''t be as easy.


    "That''s none of your business."


    Richard had unfathomably turned towards the window during the conversation.


    There were no figures on the track; punishment by running was generally enforced in the indoor stadium.


    But when Richard looked his way, he quickly averted his gaze.


    His expression appeared colder and sterner than it had at any point before:


    "Go back to your own seats." ...

 Chapter 3: staying away from wicked family members

    Chapter 3: staying away from wicked family membersTwelve kilometers may sound a lot, but once you start running, it''s just a matter of your legs nearly breaking and your lungs nearly bursting.


    If it weren''t for a matter of life and death, Maureen wouldn''t know how she could be so determined.


    She ran round after round, sweat pouring from her body.


    A male student from the international class came over to take her place, but she ignored his offer.


    The guy ran back and relayed the event to his classmates.


    When class was over, the whole international class was buzzing.


    By the time it reached Liam''s ears, it had morphed into a story of how the new transfer student was running laps for him, willingly and cheerfully, while also wearing a smile of blissful hope.


    Liam had lived for seventeen years, when had he ever seen such a fierce and ostentatious pursuer?


    A small red bird in his heart stood tall and fluffed its feathers in satisfaction, but he maintained an extremely irritated exterior and slammed the desk, yelling,


    "Enough of this gossiping? Are all of you grown men so gossipy?" When Liam lashed out, the noisy classroom finally quieted down a bit.


    Drake had caught a cold these days and wasn''t attending school. Informed by a gossiping junior on the phone, he couldn''t stop laughing and coughing, he couldn''t resist calling Liam.


    "Impossible! Are you guys mistaken? Maybe the transfer student just needs a favor from you- You say she likes you?


    Hahaha, what could she possibly like about you?


    Your explosive temper and your sour face? Or perhaps, your bizarre hairstyle and a personality akin to a hound? Besides, apart from having a bit of a flush family..."


    "Shut your mouth if you can''t speak human language!"


    As expected, Liam was pissed.


    He hung up and tossed his phone into the desk drawer.


    Yes, it was amusing, and the transfer student was indeed a fierce player.


    But naturally, Liam didn''t truly believe that this transfer student was setting her sights on him.


    Eight out of ten times, it would be for the wealth. Grass, Liam kicked the chair beside him in frustration, intending to pay off the transfer student when she returned.


    On the other hand, after running thirty rounds, Maureen was on the verge of collapsing.


    She didn''t return to the classroom, instead, she went straight back to the dormitory, took a shower and went to bed.


    She woke up around half past eleven.


    As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw that her potted plant had indeed sprouted three complete tender shoots!


    They were shimmering green, swaying under the electric fan.


    Along with the tender sprout embryo that she had cultivated by sitting next to Liam and inhaling some luck, she now had approximately three-and-a-fifth sprouts.


    Maureen was so thrilled that she immediately climbed down from the top bunk and rushed to the bathroom to look in the mirror.


    On her fair left cheek, the slightly darker spot of skin had noticeably faded a great deal.


    Unless she looked closely in the mirror, it was almost imperceptible.


    Maureen: "At this rate, I''ll be able to take off my mask soon!" System: "Of course, all the misfortunes you''ve encountered are tied to your negative karma as the supporting female character.


    Once you absorb the positive karma, everything will go much smoother for you."


    Maureen felt a surge of excitement.


    As long as she worked hard, she could change the miserable fate of the evil supporting female character!


    Having run so many rounds and burned a lot of calories, Maureen was hungry.


    As she walked towards the canteen, she racked her brains, thinking about what she could do to absorb more karma in the shortest time.


    This Williams family''s young master was indeed ruthless and daunting.


    It was only because the class teacher had punished him with running laps today that he didn''t have the time to move her books away.


    If it wasn''t for this interruption, her textbook might have already been mercilessly discarded into the trash can.


    Maureen, however, wasn''t angry; after all, she was the one who needed assistance.


    She only felt a headache - what should she do to get closer to him?


    Maureen quickly thought of one of the things she excelled at, cooking.


    For the first fifteen years of her life, before she was found by the Smith family, she had always been the one to cook and tend to her grandmother.


    She often received some vegetables from the neighbors in the town''s street, then cooked delicious meals as a form of gratitude.


    As early as when she was seven or eight, people were already raving about her dishes.


    And for the past two years, having arrived in the Smith family, she often cooked several of her signature dishes to put on the dining table in order to assimilate more quickly.


    Mrs. Smith loved to nitpick, but she had nothing to say against the dishes Maureen cooked.


    As for Chris, not to mention, he always ate as though he couldn''t get enough, even sometimes pleading her to cook a few more dishes so he could take them to school for lunch the next day.


    It seemed that she would have to visit Josephine''s store to prepare ingredients after school today.


    With a plan in mind, Maureen''s steps became much livelier.


    The incident in the international class this morning also reached the ears of Bianca and her friend Ann.


    Chris came over from Class 1 to have lunch with Bianca and sat next to them.


    Upon hearing about the situation from Ann of Bianca class, the siblings, although surprised, didn''t think that Maureen was actually switching her affection to someone else.


    "What a joke, it''s well known that she likes Richard."


    Every time Richard comes to their house, she bolts down from the second floor all dressed up with sparkling eyes, it''s not like they haven''t seen that.


    "Are you deliberately trying to upset Richard?" Chris was messing with the food in his tray and struggling to swallow,


    "The canteen''s food is so bloody awful."


    Bianca picked up some meat from her own tray and passed it to him, slowly chewing while she sighed,


    "Maureen can be very childish sometimes, just like with this argument she''s having with Richard.


    Also, her sudden decision to leave home and stay at the school dorms, our mother is really worried--Chris, has she told you when she''s planning to come back?"


    "What does it matter to me? She can come back or not!"


    Chris retorted angrily,


    "How many times has she pulled this stunt?


    Didn''t she always come back in the end?"


    "Don''t be angry."


    Bianca advised,


    "You have the best relationship with her. Why don''t you try to convince her?


    If it doesn''t work, we''ll simply wait until she comes back and then clarify to her that my allergy has nothing to do with her."


    Chris replied annoyed, "I won''t bother this time.


    You shouldn''t either. I checked her wardrobe last night, all her clothes are there.


    Including those that mom bought for her, she hardly took anything.


    This clearly shows she doesn''t plan to stay at school for long.


    I won''t believe that she won''t come back shamefully after a few days!"


    Although he said all this, looking at the colorless food in the canteen''s tray, Chris felt deeply annoyed and upset.


    Before this, he either used to jump the school wall to eat out, or he''d eat the lunch box Maureen brought from home.


    Maureen''s cooking is really delicious.


    During the fourth period every morning, Chris would rush toward the canteen, longing for her delicious food.


    One could say that without Maureen''s lunch box, his day would be soulless.


    In the past, even if they quarreled at home or if Maureen had an argument with him - no matter how severe the quarrel was, she would always bring him a lunchbox.


    After their fights, they''d sit awkwardly and eat together, then by the end of the meal, all their irritation would vanish.


    But today, Maureen unusually didn''t show up! Chris kept looking out from the canteen in a barely noticeable way, but with the meal almost finished, he could not see a trace of Maureen!


    "Where has she gone?" Chris thought to himself.


    "Did something unexpected happen, or did she just forget to pack my lunch? Or maybe she remembered, but she''s so mad at me that she deliberately didn''t bring food?"


    This is very unusual! Chris felt an ache in his heart, his Spoon almost piercing through the plate.


    Ann was still laughing by his side:


    "Word has traveled to our Evergreen class that she''s running circles.


    Is she trying to get Richard''s attention?


    But the line of people trying to approach Richard has extended to the neighboring school, she definitely doesn''t stand a chance!


    If she wants to chase after Richard, she needs to at least be as attractive as Bianca, or even just as good-looking as Elizabeth from the school next school."


    "What nonsense are you babbling about?!"


    Unable to suppress his anger, Chris suddenly slammed his Spoon down:


    "You should take a good look at yourself first."


    Ann was taken aback for a moment, only then did she realize that she had spoken out of line. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although Chris and Maureen had an ordinary relationship, after all, he was still Maureen''s younger brother.


    "I''m sorry." Ann apologized quickly. Bianca also said,


    "Please don''t fuss about Maureen, let''s eat."


    Chris glared at Ann and stopped talking.


    However, Bianca couldn''t help but think of Maureen''s face. Ann hadn''t seen Maureen''s face when she had just arrived at the Smith household two years ago.


    She was far more beautiful than her.


    Bianca was more of an innocent and pitiful kind of beauty, a delicate and precious gem.


    Whereas, Maureen''s beauty was pure and extroverted, with her brightly stunning features.


    The day Maureen came to the Smith Family, the moment they saw her, nobody could take their eyes off her.


    In that moment, Bianca felt an unusual sense of crisis in her heart. Of course, all of these were ended by that burn from a year ago.


    Beauty was marked with scars, no longer flawless, which made Bianca feel somewhat balanced in her heart.


    Just as her thoughts were scattering, Chris''s voice suddenly came from her side: "Maureen?"


    Bianca and Ann turned their heads. Maureen was walking in from the main entrance of the cafeteria, still wearing a disposable mask.


    Chris guessed that she had been delayed because of running laps, so she didn''t come to the cafeteria.


    His gaze first landed on Maureen''s hands¡ªunusually, they were empty, with no lunch box.


    Chris suddenly felt a bit sullen in his heart.


    This was the first time that Maureen hadn''t brought him lunch after they had an argument.


    It seemed that Maureen was really quite upset this time.


    Chris was hesitating, wondering if he should apologize first.


    The things he said when Maureen left home yesterday were indeed quite harsh.


    The two of them always had the best relationship in the family.


    It was understandable that Maureen was angry because his tone was so aggressive yesterday.


    As he was hesitating, Maureen had already come near.


    Chris was an extremely stubborn boy, but he gritted his teeth, hardened his scalp, and still stood up. "


    Maureen, sister."


    He spoke out, "you---" But before he could finish his words, Maureen walked past him as if she had not seen him at all.


    Chris felt as if he had been hit by a sudden blow. He was stunned for a moment and couldn''t react.


    Then he turned around only to see Maureen ignoring him, heading towards the window.


    She took the plate of prepared food, and as she turned around, she met his surprised gaze.


    But she quickly averted her eyes, heading towards a corner of the room to sit alone.


    The expression on Chris''s face instantly froze.

 Chapter 4: Bianca was poisoned by her best friend

    Chapter 4: Bianca was poisoned by her best friendMaureen noticed the hesitation on Chris''s face, but she couldn''t be bothered.


    She''s a decisive person, it''s either all or nothing for her.


    She would give her all for something, but when the outcome is not proportional to her efforts, she would cut her losses immediately.


    Now, to her, everyone in the Smith family belonged to the ''losses'' that needed to be cut.


    Whether Chris could adapt was his own problem.


    She would not be like in her previous life, treating him like her own blood brother, even packing lunch for him in advance.


    After Maureen sat down, Josephine quickly brought her food, including two small desserts.


    He handed them to Maureen,


    "You made these last weekend at my family''s shop.


    Your cooking skills are brilliant, even my dad said they taste good!


    You haven''t even tried these two, so I saved them in ice for you to try today!"


    Seeing the food, Maureen''s appetite was triggered.


    She was about to rip open the package, but then she thought of something, and she put the lovely packing bag back,


    "I''ll take it back to the class and eat."


    "You tightwad, suit yourself," Josephine laughed.


    Maureen looked at her and couldn''t help but recall the fate of her friend Josephine in their previous life.


    Josephine, in the grand scheme of things, could be described as neither too big nor too small of a throwaway villain.


    Because of her fiery temper, and her tendency to side with Maureen and her extreme dislike for Bianca, she always ridiculed Bianca whenever she saw her.


    And then she''d end up being humiliated by Bianca and her entourage¡ªher face swollen from masking her humiliation and her family''s business declined, she had no more time to seek trouble with Bianca.


    Although it was better than her own tragic ending, but remembering the pitiful look of Uncle Michael a few years later with half his hair white, Maureen couldn''t bear it.


    "Has there been any problems with your dad''s business recently?"


    Josephine glanced at Maureen while chewing on her Spoon,


    "What problems could there be?


    Worry about yourself. You have a ton of your own issues. And, how is Bianca''s allergy doing?"


    Josephine''s family business encountered trouble only three years later when they hired a new sales manager.


    As of now, the person who would betray Josephine''s dad hadn''t shown up, and there wouldn''t be any major issues for the time being. But in this life, she will guard Josephine diligently, never letting any mishaps befall Josephine''s family.


    "I''ve moved out, I''m living at school now." "What the hell?


    Just because of this nonsense with Bianca''s allergy, your family throws you out? Who is the real child in your family?!"


    Josephine almost went ballistic.


    "Calm down!" Maureen quickly urged her to sit down.


    "I wasn''t thrown out, I moved out myself. Speaking of this, I need your help to find some ways to make money."


    Josephine got angrier.


    "Has the Smith family also cut off your financial support? That''s infuriating! Is this whole thing a self-directed drama from that cheap girl, Bianca?


    I despise her, but I wouldn''t intentionally cause her an allergic reaction... though the thought has crossed my mind."


    "It wasn''t her," Maureen replied.


    Bianca, the female lead, is blessed with natural luck, hence she doesn''t need to resort to any trickery to get what she wants.


    All the pampering naturally gravitates towards her.


    So, there was no need for her to scheme against Maureen.


    Without any evidence in her last life, the matter was dropped uneventfully, ending in a big fuss between Maureen and her family.


    Now in this life, having read the entire book, Maureen had a prime suspect in mind. "It could have been Ann."


    Josephine''s eyes widened.


    Ann is Bianca''s best friend. She always protected Bianca, standing at the forefront to antagonize Maureen.


    However, most of her disdain for Maureen was because she saw Maureen as a romantic rival.


    Last Friday, Maureen personally witnessed her giving Richard a drink at the basketball court, and realized that she also had a crush on Richard.


    "But that''s just my guess." Maureen replied,


    "So many people were coming in and out that day, it''s impossible to find any solid evidence now."


    "It must be her; she''s just jealous that you and Richard are childhood sweethearts,"


    Josephine said.


    "You should explain this to your family!"


    "They wouldn''t believe me even if I did, and even if they did believe, they''d still blame me."


    Maureen spoke helplessly,


    "You''re my friend, and this happened in your family''s store.


    It''s as if I deliberately caused it."


    Josephine was rendered speechless for a moment. Maureen was right.


    Even if they tried their best to clarify the matter, it wouldn''t help, because Maureen''s presence was a threat to Bianca.


    Everything she did seemed like an attempt to win favor.


    The crux of the issue was not who caused Bianca''s allergic reaction, or who was to blame. It was about the Smith family''s favoritism towards Bianca.


    Maureen was very upset in her previous life, but she doesn''t care in this life.


    On the other hand, Josephine felt so aggrieved that she lost her appetite and her face fell. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wait, I will definitely find a way to help you get to the bottom of this!


    Whoever is pulling strings behind your back, I''ll make her pay!" "Let''s eat first."


    Maureen regretted telling her so much and couldn''t help pinching her face.


    "You don''t need to bother about it anymore.


    I''ve decided to keep my distance from the Smith family now.


    If you want to help, find some ways for me to make money."


    Josephine, always in the loop and spending most of her time on forums, quickly pulled out her phone.


    "That''s the right question to ask me. I''ll send you a few links right away.


    You can check them during the break in the afternoon.


    There are opportunities for homework assistance, piano lessons, test aids, and more.


    A few days ago, a rich man posted a thread saying he caught a cold and needed a stand-in for his test.


    The offer was really high - eight thousand dollars."


    "That high?" Maureen was a bit surprised.


    If she could take up the job, her living expenses for the entire semester would be covered.


    She took a glance at the poster, whose ID was Handsome J, it sounded familiar, but she couldn''t recall who it was.


    Maureen was a diligent person, she had excellent grades, and had never ranked second when she was in the small northern town.


    But after being recognized by the Smith family and after becoming plagued with bad luck, she started encountering problems in every exam in her school.


    She either had a headache or diarrhea, and as a result, people saw her as a mediocre student, her grades were always middle of the pack in the first half of the year.


    She could only force herself to work harder, immersing herself in learning till late into the night.


    Only by getting stronger, could she finish the exam before a sudden stomachache interrupted.


    Through such perseverance, she managed to rank third among twenty-odd classes in the previous exam.


    The better her grades were, the higher the quotation she could get for ghostwriting or proxy exams, and to improve her grades faster, she had to put in more effort into accumulating good luck.


    This will certainly work! Maureen glanced at the seedling she had exchanged for with thirty circles, her determination burning brightly in her heart.


    After having a meal with Josephine, Maureen left.


    Not far behind her, members of the school competition team were sitting.


    Maureen''s voice had always been low, but Josephine occasionally uttered a few key words quite loudly.


    "It seems that something happened in Smith''s family last weekend.


    Ann from the Evergreen class caused Bianca to become allergic, and put the blame on Maureen.


    Lacking trust from her family, Maureen had an argument and has now moved out to live on campus."


    The people in the school competition team were all smart, and Richard was no exception, he quickly extracted some information from the girls'' conversation.


    No wonder he insisted on sitting in this corner with Richard.


    Even though Richard''s expression was cold, he didn''t refuse her, which was quite unusual to him.


    "So, now can you explain why Maureen transferred to the international class and made a threat to chase after someone surnamed Williams said that."


    Richard glanced at the retreating figure of Maureen, then turned to look at Richard, with a face full of interest,


    "she must be jealous of you and Ann!" Richard frowned,


    "Who is Ann?" Richard:


    "It was last Friday! On the basketball court! We finished the second game, and the girl who gave you a bottle of mineral water was there, and Maureen was right next to her at the time!"


    Richard searched his memory without any expression, and finally had some impression.


    He was thinking about something, his eyebrows and eyes became colder.


    A moment later, Richard said coldly,


    "She stuffed the mineral water into my hand, and then ran away.


    There was no trash can nearby. I can''t just litter."


    He paused, glanced at Smith Maureen''s figure, and wrongly explained, "And I didn''t drink it, I handed it over to you."


    Maureen most likely didn''t see the latter part. Coupled with the conflict with Ann, her love rival, over the weekend, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became, so she intentionally transferred to the international class."


    Richard stroked his chin and analyzed, finally sealing the deal,


    "That''s right, that''s definite, no one understands a woman''s mind better than me."


    Richard silently reflected for a moment. "It has nothing to do with me."


    He turned his gaze, his appearance unchanged,


    "Hurry up and eat, and go back to special training after eating."


    " Richard, aren''t you going to do something, what if she really stops chasing us in the future?"


    Ethan was a bit regretful. Every time Maureen came to look for Richard, she would bring all sorts of delicious treats, like homemade desserts and bento boxes, which tasted extraordinary.


    Even if they couldn''t taste it, just sniffing the aroma was good enough.


    Richard showed no reaction.


    Ethan looked up, only to see Richard''s face did not look so good.


    But it might just be his misconception.


    Because the next second, Richard returned to his usual aloofness:


    "Isn''t that just right?


    She should have been focusing on her studies long ago."

 Chapter 5: What does the transfer student look like?

    Chapter 5: What does the transfer student look like?Meanwhile, Maureen was entering the international class through the back door.


    It was still noon break, the air conditioner was blowing cool air, and not a single person in the entire classroom was sleeping; they were all watching her attentively.


    This class was divided into two types of people: Liam''s gang, and Liam''s followers.


    The classmates standing on the podium quickly stepped down, while those hunched over their desks straightened their backs.


    And Liam¡ªthe school tyrant himself, wearing his drowsy, explosively red hair, his neck adorned with silver noise-cancelling headphones, a skull necklace across his chest that was both arrogant and sophomoric, swept his gaze over to her.


    He sat on the desk, one foot resting on the chair, a leg raised, his eyes coldly fixed on her as she walked in.


    Over forty pairs of eyes in the classroom.


    The pressure on Maureen was enormous. She saw her books still piled on the desk next to Liam.


    No one had thrown her books into the stinky ditch, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief.


    She braved the pressure and walked over. Once she passed by, Maureen couldn''t help but take a deep breath.


    I''m sorry, the dry pine smell was too good, and she couldn''t control herself, taking a breath.


    Her acupuncture point instantly became clear.


    Huh? Liam''s gaze¡ªthree parts haughty, three parts cold, four parts ruthless¡ªnearly faltered.


    His followers claimed that this girl had charged over to smell him the first time they met, but he didn''t believe them.


    However, now that she was walking up to him and sniffing deeply, was she not inhaling his scent?


    What else could she be doing?!


    Before Liam had a chance to regain his cool, his ears turned angrily red,


    "What the hell do you want? Given that you ran thirty rounds for me, I can overlook your random seating by my side this morning.


    But that doesn''t mean I can tolerate you sitting next to me anymore!"


    "But there is no other place to sit in the classroom," Maureen pleaded gently,


    "There''s an empty spot next to you.


    If I don''t sit here, I''ll have to move my desk to the back and sit in a row by myself."


    With her mask on and her black medium-length hair tucked behind her ears, Maureen''s voice sounded a bit hollow.


    Liam''s gaze moved away from her slender eyelashes, subconsciously glanced around the classroom, and all his minions immediately sat upright.


    As expected, apart from the seat next to him, there was no way to squeeze another person in the classroom.


    Hold on¡ª "Why should I solve your problem?" Liam suddenly recognized, irritably saying, "It''s none of my business."


    Niel couldn''t help but tease Maureen:


    "Transfer student, you don''t necessarily have to sit next to Liam.


    Alas, you have already followed the same class, there will be plenty of time in the future."


    Saying this, two of the minions came to move Maureen''s desk away.


    Sitting elsewhere wouldn''t bring her close enough to the aura around Liam.


    There are some in the international class with a faint glow, but that is too weak, almost nil.


    And the second rank, Drake was said to have caught a cold and didn''t come.


    She couldn''t possibly resort to approaching Richard from the neighbouring class.


    Moreover, in her past life, she was the antagonist who liked Richard, so being in touch with the villain meant less prosperous fortune than Liam.


    In short, Liam was like a chilled watermelon on a summer day!


    "No, I''m sitting here!"


    Maureen quickly pressed her hand on the desk with much haste.


    Seeing the two boys were still trying to move it, she simply leaned over the desk, gripping it firmly.


    Everyone was taken aback by her initiative.


    When Maureen leaned over, her loose school uniform fell on her back, outlining her delicate figure.


    Liam felt himself breathe in a faint sweet scent.


    His ears immediately reddened, he jumped down from the table with a look of anger on his face, angrily cursing under his breath.


    He was being pestered by a girl shorter than him!


    Seeing Liam still glaring at her menacingly, Maureen hastily straightened up, handing over the dessert she was holding.


    "Well then, let''s make a deal, I''ll exchange these two pieces of dessert for the privilege to sit here, ok?"


    "If you still want to eat more, I can make it."


    "What''s in the plastic bag?" Liam disdainfully took it over and gave it a glance, only to have the soft, sweet aroma of the cake immediately reach his nose.


    Just smelling it told him it was delicious.


    And surprisingly, she even knew he liked sweets, making her seem more considerate than any other fishermen who cast their nets to pursue him.


    The fluffy golden tail behind Liam began to wag proudly.


    Niel, who was standing beside them, couldn''t help but swallow his saliva.


    "For an afternoon." Liam pushed away Niel''s head, held the dessert, raised his smooth chin, looking very smug and offending;


    like ''looking at you is me respecting you''.


    "I''ll take this, allowing you to have an afternoon class alongside me.


    But if you are sensible, you''ll actively swap seats with the class monitor because I don''t want to see you beside me tomorrow."


    Maureen inwardly wanted to kick his handsome red hair:


    "Trading two sweet treats for an afternoon, why don''t you commit extortion?"


    Liam chuckled and lazily took a sip of water,


    "What do you think?"


    The system reminded me,


    "If you send him a message unilaterally, regardless whether he replies or not, it will be classified in the text as ''making connections with this trendy person'', which could influence your luck."


    Immediately, Maureen said,


    "Two pieces of dessert for an afternoon, plus your Whatsapp contact."


    The entire international class gasped in astonishment.


    Bravo! The only warrior that Liam has really encountered in the last seventeen years! In front of so many people, she dared to ask for his contact directly! This girl is too bold!


    Liam nearly choked on his water.


    The redness spreading from his ears to his face was uncontrollable, saying,


    "I warn you not to harass me!"


    Maureen, who was indifferent, replied,


    "How about this, give me half of your Whatsapp QR code first, and we can swap the other half later?" Liam: "..."


    "Still no?" Maureen frowned,


    "Then one-fourth? Come on, you''re Williams of one meter eighty something.


    How can you be so stingy?"


    Liam: " Somehow, Liam was successfully persuaded by Maureen, and he let her scan his WhatsApp.


    Stupid beauty, Maureen got his WhatsApp and was satisfied.


    Liam''s face looked a bit sullen as he took out a bank card from his pocket and threw it in front of Maureen:


    "And this is your payment for running thirty laps."


    Running thirty laps was indeed exhausting.


    Since she couldn''t get someone to replace her, Liam didn''t let her run in vain.


    Maureen didn''t hesitate and accepted the money, why refuse the freebies?


    Plus, accepting this money adds a little more luck, right?


    However, she had no plans on spending this money.


    Even if she were to use it, she would use it on the guy next to her.


    Maureen stole a glance at Liam. He was tall and long-legged which seems to make sleeping on the table quite uncomfortable.


    She could very well use this money to buy him something.


    In this back and forth, isn''t it like garnering some ''fortune from mutual gift exchanges with fashionable people''?


    After collecting the money and scanning the WhatsApp QR code, Maureen cleaned up the table, sat down and got prepared for her nap.


    As an afterthought, she glanced at the potted plants.


    The harvest, as expected, was plentiful.


    The one that was previously missing had grown back, and there were now exactly four tender sprouts.


    This instantly brought an anticipatory and excited smile to Maureen''s face.


    From others'' point of view, she was finally able to naturally sit beside Liam after haggling, and her joyful eyes curved into crescent moons.


    "What a lovesick fool," people in the classroom sighed.


    Liam idly propped his chin on one hand, an arrogant smirk on his face.


    What could he do? It wasn''t his fault for being good-natured, handsome and wealthy.


    A phone beeped in his pocket.


    Liam put on his silver earphones to check.


    It was a message from Drake,


    "What does the transfer student really look like? Niel said she has been wearing a mask, like she''s hurt her face."


    Liam replied disinterestedly,


    "What could she possibly look like?


    If she can cover it with a mask, it can''t be anything remarkable, right?


    But do you think I care about appearance?"


    "Did you give her the money as you said you would?"


    "I did," Liam typed back with one hand,


    "I gave her1000 dollars cash. Unable to resist showing off, Liam sent another message,


    "She likes me so much, the joy on her face is completely uncontainable, tsk, I think she''s not here for my money."


    After sending this message, Liam glanced at Maureen.


    Maureen had taken off her school uniform jacket, revealing her graceful swan-like neck under her jet black medium length hair.


    She was wearing a thin knitted blouse, not a particularly eye-catching brand.


    While Liam was not entirely sure, he still boasted to his friend,


    "The transfer student is dressed modestly, definitely not someone who''s superficial about wealth." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Drake''s message came promptly in response,


    "Well, we''ll only know for sure when autumn ends.


    From childhood to adulthood, I haven''t seen anyone who chased after you because of you alone."


    Feeling like a thousand arrows piercing his heart. Liam''s face immediately darkened:


    "Get lost. You''re just jealous."


    That afternoon was undisturbed.


    During class, Liam was almost always sleeping, allowing Maureen to audaciously drain his energy.


    He looked as if his entire body was boneless, his complexion possessing a sickly white appearance.


    A faint red imprint was pressed out at the corner of his right eye.


    Upon waking, he would dazedly crawl up, pour out a few pills from a bottle of vitamins, then continue to lean on the desk.


    His hedgehog-like short red hair became considerably obedient while he was asleep.


    It seemed he detested noise as he never took off his noise-cancelling headphones.


    The entire class had long gotten used to this routine, all stepping lighter when passing by him.


    By the time Liam yawned awake, the elongated limousine from his home had arrived to pick him up; school was already over.


    Subconsciously, Liam glanced at the seat next to him.


    Seeing the seat empty, he frowned. The transfer student had left without a word at some point.


    Can''t he properly pursue someone anymore? Just then, Liam''s cell phone suddenly vibrated. He casually pulled it out to check.


    "[Your bank card ending with xxxx has just made a payment of 12000.00.]


    [Your bank card ending with xxxx has just made a payment of...] Like an avalanche, an overwhelming number of payment notifications popped up.


    The very same transfer student who had solemnly assured him in the afternoon that he was not materialistic, not in it for his money, in just such a short time, had already spent fifty-six thousand.


    "Liam''s expression soured instantly, feeling a sense of betrayal.


    He claimed not to care about his wealth, but this is clearly all about his money!

 Chapter 6: Isn’t Maureen planning to come back home?

    Chapter 6: Isn''t Maureen planning to come back home?"Isn''t Maureen planning on coming back yet?"


    Mrs. Smith asked, frowning at her family driver.


    Mrs. Smith''s feelings towards Maureen were complex.


    Although she rationally knew that this child was her biological daughter, the fact that she hadn''t seen her at all for the past fifteen years made things incredibly strange.


    Any sort of physical contact, such as hugs, felt awkward.


    Additionally, she had to take into consideration Bianca''s feelings, didn''t she?


    From a young age, Bianca''s health wasn''t good and she never fought for anything or anyone.


    If she found out that those around her were concerned about Maureen, who had just returned home, wouldn''t she feel abandoned?


    Hence, during these two years, Mrs. Smith had maintained a distance from Maureen that wasn''t close nor estranged.


    Nevertheless, no matter what, Maureen was her biological child, even if she rebelled, she wouldn''t ignore her completely.


    The driver locked the garage and shook his head, saying:


    "Today, when I went to pick them up, I only found Miss Bianca and Mr. Chris, but I did not see Miss Maureen at the school gate."


    "She has truly become rebellious; she hasn''t returned for two days now,"


    Mrs. Smith said, looking annoyed.


    The driver asked:


    "Should I go to school to look for her and bring her back after school tomorrow?"


    "Forget it, don''t bother," Mrs. Smith said, feeling a little vexed:


    "Didn''t I just scold her a bit?


    She''s so quick to run away from home, who has spoiled her like this?


    If she doesn''t want to come back, leave her be, do not proactively pick her up!


    Besides, she did not take much clothing or shoes with her, I don''t think she plans on staying at the school for long!"


    These were family matters that the driver couldn''t comment on.


    Mrs. Smith turned around and entered the house.


    Today, Bianca had a cultural activity in school and did not return home, Chris did not want to eat either, and was upset about something so he went straight to his room to play video games after he came home.


    Mrs. Smith ate a mediocre dinner alone, only noticing that it was missing Maureen''s special dish Fried french Rice and chicken chips .


    After dinner, while she sat on the sofa watching TV and missed Maureen''s shoulder massages, she felt a wave of irritation, and realized that their home seemed slightly empty.


    She couldn''t possibly degrade herself by asking about Maureen''s situation in school directly, so she couldn''t resist knocking on Chris''s door.


    "Did you see your sister at school today?


    Did you ask her when she''s had enough fun and plans on returning home?"


    "I didn''t see her.


    I''m in grade one. Why would I go to her grade three section?"


    Thinking about how Maureen ignored him at lunch in the cafeteria, Chris face stiffened with annoyance:


    "Mother, stop asking me, didn''t you drive her away from home with your harsh words?"


    Mrs. Smith was left speechless and had no choice but to leave.


    Once the sounds from outside the door had faded away, Chris turned off his game and opened WhatsApp.


    He couldn''t understand why Maureen was so angry this time ¡ª not only had she not packed lunch for him, but she also treated him like a stranger in school, not even sparing him a glance.


    What did this mean? Was she truly planning to run away from home and completely cut ties with them?


    Was the recent event really that severe?


    Was it not just about Bianca''s allergic reaction, where she was scolded a few times by the family?


    She didn''t say anything when she got burned last time.


    Additionally, he had already planned to apologize at noon, but she ignored him first.


    Wouldn''t it be humiliating if he sent her a WhatsApp message now, continually bowing his head in apology?


    However, what if she never comes home again or stops packing lunch for him in the future?


    Chris was too disturbed to eat dinner tonight. It simply felt so unusual.


    Chris contemplated, upon Maureen''s vacant room when he returned home today.


    He furrowed his eyebrows and ran his fingers through his hair.


    After typing and deleting several times, he finally closed his eyes, steeled his heart, and sent out a message.


    "Maureen, what''s the deal with you at noon?"


    As he sat on his bed with his legs crossed, he stifled his discontent about being the first one to back down, and waited to see how Maureen would reply.


    However, what he received was a shocking red exclamation mark.


    "..." [You are not yet her friend, please send a friend verification request first. You can chat after the other party verifies it.] "..."


    Chris was completely stunned and instinctively dialed Maureen''s number.


    But the busy tone came through almost immediately:


    "The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable."


    She blocked both his WhatsApp and phone number?


    Chris almost fell off the bed in surprise, his mouth agape as he stood there in shock.


    There were several seconds when Chris''s mind just went blank.


    Ever since Maureen had come to the Smith family, this was the first time such a thing had occurred.


    She had threatened to run away from home before, or insisted on going to a boarding school, but those attempts had mostly failed.


    She would usually return, her eyes rimmed red, after two days of being away--Chris knew that Maureen had no place to go after the grandma who had adopted her passed away in a small town in the north.


    But this time, she didn''t show any signs of wanting to come back.


    She even blocked Chris''s number.


    An idea quickly popped into Chris''s mind:


    Was he the only one blocked, or had she blocked the entire family?


    For some reason, recalling Maureen''s indifferent expression when she left gave Chris an indescribable, bad premonition.


    Just as he was pacing back and forth in his room, contemplating whether to discuss this matter with his older brother Oliver, he heard the sound of his brother returning downstairs.


    It seemed like there was a visitor; their mother was entertaining a guest.


    After a short while, there was a knock at his door:


    " Richard, has a matter to discuss with you. Madam wishes for you to come downstairs."


    Richard was the golden boy who had been winning competition gold medals since he was a boy, and he also had numerous novel robot inventions and awards from Go tournaments under his belt.


    Chris felt that he was cold and arrogant, and didn''t like him very much.


    However, he couldn''t help but notice that his parents were always very warm towards him.


    They''d even tried setting him up with Bianca previously, but after Maureen came back, the matchmaking naturally changed to Maureen and Richard instead.


    However, he didn''t often visit their home.


    Every time he did, he was as aloof as if someone owed him 8 million.


    What on earth was the issue today?


    If he didn''t go downstairs, his mother was bound to scold him tonight.


    Chris frowned.


    He had no choice but to set aside the fact that Maureen had blocked her for now, and went downstairs first.


    Josephine lived in the same villa area as the Smith family.


    Hence, when something happened at the Smith''s place at night, it quickly reached Maureen''s ears.


    Josephine sent a text:


    "I heard Richard went to your place tonight."


    Maureen was stunned, she and Chris had the same thought, Richard proactively going to Smith''s home¡ªwas the sun rising from the west?


    Josephine''s message popped up again:


    "Someone saw him looking at Ann in the Evergreen class after school.


    Do you think he might have pried some information from Ann, then went to your house to confirm to your parents that Bianca''s allergy has nothing to do with you?


    You might be able to clear your name!"


    "I don''t know." Maureen replied:


    "And right now, I don''t really care what the Smith family thinks of me."


    In her previous life, she ended up losing her sanity in a battle of wits with her family, trying to prove her innocence.


    But in this life, her mind is clear, as long as she can confirm that the allergy was related to Ann, actually, there should be various ways to prove this to the Smith family.


    Whether it be obtaining hospital surveillance or tricking Ann into admitting it on a voice recording.


    But the problem was, Maureen no longer cared what they thought of her, so she didn''t want to waste time on this.


    To her, the concern and trust of the Smith family is like a cake.


    In her previous life, she was stubbornly desiring it, but in this life, she felt it was already past its expiry date.


    She didn''t want it anymore.


    However, what could Richard be doing at the Smith family''s place?


    He couldn''t possibly be helping her out like Josephine guessed, could he?


    Maureen was in the middle of rinsing her hair when a call came in.


    She was unable to answer it at the time.


    After drying her hair, she discovered a missed call and a text message from her older brother, Oliver.


    She didn''t have much contact with Oliver, so much so that she even forgot to add him to her blacklist.


    " Richard just came over to our place.


    The incident about Bianca seems to be a mistake made by her friend. It appears that everyone was wrong to blame you.


    Big Brother apologizes to you."


    "But running away from home just because you''re a little wronged isn''t good, Maureen.


    Come back and let''s talk.


    Mom''s been restless these past few days, when are you going to come home?


    Big brother will pick you up." Seeing this belated apology, Maureen remained indifferent.


    She was just a little surprised. Josephine really did guess right.


    However, Maureen felt that it was quite normal after thinking about it.


    Although Richard didn''t like her and was always cold towards her, they''ve known each other for two years after all.


    They could be considered friends.


    And it''s not just her that Richard is cold to, he is aloof towards everyone.


    Prideful people never tolerate faults.


    Maybe he just decided to lend a hand after finding out she was staying on campus.


    Even though Richard''s effort was unnecessary, Maureen still felt grateful.


    Her teenage crush on him in her previous life was not in vain.


    Maureen sat on the edge of the bed and with a swipe of her finger, she deleted Oliver''s text.


    This time, she found and erased all Smith family''s phone numbers and Whatsapp contacts.


    The world felt tranquil. There is no way she would go home.


    Would she go back and repeat the same tragic ending from her past life?


    The fact that Bianca was the girl blessed with good luck never changed.


    If she didn''t seize the opportunity to turn defeat into victory, she''d likely not live past the age of twenty-three again.


    Oliver hadn''t received a call or a reply message from Maureen, and with a slightly guilty expression on his face, he said to his mother,


    "It''s already past ten o''clock at night.


    She may have gone to bed."


    The Smith family looked somewhat embarrassed.


    Furthermore, for Oliver, after sending Bianca to the hospital last weekend, they had directly scolded Maureen without knowing the full story.


    No wonder Maureen felt wronged, and it wasn''t surprising that she had stayed away from home for so long without returning.


    "No one in the family really blames her, we just had a word or two!


    Moreover, even if Bianca''s allergy was not her fault, why couldn''t she at least worry about Bianca who was still in the hospital ward, instead of picking fights with us?"


    Even though Mrs. Smith looked guilty, she still stubbornly insisted,


    "She''s still showing such a temper now, threatening to move into the dormitory after just a couple of remarks."


    Chris was a little exasperated, "Mom, can''t you just say less?"


    Oliver, on the other hand, helped her sit down. He said,


    "Maureen is just a child holding a grudge, we just need to coax her a little, and I''ll bring her back tomorrow.


    But after she comes back, you still need to apologize to her.


    You''re just being stubborn but soft-hearted." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mrs. Smith frowned and said,


    "Alright, this child really has the whole family fussing over her.


    We''ll talk more when she returns tomorrow."


    Meanwhile, Chris moved his lips but couldn''t utter a word, because Maureen had already blocked his contact with her.


    Was it still possible to bring her back - would she even return home tomorrow?


    He looked at his mother, with her guilty and resentful expression, and a thought sprouted in his mind.


    Why was Maureen blamed at first when it wasn''t her fault?


    And why, even after the situation was clarified by Richard, did their mother continue to hold Maureen responsible for not understanding the situation?


    What could he do, if this extreme bias was directed at him? Chris was just sixteen, he was startled by the realization the word brought.


    The sudden message from Oliver failed to ruin Maureen''s good mood at all.


    She had finished her homework and, looking at the fruit of her one-day efforts¨C¨Cfour neat little sprouts, she felt full of fighting spirit.


    She had spent a whole three classes sitting next to Liam in the afternoon, so in theory, she should have absorbed a significant amount of fortune, but the fifth tiny sprout had merely disturbed the soil a bit without any sign of sprouting.


    For some reason, she found that the fortune she absorbed by breath did not seem as strong as the first deep breath she took when she saw Liam.


    The system explained to her,


    "It''s the law of diminishing marginal utility.


    Your first appearance alongside Liam in the original text means ''the villainous lady met Liam and sat next to him.''


    This, to the readers of the original text, is a stimulus that could increase your fortune a bit.


    However, if you keep sitting next to him and breathing, the original text can''t possibly keep repeating this incident.


    The readers would accuse the author of dragging the story, so the fortune you can absorb becomes weaker."


    Feeling a little disheartened, Maureen asked,


    "Is it the same with other things?


    Do they all follow this law of diminishing marginal utility?"


    "Basically, yes." said the system,


    "Within a day, the effect of the same thing gets weaker each time."


    "It''s so hard to survive. We always have to innovate."


    Speaking of this, Maureen suddenly remembered that she had gotten Liam''s bank account details to buy things after school, but she hadn''t had the chance to text him.


    Feeling spirited, she put a charger on her phone after drying her hair and climbing into bed.


    On the other side, Liam, with damp red hair from a wash, lay on the swan velvet bed in the Williams mansion, coldly stared at the cell phone screen for a full two hours.


    He really underestimated the transfer student.


    She actually spent all his hundred thousand yuan at once.


    He didn''t care about the money, but the transfer student really couldn''t stand a test!


    Liam was angry, he couldn''t help but look up at the clock, rubbed his dry eyes, and continued to bury his head to stare at the cell phone. It was already eleven thirty.


    What was the transfer student doing?


    Why did she ask for his Whatsapp but didn''t send him any messages?


    Other ''sponsors'' got at least a


    "thank you" after their money was spent.


    "Why doesn''t he have anything?


    Even if he''s here for the money, can''t there be a little sincerity in pursuing someone?


    Suddenly, the phone vibrated once, and a message popped up in the Whatsapp dialogue page.


    Liam was startled and dropped the phone off the bed.


    He quickly rolled over to fetch it.


    The servant''s voice came from outside:


    "Young Master, are you alright?"


    "It''s fine, don''t come in."


    On this side, Maureen leaned against the head of the bed, thought for a moment, and sent a message:


    "Mr. Williams, you can just block me."


    After sending such a message, the other side didn''t reply, and Maureen didn''t expect a reply.


    She quickly glanced at the potted plant.


    Just as expected, the first time was always the most powerful, and a half sprout had sprouted directly.


    Maureen was instantly excited and sat up straight.


    The other side stayed quiet, but Maureen didn''t mind.


    She sent another message:


    "Good night."


    This time, the fifth plant grew by a quarter.


    "Oh, right," Maureen asked the system,


    "Does the length of the message have an impact?"


    The system replied,


    "I''m not sure, why don''t you try?"


    So Maureen randomly tapped on her phone keyboard and sent a message full of gibberish.


    This time, the fifth one only grew by one eighth."


    It seems that the length and content of the messages sent had no effect on the growth of the seedling.


    The only factor that had an impact was the number of messages sent.


    Liam, barefoot and holding a hanger, strained to retrieve his cell phone from underneath his bed.


    Upon opening the screen, he was greeted by this mess of unknown gibberish.


    What was this all about? It felt as if the transfer student was using him as a test account.


    After Maureen finished testing all the variables, she sent over another period symbol


    "This time, there was no change in the seedling.


    From these four tests, Maureen could fairly confirm that only the first three messages of each day had a growth effect on the seedling.


    From the fourth message onwards, the marginal effect decreased to zero.


    In that case, sending Liam three messages daily should suffice.


    After gaining a fair amount of sprouts, Maureen happily turned off her phone and went to bed.


    On the other end, Liam resisted the urge to flood her with a series of question marks.


    He had to maintain his cool.


    A cool and aloof school hunk won''t respond to the first five messages.


    He would only respond when the transfer student desperately sent the sixth one.


    But that night, Liam waited up all night, and the next message never came.


    Sporting two dark circles under his eyes, Liam stared at the jumbled texts on his screen, questioning the world.


    Could this be another strategy from the transfer student to attract his attention?


    A gold digger, after his money.


    He decided to block her the following day.

 Chapter 7: New day

    Chapter 7: New dayUpon waking the next morning, Maureen had no idea that her image in Williams''s heart had plummeted, almost synonymous to a con artist.


    After freshening up, she combed her hair while casually taking out her phone and sending Liam a single period:


    Liam, as always, did not reply. Looks like he really had her blocked.


    This was exactly what Maureen wanted.


    She was now at ease, knowing that she could send whatever she wanted in the future.


    And so, she brazenly sent two more periods to him.


    In this way, she had accomplished her mission of sending three WhatsApp messages for the day.


    Looking at her potted plant, Maureen noted that the spiritual energy it harvested from these three messages was less than yesterday''s.


    The fifth sprout had only grown a little bit. But as the saying goes,


    "even a mosquito''s leg is meat,"


    Maureen was already very satisfied.


    She took a look at the mark on the left side of her face in the mirror.


    It was now just a very faint speck.


    Having had a bad night''s sleep, Liam was in a foul mood that morning.


    As he sat in front of a window sipping his coffee, the servants dared not disturb him.


    His phone suddenly buzzed and his anger boiled as he saw the text from the transfer student.


    "." "." "." Three periods.


    Liam seriously wondered if he was surfing on a 0.2g network, otherwise why was he totally unable to figure out what the transfer student was sending, like some Morse code.


    He tried his best to ignore it, but he couldn''t help but open Google and start searching for


    "What do three periods represent?" He quickly found the answer.


    One of the answers was:


    Actually, in romantic love novels, there is a secret.


    Three periods symbolise


    ''I miss you'', ''I love you'', no need for a response.


    This is my secret, a secret that you will never know. ?


    Is that what the transfer student meant?


    Liam was doubtful.


    How creative.


    But no matter what she means, he didn''t plan on playing along with her anymore.


    Goodbye.


    So, when Maureen came into the international class with things she bought yesterday, she found that her desk and textbooks were moved to the last row.


    "..." Including her, the class originally had forty-two students, arranged into six rows and seven columns.


    But now, her desk was awkwardly placed at the back next to the water dispenser, forcibly becoming a seventh row.


    The seat arrangement of the entire class was messed up, making it look ugly beyond belief.


    Maureen never expected Liam to be so petty!


    Yesterday, she thought his comment about swapping treats in the afternoon was a joke.


    Surely, he wouldn''t actually forcefully kick her out the following day - but he was indeed that petty!


    Maureen stood on the spot, utterly stupefied.


    A yawning Niel walked over and said, "Liam always arrives late and leaves early, he hasn''t come yet.


    He probably guessed that you would not go to the teacher to change the seat today, so we moved your seat first.


    Also, today is your day on duty..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, Niel saw Maureen carrying the same transparent bag from yesterday.


    Inside the bag were desserts made from grapes that were completely different from yesterday''s.


    His eyes instantly lit up.


    "Since you can''t catch up with Liam, why don''t you give this to me? In return, I''ll take over your duties for the whole semester!"


    Maureen had already eaten breakfast, and she originally planned to give the desserts to Liam.


    But considering her seat had almost been moved to the garbage can, she suddenly didn''t feel like giving it anymore.


    "Then it''s for you. Chalkboard cleaning is up to you now."


    Niel accepted the dessert with both hands.


    His fondness for Maureen immediately went up and he became very amicable.


    "Transfer student! Bring me another one tomorrow and I''ll give you Liam''s home address!" S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Maureen asked the system.


    "Would the bud grow if I know Liam William''s home address?


    " System: "No, unless you can go to his house." Knowing she couldn''t enter the Williams house, Maureen no longer wanted to know Liam''s home address.


    She waved her hand and went to sit at the back, saying,


    "No need." Niel was stunned. What happened?


    Was she giving up on pursuing him so soon? Maureen opened her book, memorizing today''s lesson while contemplating whether to be insistent about returning to her previous seat.


    It was clear that every day, only the initial deep breath could help the bud grow, and inhaling around Liam had not done any good after that.


    This meant that there wasn''t a need to always sit with Liam; she just had to find a way to get close to him and take a breath.


    Should she encounter any dizzying situations later, being in the same class, she just needed to get over to Liam''s side promptly. Moreover, having Liam as a desk mate seemed to involve lots of troubles.


    His emo personality could cause her problems.


    Will there be more trouble ahead?


    Drake, who have 2% good luck, seemed absent because of a cold.


    She wondered if it would be easier to become desk mates with him.


    As Maureen was contemplating these matters, Liam, with a sulky look on his handsome face, entered from the back door of the class, headphones hung around his neck, and his hands stuffed in his pockets.


    He hadn''t slept well.


    His whole demeanor was sluggish.


    His red short hair, not having had time to dry, wasn''t as spiky as usual, but rather smooth, accentuating his fair skin and delicate features.


    His usual routine upon entering the classroom was to immediately lay on his desk to catch up on his sleep, but for some unexplainable reason, his eyes subconsciously fell on the seat next to his today ¨C which was now unoccupied.


    Liam remembered that he had asked someone to remove the transfer student''s seat.


    Pretending to be nonchalant, his gaze quickly shifted towards the last corner seat in the back.


    The transfer student was now silently reading at her new seat in the last row, unconcerned with the world around her.


    She didn''t even look up, her slender figure bathed in the glow of the early morning light through her school uniform.


    Liam seldom looked at girls; to him, everyone, boys or girls, were essentially genderless creatures.


    It was the first time that he was noticing that a girl''s figure was indeed much slimmer compared to a boy''s.


    Perhaps it was due to poverty and lack of decent food?


    Then, it seemed her approach towards him for money wasn''t entirely unforgivable. In any case, it was none of his business.


    Liam retrieved his gaze, his face clouded over with displeasure as he returned to his seat.


    As he walked past, he noticed that Niel was hunched over, hiding under his desk, eating something.


    "Didn''t finish your breakfast?"


    Liam walked over.


    Startled by his sudden appearance, Niel shrunk even further, dropping his head lower.


    Liam had a bad hunch.


    He reached out, grasped Niel by the nape of his neck, and jerked his head up like a shrimp.


    To his surprise, Liam saw the dessert Niel had hastily stuffed in his mouth and the similar transparent bag in his hand, identical to the one the transfer student had given him the previous day. He:


    " Liam''s face immediately darkened.


    He felt betrayed.


    Wasn''t the gold-digger woman supposed to be chasing him?


    Even if she were after his money, she shouldn''t shift her target midway.


    How could she be so...so...so capricious?!


    Just this morning she was sending him secretive messages, and as soon as they got to the classroom, she was gifting someone else desserts?!


    She is so frivolous!


    "Did you give her money?" He inquired. Niel, seeing the panda eyes of his Liam, quickly covered his head, shrinking like a tortoise, "No."


    "Did you talk to her?" Niel answered honestly, "Yes."


    "What did you talk about?"


    Niel explained, "I asked her if she wanted your address, she said she didn''t."


    "Liam felt like he could explode, his forehead seemingly covered with a headache.


    He kicked his chair harshly to vent some fury and sat down heavily, his suppressed rage finding no outlet.


    After calming down for a moment, he loosened his collar, put on his noise-canceling headphones, and dug out several bottles and jars from his desk.


    Just then, his right foot seemed to kick something.


    Annoyed, Liam looked down and found a box.


    What the hell is this? Liam kicked the box from underneath his desk to the wall with a dark face, then asked Niel,


    "Is this yours?"


    "No," Niel quickly replied.


    "I saw the transfer student hauling it over early in the morning."


    Seeing Liam''s gloomy expression, Niel quickly went to soothe his mood.


    He scuttled over and revealed opened the box, saying, "


    Liam, it might be a gift meant for you?"


    "Pah, no need. What would an ignorant country bumpkin like her send me?


    A box of potatoes?"


    Liam disdainfully answered, still he stole a glance at the box.


    Then he paused. There was a lot inside the box.


    An ergonomic chair designed for human comfort, which could avoid backaches and pains even after long hours of sleeping sprawled on the desk.


    Plus, there was a hand pillow, with an indentation at its center, specially designed for resting one''s head while sleeping on the table.


    There were also lavender aroma therapy products and a few bottles of eye drops tucked in the corner.


    No wonder, such a chair alone was worth tens of thousands of yuan.


    All these were bought for him!


    The expression on Liam''s face brightened up instantly. Niel and a few chamchas gathered around marvelling,


    "Girls truly are attentive.


    Liam, you have been sleeping in the classroom for the last three years and yet never thought to buy these."


    "What a bunch of girlish products."


    Liam forcefully restrained his gradually curving lips from smiling, but a blush still slowly crept up his ears, indicating his embarrassment.


    Niel began assembling the ergonomic chair from the box, intending to replace Liam''s previous hard chair and planning to sit on it right away,


    " Liam, let me try it out for you."


    Liam grabbed him by the back of his clothes and swiftly hoisted him up, "I''ll chop your ass off!"


    Feeling a sudden cold hit his bum, Niel hastily dodged away.


    Liam sat down, not feeling much of a difference from sitting on a hard chair. However, he believed it must be good since the transfer student chose it for him.


    Then he started checking the rest of the hand pillow and the other items, one by one.


    Throughout the process, Liam maintained a stern expression as though he was a leading figure conducting a tour.


    However, on the inside, he felt tender, as though he had eaten a soft boiled egg.


    No one had ever been so thoughtful to him before.


    Liam had fully forgiven the transfer student for behaving outrageously by sending desserts to Niel that day.


    Moreover, he now thought that it wouldn''t be a problem to have her as his desk mate.


    Thinking about this, Liam glanced at Maureen.


    However, Maureen was not looking at him.


    After confirming that he had opened the gift, she began to pay attention to her potted plants.


    As she had suspected, the first time Maureen gave a gift to Liam, the seedlings grew rapidly.


    Within a few seconds, the total number had already become seven.


    Maureen cheerfully asked the system,


    "How many seedlings can this pot grow in total? "


    "Nine hundred and ninety-nine," the system responded, seeing Maureen''s impending collapse, the system hurriedly added:


    "But generally, when you have planted five hundred, your villainous fate will be eliminated. If you continue to plant, your fortune will even surpass Bianca''s."


    Only then did Maureen slightly regain her gusto.


    Liam kept waiting for the transfer student to glance at him or persistently requested to sit back, so he could smoothly let her.


    However, after a whole class, she did not look at him once. Liam,


    "Liam imagined the entire class:


    The transfer student came to him cheerfully in the morning to give him a gift, but then her joy was dampened when she saw that he had moved her desk, chair, and notebook to the corner.


    He realized that he might have hurt her feelings.


    The international class witnessed with astonishment that the heir of the Williams family, for the first time in three years, did not sleep on the desk during the first class, but watched a girl for the whole period.


    A wonder in School A had just occurred.

 Chapter 8: Lunch Break

    Chapter 8: Lunch BreakWhen those boys moved Maureen''s desk, they were clumsy and messed up all the books on the table.


    During the lunch break, Maureen tidied up and suddenly found two clean, minimalist deep-blue notebooks from the pile of books, completely different in style from her colorful ones.


    Opening them, the handwriting inside was elegant and the steps to solve problems were so simple that they were clearer than the answers.


    It wasn''t her handwriting.


    Stunned for a moment, Maureen realized they were Richard''s.


    She had liked him before and always had the audacity to go to Richard''s class every Tuesday, under the pretext of borrowing and returning his notes. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    These must be the notebooks she borrowed from him last Tuesday, which were still with her now.


    In this life, Maureen didn''t want to have any contact with Richard anymore, so she didn''t want to return them herself.


    She sent a text message to Josephine, asking him to do her a favor.


    Then, Maureen leaned over, writing a note with her beautiful handwriting:


    "Thank you for helping with your note book."


    She prepared to clip it into the notebook.


    But with a pause of her finger, she thought that it seemed unnecessary.


    Richard might have done it casually, but if she took it so seriously, it might make him misunderstand that she was shamelessly begging again.


    Besides, she had sent so many delicious foods to Richard and his friends before.


    He had helped her this time, so they should be even.


    Thinking this way, Maureen crumpled the note into a ball and threw it into the trash can.


    ==========


    Liam stared at Maureen all morning, yet she never said anything about moving back.


    He could not help but feel somewhat annoyed and a little wronged.


    Seeing that there was no one in the corner at noon, Liam took off his headphones and summoned a junior student over:


    "Where''s the transfer student?"


    The junior student said,


    "I think she went to find her friends from her old class."


    Liam paused for a moment, then called for Niel who was playing basketball on the playground.


    He leaned against the wall, flipping through a book. His red hair exploded again as he casually spun a pen in his hand.


    Lazily, he asked Niel,


    "Can you find out who was the friend of the transfer student before she came here, what her preferences are ¡ª in short, can you gather every little detail?"


    Niel, drenched in sweat and holding a basketball, was greatly surprised.


    This was the first time in three years that he saw Liam inquire about a girl.


    "Liam, you wouldn''t-"


    Niel couldn''t help but lean in and ask softly, "Do you really have a crush on her?"


    "Get lost."


    Liam, disgusted by his sweat, grabbed his collar and pushed him away, raising an eyebrow:


    "Crush my ass.


    The International class always had forty one people, now suddenly there is one more. Of course, I want to know her background.


    Who knows if she will turn out to be a mole sent from the other side, accidentally seizing my weakness and dividing my properties."


    Niel thought for a moment, and said, "I''ll ask around then."


    Having said that, Niel stole a glance at Liam, not knowing whether to share a piece of information he knew.


    Just now, while he was playing basketball with the gold medal class, he heard that the one who had chased Richard in a flamboyant fashion was indeed the transfer student that had recently joined their class ¡ª although, it was yet to be verified.


    But if this was indeed true, whether the transfer student was genuinely pursuing Liam or simply playing, and in reality, aiming to make Richard from the class next door jealous, it remained to be seen.


    As the heir to the Williams family, Liam was superior to everyone.


    He spent his days lazily sleeping at school, never concerning himself with this kind of gossip.


    Even the nickname "Bad boy R" earned by Richard for securing eight gold medals in eight competitions within two years, was like a tickle to him, not worth remembering.


    Naturally, he had never heard of the transfer student''s previous dealings with Richard.


    Liam nodded, then lowered his head again to read, unconcerned:


    "That''s it, you can leave.


    Just gather some information casually, and don''t let the transfer student or anyone else discover."


    Niel couldn''t help but remember: "


    Liam, your book is upside down."


    Liam flicked his book upward,


    "Get lost."


    ==================


    After school at noon, Richard stayed in his seat, his brows and eyes stern, continuing to tinker with his circuit board.


    Richard had his own operation room at school, but some of the smaller parts needed immediate attention, so he often worked on them in class.


    He was a tad obsessive about cleanliness, so the components on his desk were neatly arranged.


    Because they were so small and delicate, others were afraid of brushing them off; thus, not many people approached his seat.


    Ethan returned after playing basketball and called him to lunch from across the aisle. "You go ahead."


    After saying that, Richard glanced at his watch subconsciously.


    It was already half past twelve.


    He frowned almost imperceptibly.


    " Bad boy T, do you want me to bring you back something?" Ethan asked.


    "No need, you go ahead."


    "Okay."


    Ethan scratched his head and headed out of the classroom with the basketball.


    He had been playing basketball today with a few people from the international class.


    They couldn''t help but gossip about Maureen''s recent situation in the international class.


    Most had assumed that Maureen, going into a class filled with rich slackers, would face a certain degree of resistance.


    What they didn''t expect was that Maureen played her cards well.


    Right from the start, he was running errands and giving gifts to the class''s leading figure.


    This resulted in the international class being quite friendly towards Maureen.


    He wasn''t sure whether he should tell Richard what he''d heard today.


    As he left the classroom with his basketball, he saw Josephine walking over with a notebook in hand.


    Because of Smith Maureen, they were all acquainted, so Ethan amiably greeted her.


    However, since Josephine did not like Richard, she just glared at Ethan and turned his head away.


    Josephine stepped in to hand over the two notebooks to Richard, then turned to leave.


    Richard''s hands are still, a slight change in his expression,


    "Why did you bring them?"


    Without turning back, Josephine replied,


    "Maureen finished reading your notes and lent them to me.


    I just brought them with me, is there a problem?"


    At this, Richard''s brows furrowed immediately.


    Josephine turned back, looking at Richard with a touch of surprise.


    In the past, Richard had been loath to tutor Maureen, as if someone had desecrated his ancestral grave.


    Josephine didn''t like the high-and-mighty, untouchable air about him.


    It was only after Oliver intervened, that Richard agreed to lend Maureen his notebooks every Tuesday.


    Now, with the absence of the annoyingly persistent Maureen, shouldn''t Richard be elated?


    Why did he have an icy expression again, as if someone had offended him?


    However, Josephine didn''t think much of it and left after finishing her task.


    Ethan, who was in the corridor, was flabbergasted.


    Previously, Maureen treated Richard''s belongings as priceless treasures, not even allowing others to touch them, let alone lend them out!


    Moreover, even if Josephine was her good friend and she decided to lend the notes to her, there''s no way she would miss her legitimate chance to see Richard every Tuesday! What was going on?


    Could jealousy make a girl act this oddly?


    Also, with the issue concerning Maureen, didn''t Richard go to the Smith family the previous night, thereby helping Maureen?


    Ethan glanced at the wall clock, then at Richard''s pained expression.


    Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind:


    Could it be that Richard was waiting for Maureen today, hence he didn''t go to the cafeteria?


    He found the thought utterly spine-chilling and quickly discarded it from his mind.


    Ethan put down the basketball and walked back,


    "Did you bring back the laptop?"


    Richard ignored him and nonchalantly shoved the laptop into the desk, his face visibly stern.


    Ethan couldn''t resist mentioning what he heard on the basketball court.


    "I heard that Maureen bought a lot of items for Liam of the International Class today.


    High-tech ergonomic chairs, hand pillows and whatnot - she''s really leaving no stone unturned. Richard, is she doing this on purpose?


    She must have known that news about the International Class would reach your ears within a day."


    "Is she trying to provoke you into going after her?"


    Richard replied coldly,


    "Why should I make the first move?


    I don''t even like her."


    "Exactly. I''ve been praying for her not to bother you!" exclaimed Ethan.


    "Even though her desserts and homemade lunches are delicious, they are seriously hindering your future plans.


    So, I really don''t want her to come!"


    He wasn''t sure if it was just his imagination, but he noticed Richard''s face darken a little more after he finished speaking.


    Without uttering a word, Richard packed up the stuff on his desk and left the classroom in silence.

 Chapter 9: Being Ignored

    Chapter 9: Being IgnoredMaureen left the school gate at noon.


    The content of lessons in international class differed from normal classes, with a lot of bilingual education, prompting her to buy some reference books.


    Having paid, she turned around and to her surprise, she noticed Chris hanging out with a few punks donned with ear piercings who didn''t appear to be good students from other schools, huddling their shoulders as they headed to an internet caf¨¦ across the street.


    At this hour, are they ditching school again for the caf¨¦?


    The whole gang noticed Maureen as soon as Chris turned around.


    "Isn''t that your sister in the mask?"


    A blondie in Chris''s group scowled,


    "Is she here to block you again?


    Damn, why is your family always up to something?"


    Before this, Maureen had caught them skipping school a few times, and each time, she had dragged Chris back to school.


    The blondie and the other gang members were close to recognizing her.


    "You better leave quickly before your sister spots us and¡ª"


    The blondie left his sentence hanging in the air upon noticing Maureen across the street has already looked away.


    To their astonishment, she made a turn and directly walked off carrying a plastic bag full of reference books.


    Wait, she just left?? The blondie and the rest of the people around Chris were stunned.


    "Incredible! Your sister changed her mind today?


    She clearly saw us but didn''t approach us?!"


    "Let''s go, let''s head in and have fun while your sister is in a good mood today and choose to give us a pass."


    However, Chris stayed stiff in his place, staring at Maureen''s retreating figure, his mind buzzing.


    Maureen saw him messing around with these punks and just walked away indifferently?!


    Could it be?! He couldn''t believe it; this situation was even more shocking than being blocked!


    How had she disciplined him in the past?


    Like iron filings drawn to a magnet, she took umbrage whenever she saw him mingling with those reprobates, immediately whisking him back to school.


    But why this change today?


    Even if they were at odds with the family, shouldn''t she treat him like a complete stranger like she currently was?


    Chris used to hate Maureen''s intervention, even ridiculing that she was acting as if she were his sister.


    However, now that she was indeed turning a blind eye to him, he somehow felt inexplicably aggravated.


    As if he was on the brink of losing something.


    "You guys go ahead first, I have some business to attend to."


    "What urgent business could you have?


    Don''t tell me you''re planning to stand us up at this point?"


    Loe voiced his discontent.


    Chris, catching sight of Maureen''s silhouette about to disappear from his line of sight, flung away Leo''s arm that coiled around his neck, ignored Leo''s ensuing look of displeasure, and hurriedly chased after her. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Maureen was walking very fast.


    Chasing her, Chris was panting heavily.


    Only when they were almost under the Senior


    Three buildings did he halt her.


    " Maureen!" Panting heavily while holding onto his knee, Chris stopped in front of her,


    "Sister, when will you finally calm down?


    Big brother said he''s already sent you a text apologizing.


    Isn''t it enough when someone like big brother has already made his apology?


    I know that this time the family wronged you, but you can''t always stay in the school, where will you go during holidays?"


    Maureen knew she had nowhere to go.


    But even so, she wouldn''t go back.


    "You''re stopping me just to talk about this?


    I have somewhere to go, thank you.


    I don''t need you to worry about me;


    I''m going upstairs."


    Maureen turned around to leave, leaving a frustrated Chris.


    He knew they had wronged Maureen this time, and her anger was justified.


    So he tried hard to control his temper, followed her to the foot of the stairs, and softened his voice:


    "Sis, I''m begging you, don''t be angry with us anymore.


    Mom is just that way with words, always coming at you aggressively, but she still cares about you¡ªI apologize as well.


    I was too harsh the day you left home."


    "We are family, there''s no problem that can''t be resolved.


    There''s no need to keep feuding over such small issues."


    As Chris spoke, he felt aggrieved himself, and started to whine:


    "You''re giving me the cold shoulder just over this minor issue?


    You''ve blocked me out, you looked at me just now as if you didn''t even see me, right?"


    Maureen silently looked at the grass by the wall of the teaching building, wondering what constitutes a small issue and what is a big one.


    Why does everyone in the Smith family keep saying,


    "It''s just a small issue"?


    When she first went to the Smith''s, a light touch on Bianca''s piano had led to Mike, her second elder brother, rushing in to scold her, telling this bumpkin not to touch his things.


    Were these just minor issues?


    But she didn''t want to delve into who was right or wrong, who was biased or fair anymore.


    Maureen decided to make her stance clear, she turned around and looked at Chris:


    "I''m not feuding with you."


    Chris breathed a sigh of relief,


    "Then you''re coming home¡ª"


    "I don''t plan on going back ever again."


    Chris was startled.


    "Before I came here two years ago, your family was doing pretty well.


    But then I came, which was superfluous and unnecessary,"


    she confessed.


    Chris was completely taken aback, his eyes wide,


    "What do you mean?"


    "What I''m saying is, stop seeking me out.


    I wish to draw a line here and return to the way things were before."


    Maureen glances down, calculating in her heart a specific number.


    "In these past two years, your family has spent some money on me, including tuition, approximating to around 130,000."


    "Indeed, I''m not financially able to repay all at once right now.


    But after finishing high school, I will pay back gradually.


    After all, I''ve cooked meals for your family for the past two years, which could be considered as repaying the favor of bringing me up.


    Apart from that, I don''t owe anything else." She needs to spend her time altering her own fate.


    She really doesn''t have the time to keep up with the constant wrangling with the Smith family.


    "So, I''d appreciate it if you could please pass this message to your family, and ask them to give me some time.


    Stop coming every day to collect debts."


    Chris had never imagined Maureen would think this way.


    For a moment, he couldn''t figure out whether Maureen was speaking in jest or seriously.


    Chris was left dumbfounded. After a long pause.


    "What''s all this talk about owing debts?


    You''re part of our family.


    We finally found you after so much effort. Who''s asking you to repay?"


    His eyes were red with anger. Maureen wordlessly watched Chris, unable to explain to him the matters of her previous life.


    Nor did she have the inclination to bicker with him.


    "Please deliver my message."


    Having said her piece, Maureen turned and went upstairs.


    Chris''s mind was filled with absurdity.


    On the one hand, he comforted himself viciously, telling himself that what Maureen had said was merely out of anger, it didn''t matter if she returned or not.


    If she didn''t, who cared?


    When she realized that everyone was ignoring her, she would certainly come back with swollen eyes from crying.


    On the other hand, looking at Maureen''s cold departing figure, and thinking of how she had stopped caring about him moments ago outside the school, panic surged in his heart¡ª


    What if what Maureen said was true?


    Chris had never considered that Maureen would really leave this home and never return.


    The sun was too harsh, Chris stood blankly for a moment.


    Realizing it was almost time for class, he turned and headed towards the freshman area.


    =========


    Not long ago, he and Maureen were standing under the teaching building when Bianca, who was on her way to the field for physical education, saw them.


    She thought he was shouting at Maureen.


    Only when she approached did she realize that they were not arguing, and Chris even had a frustrated look on his face, his eyes red.


    It looked like he was the one who had been dumped by Maureen.


    "What happened, did you talk to Maureen?


    What did you guys say?"


    Bianca casually called over a boy and handed him the gear she was carrying.


    Chris glanced at Bianca.


    "Maureen said ¡ª¡ª" Chris paused in mid-sentence, and didn''t continue.


    Was he actually going to relay the blow-off words of Maureen?


    What if their mother got angry after hearing them and exacerbated the family conflict?


    Plus, maybe Maureen might change her mind later?


    "Forget it, it''s nothing," he dismissed. Bianca frowned slightly.


    She was confused.


    All she did last night was go to a party.


    When she returned, everyone in the family seemed to owe Maureen something.


    After careful inquiry, she found out that it was Ann who caused her allergy, not related to Maureen at all.


    It seemed that Maureen had successfully made everyone feel sympathetic and guilty towards her through this incident.


    "You guys can''t tell me anything now, huh?"


    Bianca joked half-seriously,


    "You guys have secrets from me now?"


    The tension between her and Ann today was palpable, but Chris hadn''t asked her about it.


    She didn''t like this feeling, where everyone''s attention had been diverted.


    "I said, it''s nothing, stop asking, it''s really annoying," Chris muttered irritably, then strode towards the upper grades.


    He was too upset at the moment to answer Bianca''s queries.


    Bianca stared at his retreating figure, standing in disbelief.


    Since childhood, Chris would always play with her, following her around like a shadow.


    Whenever she said one, he would never dare to counter with two.


    It was the same at school.


    As soon as Chris heard any rustling about someone bullying her, he would immediately fly into a rage.


    But now, did Chris really call her annoying because of Maureen?


    ==========


    Maureen rubbed her forehead, thinking she had made things quite clear to Chris.


    Given the identical arrogance of the Smith family, they probably wouldn''t come looking for her in a short while.


    As she carried her book bag up the stairs, her initial plan was to return to class quickly so that she could rest a bit more on her desk.


    Yet, right at the staircase''s entrance, she saw Elizabeth and Richard.


    Was she really having such an ill-fated afternoon?


    She seemed to bump into the people she least wanted to see.


    Elizabeth was the renowned school beauty and top student from the neighboring public middle school, known for her ballet skills.


    She had once participated in a competition together with Richard.


    The two of them were standing face to face, with Richard looking down as he accepted some forms from Elizabeth.


    Maureen responded immediately, it must have been about the upcoming Inter-School Competition.


    The competition was held once a year, and each school only had twenty entries.


    The leading teachers usually chose students from the top classes and the evergreen classes to participate.


    If necessary, they would also select a few students from the international class who were particularly good in English.


    To be honest, Maureen also wanted to participate and try her luck.


    After all, if she made it into the top twenty percent, High School A would give her a small cash reward.


    She was in desperate need of money presently and figured it would be nice to have a fair competition with so many outstanding students.


    However, she had only just transferred classes, so she understood it was unlikely that the opportunity would fall to her.


    Love rivals, when they meet, are prone to jealousy.


    Elizabeth spotted her immediately, causing her eyebrows to slightly furrow.


    Without guessing, from Elizabeth''s look, she was sure that she suspected her class transfer to this building was because of Richard.


    Richard''s gaze is just about to follow Elizabeth''s.


    Suddenly, Elizabeth took a step closer, lightly rested her hand on Richard''s arm and smiled


    " Richard, can you give me some hints about who your class is going to send to participate this year?


    Richard immediately pushed her off, quickly stepping back, his brows furrowing.


    He instinctively looked towards Smith Maureen at the entrance of the staircase.


    However, Maureen didn''t spare them a glance.


    She briskly walked past them, her head down, heading toward the international class.


    Because she was wearing a mask, Richard couldn''t even clearly see her expression.


    Maureen was about to reach the door of the international class when she let out a sigh of relief.


    "Oh my, that was really awkward." It seems she should use the staircase from the other side to go upstairs in the future.


    Just before she could walk in, she was stopped by Richard who was a few steps away.


    "Maureen." Richard''s tone was as cold as ever.


    He had just helped her yesterday, so Maureen had to turn around, showing a smile that was awkward yet polite:


    "You may continue." Richard was taken aback.


    A fire unknowingly lit in his heart.


    Seeing that he had nothing to say, Maureen thought he was just greeting her ¨C but it was as if the sun had risen from the west, Richard would actually take the initiative to greet her on the road.


    "Then I''ll go in first."


    She turned around and was about to enter the classroom.


    Richard watched her back, and suddenly spoke again:


    "Don''t let Josephine send notes."


    Maureen was confused, "What''s wrong with Josephine?"


    Richard had one hand in his pocket, holding the registration form in the other, staring at her coldly, "


    she''s your friend, not your errand girl!" Maureen didn''t know why Richard disliked her this much.


    Even though she had been pursuing him all this while, she didn''t think she had done anything extremely offensive.


    Hence, she could only answer in a low voice: "Understood."


    After a brief pause, Maureen thought for a moment before stating,


    "But I won''t need to borrow your notes afterward." Richard frowned,


    "The international class''s progress is different from that of the regular class.


    Are you sure you can keep up?"


    Maureen replied, "I could borrow from friends in the international class.


    Besides, the progress of your honor class and the international class differs too.


    Anyway, you can relax, I won''t bother you every Tuesday."


    She had thought that after saying this, Richard would feel relieved as if a burden had been dismissed.


    However, for some reason, Richard was staring at her intently.


    Maureen: ? For no apparent reason, she felt the surrounding atmosphere stiffen.


    Richard''s expression turned cold and somewhat frightening, he scoffed,


    "International class friends? Liam?"


    Richard was tempted to crack open Maureen''s skull to see what she was thinking.


    Was she trying to make him jealous by flirting with another man?


    Had she considered what she would do if, after provoking someone like Liam, she couldn''t shake him off?


    "I won''t ask him," Maureen said with a puzzled look at Richard, "his grades aren''t good." Considering Williams''s performance, he would likely rank last.


    Had he even written a single word of notes in his three years of high school? Richard''s expression eased slightly.


    He handed a form to Maureen and said in a calm tone,


    "This is the application form for the All-School Tournament.


    Besides filling out your information, there are also some questions.


    You could fill it out and manage to give it to me by this Saturday.


    I''ll submit it, if you solve all the questions correctly, you have a chance of being selected to participate."


    Even after filling out this application, selection wasn''t guaranteed as the team''s teacher would have a final say.


    Maureen assumed she wouldn''t be able to go, but she didn''t reject the opportunity either.


    She took the form and said,


    "Thank you."


    Just as she was about to leave, Richard paused before saying in a detached tone,


    "This weekend, I can tutor you on the scope of the tournament at the library."


    This was undoubtedly the most shocking thing Maureen had heard today.


    She seriously doubted whether Richard had taken the wrong medicine.


    Before, whenever she insisted on going to the library together, Richard seemed to wish he could kill her with a glance.


    However, she quickly realized, could Richard know that she had argued with her family and moved out, and hence started to feel a little sympathy for her and planned to help her out for the first time?


    "No need," Maureen quickly said.


    She couldn''t accept Richard''s assistance.


    Richard''s face instantly turned ice-cold:


    "Suit yourself, all the better if you don''t show up, I am rather busy."


    Maureen watched Richard turn his back and leave without giving her and Elizabeth another glance.


    Only then did she feel that Richard was back to his senses.


    She took a deep breath and turned into the classroom.


    By the window, Niel looked at Liam always sticking out half of his head, staring at Maureen and Richard in the corridor, he couldn''t help urging, "Liam, stop staring, she''s coming in."


    Liam quickly sat down, pretending to be nonchalant by putting on his noise-cancelling headphones and reading a book without looking elsewhere.


    After two seconds, Maureen had already sat back in the last row of the seats, but she didn''t even glance in this direction - she didn''t approach him the whole day today.


    Liam felt every hair on his body stand up, eager to pick a fight but forced to hold back, he couldn''t help but throw the book:


    "Who was that transfer student talking to?


    An old friend?"


    Niel remembered the things he had heard during lunch.


    Swallowing his saliva, he dared not speak.


    A friend? The friend who had been entwined in countless scandalous rumors?


    If you knew, you might just be a tool being used to provoke someone''s jealousy, then what would be left of you?


    You might be the one to bring explosives to school tomorrow.

 Chapter 10: Feeling Guilty

    Chapter 10: Feeling GuiltyLiam, feeling guilty, dodged the question.


    "Liam, why don''t you have her desk brought back directly?"


    Liam''s eyebrow perked up warningly,


    Niel, oblivious to the danger, continued with his plan,


    "Or use a diversion tactic to pressure the class adviser into sitting you two closer together.


    Once she has moved closer to you, feign distress as if the teacher had forced it upon you.


    Doesn''t this then logically bring her back to you?


    No need to risk getting a sore neck from all the continuous glances, you might end up with a cervical spondylosis."


    Upon hearing the last sentence, Liam nearly threw a book at Niel,


    "It''s her who''s trying to soak me, not the other way around! Which eye of yours saw me wanting her to sit back with me?"


    Niel shrunk his neck defensively.


    And Liam erupted,


    "What ridiculous suggestions! When did I ever say I wanted to share a desk with her?


    Didn''t you notice that I had a good sleep when she left me alone the whole morning?!"


    "Right, right, right."


    Niel quickly agreed,"


    I wondered how Liam could fancy her so."


    Liam snorted disdainfully. Niel continued to flatter,


    "Pity, the transfer students do not know to cherish the privileges.


    They even dare to play hard to get with you."


    However, Liam''s brow furrowed, "What are you saying?" Niel: " Liam said,


    "I threw her desk away first thing in the morning, it''s only natural for her to feel upset.


    Don''t measure the heart of a young girl by your mean spirit, your ''playing hard to get'' comment sounds harsh."


    Niel: "----" Fine, it''s all his fault. Being a man is so difficult.


    The afternoon classes passed by in a blink of an eye.


    Today, there is evening self-study and the assignments assigned by each subject teacher have increased.


    Additionally, Maureen is busily replying to messages on the forum regarding proxy exam requests.


    Hence, for a while, she has no time to think of a way to get closer to Liam.


    She glanced at her potted plant which had no progress throughout the day and remained at seven seedlings.


    She felt a bit worried in her heart:


    "Liam dislikes me and doesn''t want to be my desk companion.


    Do you have any other methods that can increase luck at once?"


    Just helping with errands and delivering desserts, each time only two or three seedlings are grown.


    It''s too slow.


    When will it get there? The system said: "You''ve read novels, haven''t you?"


    Maureen: "I''ve read a lot." The system asked:


    "When reading novels, which part gives you the most pleasure?" sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Maureen thought for a while and said:


    "It''s natural when the male and female protagonists have physical contact."


    "That''s right." said the system,


    "By giving gifts and running errands for Liam, from the perspective of the original book''s readers, you are acting like his henchman.


    He might develop a bit of liking for you, but not too much - would you remember one of many assistants of a trendy character?


    That''s why by doing these, luck won''t increase much at once."


    "But - if you can have more contact with them and not just be trendy characters'' assistants, the amount of luck you get at once will be more."


    Maureen immediately understood: "So, physical contact with the people on the list can increase more luck?"


    The system:


    "Yes." Maureen didn''t feel well at once.


    Even when she just wanted to become Liam''s classmate, Liam showed a lot of reluctance.


    If she forcibly hugs him, she fears that she may not die from serious illness at the age of twenty-three, but under Liam''s punch at seventeen.


    The system coaxed, "Just give it a try, touch his skin, see how many sprouts will grow.


    If it''s just a touch without leaving a trace, he shouldn''t hit you."


    Maureen began to rack her brains, thinking about how she could touch Liam''s body as if nothing had happened.


    After going around in circles, it seems that she would still have to end up as Liam''s desk mate.


    Once they are desk mates, she could accidentally bump into Liam''s elbow, apologize, and no one would notice.


    =========


    It remains unclear whether Maureen''s strong desire to survive has reached the heavens.


    During the break of the second class, when the Classroom teacher saw her sitting alone in the back row, she was surprisingly called to the office and asked if she was adapting.


    Immediately seizing the opportunity, Maureen shook her head,


    "Not really, it''s too far away from the blackboard."


    Maureen spoke very little, her eyes were pitch black, and her hair was soft and obedient.


    The classroom teacher had a positive impression of her and asked,


    "So where do you want to move to?"


    Maureen hesitated, then said, "It seems like the only seat left is next to Liam."


    Mentioning this tyrant, the Classroom teacher''s brow furrowed enough to squash a fly,


    "If you want to be his desk mate, I advise you to keep sitting by yourself."


    However, Maureen firmly replied,


    "Just let me sit there.


    Liam is very good at English, he can help me... actually, he isn''t too bad as a person."


    The last sentence was very hard for Maureen to utter.


    Anyway, regardless of whether the Classroom teacher agreed or not, there was no harm in trying.


    =========


    Outside the door, Niel who had been eavesdropping with a group of people was stunned, and promptly ran back to the international class classroom.


    "Liam, the transfer student just requested to become your desk-mate!"


    One of his underlings imitated Maureen''s tone, plaintively saying to Williams Liam,


    "Let me sit there, Liam is not a bad person."


    "Scram, scram, scram."


    Liam was now fully awake, he picked up a book and threw it at them, hitting the blackboard with a crisp ''pop'' sound.


    The male student quickly dodged, and the whole class was filled with a lively atmosphere.


    Liam irritably ruffled his hair, wearing an expression of anger and resentment but unable to prevent the redness creeping up to his ears.


    What the hell is with the transfer student? How could she be so clingy?


    Wasn''t able to put up with it for a whole day.


    He hadn''t seen her make a move in the morning, so he thought she gave up, but then she secretly sought out the class teacher in the afternoon.


    She''s really clingy! Maureen returned from the office, and from a distance, she could hear the class making a fuss, but once she entered, it came to a sudden halt.


    More than forty pairs of eyes in the class were staring at her.


    What happened? The class teacher popped her head out from behind and said to Liam,


    "You get a few people to help Maureen move her seat back, don''t bully the transfer student.


    How is it proper to let a girl sit at the back all by herself?!"


    The class''s underlings all looked towards Liam.


    If Liam didn''t say anything, they wouldn''t dare to move.


    Liam crossed his arms, propping up his leg, stubbornly locking eyes with the class teacher, a disgruntled look on his face.


    He was feeling quite anxious¡ª What was wrong with these people, not listening to their Classroom teacher?


    The Classroom teacher was so annoyed that his head ached,


    "Move it now!" Still, no one moved. Liam:


    Liam put down his legs, stood up reluctantly with a frown, and mumbled grudgingly,


    "Just for the sake of our Classroom teacher, let''s move."


    Two of his followers immediately started to move the stuff. Seeing this, the Classroom teacher glared at Liam before turning around to leave with his teaching materials.


    Soon after, Maureen, holding her books, followed from behind and sat back next to Liam.


    =========


    Because the class had started, the inexplicably noisy atmosphere in the class also had to quiet down.


    Maureen sneaked a glance at Liam.


    Liam continued to lie on the desk with his jacket, wearing noise-canceling headphones, his head buried in his arm.


    His facial expression was not clear, but his ears were very red, almost as red as his rebellious red hair¡ªMaureen guessed he was angry.


    Having been forced to sit together, he must be pissed.


    She speculated that because of this incident, Liam might dislike her even more, which could affect her approach to him in the future. Therefore, she wrote a note.


    "Sorry, it''s arranged by our Classroom teacher, I didn''t know about it in advance."


    Maureen used a bit of cunning.


    From the corner of his arm, Liam slightly lifted his gaze only to see that delicate white hand pressing on the note, gingerly pushing it his way, then immediately shrunk back, as if running away.


    The note she handed over seemed to carry a scorching warmth.


    Liam hummed from his nose, neglecting to lift his embarrassingly flushed face.


    He simply stretched out two fingers, feigning impatience, and pulled the note over.


    After a quick glance at the content, the corner of Liam''s mouth began to curl up involuntarily.


    She was clearly the one who initiated talking to the class teacher about changing seats. Yet, she put it this way.


    Liar. He understood.


    A girl''s crush is always poetic, isn''t it?


    With a cold hum, Liam lifted his head.


    He supported his chin with his left hand, partially hiding the blush on his face, while his right hand picked up a pen from the table and quickly scribbled a few strokes on the note.


    Then, he crumpled it into a ball and tossed it back.


    Since he didn''t look that way, he accidentally missed his aim, the ball landed on the upper right corner of Maureen''s desk.


    The teacher at the podium seemed to be heading over.


    Liam quickly reached out to grab the note.


    Maureen glanced at him, seeing this as a good opportunity.


    She pretended to pick up a note too, allowing her fingers to casually touch his.


    She wondered how many sprouts this could produce.


    The opportunity was too precious to be lost. Maureen quickly reached out her hand.


    Sure enough, their fingers brushed against each other.


    Liam''s fingers were cold, but instantly felt the soft warmth of the girl''s finger pads.


    Feeling a touch similar to an electric shock, he quickly pulled his hand back in annoyance, questioning in a low voice,


    "What are you doing?"


    "Sorry."


    Maureen apologized softly too.


    Maureen then unfolded the note, and Liam had only written two indifferent words on it -


    "Whatever." Maureen breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Liam was not very willing, but he didn''t want to make a fuss about this trivial matter either.


    With this development, she felt more at ease sitting at this spot.


    Soon, Maureen lifted her eyes, and immediately discovered five new sprouts had appeared on her plant within an instant.


    Including the original seven, the sprout count had suddenly become twelve.


    What was happening?


    Could merely brushing hands boost the sprout count so significantly???


    Maureen wished she could touch the hands of everyone listed on the front row of the name list.


    Liam continued to use his book as a shield, his peripheral vision catching the unhidden arc of joy in Maureen''s eyes.


    His face instantly flushed as his heartbeat quickened.


    Was it really necessary?


    It was just a touch, not as if she had won his heart.


    Why was she so pleased?


    It made him think she was quite clingy.


    What was he going to do about her in the future?

 Chapter 11: Capture an important fish

    Chapter 11: Capture an important fishIn the international class, apart from Liam and Drake, there are a few other people ranking high in the list, including Niel, whose parents are high-ranking officials and their return rate is as high as 0.3%.


    Maureen casts a wide net in order to capture the important "fish."


    Although she is focused on Liam, she takes advantage of the chance to interact with these other classmates.


    Over the past couple of days, she has taken the opportunity to pass out some homemade biscuits from Josephine''s family shop while distributing homework.


    This has allowed her to subtly interact with these classmates, slowly building up goodwill.


    Counting the thirteen sprouts of kindness she has gathered, Maureen quietly sneaks into a corner of the corridor during break time to remove her face mask and take a look in the mirror.


    As she had expected, the traces of her injuries had almost faded.


    Moreover, she is unsure if it is just her illusion, but she can''t help but feel that since she started exploiting the good luck of others, her hair has become shinier, and her skin has improved, becoming fairer and smoother.


    "The system proudly remarked,


    "It''s natural.


    Have you noticed that in most novels, the appearance of the protagonists is described in detail, while the side characters are just labeled as ''beautiful'' and nothing more?


    Basically, your luck is improving, and with it, you will only become prettier."


    The system couldn''t resist complimenting her further,


    "You are the best-looking side character I''ve dealt with so far.


    Once your wound heals, people would probably believe you''re an actress in a photo."


    "Really?" Maureen asked happily.


    However, Maureen had pretty low expectations.


    She is not so concerned about becoming more beautiful.


    As long as the scars on her face can recover quickly and she can live a smooth life, she will already be over the moon.


    Given the present pace of recovery, she estimated that when she accumulated twenty sprouts of goodwill, she could confidently remove her mask and never worry about wearing it again.


    Niel walked over after replacing the water in the dispenser, noticing that Liam was languidly propping up his head, his gaze out the window.


    He followed Liam''s line of sight and then murmured,


    "The transfer student really has it tough.


    I heard she was not that attractive to begin with, and she even had a facial injury before transferring last year.


    Recently in the school''s beauty contest, her younger sister Bianca received the highest votes.


    She must feel somewhat inferior I guess¡ª" In the midst of the conversation, Niel glanced at the cold stern face of Liam and hastened to make amends,


    "But the transfer student has a great personality! Just look at her ¨C she''s been with us for just two days, and she''s already brought us desserts and cookies.


    Everyone likes her a lot."


    "Everyone?" Liam quickly picked up on the keyword.


    This morning, Maureen brought some chocolate cookies and placed them on the table.


    She quietly asked him if he wanted some.


    He scoffed at the messy cookies, planning to take some when she asked him a second time.


    But she promptly took the cookies back when he didn''t respond.


    He almost blew a gasket in irritation.


    But he thought those were Maureen''s breakfast.


    He didn''t touch any as there might not be enough for her.


    Who knew she turned around and shared with the other classmates?


    Liam looked at Niel coldly, visibly displeased,


    "Who?" Niel really wished he could smack himself. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thanks to his big mouth, he might not get to eat Maureen''s treats anymore,


    "No one in particular.


    Just, just a few group leaders at assignment time.


    The transfer student just came.


    It could aid her in acclimating more quickly." Liam contemplated,


    "True."


    The little pastry chef is quite adept at socializing, perfectly complementing him.


    That sure relieves his future social concerns.


    Unexpectedly, Liam didn''t continue his interrogation.


    Instead, he happily rested his chin on his hand, continuing to stare out of the window. Niel finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    =========


    The school beauty competition and the inter-school league are the hottest topics at the moment.


    When Maureen put away her small mirror and walked in, she could hear a few girls discussing it.


    "Have you all voted yet?


    Why is Bianca getting the highest number of votes again this year?


    Isn''t Melissa from the gold-medal class appealing?


    I kind of like the cool, mature-girl type!"


    "That''s normal. Males make up 70% of School


    And most of them indeed prefer Bianca''s ''girl-next-door,'' cute and innocent look."


    "But Melissa trumps intellect!"


    "Well, maybe not."


    An unconvinced boy voiced,


    "Bianca''s class, Evergreen, is among the top performing classes.


    Last year, she even participated in the All-Schools competition and got shortlisted.


    As for the Gold Medal Class, it just excels in competitions.


    If we''re talking about overall performance, it remains to be seen who is better." Some agreed,


    "In addition, Bianca indeed has a better temperament, and comes from a wealthier background.


    Remember the young man who came to pick her up last time?


    He has a really good air about him. I think he''s her older brother."


    Maureen heard such discussions frequently, as the aura of being the female lead was omnipresent.


    Fortunately, whenever Oliver visited before, he only picked up his little princess.


    Maureen had never been in his car so not many at school knew about her relationship with Bianca.


    However, probably because she had just changed classes and made an approach to Liam, some people began to pay attention, and found out her connection.


    Upon seeing Maureen filling out the All-Schools Competition application form, a boy across the room gave a surprise glance,


    "You are participating too?"


    Maureen looked back at him,


    "Yes."


    In her case, being ranked consistently in the lower middle range and only once breaking into the top five in the local classes, might make her participation in the provincial level competition seem somewhat ironic to others.


    However, there was still some time before the All-Schools Competition.


    Maureen felt as long as she worked hard to improve her luck beforehand, she might be able to break the chain of being the villain and truly achieve her potential in the exam.


    There might even be a chance to get shortlisted for the finals.


    The boy thought she was being overly ambitious but out of respect for the sleeping Liam nearby, he held back his ridicule and instead teased,


    "By the way, what happened to your face?


    Can you take off your mask and let us see?


    Your sister is not only attractive but also performs well academically.


    You should not be far behind, right?"


    These words were obviously tinged with sarcasm.


    They all knew that before Maureen transferred in, she was from a general class that lagged far behind these three classes in terms of academic performance.


    As for looks, it was also well-known that Maureen''s appearance was nothing spectacular.


    Another girl chimed in:


    "Exactly, we don''t even know what you look like." In the girl''s eyes, there was more pity than curiosity.


    Detecting the ill-intent in the boy''s words, Maureen didn''t want to respond.


    Shrugging off, she replied,


    "What else can I look like? It''s just two eyes and a mouth."


    The two were taken aback.


    Maureen didn''t care too much about their reactions.


    Anyway, the scars on her face had almost completely disappeared.


    Without taking a magnifying glass to look closely, nobody would be able to see them.


    Should she just remove her mask now?


    But before she had time to act, a pencil case suddenly flew across her field of vision.


    With a crash, it landed on the boy''s desk, startling him and making him dodge hastily. Liam gave him a cold glare as if asking,


    "Are you trying to annoy me to death?"


    He grumbled,


    "So noisy, jabbering all day long. I can''t stand it."


    The boy turned pale in the face of Liam''s aura, immediately stopped talking, picked up the pencil case, placed it back on Niel''s desk, then quickly retreated to the back of the classroom.


    The girl, too, was startled and quickly dipped her head back into her book.


    Maureen, who was about to take off her mask, halted in surprise and glanced at her desk mate.


    "What are you looking at?"


    Liam snorted coldly, his red hair flamboyantly splayed out, his eyebrows arched highly as he glared at her, a scowl on his face.


    Seeing that Maureen was still staring at him without speaking, Liam became uneasy.


    He put his noise-canceling headphones on and muttered, "Don''t feel smug, it wasn''t for your sake.


    Their noise was annoying me." Maureen couldn''t help but laugh,


    "Thank you." Her impression of Liam had finally improved slightly from the negative 1000.


    She found that although he was rude, he wasn''t as difficult to deal with as she thought.


    Liam retorted,


    "I didn''t do it for you." Maureen shrugged, didn''t say anything, and bent down to continue filling in the application form.


    Liam glanced at her from the corner of his eye.


    Seeing her quietly concentrating with a clear complexion, he wondered what she was thinking.


    The fact that she had checked her face in the mirror in the corridor proved that she did care about her appearance.


    Hearing what was said earlier, she must have been struggling to hold back tears- Of course, there were no tears in the transfer student''s eyes, but Liam somehow felt that beneath her mask, her lips were surely pursed in determined silence.


    Liam ruffled his hair, feeling inexplicably irritable.


    After a while, just as Maureen was about to complete her application form, she was suddenly asked by Liam,


    "Do you think I''m handsome?"


    Maureen: Was his narcissistic disorder acting up again?


    To be honest, this so-called Liam was undeniably attractive, with his handsome features, tall measure, and an aura of a top student that seemed to come with his own background music.


    He was the kind of good-looking that made one couldn''t help but take an extra glance.


    Of course, no one dared to stare at him in School A, because he would freak out at one extra glance. "Handsome."


    Maureen lifted her head to see the petite teardrop mole at the corner of his eye, and replied sincerely.


    Liam gave a humph, continuing to glance at her,


    "Well, that''s enough."


    Maureen: ? Liam explained, "Because I''m handsome, I don''t care about the appearance of my girlfriends¡ª or my friends, or younger brothers.


    Anyway, no one can outshine me in looks." Liam gloated,


    "So you can rest assured, I do not care about your aesthetics."


    Maureen: Thanks a lot.


    She was indeed comforted at that moment. ...


    Because of the school beauty contest, the class was buzzing all day, so Maureen just casually clicked on the forum before she prepared to sleep.


    The very surprising thing was, she found herself nominated.


    Of course, she''s currently last.


    But the shocking thing was that she actually received forty-five votes.


    Maureen: ??? Could a photo of her wearing a mask participate?


    Did the person who posted this go blind or are they playing her?


    As expected, many students from other schools in the forum were shocked and asked who this was, whether a photo wearing a mask could participate in the selection.


    Maureen guessed this might be a prank by someone who disliked her, like Ann, and she didn''t have the energy to care about this, so she chose to ignore it.


    Meanwhile, on the other hand, Niel and a group of henchmen were reluctantly staying up late, urged by the impatient Liam to pick up their pace and cast their votes using multiple accounts..


    Everyone was grumbling and cursing Liam.


    They originally thought acquiring a ''sister-in-law'' would be a delightful event, but who knew it would be so agonizing.


    Maureen wasn''t bothered with this in the slightest.


    She was very busy, preparing for the Association of Hundred Schools competition on one hand and persisting in making desserts after school to bring to Liam the next day on the other, all while looking for opportunities to get closer to Liam.


    And so, she was oblivious to the fact that by Friday, her votes had actually surpassed three hundred and fifty, earning a spot within the top twenty on the homepage.


    =========


    On Friday, after Richard finished playing basketball and returned to the classroom, he overheard some people discussing this.


    He frowned, pulled out his mobile phone and took a glance; indeed, Maureen had surprisingly soared to the twentieth rank. Richard was well aware that Maureen was attractive.


    As soon as he laid eyes on her two years ago, he couldn''t look away.


    But given her poor academic performance and thick-skinned nature, Richard initially thought that speaking with her was a waste of time and would deliberately avoid her when he saw her.


    However, she had been extremely hardworking these two years, putting in an unknown amount of effort to slowly climb up the ranks to the top five in the regular class.


    Actually, she wasn''t that bad. When she puts forth effort, no one could contend.


    Richard casually casts an unmoved gaze and also casually casts a vote for the person in the twentieth place.


    Suddenly, he heard someone shouting his name. It sounded like Maureen''s voice.


    He stopped in the corridor, hooked his lower lip, turned back with a distant expression, only to find that it was another schoolgirl.


    The girl rushed over to hand him a bottle of mineral water.


    Instantly, Richard''s expression changed, becoming quite annoyed.


    Before the girl could run over, he had already silently walked upstairs.


    Except for Tuesday when he asked Josephine to deliver his notebook, Maureen practically hadn''t appeared within his line of sight this week.


    During the sports class of the elite class on Wednesday, Maureen would always ask for leave from the teacher on the excuse of her period, stealthily sneaking off to the sports field to find him.


    The same went for every Thursday when he would go to the broadcast room, Maureen would always be there waiting for him.


    And then there''s the basketball game every Friday.


    For two years, Maureen would never miss any of his games¡ª But this is the first time in two years that from the start to the end of a game, she didn''t show up amid the crowd.


    The international class and the elite class were on the same floor, yet Richard had never run into Maureen.


    These past few days, Maureen hadn''t passed by the window of the elite class¡ª it seems that for the entire week, she had gone out of her way to take the longer route, always going up and down the stairs near the office building instead.


    Richard finally realized, she was really avoiding him intentionally.


    But why? Despite the lack of emotion on Richard''s face, he walked into the classroom with an icy demeanor, unconsciously glancing in the international class''s direction, irritated beyond words.

 Chapter 12: Birthday preparation

    Chapter 12: Birthday preparationMrs. Smith''s birthday was quite near to Bianca''s, and the Smith family always celebrated them together every year.


    This year would probably be no exception.


    One would even start receiving gifts in advance of a week for Bianca in the Evergreen Class.


    "I cast a vote for you; I reckon you will be the school beauty again this year.


    Happy early birthday." Bianca was surrounded by a group of people like stars surrounding the moon, she politely smiled,


    "Thank you."


    Ann watched from a distance and nervously handed over her gift.


    Bianca threw a glance at her but didn''t accept it.


    The two were still at odds due to the allergy incident.


    Someone had voted for Bianca, scrolled down, and saw Maureen in the countdown on the voting page.


    Someone was shocked,


    "Why is there a masked candidate?


    Where''s the moderator who checked and allowed this?


    Is the selection of school beauty just a joke this year?"


    Bianca''s face changed slightly, and she also checked her phone.


    Maureen was surprisingly ranked twenty. Someone nearby said,


    "Is it Maureen?


    I haven''t seen her, but I''ve heard of her.


    She''s a girl who has been chasing after Richard, they say she''s average-looking.


    Maybe someone voted for her out of curiosity."


    Ann saw Bianca turn around and was frowning as she was scrolling on her phone, making it hard for Ann to understand what she was thinking.


    However, she still leaned in and said in a low voice,


    "Bianca, don''t worry.


    Those people voted for Maureen out of curiosity, wanting to know what she looks like under the mask.


    She has only over five hundred votes now, while you have over three thousand votes, absolutely crushing her.


    She won''t be able to catch up."


    "After all, if she does make it to the top, that''s when she''ll truly be embarrassed.


    Imagine, after the results are out, everyone in the school who doesn''t know her would believe that she''s beautiful ¡ª but once her mask comes off, oh, total disappointment."


    Ann thought that her words could ease the tension between her and Bianca, but unexpectedly, Bianca remained silent after hearing them and even looked grimmer, as if she didn''t feel relieved at all.


    Just as Ann was about to speak again, the phone of Bianca''s good friend, Noella, vibrated.


    "Eh, it''s a message from Chris." Noella remarked in surprise.


    [Noella, what gift would usually cheer up an angry girl? PS, don''t tell Sister Bianca.]


    Since Bianca was there, Noella showed her the message,


    "Your brother is really too good for you.


    Is he planning to secretly prepare a birthday gift for you?


    He even told me not to tell you!"


    Bianca cracked a smile, her face lightened up.


    Chris was likely trying to apologize for his inadvertent yelling at her on the sports field the other day.


    However, Bianca was a bit surprised.


    Chris, who was usually straightforward, was actually beating around the bush today.


    Noella asked, "Quick, what do you want for your birthday? How should I reply?"


    Bianca thought for a moment and said,


    "I don''t need much, let him send whatever he likes."


    So, Noella replied,


    "Whatever you like, but Bianca, suggests you buy a life-size teddy bear."


    There was no reply from the other side after that.


    Ann, Noella, and all the surrounding girls started to envy,


    "It''d be nice if I had a brother like this."


    Bianca chuckled, feeling much better.


    She stood up, packed her bag, and said,


    "My big brother is coming to pick me up.


    See you next week."


    Meanwhile, Chris was strolling through the mall with two of his buddies.


    He took the afternoon off for the last class, specifically coming out to buy some gifts to give to Maureen.


    This week, he wasn''t sure if Maureen purposely avoided him, or the distance from the freshman building to the senior one was indeed too far, but surprisingly, he hadn''t seen her at school.


    Of course, he didn''t go home and repeat what Maureen had said before about severing the ties.


    He thought that his older brother would personally pick up Maureen to go home this weekend.


    Surely Maureen couldn''t be holding a grudge and refused to go home.


    So, if he were to say something, it would ruin things.


    But even if he hadn''t passed on the message, the atmosphere at home was noticeably terrible.


    Maureen''s absence made the house instantly quiet, let alone missing out on her delicious cooking, even if they wanted to bicker¡ªthey couldn''t find someone to do it with.


    Bianca and Maureen have very different personalities.


    Bianca, poised and gracious, the perfect lady who plays piano and observes etiquette¡ªshe can do no wrong.


    Chris certainly loves and dotes on his older sister Bianca, but he finds that he can''t do without the quick-witted and sharp-tongued Maureen¡ªwho else but Maureen would drag him to bed by his ear when he stayed up late to play games.


    Although Chris didn''t want to admit it, he had to say, he did feel a bit empty this week.


    Although he was a bit annoyed with Maureen for stirring up so much trouble over such a small matter, even ignoring him, after hearing what she said that day under the teaching building, he had to reflect on himself and others at home.


    They did wrong by Maureen.


    So, he thought it best to buy a gift first, and after his older brother persuaded Maureen to come home tonight, he would quietly slip into Maureen''s room and give her the gift.


    But when it was actually time to give the gift, Chris realized that he knew absolutely nothing about Maureen''s preferences.


    He realized that it had been two years and it seemed that all he had given her was a game card he no longer needed, which he casually gifted on her birthday last year.


    Chris started to feel an inexplicable discomfort in his heart, coupled with a sense of last-minute panic, but he tried his best to suppress these feelings.


    The family will be fine, there''s no contradiction that can''t be resolved.


    After wandering around the mall for over an hour, on the recommendation of Noella, Chris finally bought a giant teddy bear, almost 1.7 meters tall, for Maureen.


    After the purchase, he breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that it should surprise Maureen upon receiving it.


    Because of its huge size, there was no direct way to take it back, so he asked the sales clerk to deliver it.


    While filling out the delivery address, he thought for a moment and entered the home address with Maureen as the recipient.


    After all, with his big brother taking action, he is confident they will be able to bring Maureen home today.


    Coming back to school from the mall, Chris received a call from Oliver.


    He hurriedly grabbed his schoolbag and ran to the school gate, "Big brother." Oliver, got out of the car with his car keys, rolled up his white shirt sleeves, frowned and walked directly into the school,


    "Where is Maureen''s class? Lead me."


    "Big brother, I am glad that you finally came." Chris was a bit agitated.


    With big brother personally coming to pick up her, Maureen couldn''t repeat the same nasty act as last time, leaving their big brother speechless, could she?


    He quickly followed behind Oliver.


    "Over there, she is in the same building as Bianca but not on the same floor."


    Oliver, went up to the fifth floor, heading in the direction of the International class.


    He didn''t know the location of Maureen''s class before and after her class transfer, only where Bianca''s class was located.


    During previous holiday weekends, Oliver, would always drive to school to personally pick up Bianca and bring her home.


    At this time, his feelings for Bianca remained unchanged.


    But ever since two years ago, when Bianca transformed from his younger sister into a foreign surname with no blood ties, there was an added layer of compassionate complexity in Oliver''s feelings for her.


    He worried that she might feel uncomfortable in their home and feared that Maureen''s domineering personality may bully her, hence he became even more protective of Bianca compared to the previous fifteen years.


    Personally picking up Bianca was also a little customary habit between them.


    This allowed Bianca to feel his favor and through his actions, let her know she''s still very important in the family.


    As for Chris and Maureen, they were usually chauffeured by the Smith family''s driver over the past two years.


    Oliver, didn''t think anything was wrong with this arrangement.


    After all, Chris would be with Maureen, being of the similar age, they might help Maureen better integrate into the family.


    But this week, perhaps due to the guilt of the last incident, Oliver''s attention was noticeably more on Maureen.


    Remarkably, Maureen hadn''t come home for a full week and a half.


    Not only had she not replied to his apology text, but even when he and other family members called afterwards, they were all blocked.


    Even the number of the auntie who always cooked in the Smith family was added to Maureen''s blacklist.


    Maureen seemed to wholly want to sever ties with them.


    Mrs. Smith was so angry that she had a headache and clamored that if Maureen didn''t come back, she''d never be allowed back again.


    But Mrs. Smith, was just speaking out of anger, and wouldn''t actually prevent Maureen from coming home.


    So Oliver had no choice but to make a personal visit.


    As the elder brother, he planned to take Maureen out for hot pot over the weekend to pacify her, and then find an appropriate opportunity to bring her home.


    Classes in the international department finished early, and most of the people had already departed. Oliver and Chris are quite handsome.


    As they walked along, they kept attracting the glances of girls. Someone came up to ask, "Who are you looking for?" Oliver said,


    "I''m the parent of Maureen from the international class.


    May I ask if she''s around?"


    "She went to the office to submit an application for the Inter-school Competition." Oliver and Chris exchanged surprise glances.


    They knew about the Inter-school Competition.


    Was Maureen, with her grades, also considering applying?


    Let alone the stringent application criteria and the limited quota for every school ¨C even if she did make it in, she''d probably be among the first batch to get eliminated, and hardly make it to the finals.


    "What''s good is that she has the ambition to progress," Oliver said to Chris.


    "Considering she came all the way from a small town to study, she worked harder than most."


    Chris nodded his agreement.


    They then walked towards the office.


    Maureen had just finished submitting her application.


    As she looked up, she saw Oliver, and Chris, who had come to pick her up.


    "Maureen." Oliver, approached her.


    When his gaze fell on Maureen, after not seeing her for a week and a half, he was surprised.


    Contrary to his expectations, Maureen didn''t seem to be upset with her family¡ªthere was no red around her eyes, no weight loss, and her hair seemed glossier, and her eyes even clearer than before.


    Oliver, was a little taken aback.


    He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, Maureen frowned.


    "Why are you here again?" Maureen''s indifferent statement left Oliver, speechless.


    Oliver, had anticipated that Maureen, upon seeing him, would show a hint of grievance as if to say,


    "why did it take you so long to get here?"


    What he hadn''t expected was her bristling annoyance.


    He steadied his mood, decided not to bicker with the child, and continued,


    "Are you going back to the classroom? If not, we can talk while walking, I''ll take you to eat hot pot." Maureen said, S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s what Bianca likes, I don''t particularly like hot pot."


    "Then let''s eat something else." Oliver, was also patiently trying to please her,


    "Also, mom and Bianca''s birthday is next week, you must come home before that.


    Don''t be so childish, Maureen." Maureen glanced at Chris,


    "It seems you didn''t convey my words."


    Oliver, also looked at Chris behind him,


    "What words?"


    Chris''s face suddenly turned a bit ugly, he thought that if the elder brother came, Maureen''s attitude would soften, but why is she still like this?


    Still so cold and harsh to them?


    Maureen suddenly took off her backpack from behind, and took out a thin photo from it.


    Oliver, remembered, it was a family picture given to her when she first came to Smith''s house two years ago.


    She developed two copies, one was framed and placed by the bed, and one was carried in her bag.


    The one on the bed, he went to see it this morning, it was not taken away.


    And this one ¡ª¡ª


    "You should keep the photo well, what are you doing taking it out?"


    Oliver stared at Maureen, and only then realized that something was off with Maureen.


    Maureen walked over and handed the photo to Oliver.


    Oliver, frowned and did not take it.


    So, Maureen had no choice but to crumple it into a ball and toss it into the nearby trash can.


    As she did this, as if she was just throwing away some trash, without even lifting her eyelids.


    Oliver and Chris both froze, looking at Maureen in astonishment.


    Maureen fumbled in her backpack again, checked its contents, and seriously confirmed it before she spoke,


    "Apart from this photo, there shouldn''t be anything else of yours on me.


    The backpack and clothes I brought out with me are all things I brought with me prior to my arrival two years ago." Oliver knitted his brows,


    "What do you mean?"


    "It means I don''t have anything from the Smith family with me.


    Please stop bothering me.


    As for the rest, I''ve already told Chris."


    Even the usually gentle Oliver was growing angry, he glanced at the trash can full of fruit peels, keeping his voice low,


    "Are you actually just going to ball up and throw a family photo into the trash can like that?!


    What are we to you?"


    Maureen looked at him with a strange expression.


    "Is it really such a big deal? It''s just a photocopy of a photo."


    Suddenly, this sentence felt familiar to Oliver.


    He remembered when Maureen had just arrived at the Smith''s and had brought with her a few photocopies of photos of her old town and her grandma.


    Maureen only agreed to let them see one of the photos.


    After they saw it, they didn''t remember whether it ended up with Bianca or Chris, and they ended up misplacing it without returning it to Maureen.


    It became a cause for their first real argument.


    Their words were the same,


    "It''s just a photocopy of a photo. You have a lot more, what''s the big deal?"


    Oliver''s face turned pale, feeling as if he had been stabbed in the heart, unable to utter a word.


    He turned to look at Maureen, only to see that she had already turned and walked away.


    It was then Oliver and Chris realized why they felt something was off the moment they saw Maureen in the hallway.


    Maureen had changed her backpack.


    She carried with her a backpack that her grandmother had bought for her in the past.


    Maureen has also changed her hair accessories.


    On her ponytail, she switched to a simple black hair tie.


    When Mrs. Smith was in a good mood and took her shopping, she didn''t bring any of the things they bought from the Smith household.


    And on her backpack, the little bear ornament that Oliver had given her - a treasure she had once held dear - was no longer there.

 Chapter 13: Stop Acting

    Chapter 13: Stop ActingChris was completely panicked:


    "What...what to do?"


    Even with his older brother here, it was no use, Maureen even threw away the photo.


    "What did Maureen tell you to pass on?"


    Oliver asked. Chris looked at the livid face of Oliver, and dared not hide anything, he could only repeat it carefully.


    After repeating it, he became even more panicked:


    "Big bro, she said she wants to cut off all ties, do you think she is venting her anger or... Why do I feel she is really serious this time?"


    "Why didn''t you inform me sooner?!" Chris didn''t dare to utter a word.


    Oliver, was upset, he glanced at Chris and said:


    "Forget it, you go home first in the driver''s car, I''ll go find Maureen and have a good talk."


    Chris, at his wits'' end, could only reply:


    "Alright." Liam, with his backpack, walked out from the back door, turned his head and saw Maureen walking away from the two men.


    The atmosphere seemed terrible.


    "Who are those idiots standing over there?" he asked, walking over unconsciously.


    Niel quickly pulled him back behind the classroom door frame, whispering:


    "Don''t meddle in other people''s family affairs, Liam."


    Liam quickly figured it out, it should be Maureen''s older brother and her younger brother who is studying in senior year at this school.


    According to what Niel had found out, Maureen seems to not have a good relationship with her family.


    Last week, for some unknown reason, they had a falling out, and she applied to board at school.


    Liam didn''t know what the situation was like at her home, but based on what the guy whom he hit with a pencil case said not long ago, he speculated that perhaps her family was biased too?


    Why else would everyone in her regular class know about the tall, rich, and dashing brother who often picks up Bianca, yet when asked about Maureen, no one mentioned someone picking her up?


    Liam had a sudden surge of anger,


    "Are her family blind?


    Do they all think the so-called school beauty is prettier and smarter than Maureen because of her small mask?


    thus playing favoritism?" Niel thought there might be other reasons, but he was unclear about the Smith family''s affairs.


    Liam angrily declared,


    "Isn''t Maureen a hundred times better than Bianca?"


    Niel indulged him, "I think so too." Liam put down his backpack and weighed it in his hand.


    Finding the weight unsuitable, he put it back on and went to the back of the classroom to pick up a basketball.


    Niel quickly stopped him,


    "That''s a transfer student''s relative.


    It''s not appropriate to potentially harm them, is it?"


    "You''re right. It wouldn''t be appropriate for me to do it, we still need to relate with each other in the future,"


    Liam mumbled. Niel just heaved a sigh of relief.


    However, Liam pushed the basketball into his arms,


    "It would be more appropriate for you." Niel: " Oliver and Chris were walking on the fourth-floor corridor.


    Suddenly, a basketball flew down from above with great force, unerringly hitting Chris on the head.


    There was a ''thud''.Chris''s head nearly buzzed off.


    He sported a giant bump on his head, seeing stars, and turned his head in extreme anger:


    "Who did it?"


    A tall young man with short black hair swaggered out from the international class, bumping into Oliver''s shoulder.


    Retrieving the basketball, he quickly descends the stairs in a few steps.


    Chris was completely baffled and yelled at the back of Niel''s figure:


    "Don''t any of you seniors have any decency?" Oliver frowned and grabbed his shoulder,


    "Forget about it. The student probably didn''t mean to.


    Let''s not stir up trouble."


    Chris felt even more frustrated as nothing seemed to go his way.


    The two descended the stairs, with Chris heading to the school gate first to take the chauffeur-driven car home.


    Oliver, on the other hand, questioned another passing student, and swiftly chased after him to the A dormitory.


    Upon reaching the bottom of the dormitory, he was halted by the duty auntie:


    "Male parents can''t go up unless they are fetched by the students."


    Subconsciously, Oliver, reached for his phone, but then he remembered he had been blocked by Maureen.


    Feeling helpless, he said,


    "She didn''t bring her phone."


    "In this day and age, how can you not use phones for communication?


    " The auntie looked at him suspiciously. Oliver''s face turned a darker shade, all he could do was say: Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''m looking for my younger sister, her name is Maureen, she''s in the senior international class."


    The auntie furrowed her brows.


    Seeing his handsome appearance and elegant white shirt, she patiently explained:


    "We can''t let you go up with just a name and a class.


    Anyone can claim a name and go up.


    When you brought your child for boarding, you should have registered and signed, remember which page you signed?


    If you remember, I''ll check it and then you can go up."


    Oliver "...When she moved in, she brought her own luggage.


    There was no one to send her off."


    "Get going!" The aunty''s eyes suddenly became sharp.


    "Dressed up to look presentable and handsome, you have the audacity to sneak into the girls'' dormitory?


    The residents here are all frail high school girls, each one brought here with their families fussing over them.


    You let her come here alone and we''re supposed to believe that?"


    Seeing him not moving, the aunty picked up her broom.


    Oliver''s forehead vein was throbbing.


    But at the same time, he also felt a bit uneasy.


    "Other family''s children... Are they all brought here by someone?"


    "Yeah, there are very few boarders, generally, each person lives in a room.


    The dormitory has no elevator.


    For boys, it''s alright, but for girls, just carrying their luggage up to the sixth floor can make their legs weak.


    And they have to clean up a room by themselves, they can''t finish it in one night!"


    The aunty continued, "Your family is really strange, you actually let the child come here alone!" Oliver choked.


    He had never thought about this issue.


    When Maureen left home angrily, they let her go like that.


    But if it were Bianca, they would probably have gone out looking for her immediately.


    If Bianca insisted on boarding school, he would definitely accompany her.


    But why when it comes to Maureen he just¡ª He had never considered how Maureen had spent an entire night alone packing up, scrubbing every corner of the sink clean before she tiredly fell asleep alone in the dorm.


    Just like he hadn''t thought about the small things before, like when the family went out for dinner and everyone unconsciously ordered dishes that Bianca liked, what Maureen felt.


    He always thought these were just small things.


    But at this moment, the look of longing and anticipation in Maureen''s eyes the first time she entered their home, and discarding the photo emotionlessly just now at the school building, these two scenes overlapped in his vision.


    He was suddenly shocked and awake.


    These disappointing little things, in these two years, how many times have they been repeated?


    Hundreds of times, or thousands of times?


    How did these lead to the cheerful Maureen who had joined their family two years ago, becoming so disappointed in them?


    "Aren''t you leaving yet?" Oliver glanced at the auntie, feeling a mess inside. He said,


    "Could you lend me your landline, I need to make a call to my child at home."


    The auntie looked at him suspiciously, but still handed over the landline.


    Oliver dialed Maureen''s number on his cell phone.


    However, three minutes later.


    The call was still not answered.


    Maureen had completely cut him off, she had changed her number.


    The auntie said,


    "Stop acting."


    " Oliver, put down the landline, feeling complicated.

 Chapter 14: The gift belongs to Maureen

    Chapter 14: The gift belongs to MaureenOliver dallied under Maureen''s dormitory, and had missed the time to pick up Bianca.


    Bianca tried calling, but wasn''t able to get through, she had no idea what her older brother was busy with.


    She had waited by the school gate for a long time, and the girls from her class who were eager to meet her handsome brother had also dispersed.


    Bianca wasn''t too pleased inside but didn''t show it.


    She called their chauffeur at home to come and pick her up.


    When Bianca arrived home, she saw Chris going upstairs.


    Remembering that Chris had bought her a gift, she decided to take the initiative to ease the somewhat strained relationship between the two in recent days.


    "Chris, when did you get back?"


    Chris turned his head heavily with worries as he climbed the stairs.


    He did not pay any attention to what Bianca was asking and simply replied "Oh" before heading back to his room.


    Maureen was not home, and he had absolutely no appetite for dinner. Bianca:


    " Bianca frowned; she did not like this feeling of being ignored at all.


    She changed her shoes and came in.


    The nanny walked in from the yard, carrying a package as tall as a person with great difficulty, and asked,


    "Miss, this parcel was sent from the store, did you order it?


    " Bianca looked back, her gaze falling on the box, her face brightened instantly.


    Tiptoeing in her slippers, she went over and smiled,


    "It should be Chris''s birthday present for me."


    "You''re getting presents so early?"


    The nanny replied in shock, placing the package on the ground gingerly as she was afraid it might contain breakable items. Bianca chuckled.


    Considering Chris''s absent-minded and dismissive attitude just now, he was probably trying to surprise her.


    "Could you help me open this?"


    "Sure."


    The nanny went to fetch scissors.


    The package was opened quickly. Upon seeing a fluffy tip peeking out from the package, Bianca couldn''t help but reach out and touch it.


    It was soft, she liked it. However, before the nanny could finish opening the package, she paused and commented,


    "Miss, it seems like the recipient isn''t you."


    Bianca frowned, she pulled the package slip over to take a look


    . The moment her eyes fell onto the name "Maureen," she stiffened.


    Chris also heard the commotion downstairs from the second floor and hurriedly came down in his slippers.


    Seeing that the gift wrapped by the department store had been opened by the nanny, he suddenly lost his temper:


    "Who allowed you to rummage through my things?"


    The nanny awkwardly shifted to one side. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only then did Bianca realize that she had made a huge blunder.


    She stood up, her face very unpleasant, not knowing whether to feel embarrassed or to be angry.


    She steadied herself, and asked:


    "It''s Maureen''s things, how did it end up being delivered to our house?


    Shouldn''t it have been delivered to the school?"


    Chris, who usually didn''t pay much attention to details, didn''t notice the expression on Bianca''s face. He said:


    "Isn''t Maureen still angry? So I bought it for her."


    Before Bianca could react, Chris hurriedly dragged the gift upstairs.


    Both Bianca and the nanny found it unbelievable that Chris had bought a gift for Maureen.


    The nanny wanted to say something but hesitated.


    She glanced at Bianca, dared not say that it was Bianca who had asked her to open it, so she took the blame.


    She wiped her hands, lowered her head, and quickly walked into the kitchen.


    There was the sound of car brakes outside.


    Bianca steadied herself, looked out toward the villa gate, and saw Oliver, getting out of the car.


    Bianca plopped down onto the sofa and didn''t go out to greet him.


    Her eyes were already slightly red.


    Oliver, came in from the door, changed shoes at the entrance, and saw Bianca sitting on the sofa with her back facing him, hugging a pillow without saying a word.


    If it had been any other day, he would have surely noticed that Bianca was angry, or felt wronged, and he would have approached her with caring inquiries.


    However, today, on one hand, Oliver was in turmoil, not knowing how to resolve the situation with Maureen.


    On the other hand, he couldn''t help but ponder over more details on his way back - they were all trivial matters, such as when Bianca and Maureen both tripped over at the same time, he always rushed to aid Bianca first.


    His devotion to Bianca was noted by everyone, and he thought nothing of it. ...


    Yet, for Maureen, would this perhaps be the straw that breaks the camel''s back, leading her to lose complete faith in the Smith family?


    Should his favoritism go unnoticed it would be bearable, but once revealed, it would make things awkward.


    Maureen, who had already decided to sever ties with her family, seemed to sit across the couch, watching him.


    Moreover, Oliver presumed that nothing significant had happened to Bianca and it was probably just him forgetting to pick her up that upset her slightly.


    However, the currently drained Oliver didn''t have the energy to comfort her.


    He hesitated for a moment, unfastened his tie, and headed straight upstairs.


    Bianca, sitting on the couch, waited for quite a while, until she heard steps behind her.


    Her eyes were even redder.


    However, to her surprise, the footsteps turned and went straight upstairs.


    She turned around in shock, only to see half of Oliver''s retreating figure as he ascended the stairs.


    Bianca immediately stood up, unable to comprehend the scene before her eyes.

 Chapter 15: Do you call that casual shopping?

    Chapter 15: Do you call that casual shopping?Maureen hasn''t returned, yet the topics revolving around her have naturally dominated the dinner table at home.


    Mrs. Smith glanced at Maureen''s chair, that had been vacant for a week and a half, and placed her Spoon and bowl down with a "snap," frowning at Oliver


    "Didn''t you visit her at school today?"


    Chris dared not chime in, he peeked cautiously at his elder brother.


    Oliver, felt a throbbing headache, he obviously couldn''t tell Mrs. Smith about Maureen wanting to break ties with them just yet, fearing it would result in chaos.


    He nonchalantly paused for a moment, picked up some food with his spoon, and casually responded,


    "I went."


    "So, has she still not been coaxed back?"


    Oliver: "Maureen said she currently has to prepare for the interscholastic competition and commuting back and forth from school doesn''t leave her with much time, so she will continue to stay at school for the moment and will return on the day of your birthday party."


    "Is she also participating?"


    Mrs. Smith was surprised.


    Bianca was also shocked.


    She didn''t understand why recently Maureen not only stopped following Richard around, but also started to focus on her studies.


    Participating in the school beauty contest, she also participates in competitions.


    For the former, Bianca didn''t dare to compete with Maureen, but for the latter, when it comes to grades, Bianca felt confident.


    Her voice was steadier than before, she said with the tone of someone in the know:


    "Inter-school competition finalists can receive prize money, and the top ten after the finals can get additional points for the college entrance examination.


    It''s normal for Maureen to want to give it a try.


    But there are few seats available, it''s not easy to even be selected to participate...


    considering Maureen''s grades, it might be a bit challenging."


    "Last year, I made the finals and Maureen didn''t even get to participate, she must be upset.


    Do you think we should send some gifts to Professor Logan to help Maureen?"


    Oliver, frowned and said, "I know that Professor Logan you''re referring to, gift-giving is useless.


    It depends on participation."


    Mrs. Smith had nothing to say, but she still couldn''t hold back her nagging:


    "Competing is just an excuse, it seems she is still angry, this child really is.


    What''s wrong with her phone, why can''t anyone in the family reach her?"


    Chris''s head was almost buried in his bowl.


    Oliver, hesitated for a moment, then said,


    "Her phone broke because of water damage."


    "Why don''t you give her the money to buy a new one?"


    "I bought one for her," said Oliver rubbing his forehead.


    "But she is preparing for exams and isolating herself from distractions, let her stay focused on her studies for now.


    She will definitely return for her birthday celebration."


    This finally pleased Mrs. Smith who suddenly brought up,


    "Right, I heard the Donald family is planning on returning to the country soon.


    Be careful, don''t let them do anything sneaky behind your back."


    "Why are they returning at this time?" Oliver frowned,


    "Does Maureen know?"


    "Probably not," Mrs. Smith replied.


    "They haven''t left yet.


    I heard this information while shopping with a group of wives."


    The Donald used to be Maureen''s neighbors in their small town. Initially poor, they suddenly struck rich just before Maureen was found by the Smith family.


    There''s a boy from the Donald family of a similar age to Maureen, who happens to be friends with her.


    The biggest obstacle they encountered when searching for Maureen was this family.


    It''s uncertain what the family was thinking, they probably wanted Maureen to stay, so they unexpectedly did something like secretly moving with Maureen.


    Moreover, from the first encounter, this family held a huge animosity towards Smith''s family.


    Their own Donald almost made Bianca stumble.


    That almost ended up in a lawsuit.


    Thankfully, this family went abroad during that time.


    Talking about this family animosity filled Mrs. Smith''s eyes:


    "Now they''re wealthy with a few dirty money, yet lacking a cultural foundation.


    Thankfully, Maureen didn''t stay with them."


    The atmosphere at the dining table was quite unpleasant.


    Bianca took a spoon of food and placed it in Mrs. Smith''s bowl, smiling,


    "Mom, don''t worry, I am still here with you.


    Why don''t I give you a back rub after dinner?".


    "How could they be the same?"


    Mrs. Smith massaged her temples as she spoke casually.


    Though she has a particular soft spot for Bianca, considering her well-behaved in all aspects, the blood relation is, after all, etched in genes.


    This explains why they searched for several years to bring Maureen back.


    Bianca''s face turned stiff. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She subconsciously glanced at the other two people at the dinner table.


    However, both Oliver and Chris behaved oddly today, preoccupied with their thoughts without the slightest intention to reassure her.


    Bianca felt a gloom in her heart, and she had a very bad feeling.


    Not many chose to live on campus.


    To prevent fires on weekends, the school buildings were generally closed.


    Only one classroom on the fourth floor of the library was left open for those students staying on campus to self-study.


    Liam has never set foot in the school library in the three years he has been here, but the moment school ended today, his mind couldn''t resist drifting towards it.


    Niel also glanced towards the library, just in time to spot a familiar figure with a backpack heading in that direction.


    Richard? He didn''t live on campus, what was he doing in the library after school?


    Was he looking for a transfer student?


    "What are you looking at?"


    Liam was just about to follow his gaze when Niel hurriedly stopped him,


    "Your ride''s here." At the school gate, a limousine slowly pulled up, successfully distracting Liam.


    Liam frowned, feeling somewhat impatient, he grabbed Niel by the collar and led him in the other direction.


    Niel glanced at the license plate, and his eyes widened in shock,


    "Your mom is back?!" The car that usually comes to pick up Liam isn''t this one.


    Liam pushed him away, straightened his coat, and his brow furrowed in impatience.


    "Don''t bring this matter up when I''m in a good mood."


    Niel had no choice but to hold his tongue.


    After a moment, however, curiosity got the better of him and he leaned in, asking,


    "And what about that guy Williams Demon? Is he back too?"


    "Certainly not,"


    Liam scoffed, a gust of wind causing his short crimson hair to flutter, the corner of his eyes a touch frosty.


    "A substitute shouldn''t be eagerly hanging around."


    Niel felt a twinge of irritation on behalf of Liam.


    Distracted, he lost sight of where he was going.


    On raising his head, he discovered that he had been dragged into a shopping center by Liam.


    "Liam, what are you going to buy?"


    Liam ignored him, instead focusing intently on the women''s clothing displayed in the shop window.


    His thumb unconsciously rested against his lips in thought, wondering aloud,


    "Why does she wear the same two school uniforms these days?


    Had a fallout at home so she has no clothes?"


    Liam''s line of thought was so abrupt, Niel didn''t have time to react. Thoroughly bemused, he asked,


    "Who?" "That...that girl."


    Liam sighed as if exasperated, raised an eyebrow and pointed to himself:


    ''The one who pursues Liam relentlessly.''


    "She even completed my homework for me this morning, her eyes were sparkling."


    Liam smugly stated, "And she has been delivering homemade desserts for almost two weeks now.


    Wouldn''t it be impolite of me if I didn''t give her something in return?"


    "Niel was momentarily at a loss for words, thinking to himself, ''Haven''t there been numerous times when you were impolite?


    How come you''re suddenly concerned about manners now?'' Niel asked,


    "How do I give it to her?" He certainly couldn''t do it in front of the whole class.


    Liam replied nonchalantly, "She''s probably studying in the library tonight.


    I need to go home later, so can you take the stuff to her?


    Meet me at the library."


    "No way¡ª," Niel immediately responded. Liam gave him a baffled look,


    "Do you have other things to do?" Niel nodded,


    "Yes."


    "Oh, " Liam responded. He continued walking, his hands in his pockets.


    "Then I''ll go myself." Niel: "Why not give it to her in class next Monday? Why do you have to go to the library?


    You don''t even have a card!"


    "That''s easy." Liam looked at him with a ''are you kidding me, I am the school''s top student'' expression,


    "Just grab one from anyone you meet on the way." Niel:


    "Liam, very sharp, suspected,


    "Are you hiding something from me?"


    Niel quickly changed the subject, "No, nothing.


    Let''s just buy something random."


    As he thought to himself, ''If it turns into a mayhem at the library later, what do I do?''


    He hadn''t figured out how to tell Liam about Maureen having pursued Richard for two years.


    "Of course we''ll just buy something random.


    Do you think I''m going to make a careful selection for her?" Liam sneered.


    As he spoke, he stepped into a luggage store, glanced around, and picked up the largest-sized, jumbo, black suitcase.


    The entire shopping mall belonged to the Williams family.


    The sales associates recognized him ¡ª or rather his red hair ¡ª and no one approached him.


    They let him do as he pleased.


    Liam pulled the suitcase and walked on.


    Niel then saw him stride forward, tossing girls'' autumn and winter clothes, shoes, backpacks, socks into the suitcase as he walked.


    He littered an entire row with each toss.


    Wherever he went, it was as if a swarm of locusts had passed, leaving everything bare.


    Niel: "..." Do you call this casual shopping?

 Chapter 16: His Handsome face

    Chapter 16: His Handsome faceJust as Niel was about to organize his speech, Liam had already stepped up to a different set of shelves selling masks.


    A gold-rated sales guide guessed what he wanted to buy and hurriedly pushed the shelves over, asking,


    "Master Williams, do you need this?" Liam turned his head.


    Neatly arranged on the shelves were women''s silk undergarments, catching him off guard.


    His handsome face instantly turned red, and he burst out in anger:


    "What nonsense is that?! Do I look like someone who would buy such a thing?!


    What kind of misunderstanding do you have about me?!"


    The gold-rated sales guide awkwardly pulled on the shelves, preparing to leave.


    "Wait." Liam called her back.


    Actually, Liam was wondering if the transfer student was recently short on cash, because he often saw her searching for tutoring information on the forum and wasn''t sure if she could afford these things.


    "Just get two then."


    Liam grumbled, not daring to look any further, and hurriedly picked several items with two fingers, tossing them into the luggage box.


    After he finished throwing stuff in, his face was already red. He grabbed a couple of bags of masks and threw them in too.


    Then he quickly kicked the lid of the luggage box shut, and with a zip sound, he spun around and ran off with the luggage box on wheels.


    A group of salespeople watching Williams Sir from behind the shelves were all puzzled, their expressions varied and wonderful.


    Niel also had a speechless look on his face. The gold-rated sales guide smiled slightly.


    It seems like it was not a misunderstanding after all.


    Niel hurried to catch up, lamenting his friend''s actions,


    "Liam, she''s the one chasing you, not the other way around.


    Do you really need to buy all of this stuff!?"


    "I know!" Liam responded irritably,


    "I''m not even into her! Isn''t it just a simple gesture of reciprocity for her relentless daily dessert deliveries?" Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Niel was about to say something else.


    Liam''s face was expressionless,


    "Shut up, I''ve already said I don''t like her." "Oh..."


    Niel felt complicated. Liam haphazardly purchased a mountain of items, then shouldered two down comforters.


    In October, the weather would quickly chill.


    The two of them exited the mall, the cold air stirring their sneezes.


    Suddenly, the sound of a car engine echoed from the not-too-distant distance, a sleek lengthened luxury car ominously approached.


    Liam cast a glance, his face instantly cooled, he piled the down comforters onto the luggage and handed them to Niel,


    "Meet me at the library at eight."


    "All this stuff, what am I supposed to say, damn it."


    Niel''s face was full of reluctance. Liam retorted,


    "Dumbass, just say you won them in a lottery."


    Niel was beginning to question his life,


    "Who would believe that I won so many girls'' articles from a lottery draw?"


    The car had already arrived, its back door being opened.


    A well-dressed and respectful middle-aged man stepped out, smiling at Liam,


    "Young Master."


    ===========


    Maureen was in the library, meticulously studying with her book in hand.


    There weren''t many people who didn''t go home over the weekend, perhaps around twenty or so.


    Some wore headphones and listened to music, some had their legs propped up while playing video games, and there were also couples around.


    It wasn''t exactly deserted.


    The system helped her keep track of time: "You took 75 minutes to do this paper, you''re getting faster."


    "This test is not difficult, it doesn''t reach the difficulty standard of 80% of the college entrance examination.


    But it is indeed much faster than the time I used to take before."


    Maureen lifted her head and rubbed her eyes, glancing at the potted plant that maintained fifteen tender buds.


    With the increase of tender buds ¡ª or rather the reduction of negative luck, she could clearly sense the changes in various aspects of herself.


    The most noticeable was while answering papers, the number of inexplicably incorrect answers due to sudden brain freezes had significantly reduced.


    The system''s explanation for this was that the good luck she had gained was offsetting the heroine''s intelligence-decreasing buff. Maureen was full of fighting spirit.


    But now, she had something that was bothering her.


    She had submitted the application form for the interschool competition but with so many talented people and a pile of applications, she feared the teacher leading the competition wouldn''t even see her application form.


    In that case, she would be dead on arrival. The teacher who was selecting students was named Logan, over sixty years old, highly respected, and was a well-known and acclaimed competition coach over the years.


    He was very decisive in school, to the extent that even the head teacher respected him greatly.


    Maureen wondered if there was any way to have her application form directly delivered in front of Coach Logan.


    Even if he didn''t think highly of her, she should at least try.


    ¡ª Even at worst, being able to meet this elusive teacher, and gaining some guidance was certainly beneficial.


    "I must get into a good university in this lifetime."


    Because of her memories from the previous life, Maureen quickly expanded her mindset.


    "Can you check for me if this is a post by Teacher Logan''s grandson looking for companionship to play with?"


    In her previous life, by the time Maureen was in university, this gold medal coach had retired.


    Everyone around felt a great pity, only then did they realise that his household had an autistic grandson.


    With his grandson''s condition increasingly getting worse, he had to concentrate on looking after him.


    System: "Yes, it''s two hundred dollars a day. The price is also fair.


    If you can get this job, it will just alleviate your economic pressure." Maureen said,


    "There shouldn''t be a problem, you see, there''s hardly any responses under this post."


    This anonymous post was given a blunt tone, the requirements were strict, and it was even asking for someone to play with an autistic child.


    Students on campus who needed to work for money would not take on such tasks.


    Everyone would rather choose some simple tutoring, or even do someone else''s homework for money.


    As a result, this post has been hanging there since the first half of the year till now, only receiving some replies like "???" and "Is this serious or is someone trolling?"


    If it weren''t for getting another chance at life, Maureen wouldn''t associate the poster with the harsh Teacher Logan.


    With a try-and-see mentality, Maureen sent a private message to the poster expressing her interest in doing this job.


    But after sending it, after ten whole minutes, nothing happened, there was no ''Seen''. System: "Is this method useful?


    I think you might as well directly inquire Teacher Logan''s home address and just go."


    "That would be too deliberate, a character like Teacher Logan would certainly feel disgusted."


    Maureen contemplated, "Let''s wait, it''s night-time now, given Teacher Logan''s age, he should sleep pretty early.


    We''ll look at it again in the morning."


    As Maureen flips the calendar, she remembers something.


    The time should be coming close, right after the Hundred Schools Competition finished in her previous life, the Donald family returned to the country.


    Donald Family used to be their neighboring family in her grandmother''s town.


    At that time, they were also penniless, yet they often helped Maureen and took care of Maureen''s grandmother.


    About three years ago, Uncle Donald suddenly made a fortune in his business and then went abroad.


    In her previous life, after the Donald family returned to the country, they often contacted Maureen.


    Their family considered Bianca to be a cuckoo occupying another bird''s nest, and their attitude towards Bianca was extremely bad¡ªyou could tell that they were somewhat villainous in the original story, they kept jumping around and getting beaten until their faces were swollen by the people around Bianca.


    In addition, although the Donald family was rich, they were still quite honest ¡ª which in the original story meant they were not very smart, hence they often made jokes.


    Laurel Donald, who transferred to their school, was indeed handsome, but because he was too unrefined, he was laughed at by the students in class A.


    In the end, the Donald family''s fate was no better than those of Maureen and Josephine''s households.


    Maureen couldn''t recall the phone number, so she was unable to contact the Donald family in advance.


    But she circled the date on the calendar, determined to protect this family under the protagonist''s luck in this life.


    At least she had to keep them away from Bianca.


    Also, the first thing she had to do when she met Laurel Donald was probably to take him shopping for new clothes.


    There were many things to do, and Maureen planned them one by one in her mind.


    But on the basis of all these, the most important thing was to make the tender buds in the pot grow as much as possible.


    After rubbing her eyes, Maureen was about to continue writing the next test paper.


    The chair opposite the long table was suddenly pulled out.


    A familiar black school bag was placed on the table, a familiar hand opened the bag, and took out a thick book of competition problems along with a pen and a stack of paper.


    "Maureen looks up, meeting Richard''s gaze as though by coincidence.


    Richard gives her a glance, places his backpack on the seat next to him, and sits down across from her.


    "Why are you here?"


    Maureen glances around.


    She doesn''t see Elizabeth from the neighboring school or anyone else either.

 Chapter 17: When he speaks

    Chapter 17: When he speaksIt seems Richard came alone ¡ª strikingly, uncharacteristically taking the initiative to sit opposite her.


    Richard calmly sizes her up, a fire smoldering in his chest.


    When he speaks, his tone is far from pleasant:


    "Why can''t I be here? Do you own this library?" What the heck? Is he always this grumpy? Maureen is puzzled,


    "Why so abrasive? Did you eat gunpowder or something? Did I offend you?"


    Richard''s gaze falls and latches onto a stack of test papers, placed by her side.


    On the left side of the paper, "Liam" was written with elegant strokes. Following his gaze, Maureen asks,


    "What?" Richard could feel throbbing at his temples:


    "Why are you writing his homework?" "It''s my pleasure."


    Maureen was all too willing to help Liam with his homework these days.


    On the one hand, it contributed to accumulating good karma. At the same time, it acted as a form of revision, the repetition enhancing her memory.


    But she saw no reason to explain this to Richard.


    "Richard choked on his words as his anger flared, burning even more fiercely.


    Suddenly, it seemed like Richard had captured the truth, realizing why he had been increasingly irritable hearing the names of Maureen and Liam together these past few days.


    Richard''s voice deepened,


    "Have you had enough ¡ª "


    Maureen looks up.


    Filled with lingering questions such as,


    "Why do you have to get involved with someone like Liam?


    Why can''t you stay out of my sight now that everything is perfectly fine?" got stuck on


    Richard''s tongue ¡ª words he couldn''t voice out due to his teenage pride. Without thinking, the words slipped out,


    "Living on campus isn''t a solution."


    Maureen originally wanted to greet him, but she was engrossed in her homework and was inexplicably reprimanded by him.


    In addition, he was lobbying for the Smith family.


    Even though Maureen was known for her good temper, she was gradually losing her patience.


    "Richard, we''ve only known each other for two years.


    You once said that we''re not even friends, so you have no position to advise me."


    Holding the key scope of the ''Hundred School League'' that he had yet to distribute, Richard almost forgot what he came for.


    He looked at Maureen, grinding his teeth, and asked,"Only known for two years?"


    What about her confession of liking him for those two years?


    "Yes." Maureen quickly glanced to her left and right and seeing no one paying attention, she immediately stood up and started to pack her things.


    "I''m sorry for disturbing you before. I was overreaching.


    But it won''t happen again, so please don''t interfere with my matters."


    Unable to believe Maureen''s words, Richard could feel his knuckles turning white.


    His face turned play, staring as she turned to leave.


    After packing her bag, Maureen found a spot as far away from Richard as possible in the library study room.


    She realized that Richard was acting unusual. For the first time in two years, he had actively sought her out.


    From Maureen''s perspective, maybe the proud Richard just couldn''t get used to the one who had always been chasing him suddenly stopped chasing.


    Perhaps it was just discomfort, or perhaps his youthful pride had taken a hit.


    After all, things would soon return to their usual quiet calmness.


    In the end, he didn''t like her, and would probably be glad to get rid of such a nuisance sooner or later.


    ==========


    Niel was starving, he had dinner outside before arriving with his luggage in tow.


    Just as he reached the floor-to-ceiling window, he saw the transfer student and Richard, the lead of the Gold Medal Competition Class, sitting face-to-face. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Judging by Richard''s icy expression, it seemed like they were arguing¡ªbut it was clear that they knew each other very well, just as he''d heard, with an incredibly rich history between them.


    Mother of God. What was he supposed to do?


    Call the transfer student out and avoid a meeting between Liam and Richard?


    Niel''s heart was pounding as he was about to walk in and figure something out when suddenly, someone slapped his shoulder.


    "Why are you still here?"


    His breath almost stopped.


    Turning his head, he saw Liam in a sports jacket, his short hair tousled, standing behind him. He carried the chill from the night air, and held a big box of takeaway.


    He had clearly just come from home, and his face still bore a mixture of icy indifference, a far cry from his usual blustering arrogance. However, this lingering expression soon disappeared from his face.


    "Liam, what happened to your hand?"


    Niel noticed that the back of Liam''s hand, which was carrying the jacket, had been scratched by something unknown.


    It wasn''t a big deal, but there were still some faint traces of blood seeping out.


    Liam didn''t care and rubbed his hand lightly, "It was cut by a piece of glass."


    Niel hesitated, unsure of whether or not to ask further.


    "You''re too slow." Liam changed the subject, furrowed his eyebrows, and took long strides to leave. Niel quickly grabbed him,


    "Liam, eat your takeaway out here, don''t eat it inside!".


    "Crazy, it''s freezing outside."


    Liam was increasingly suspicious that Niel was hiding something from him.


    He glared at him and entered the study room without hesitation. ...


    Niel''s heart almost stopped, he could only brace himself and pushed his suitcase, following Liam into the room.


    Who knew that Liam would take several turns, heading not towards where Richard and Maureen were sitting together.


    Niel was taken aback and quickly looked at their previous location.


    However, only Richard remained seated there with a stern expression.


    There was no trace of Maureen.


    When he was pulling Liam, the transfer student seems to have changed her seat. Only then did Niel breathe a sigh of relief.


    He quickly sped up his pace, seeking to make amends by getting to the transfer student before Liam.


    He was sweating profusely as he placed the suitcase and two down comforters on a nearby chair.


    "Transfer student, Liam and I went to the internet cafe after school to play some games and won some prizes!


    They seem to be things for girls, which we don''t need, so we thought we''d just give them to you."


    Right at the doorway, Maureen had spotted the two people.


    It was mainly because Liam''s red short hair was too conspicuous and flashy, coupled with his towering height which made him stand out in a crowd.


    She looked over at Liam, "Is this for me?"


    "Mm-hmm." Liam attempted not to show his smug satisfaction through his expression.


    He walked over, pulled out a chair located one seat apart from Maureen, flopped himself onto it lazily, with one leg propped up on the other.


    He began toying with the pen cap on Maureen''s desk, flicking it open with a ''pop'', and shutting it with another, embodying the demeanour of ''I may have gifted you something, but don''t you dare get greedy with me'' kind of coolness.


    Seeing that Maureen was still watching him, he shifted his gaze towards her, "


    Don''t overthink it, transfer student.


    We''re classmates.


    We''re supposed to help each other."

 Chapter 18: Greedy

    Chapter 18: GreedyDo I really think that a bottom-tier student like him has anything valuable that I could covet?


    Or am I greedy for his nonexistent intelligence?


    Maureen cast a glance at the down quilt and other items set aside.


    She didn''t believe it for a second.


    Those things didn''t look like they could be won as prizes.


    She concluded that there was a good chance that Liam had specifically gone and bought them - the reason for it, she didn''t know.


    But she suspected it could be because of the desserts she had been giving him these past few days.


    Probably Liam felt embarrassed about only ever accepting her generosity and had decided to give something back in return.


    Regardless, Maureen couldn''t help but feel a touch of warmth in her heart, especially after the continuous harassment from Oliver, Richard, and others.


    "Thank you."


    Her eyes curved into a smile. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Liam met Maureen''s gaze, he noticed that she was dressed lightly, her long delicate eyelashes curled upwards when she smiled, her eyes sparkling in the reflected light.


    Liam quickly diverted his gaze and blurted out irritably,


    "I told you they won a prize.


    What are you thanking me for?"


    "I didn''t say that wasn''t part of the prize." Maureen said, speechless.


    Seeing Liam turn his head, she discretely took the opportunity to take a whiff.


    The air was filled with a dry pine-scent that she couldn''t resist.


    The smell was so invigorating that the fatigue from doing homework for such a long time just vanished.


    Maureen''s actions were subtle, but Liam, who had always been observant, continued to watch her coolly and intently from the corner of his eyes.


    Liam had prepared himself a thousand times before coming here, reminding himself to stay composed.


    However, in the end, his composure shattered within a second, his ears turning instantly bright red.


    Damn it, he intentionally chose a seat far away from her, and she was still sniffing him!


    Just as Liam was about to say something, Maureen, fearing he would speak recklessly again, quickly interrupted him, looking up at Niel,


    "What did you guys win?"


    "Oh, oh, oh." Niel''s attention was completely on Richard, who was looking at them from not far away. Not considering much, he simply squatted down to unzip the suitcase.


    "Wait, you should open it later when you get back¡ª¡ª"


    Liam hadn''t even finished his sentence.


    The moment the zip was heard; two pieces of silk underwear fell out.


    Niel had completely forgotten that the cashier had stuffed this item in their bag.


    A handful of people scattered not far away all turned to look over.


    Maureen was stunned, unable to react immediately to what was happening:


    "Was this also part of the prize?" Liam was the first to recover.


    His expression paused for a moment then sharply changed.


    He darted over and angrily thrust the underwear back into Niel''s hands,


    "What is this?


    How did it get in the suitcase, did you put that in there?"


    Niel''s expression was one of being at a loss for words,


    "Liam, you¡ª¡ª" Liam turned his gaze to the right, hinting that he take the underwear and leave promptly.


    Inside Niel was raging.


    Hastily, he shoved his underwear into his backpack, then slammed the suitcase shut:


    "This is my part of the winnings, the rest is all won by Liam."


    Maureen''s face was indescribable, her impression of Liam leveled up once again:


    "Why would you, a big guy, buy things like this?"


    Within, Liam silently cursed. His face is reddening in frustration:


    "Do you think I wanted to buy it¡ª No, I won it.


    You don''t get a say in what you win."


    Maureen shifted the topic:


    "Have you had dinner yet? For shopping¡ª I mean, for winning the prizes, you guys didn''t skip dinner, right?"


    Niel and Liam simultaneously replied:


    "I have eaten; brother Liam hasn''t yet."


    "I''ve eaten." No sooner than they finished speaking, Liam''s stomach grumbled loudly.


    "Liam''s handsome face quickly turned expressionless. He stood up, hands in pockets, and coolly looked around at the others as if he was uninvolved:


    "Whose stomach was that?" Niel: "..."


    Maureen: "..." Maureen felt both embarrassed and amused, but what was more was a warmth she hadn''t felt in a long time.


    She guessed Liam probably knew that she had run away from home to live on campus, otherwise he wouldn''t have sent a down comforter over.


    The weather was getting colder and she genuinely needed it.


    But since he probably has never bought these kinds of things before, he ended up stuffing a whole heap of random items.


    Apparently, Liam wasn''t as annoying as she initially thought.


    Holding back her laughter, Maureen turned around and continued writing her assignment:


    "Forget it, stop fussing around, go eat."


    Liam finally sat down again, awkwardly opening the takeout.


    He glanced at Maureen, who was focusing on her homework.


    His mood was no longer visibly downcast, so he lifted the corner of his lips slightly and opened the takeout box.


    Niel, having packed his suitcase, also pulled up a chair and sat down:


    "What did you order?"


    Liam replied, "fried rice and chicken."


    As soon as he finished speaking, he frowned,


    "There''s Mayonnaise."


    Liam instantly lost his appetite, but his stomach was growling with hunger.


    He took a pair of Spoon and planned to pick out the cilantro piece by piece and place it on the side cover.


    But then, he saw Maureen''s eyes suddenly glistening.


    Maureen excitedly leaned in like a kitten, "Liam, let me pick them out for you!"


    How many delicate sprouts must he nurture to handle such detailed chores!


    "Go ahead then," Liam grumbled.


    As soon as he agreed, Maureen immediately sat next to him and pulled the takeout box towards her.


    Liam lowered his gaze and sneakily glanced at Maureen''s bright eyes.


    He tried his best to act nonchalant but cheeks turned slightly red, and his "tail" was figuratively wagging in the air.


    She wanted to do even such tiny tasks for him!


    How much does she like him?! Liam cast a triumphant glance at the single dog, Niel sitting beside him.


    However, he noticed that Niel was distracted, his gaze directed elsewhere.


    Liam looked in that direction - and made direct eye contact with the icy eyes of Richard, who was watching from several rows away.


    It''s that guy again.


    Liam frowned and instinctively took a glance at Maureen.


    He noticed... the person that guy was intently staring at, was his woman.

 Chapter 19: Watching Maureen in silence

    Chapter 19: Watching Maureen in silenceRichard watched in silence as Maureen picked Mayonnaise for Liam.


    He''d heard rumors of Maureen bringing desserts to Liam every day from the international class, but he''d not believed it until he saw it with his own eyes.


    His hand slowly clenched, a feeling similar to a hot pot of boiling oil brewing in his heart, restless and anxious.


    He didn''t even know why, but the sight felt like a thorn lodged in his eye, very eye-catching.


    He did not believe that Maureen actually had feelings for Liam.


    She was probably just acting out of spite, against her family, against him.


    Otherwise there was no need for her to deliberately pick vegetables for Liam in front of him.


    She was doing this on purpose.


    But if she expects him to come looking for her again, it was almost impossible.


    Once bitten, twice shy.


    His self-esteem could not allow it.


    Richard calmly decided to give Maureen some time to cool down.


    Once her stubbornness dies down, everything should return back to normal.


    He cast his eyes downward, not wanting to see anymore, fearing that it might affect him.


    He picked up his school bag, and quickly exited the library.


    In the night wind, Richard still held the key points for the Inter-school competition in his right hand.


    He walked up to the trash can, about to crumple up the paper and throw it away, but hesitated.


    With a furrowed brow, he smoothed out the paper.


    He walked up to the librarian''s desk at the entrance, folded the paper twice, inserted it into a book, and handed it to the librarian,


    "Excuse me, please help me deliver this to a student from the international class."


    ===========


    Liam leaned back in his chair, arms folded, his gaze fixed intently on Richard.


    Only when Richard left the library did he finally retract his tense gaze.


    Tilting his head, he glanced to the left at the small figure sitting beside him.


    Maureen was diligently picking Mayonnaise.


    Liam watched her for a moment before he couldn''t resist to ask,


    "That guy, is he your friend?"


    Maureen followed his gaze to the door, finally realizing he was talking about Richard.


    She paused before saying,


    "Kind of."


    "Seems like you have a close relationship," Liam said, forcing himself to maintain a casual demeanor, trying not to give away any hint of jealousy.


    "I saw him looking at you.


    Does he have something to say?"


    "Not really," Maureen replied.


    She tried to avoid Richard whenever she saw him, could that be considered as ''average''?


    So she added, "Just an acquaintance."


    Only after Maureen finished speaking did she realize that something was off.


    She''d transferred to the international class nearly two weeks ago, and this second generation rich kid would either give her the cold shoulder or mock her.


    Today, he offered a helping hand which could be interpreted as a returned favor, but why would he suddenly start asking about people from the elite class?


    The answer was a bit perfunctory.


    Liam glanced at Richard''s retreat and asked,


    "He looks quite distinguished, are his grades good?" Maureen replied,


    "Why do you ask?"


    Why would he suddenly ask about grades?


    Maureen understood, although she believed her grades were decent, they were still a far cry compared to Richard.


    Did Liam want to exchange someone else to do his homework?


    "Mr. Williams, you''d better drop the idea."


    Maureen immediately put down her spoon, trying to advocate for herself,


    "Just let me write for you.


    I could even copy handwriting.


    No one else can write with as much patience as I do. Why should you go to great lengths when I''m right here?"


    Liam was taken aback, but then quickly understood.


    Jealousy! What else, if not jealousy, could this be?! What had he said?


    Why was she starting to get petty about a matter as trivial as doing homework?!


    Liam struggled to suppress the corners of his mouth, which were gradually curving upward.


    Seeing Maureen still looking at him, he quickly returned his expression to normal and waved his hand impatiently,


    "Alright, alright, I won''t let anyone else write."


    Maureen heaved a sigh of relief.


    Liam''s cheeks turned red and he felt embarrassed.


    Niel looked at Maureen, at a loss for a word, yearning to say something, yet remaining silent.


    Maureen always took things seriously, even selecting mayonnaise- something so simple and trivial.


    Liam watched her focus on her task, her eyelashes basking in the light.


    "Alright."


    He only snapped out of it when Maureen handed over the spoon to him.


    Liam took the Spoon, feeling secretly pleased and with an increased appetite; he began to eat heartily.


    He ate fast, hungrily, and with youthful vigor - but silently so.


    Maureen also cheerfully looked at her potted plants, spotting an additional three tender sprouts.


    She was getting closer to her goal of five hundred sprouts.


    Mr. Williams truly was a good person.


    As he ate, his phone, which had been left to the side, suddenly vibrated.


    Picking it up casually, he swiped the screen open with one hand and saw that it was a WhatsApp message from Drake.


    However, before he could open the message and see what Drake had sent, he remembered something - had Maureen sent him a message today?


    Maureen''s daily routine was unshakeable: dessert + three WhatsApp messages + homework for him.


    Suddenly today, without receiving any Whatsapp messages, he surprisingly felt out of sorts.


    "Is your phone broken today?"


    Liam casually asked. Maureen was sitting beside me, tackling assignments:


    "No." ¡ª Why didn''t you send me a message? This question Liam could not voice out.


    He continued to coldly hum as if nothing was amiss:


    "Oh, thank heavens.


    Finally, no messages are bothering me."


    "You didn''t block me, did you?" Maureen asked in surprise.


    "Of course, I blocked you." Liam said,


    "I completely can''t understand what you send me every day, why won''t I block you?"


    Maureen: "Oh." It''s good that he blocked it. These last two days, she had been quite busy and had actually forgotten about this.


    Once Liam said it, it reminded her.


    She doesn''t have much energy to spend on Whatsapp every day, but something is better than nothing.


    And besides, Maureen analyzed that she should not stop, what if this thing is like QQ, where you get a big reward for consecutive days of sending messages?


    She immediately took out her phone, opened Whatsapp in front of Liam, and sent him three emojis.


    Liam glanced from the side: "


    "What''s with her? She seems so insincere!"


    "Has she always been so nonchalant whenever she sends Whatsapp messages daily?"


    Liam had always thought that she would ponder for a long time before sending daily Whatsapp messages to someone she likes.


    Liam almost suffered a mental malfunction. He really did not understand girls.


    His mobile phone vibrated slightly.


    Another message from Brown arrived.


    Liam opened it: "What the hell have you been buying with my card?


    People might get the wrong idea that I have a fetish for crossdressing!"


    "Ah." Liam replied with one hand, " Demon Williams is visiting the country.


    My mom took him to see my grandpa, and it''s a risky period, so I didn''t use my card.


    When you go back to school, use my card to buy your fishing rod."


    Brown seemed satisfied, his tone was much softer:


    "So, are you chasing her or is she chasing you? You''re practically bankrupting yourself."


    "What''s there to fear? She''s not interested in my money." Liam replied nonchalantly.


    After a pause, he proudly typed out a mass of messages:


    "Last time, she used all the money I gave her to buy me gifts.


    Bet you didn''t know that. :)"


    "But what if she''s casting a long line to catch a big fish?"


    "She might not be after your money, but she could be targeting the Williams family''s wealth."


    "After all, she doesn''t know that you have an older brother. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ever since your brother passed away, your mom has baffled on treating Demon like your elder brother and even encouraged the old man to allocate his shares to Demon.


    Outsiders are unaware of the Williams''s family situation.


    They think you are the only heir and Demon is just your cousin."


    "But what if¡ª I mean, just if¡ª"


    " Demon is the one who will inherit all the family wealth."


    "Will she approach you or approach Demon?"


    This time, Drake did not joke, he was very serious.


    Though the words were harsh, as the only person who had grown up with Liam, he felt the need to say them.


    At their social level, they''d seen too many such situations.


    Of course, he had to admit that most people did not have the perseverance of the transfer student Liam had mentioned - not even for a hundred thousand dollars.


    "Again, since childhood, I''ve never seen anyone chase you because of who you are.


    Your personality is just too poor."


    Liam was upset: "


    Are you trying to piss me off?


    How many times are you going to say that?"


    Drake ignored him and continued:


    "So, why is this girl any different?"


    Liam stared at the bunch of words sent by Drake on the phone screen.


    This time, his mood was significantly different from before.


    Last time, he listened to Drake''s words with a curious and teasing attitude towards the transfer student.


    If the transfer student approached him for other reasons, he would simply wave her goodbye.


    But this time, those words became piercing.


    A subtle fear began to form in Liam''s heart.


    After a while.


    "Impossible."

 Chapter 20 - 20 Hiden Feelings

    ?Chapter 20: Hiden Feelings Chapter 20: Hiden Feelings Liam didn¡¯t know if he was speaking to Drake or himself, and he sent a message: ¡°Just continue your bitterness, if you speak like this again, I¡¯ll block you.


    :D¡± But after sending it, Liam¡¯s good mood had completely gone.


    He instinctively looked towards Maureen.


    Maureen was still tranquilly working on her test paper.


    She was quite fair-skinned, and her quietness evoked the serene elegant likeness of jade, making one¡¯s heart peaceful.


    Today, she had tied her jet-black, medium-length hair into a ponytail, revealing her fair neck.


    Liam noticed a red thread hanging around her neck, seemingly holding a piece of jade, plain in appearance ¨C unlike the flashy earrings or necklaces that girls of seventeen or eighteen would typically wear.


    It rather evoked the aura of a small town, giving off a hint of the smell of camphor trees in the summer breeze. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was a bit prone to insect bites, thus, there was a bottle of floral dew placed on her desk, and a faint fragrance emanated from her.


    Liam couldn¡¯t help but pull up his trouser leg, showing his ankle, hoping to divert the mosquito¡¯s attention towards himself.


    But he wasn¡¯t of the blood type that attracted mosquitoes.


    Maureen noticed Liam¡¯s gaze.


    Without stopping her pen, she tilted her head, gave him a glance, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Caught off-guard, Liam quickly averted his gaze, casually stretched and started to clean up the food containers saying, ¡°Finished eating.


    It¡¯s almost ten o¡¯clock, when are you going back to the dormitory building?¡± After finishing, he glanced at Niel.


    Niel instantly understood, ¡°Ah, these things are too heavy.


    We are, after all, boys, let us help you carry them.¡± Liam reluctantly replied, with a hint of reluctance, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help.¡± As they spoke, he casually tossed his cell phone to one side.


    Liam¡¯s phone screen lit up.


    Drake¡¯s Whatsapp message lingered on the screen, all others along with his responses had been deleted, leaving only the remark ¡°Only Demon is the one to inherit all the family¡¯s assets.¡± His eyes lifted subtly, glancing at Maureen.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back now.¡± Maureen stood up to pack her things, but as soon as she stood up, her eyes inadvertently caught a glimpse of Liam¡¯s whatsapp conversation on his screen.


    Startled, she froze on the spot.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Liam seemed completely oblivious that his phone screen was still lit.


    Maureen quickly averted her gaze.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± But her mind was whirling in shock¡ª Did she just inadvertently stumble upon a piece of explosive news?!


    Was this what Liam was seriously discussing in his messages?!


    Maureen had initially planned to piggyback on Demon and Drake once they arrived at school.


    But it looks like she needs to steer clear of Williams Demon now.


    There¡¯s no point in offending Liam ¨C who could offer six times more ¨C over a mere 2%.


    As for the family properties, they had nothing to do with her.


    These wealthy young masters weren¡¯t going to share a dime with her.


    Caught between two sides, Maureen made up her mind in a flash.


    She¡¯d stay as far from Demon as possible in the future, lest she displeases the biggest benefactor, Liam, and he no longer lets her hang around.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡± Maureen suddenly noticed that Liam¡¯s left hand seemed to have been scratched by something.


    He had been covering it with his long sleeve, so she hadn¡¯t seen it until now.


    Because he was cleaning up the takeout boxes, the wound was now exposed.


    Perhaps because of Liam¡¯s exceptionally fair complexion, the crimson blood stain on the wound looked rather deep.


    ¡°Wait for me a moment, I have something to do,¡± Maureen said urgently.


    She felt as if a light bulb had just turned on in her mind.


    How many points would she gain if she went to buy a band-aid for this Liam?


    With that, she grabbed her backpack and dashed out of the library.


    The convenience store at the school entrance was a considerable distance away, but she estimated that a round trip would take about ten minutes.


    ¡°What¡¯s with her?¡± Niel looked at Maureen¡¯s receding figure, his face full of confusion.


    ¡± Liam put away his mobile phone, his expression quite grim.


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait.¡± Liam pulled out a chair and sat down again.


    This time, he felt a sense of low pressure enveloping him.


    As time passed, Niel felt his mood become more and more oppressive.


    After seemingly an eternity, Niel couldn¡¯t help but check his watch.


    ¡°Liam, you don¡¯t think she¡¯s too embarrassed to accept all these things and just left, do you?¡± Liam thought to himself.


    She did leave, but it wasn¡¯t because of all these things.


    Visibly irritated, he grabbed his phone, stood up, and donned his coat haphazardly.


    As he did, his face became so twisted it looked like he could wring water from it.


    He looked slightly listless.


    ¡°Forget it.


    Let¡¯s go.¡± He had considered that Maureen might be unable to resist the temptation and that her attitude towards him might subtly change after seeing the news.


    He was mentally prepared.


    But he never imagined that she would be so direct, so very direct, and just leave?!


    Damn, she was so decisive!


    Should he say, true to the form of her?!


    She wasn¡¯t after his money.


    Oh, so it turned out like many others waiting in line, she was after the status of his inheritor.


    Inside, Liam felt much worse than the last time he thought she was after his money.


    RIt felt like he had been stabbed.


    He shouldn¡¯t have tested her.


    The moment she ran towards him at first, he should have grabbed the back of her collar and thrown her out.


    Liam and Niel walked out of the library.


    Liam threw the takeaway box into the trash can with a clatter.


    Niel, pushing his suitcase, asked, ¡°Are you going home tonight?¡± Liam ignored him, dejectedly walking down the steps.


    Niel didn¡¯t know what had happened in that brief moment, he could only follow along.


    But as Liam was descending step by step, his gaze suddenly froze, and his pace also stopped abruptly.


    Maureen was running up the stairs.


    Running towards him.

 Chapter 21 - 21 School Library

    ?Chapter 21: School Library Chapter 21: School Library The Library of A was built very high, with about fifty to sixty steps.


    In the slightly cool night, there was no light around, only the brightly lit snack street outside the school in the distance, shining like a spilling galaxy.


    Maureen, with her old backpack on her back and her back facing the Milky Way, sweat seeped out of her smooth forehead.


    The sound of her running footsteps was quick, accompanied by the rhythmic sound of her backpack lightly patting against her back.


    Liam¡¯s heart started thumping rapidly.


    Maureen ran to him, glanced at him and Niel strangely, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would wait for me?¡± They couldn¡¯t even wait for ten minutes?


    Liam¡¯s mind went blank, his voice inexplicably hoarse, stuttering,¡± I thought you wouldn¡¯t come back.¡± ¡°I went to buy something, come here,¡± Maureen pulled him to the corner of the steps near the flower bed.


    For some reason, Liam at the moment seemed to be disconnected from his usual unruly demeanor.


    He lowered his eyes and followed her, obediently allowing her to tug him into the corner.


    Maureen took out what she had bought from her backpack.


    It was a bottle of iodine, a pack of cotton swabs, and a piece of disposable adhesive gauze.


    ¡°Your wound is a bit long, and a normal plaster is a bit small.


    This pure cotton gauze will do the job.


    It¡¯s better than having it get inflamed.


    I didn¡¯t notice it.


    You kept tucking your hand into your sleeves which only makes it easier for the wound to get infected.¡± Maureen handed them over, ¡°You should handle this here before you go home.¡± Liam lowered his head looking at her, his throat moved but didn¡¯t reach out to take them.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Maureen waved her hand in front of his eyes.


    Liam was at a loss to describe his feelings at the moment.


    He couldn¡¯t make any extra expressions on his face ¨C just a vulnerable and tender confusion.


    He initially thought that after she saw that message, she might not want to approach him again.


    He also assumed, perhaps Drake was right, if she wasn¡¯t after his money, then she must be playing a long game, maybe for something else.


    But it doesn¡¯t seem like that, at least, she¡¯s not after either of those two things.


    This is the first time someone sincerely likes him, treats him so wholeheartedly.


    Liam¡¯s ears were not even red, but rather, there was an extremely serious emotion welling up within him.


    His heart was beating very fast.


    ¡°Liam?¡± Maureen called his full name.


    Liam then seemed to come back to his senses as if jolted awake.


    Yes, that¡¯s right.


    Test, heck, what was he testing?


    Drake was just blindly envious.


    Smith Maureen just likes him ¨C Liam as a person!


    Liam raised his eyebrows, studying Maureen seriously, first raising his eyebrows in a smile, then smirking, and in the end, he couldn¡¯t contain his happiness.


    Maureen: ???


    Is he having an intermittent mental breakdown?


    Liam had an expression of understanding on his face.


    He licked his molars boastfully and arrogantly, ¡°Oh, so did you rush to buy this for me?¡± He accented the words ¡®for me¡¯.


    Maureen was really tired, and didn¡¯t want to talk nonsense with him.


    Seeing that she had bought iodine but did not apply it on his hand, his wounds wouldn¡¯t heal.


    She didn¡¯t care for anything and unfastened the iodine, pulled a cotton swab and dragged his hand over.


    ¡°What on earth are you doing?¡± Liam jumped, retracting his hand, reddening the tip of his ears.


    He pulled at his loose outer jacket, glancing around: ¡°Stop fussing about here.¡± ¡°Applying medicine,¡± Maureen stated, ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, disregard it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think you could have told me¡ª¡± Liam began to grumble.


    Maureen expressionlessly applied the cotton swab to his hand.


    Liam nearly cried out at the pain: ¡°Go lightly, go lightly!¡± Holding his hand, Maureen softened her touch, gently applying the cool medicinal alcohol.


    Liam licked his lips, watching her tender movements, he couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    The wound on the back of Liam¡¯s left hand was deep.


    It looked like it was caused by a shard of glass.


    But breaking a glass could only lead to cuts on the palm or fingers.


    How could the back of his hand be cut?


    When Maureen first transferred to the international class, she thought he was a pompous bully, she was even a little scared of him.


    However, now, Maureen felt that he wasn¡¯t as bad as he first appeared, so she was not so fearful of him anymore.


    Maureen didn¡¯t ask how he got the wound.


    After all, everyone has things they don¡¯t want others to know.


    Just as when someone asked why Maureen only came to the prosperous city from a backward small town in the north when she was fifteen, and why Oliver only acknowledged Bianca without acknowledging her, she also didn¡¯t want to answer.


    She simply continued to help him treat his wound without asking any questions.


    The two of them were very close.


    Liam leaned over.


    When Maureen finished treating his wound and raised her head, she almost bumped into Liam¡¯s face.


    He had a very handsome and distinguished face, a beautiful Adam¡¯s apple, filled with the hormones of a young man.


    Maureen was flustered, she stepped back: ¡°It¡¯s late, I have to go back.¡± Liam: ¡°Okay.¡± Niel squatted to one side as a third wheel, only following up when Liam and Maureen walked towards the dormitory building.


    The two guys took Maureen downstairs and persuaded the auntie in charge to give them permission, then they hauled the boxes up.


    Maureen then saw them downstairs.


    Liam strolled with his hands in his pockets, his pride radiating off of him.


    He was about to say nonsense about something along the lines of, ¡°Little Mask, aren¡¯t you happy that a handsome dude and a slightly less handsome guy have walked you back to the dorm tonight?¡± However, Maureen held her ears and ran upstairs before he could speak. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Liam: ¡± Niel couldn¡¯t resist laughing out loud: ¡°Ha ha ha.¡± But Liam didn¡¯t mind since he was in a good mood.


    He made a domineering call to Drake Brown.


    ¡°I¡¯ll turn against you if you say that kind of thing again.¡± Jake Brown still couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What does she want if she¡¯s not after money or the Williams family fame?¡± Liam touched the gauze on the back of his hand, barely holding back a bashful smile, and finally made a definitive statement.


    ¡°She wants me.¡± Drake Brown ¡°¡­¡± Niel: ¡°¡­¡± Liam had made up his mind.


    Now that he was certain she had feelings for him, he decided he would treat her doubly well.

 Chapter 22 - 22 No more Scars

    ?Chapter 22: No more Scars Chapter 22: No more Scars The first thing Maureen did when she returned to her dormitory was to happily count money, oh, no, to count the tender sprouts in her pot.


    It seemed that the number of coriander plants had increased by three, and the number of medicated plants by five, which when added to the previous fifteen, should be twenty-three plants¡­


    But why were there thirty-eight plants in total?!


    Wait!


    Did her face¡­?


    Maureen joyously removed her mask to check in the mirror.


    It was truly and completely gone!


    Even when she drew her face really close to the mirror, she could discern no trace of the previous blemish!


    Not even a hint of scarring.


    It was nothing short of miraculous.


    This was the first time since her rebirth that Maureen nearly shed tears of joy.


    The system said, ¡°It¡¯s because you held his hand.¡± Maureen quickly did her calculations and was taken aback.


    ¡°Could one hand hold really result in fifteen plants?¡± Was everything she had been meticulously planning all for naught?


    She might as well just have run to Liam to shake hands with him when she first saw him.


    The system said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you remember?


    Your fingertips were rubbing against each other for a total of three whole minutes.


    This is the first time you¡¯ve had such prolonged physical contact with him ¨C the first time always has a stronger effect.¡± Maureen hadn¡¯t really been aware of the time.


    While she was applying medicine, Liam had kept trying to extricate his hand, and she had to grasp hold of his fingertips.


    With the system putting it this way, it sounded quite risqu¨¦.


    The system was perplexed, ¡°I¡¯m surprised he didn¡¯t lose his temper at you.¡± Maureen was also puzzled, wondering if it was because she kept pushing her luck too far, until Liam, despite his initial annoyance, had simply grown accustomed to it.


    Liam seemed to have become less annoying to her lately, gradually showing signs of accepting her as a friend.


    Of course, this was good news for Maureen.


    Maureen energetically washed her face, squatted down and began to tidy up the pile of stuff at her feet.


    She hadn¡¯t quite made out what Liam had sent her, as everything in the box looked rumpled and bundled up when she saw it in the library.


    Now, as she took the items out and shook them for a closer look, she discovered that they were all branded items, with generous styles of autumn and winter sweaters and coats.


    Maureen was tall and slender among girls, with a fair and thin figure, so she could fit into any size.


    She tried them on and, surprisingly, they fit perfectly.


    In addition to the clothes and shoes, there were a whole bunch of miscellaneous things stuffed in the corner, including a scarf, toothpaste, and even a pillow.


    Maureen certainly couldn¡¯t return these.


    According to Liam¡¯s character, if she returned these items, he, the young Liam, would surely be upset.


    The situation would become even more troublesome.


    So, Maureen quickly calculated in her mind how much these things would cost.


    After adding up the prices on the tags, it was no less than seventy thousand dollars.


    It seemed she would have to work hard to earn money and then buy them back for Liam.


    For now, she would consider these items as advanced payment.


    ========= The next day, Maureen got up early and made a trip to the hospital, hanging an appointment at the dermatology department.


    It was the same doctor she had seen before.


    The doctor remembered her and, seeing her come for a follow-up exam, said: ¡°Take off your mask and let me see.


    Have you been diligent in applying sunscreen and medication?


    We don¡¯t want any hypertrophic scars¨C¡± Before the doctor could finish, Maureen had taken off her mask.


    ¡± The doctor was completely stunned.


    He could remember that two weeks ago when Maureen came for a checkup, there was a large injury on the left side of her face.


    He quickly walked over and inspected Maureen¡¯s face, looking from left to right: ¡°How did you recover so fast?


    Did you have surgery?¡± Even with surgery, it wouldn¡¯t be this smooth and flawless as if there was never any injury!


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, maybe it¡¯s because I kept applying the medication, it healed quite fast.¡± Maureen felt as if there was a celebratory atmosphere in her heart.


    Living in a world where she didn¡¯t need to wear a mask, even breathing felt easier.


    The doctor was utterly in disbelief ¨C this was a medical miracle.


    He had never seen such a spectacular recovery.


    ¡°Well, congratulations to you then.¡± As the two talked, the nurses who came in to fetch things couldn¡¯t help but sneak glances at Maureen.


    When this girl first came in with a mask on, people just noticed her beautiful eyes, but they never expected that she would be so stunning without the mask¡ª She had that kind of beauty that was shiningly fair, standing out in the crowd at first glance.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the school uniform she was wearing, people might mistake her as a young artist.


    She had the type of face that could make a person instantly popular.


    Maureen asked ¡°Do you think I can take off the mask now?¡± ¡°I think you can,¡± the doctor pondered and suggested, ¡°However, I would recommend observing for two more days.


    Wait until tomorrow and if you don¡¯t have any symptoms of itching or burning, you can take your mask off permanently, but remember to apply sunscreen every day.¡± Two days.


    Maureen felt she could wait.


    She didn¡¯t want any accidents in her life anymore.


    As she walked out of the hospital, Maureen had planned to go back to the school library to continue studying, but her phone suddenly vibrated.


    The author of the post that she messaged last night surprisingly responded to her.


    The other party gave her an address in a chilly manner and asked her to meet him this afternoon.


    Standing next to the bus stop, Maureen was so excited that she almost jumped up, saying to the system, ¡°This is what they call ¡®double happiness knocks on the door¡¯.¡± Could this be the good luck that came after the change in fate?


    System: ¡°It seems that Professor Logan is also on the list of people who can be leeched off.


    He belongs to the capricious type but even though his ranking is quite low, having some contact won¡¯t harm.


    Just expect him to be quite difficult to handle.


    You¡¯d better be careful, otherwise, you might get scolded and driven away.¡± Maureen: ¡°Understood.¡± Professor Logan¡¯s home was a bit secluded, in a narrow alleyway filled with hanging laundry.


    Maureen found the house number and politely knocked on the courtyard door.


    After a while, there were footsteps. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When the door opened, a man in a white vest with half-white hair put on his glasses and sized her up.


    In her previous life, Maureen had only seen Professor Logan once before she was taking the college entrance examination.


    At that time, he looked even more haggard than he was now.


    Although most of the people in the school hadn¡¯t been taught by him, they had seen him, and if she pretended not to know him now, it would seem rather false.


    So Maureen showed an expression of surprise: ¡°Professor Logan?¡± The old man looked at the school uniform she was wearing: ¡°Are you a student from our school?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Out of respect, Maureen quickly took off her face mask, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be you.


    I¡¯m currently working to support my studies.¡± ¡°Grade Three?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A clean and unpainted girl would easily make a good impression.


    Although the old man was a bit eccentric, it didn¡¯t seem right leaving Maureen standing outside.


    So, he said somewhat gruffly, ¡°First, come in.

 Chapter 23 - 23 Job offer

    ?Chapter 23: Job offer Chapter 23: Job offer I have a few questions for you.¡± Following him in, Maureen finally understood why he had retired early in his previous life.


    A palm-sized yard was overrun with weeds, giving it a desolate look.


    In an area where the grass had not grown, a pole stood supporting dirty clothes belonging to children around the age of ten.


    These past few days had all been gloomy; if his grandchildren soiled several sets of clothes a day, there wouldn¡¯t be time to dry them after washing.


    Having such a child to look after, it was indeed tough for an elderly man.


    Without paying close attention, Maureen barely noticed a small boy, around twelve or thirteen, sitting in the overgrown corner of the yard, his back to them, silently watching ants.


    Seeing that Maureen¡¯s steps had paused and that he was looking in the boy¡¯s direction, the eccentric old man frowned.


    ¡°This job isn¡¯t as easy as you imagine.


    You would be better off tutoring or going to an amusement park to earn some pocket money. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If you feel uncomfortable, it¡¯s better to leave as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel uncomfortable.


    Please, go on,¡± Maureen quickly picked up his pace, following the old man into the living room.


    ========= The old man needed someone that could accompany his autistic grandson in doing math problems.


    Only when doing this, would the boy enter his own quiet world.


    This was obviously not a task that could be handed off to a caregiver from a hospital.


    A caregiver in their forties or fifties wouldn¡¯t have the skills for this.


    And if he had to hire someone with a background in education, he couldn¡¯t afford to pay them.


    So after much deliberation, he opted for a compromise: hiring a part-time student to come over every weekend.


    However, finding a student posed its own challenges.


    No one at the school knew about his grandson¡¯s condition, and the proud old man wouldn¡¯t turn to his own former students.


    Half a year ago, he casually posted a message on a school forum.


    He didn¡¯t get many responses, so he shelved his plan, only accompanying his grandson in his spare time.


    Unexpectedly, half a year after posting, Maureen showed up.


    The old man had Maureen do a set of unique math problems and asked her a few questions regarding scheduling.


    With a stern expression, he sat on the side, making Maureen nervous for the entire duration.


    The only thing she could do was to solve the problems to the best of her ability.


    After she finished, the old man took a glance.


    ¡°Not bad.


    Quick on the uptake, but habits aren¡¯t the best.


    You skip through the steps, it makes your logic hard to follow,¡± professor Logan gave a succinct assessment.


    Actually, Teacher Logan didn¡¯t say it, but deep down he was a bit taken back.


    The kid had some unusual insights on many problems ¨C of course, a single test isn¡¯t sufficient to gauge her level.


    But he could judge, she was certainly not at the level of an ordinary class.


    If she was this quick-witted, even if she had never participated in any competition, she should¡¯ve achieved excellent results in the school exams.


    So why hadn¡¯t he ever heard of her at the school?


    Frowning at Maureen, the old man said coldly, ¡°Were you taking your tests with your feet before?¡± Maureen: ¡°¡­¡± Maureen felt that Teacher Logan¡¯s impression of her was not good.


    She was depressed, thinking she was going to be refused.


    To her surprise, the old man changed his tone: ¡°Come once a week, on Sunday, and it¡¯s two hundred each time, okay?


    Not much money, but you can save up the problems you don¡¯t understand and ask me.


    The only two conditions are you must not be late for my set time, and don¡¯t mention this to anyone at school.¡± Maureen immediately stood up, delighted, ¡°Sure, no problem!¡± That afternoon, Maureen stayed at the old man¡¯s house.


    She even kindly made dinner before she left in the evening.


    The enthusiasm showed on her face, and it did not make one feel annoyed.


    It only reminded one of a tender sprout struggling to live out in the bright sunshine, pushing up between the crevices of a rock.


    Professor Logan and his grandson were obviously astonished by Maureen¡¯s culinary skills, and they ate everything on the plate.


    After the meal, Maureen helped to clean up the dishes and go to wash them.


    Professor Logan, although eccentric in character, did not have the heart to let a young girl wash dishes for him and the boy.


    He rushed to the kitchen, his face looking much more relaxed than when Maureen first came in.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it, you can go ahead.¡± ¡­


    That day, as soon as Maureen returned to the school, she immediately went to the library and noted down several ideas that were inadvertently pointed out by Teacher Logan while she was playing with his grandson in the afternoon.


    Being given special attention by a top-notch coach, Maureen felt as if her heart was beating to the rhythm of war drums, her confidence suddenly boosted for the upcoming inter-schools tournament.


    ========== Meanwhile, Maureen, who was immersed in her survival struggle, didn¡¯t notice that her ranking in the school beauty voting was still on the rise.


    Liam had seen Maureen holding back her tears a few days ago and concluded that she must care about the two gossips in the class who said she wasn¡¯t pretty ¡ª after all, wouldn¡¯t any girl be bothered by comments on her looks?


    Her sadness seemed unaffected by Liam¡¯s comfort; Maureen still didn¡¯t talk to him.


    So Liam forced a group of his minions to vote for her until she made it to the top twenty.


    He thought Maureen would be happy to see this.


    After all, she has more than five hundred votes.


    She wasn¡¯t any worse than the others.


    As for whether to continue to push her ranking forward, Liam decides to give it a rest.


    He was a bit selfish.


    If Maureen climbed up to the first place, with her long eyelashes and fair skin, not to mention her tasty desserts, wouldn¡¯t everyone be trying to snatch her away?


    The transfer student doesn¡¯t look like someone who has a firm will.


    Fickle, she might fall in love at first sight with someone and start giving them her desserts.


    Liam just wanted to keep her to himself.

 Chapter 24 - 24 ugly freak

    ?Chapter 24: ugly freak Chapter 24: ugly freak However, another group of people began to crazily vote for Maureen.


    If before, Ann was just jealous of Maureen ¡ª jealous of her childhood engagement to Richard, and jealous of the fact that she, always wearing a face mask without revealing her true appearance, dared to hang around Richard freely.


    Ever since Ann was taken behind the teaching building by Richard, who wore a dauntingly icy expression, and ruthlessly interrogated her about Bianca¡¯s allergies, Ann had despised Maureen to the point of grinding her teeth in hatred.


    She had known Richard much before Maureen did.


    She was there for him first.


    Yet, it was only with Maureen that he spoke to, and only for Maureen did he offer extra lessons.


    Ann didn¡¯t have the courage to pursue Richard, yet Maureen daringly confessed her liking for him.


    This courage she displayed was beyond annoying.


    Upon seeing Maureen advance to the top twenty in the school¡¯s beauty pageant, Ann felt both disdain and irritation.


    How was it that she could see her everywhere?


    What gave her the right to be selected?


    Who knows what that mask, which she never took off, was hiding?


    Just because her eyes were attractive didn¡¯t mean she was truly beautiful, right?


    If she was actually good-looking, wouldn¡¯t she be showing off, like a peacock spreading its tail?


    Who would constantly wear a mask because of a small wound?


    Ann was almost driven by impulse to hire a water army to vote others up, dragging Maureen down, just to get her out of her sight.


    But then, she had another thought¡ªwhy not make a mistake out of it, and push Maureen to the top?


    If she made it to the front, when the voting ended, the whole school, even people from other schools, would be curious about Maureen.


    If they believed her to be very beautiful and Maureen had to take off her mask, only for the crowd to be utterly disappointed and scatter¡ª wouldn¡¯t that deeply wound Maureen¡¯s pride?


    Thinking about this, Ann decided to go for it.


    Executing this plan was easy, she just needed to spend a few tens of thousands to outsource the voting.


    While Ann was planning so, Elizabeth from the next school also noticed the beauty pageant at her school, and the soaring votes of Maureen.


    Being intelligent, she immediately asked those around her to start voting for Maureen as well.


    With both sides fuelling the fire, by Monday, Maureen¡¯s votes had already shot up to second place.


    Ann still wants to continue being friends with Bianca, so she didn¡¯t dare to instruct anyone to push Maureen up to the first place.


    So Maureen¡¯s votes were just over two thousand nine hundred, trailing behind Bianca¡¯s three thousand plus votes.


    ========== Maureen had no idea about this.


    She felt weird when people looked at her as she went to school on Monday.


    In school, she wasn¡¯t the only one wearing a mask.


    Many students who had cold or nasal allergies would wear one too, and no one used to pay any extra attention to her mask.


    She fit perfectly in with the crowd.


    However, for some strange reason today, she caught the attention of many unfamiliar girls as she walked past them.


    Their eyes seemed to be filled with curiosity along with a hint of puzzlement¡ª¡±Is this it?


    She was ranked second this year just because of this?¡± Maureen held her composure till she reached her international class.


    Seeing that Liam hadn¡¯t arrived yet, for he was known for his late arrivals and early departures, she had grown accustomed to it.


    Maureen went straight and sat at her desk.


    Perhaps because the title of ¡°Liam¡¯s deskmate¡± was too famous, there were fewer people in the international class paying attention to her than outside, but there were still some who kept their gaze fixed on her.


    ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± Maureen couldn¡¯t help but grab a passing underling of Liam and ask.


    Stammering, the underling said, ¡°You¡¯ll know if you open that webpage of the school beauty contest.¡± Confused, she picked up her phone.


    While her phone¡¯s internet speed was slow to load, a crowd of curious people had gathered outside the window of the international class.


    Before class started, many students had come to watch the spectacle, even Elizabeth from their school.


    Mixed voices came from the crowd, ¡°This year¡¯s second-place holder from your school is ridiculous, isn¡¯t she?¡± Bianca, who was in the Evergreen class, frowning put her phone away.


    Seeing Ann egging a group of people to go upstairs to the International class to watch the commotion.


    Somehow, she had a bad feeling about it; she also promptly got up and followed them.


    After Ann and her group of friends arrived outside the international class corridor, the noise from the crowd obviously became louder.


    ¡°More than 2,900 votes?


    That¡¯s such a lie, can you take off your mask and let us see?¡± Niel just came upstairs, bag in hand, squeezing his way in.


    Hearing it, he only felt a sense of imminent danger and hurriedly called Liam, ¡°Liam, hurry.


    A crowd has gathered at our classroom door, insisting that the new student take off his mask.¡± Before things could escalate further on the other end, Niel decided to hang up.


    He yelled at the people clinging to the window trying to squeeze in: ¡°Don¡¯t you have your own class?


    Why are you running over to our class to see our girls?


    Get lost now!¡± Once Niel spoke, a few of his minions immediately began to drive the crowd away.


    When the school¡¯s forum page finally loaded, Maureen finally figured out what was happening.


    ¡°¡­What the¡­?¡± Is this the so-called ¡®criticizing out of love¡¯?


    She heard someone¡¯s sarcastic voice from outside the corridor: ¡°What an ugly freak.¡± Maureen caught a glimpse of Ann¡¯s face.


    She thought that voice sounded just like Ann.


    Maureen was not one to stir up trouble, but she certainly wasn¡¯t afraid of it.


    How dare she call her an ugly freak?


    How infuriating!


    Which girl could keep from crying after being insulted as an ugly freak?


    Suddenly, she stood up.


    Niel didn¡¯t know what she was going to do, only fearing that she might break into tears.


    He quickly blocked the classroom door: ¡°Just wait a little longer, Liam will be here soon.¡± Before he finished speaking, the people outside saw the transfer student leisurely taking off her mask.


    There was a momentary silence in the air, almost deathly still.


    Niel had no idea what just happened and was still stopping people at the door.


    ¡°She¡­ ¡°How could she¡­¡± Everyone was stunned, staring at Maureen, their thoughts seemingly sluggish.


    Her eyes were clear and beautiful, reflecting the stars in the morning mist, her complexion was fair, stunning onlookers.


    It was a beauty that was absolutely superior to Bianca and even Elizabeth.


    Pure and flawless, so dazzling that people could only stare, unable to find words to describe her.


    Maureen looked at Ann in the crowd and said coldly, ¡°If I am an ugly freak, then what are you?¡±  Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 25 - 25 Maureen is the school beauty

    ?Chapter 25: Maureen is the school beauty Chapter 25: Maureen is the school beauty The corridor outside was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.


    When Maureen transferred to this school, she was always wearing a mask due to an injury on her face.


    Even when dining, she would sit in a corner with Josephine.


    No one ever thought that she would turn out to be even more beautiful than a superstar.


    In everyone¡¯s perception, pretty eyes are common, but after removing the mask, very few are actually attractive.


    How could Maureen be an exception?


    Ann also believed that Maureen was either average looking or rather unattractive.


    There was another significant reason for this¡ª Every time she made such remarks, Bianca never refuted them!


    All Bianca would do at most was to knit her brows and softly say, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about Maureen like that.¡± This sentence could be interpreted in two ways.


    It could be understood as Maureen is really beautiful; you are wrong,¡¯ or as Maureen is already self-conscious because of her looks and the injury on her face.


    Don¡¯t say such things, it will hurt her feelings.¡¯ Obviously, there wouldn¡¯t be a normal person who wouldn¡¯t take the latter interpretation.


    Especially Ann.


    Over the past year, she had always thought that Maureen wasn¡¯t good-looking and that she loved to compete for things with Bianca while flaunting her boldness despite having no prospects or talents.


    Only at this moment did Ann realize why Richard would ignore all other girls and only spare Maureen an extra glance.


    Why when Smith Maureen pursued him, he would at best show a cold face, instead of rejecting her with disgust like he would do to her or other girls.


    Why when she talked about Maureen¡¯s looks, Chris would tell her to take a good look at herself first¡ªturns out Chris meant it literally!


    Because Maureen really was unique, her beauty was incomparable.


    After making such a scene and calling Maureen an ugly monster in front of so many people, Ann felt as if she was a clown who had never looked in a mirror.


    Ann¡¯s face turned pale and she instantly felt as if she had become a joke!


    ========== Most of the people on the periphery were crowding the International Class corridor to watch the fun, unaware of what was happening amongst them.


    Someone couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Is she the school beauty of your school?


    She truly lives up to her reputation.


    She¡¯s really so beautiful!¡± The person next to him came to his senses and replied, ¡°Not the school beauty, she¡¯s currently second in the voting rankings.¡± ¡°Damn, if this one is only second, the school beauty must be an unparalleled beauty.


    Who is the school beauty?¡± Someone in the crowd pointed at Bianca, ¡°Over there, it seems like she¡¯s here as well.¡± ¡± The person who had asked about the school¡¯s beauty immediately fell silent.


    He couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°Just this one?¡± Many people¡¯s gazes suddenly shifted onto Bianca.


    She was beautiful as well, but her innocent and pretty demeanor paled in comparison to Maureen¡¯s stunning beauty, without a doubt.


    Bianca¡¯s lips grew paler and paler.


    She struggled to maintain an composed expression on her face, feeling an intense urge to beat up Ann.


    How could there be such a foolish person who acted without consulting her, and even implicated her in the process.


    Unable to stand there anymore, Bianca turned around, pushing the people behind her to make way for her exit.


    However, those who had grasped the situation were starting to stare at Ann: ¡°Ann, you used us as shields.¡± The one who spoke was a male student from the Evergreen Class.


    Just a moment ago, Ann and Bianca¡¯s mutual friends suddenly yelled in the Evergreen Class: ¡°Our international class¡¯s Maureen actually has over two thousand nine hundred votes, were these votes farmed?


    Everyone knows she¡¯s ugly.¡± After that shout, Ann spearheaded the delegation to provoke the international class.


    Many people who were unaware of the situation just followed to see the spectacle.


    Initially, they thought she must indeed be ugly, but it turned out she was an angel.


    Accordingly, it became clear who led this farce.


    People in the center understood what was happening.


    Their gaze towards Ann and her friends were pregnant with all kinds of meanings ¨C shock, sarcasm, ridicule.


    ¡°How horrifying.


    This all started because of jealousy, yet she ended up shooting herself in the foot.¡± Someone whispered, ¡°Could this have something to do with the school belle?


    Wasn¡¯t Ann good friends with her?¡± Most of the people who led this fiasco were usually seen hanging around Bianca, including Ann and Noella. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To claim these events had nothing to do with Bianca, they wouldn¡¯t buy it.


    Seeing the flames coming towards her, Bianca was furious, knowing well she needed to make clear her stance with Ann today.


    If not, this incident might reach Chris¡¯s ears.


    Once Chris knew about it, her family would know, too.


    Gathering her emotions, Bianca quickly turned around, accusingly questioned Ann: ¡°What on earth are you making a fuss about, Ann?


    Wasn¡¯t it enough that you made me have an allergic reaction on purpose last time?


    Are you still holding grudges against Maureen?¡± ¡°Wait, there was an allergy incident?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°Oh my God!


    Just what kind of person is Ann?


    She¡¯s causing troubles to all these innocent beauties.


    Is it out of jealousy?¡± As Bianca said these words, all attention immediately shifted away from her.


    Ann looked at Bianca with disbelief.


    Had Bianca forgotten about all the times she had helped her in the past?


    ¡°So you¡¯re also kicking me when I¡¯m down¡ª¡± Before Ann could finish her words, Bianca interjected, ¡°You did all these things just because you and Maureen like the same person.


    I don¡¯t need a friend like you!¡± Having said that, with tear-filled eyes, Bianca pushed her way through the crowd and walked off despondently.


    Ann: ¡± She hadn¡¯t expected things to turn out like this, her forehead was beading with sweat and her mind went completely blank.


    She started to turn, ready to run.


    Reacting quickly, Niel grabbed Ann¡¯s uniform and started dragging her towards the international class: ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re running off to?


    Isn¡¯t this what you wanted to see?


    Come on, let¡¯s see who¡¯s the real eyesore!¡± Ann was nearly in tears: ¡°I¡¯m a girl!


    Have you forgotten your manners?¡± ¡°Shut it!


    Manners, what¡¯s that?


    Can you eat it?¡± Niel ignored her protest and continued dragging her into the classroom.


    The rest of the boys began pulling Noella and the other girls who tried to intervene.


    Noella¡¯s boyfriend stepped in: ¡°Let go!


    It¡¯s Ann who¡¯s messed up, why are you dragging others into it?¡± There had always been longstanding grudges and conflicts among the three classes, and personal hatred could easily escalate into class enmity.


    The people of Evergreen class clamored around and pushed at Niel¡¯s shoulder: ¡°What right do you people from International class have to lecture us, the Evergreen class?


    Just because you¡¯re rich?¡± The corridor was crowded and messy.


    In the midst of pulling and tugging, it was unclear who hit whom, it was like a kettle of hot boiling water had exploded, creating even more chaos.


    Both sides were relentless and finally, the boys from both classes simply started to fight!


    Maureen stood at the doorway of the classroom, ceaselessly being shoved about, her eyes wide and flabbergasted.


    What exactly was happening?


    She was just annoyed by Ann and wanted to boast, how did it suddenly turn into a chaotic fight between two classes?!!

 Chapter 26 - 26 Get inside

    ?Chapter 26: Get inside Chapter 26: Get inside  One of the underlings, his neck being choked, found a gap to yell at her:  ¡°Sis-in-law, get inside!¡±  Maureen didn¡¯t hear clearly, was he asking her to clean up?


    She wanted to go in but she simply couldn¡¯t.


    She was sandwiched in the middle, like a stuffed biscuit, feeling dizzy.


    Her head was buzzing from being stepped on twice by one of Liam¡¯s advance-guard underlings.


    However, just as she was being pushed towards the corner of the first row of desks and was about to scream, She was suddenly propped up from behind.


    Among the chaos and noise, a familiar faint scent of rosin with a hint of medicine suddenly invaded her nostrils.


    Without even needing to turn her head, Maureen knew that Liam had arrived.


    Oddly, at this moment, his scent had this power that made her feel secure.


    Then, two hands emerged from under her arms and lifted her.


    Suddenly, her body was elevated, swept from the back and placed on the table by a forceful hold.


    Before she could turn to give her thanks, seeing a boy was about to crash into her, Maureen quickly retracted both her legs and frantically crawled up the table.


    With a loud ¡°bang,¡± the unfortunate boy crashed onto the table.


    And even more unfortunate was Maureen, as she lost her balance and was thrown off the table.


    She didn¡¯t fall on the ground but dramatically crashed into Liam¡¯s arms.


    The overwhelming scent of pine came over her, and in the split second as she was going down, she caught a glimpse of Liam¡¯s enraged expression and his reddening ears.


    Liam held her steady.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Liam anxiously asked, looking down at her.


    Then, suddenly, he froze solid.


    ¡°This is the first time that Liam had seen what Maureen looked like.


    The early morning fog was still lingering, a halo of soft yellow light poured in through the window, illuminating her fair and beautiful face.


    Liam¡¯s gaze inadvertently skimmed over her clean and full forehead, her beautiful eyes, and then landed on her slightly dewy lips.


    ¡± The school¡¯s entrance and the corridor were enveloped in chaos, but time seemed to have frozen into a painting here.


    The sweat on Liam¡¯s forehead and the anxiety on his face when he just rushed over, seemed to solidify.


    His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed once.


    For the first time in his life, he was this slow to react.


    He lost all of his senses to the outside world, his mind was completely blank.


    The redness at the roots of his ears suddenly rushed to his face, his heart beating wildly.


    But he couldn¡¯t feel a thing.


    He looked like an unworldly fool, aimlessly staring at Maureen.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Maureen steadied herself, tucking her messy hair behind her ears.


    Just as she was about to look up at Liam, she suddenly noticed her potted plant had sprouted ten more shoots¨C  What on earth?!


    Was it because she hugged Liam?


    Maureen had never tried hugging Liam before. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even though the system had always said skin contact could increase luck quickly, much like leeching Wi-Fi ¨C the closer to the router, the stronger the signal.


    But Maureen thought her previous behavior was strange enough and had certainly annoyed Liam, the heir of the Williams family.


    If she deliberately made contact with him again, wouldn¡¯t he just throw her off the Ferris wheel?


    But she never imagined such a coincidence would occur.


    Maureen was filled with regret and truly wanted to smack herself.


    If she had reacted sooner, she wouldn¡¯t have let go of him.


    Maureen was about to seize this once in a lifetime opportunity, pretending to lose her balance and continue to hug him.


    Liam then straightened up.


    Her attempt to hug him failed, and Maureen sighed in frustration.


    Hearing the noise around her ear, Maureen quickly looked up at him,  ¡°It¡¯s a mess, Liam Williams, there¡¯s a fighting.¡±  Liam stupidly thought to himself, he was aware that a fight had broken out, but damn, why were her lips so small, delicate, and tender?


    Why was her nose so perfectly shaped?


    And why was her skin so fair and glowing?


    Why was she so attractive?


    Wait, a fight?


    What did that have to do with him?


    ¡°Where¡¯s the fight?¡± Liam asked, continuing to lower his head blankly.


    Maureen felt like he was drowning in confusion, hesitating whether to slap him twice across the face.


    She then yelled, ¡°Outside!!


    Can you stop it!!¡±  ¡°Outside¨Coh, there¡¯s a fight outside, damn.¡±  Liam suddenly snapped back to reality, pulled Maureen to the second-row, outside the fighting range, then climbed over the first row of tables.


    Liam¡¯s hedgehog-like red hair was very conspicuous.


    Someone in the corridor let out a shout.


    The boys from the perennial class involved in the fight were startled and looked over this way.


    When they saw it was him, they scattered and ran.


    Seeing everyone was running away, the people who hadn¡¯t noticed the commotion were bustling and fuming, yet were being dragged along.


    It was like after spraying insecticide, roaches scattering, a random AJ shoe was left on the ground.


    Liam¡¯s eyes turned domineering.


    Just as he was rushing into the teaching building, he heard someone mocking  ¡°Ugly Freak¡±.


    There were female and male voices.


    Using his height advantage, he instantly pinpointed and grabbed the collar of Noella¡¯s boyfriend, who led the ridicule, and brought him out.


    Maureen was leaning against the window, looking on with stupefaction.


    She initially thought he was going to take the guy to the office.


    Yet, in the next moment, he threw a punch.


    Maureen:¡±  He was supposed to stop the fight, not join in!


    In the ensuing chaos, someone went to call the head of student discipline.


    Niel backed into the classroom, panting heavily, hardly daring to look at Maureen¡¯s face.


    Flushed, he murmured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one can beat Liam in a fight.¡±  Maureen: ¡°Why?


    Is it because he¡¯s particularly good at fighting?¡±  No wonder everyone fled on sight of him.


    Proudly puffing his chest,  Niel said, ¡°No, have you ever heard of Williams¡¯s lawyer team?


    They¡¯re known as ¡®Williams¡¯s guaranteed victors¡¯, boasting only a winning rate, and they never lose!


    Whoever picks a fight with Liam can only take hits, they dare not retaliate.


    Once they fight back, if even a single hair is touched ¡®Guaranteed Victors¡¯ will sue them until they go bankrupt!¡±  Maureen: ¡± Well, that¡¯s something to be proud of, really.

 Chapter 27 - 27 New day

    ?Chapter 27: New day Chapter 27: New day Early in the morning, such a big event happened.


    Both classes wouldn¡¯t have to attend the flag raising ceremony.


    The Dean of Discipline was spitting mad.


    Liam and his followers, along with a dozen people from the evergreen class, were all without surprise caught and taken to the office.


    The office was at the far end of the teaching building.


    From afar, you could hear the Dean¡¯s roar:  ¡°You are from Evergreen and International classes.


    Those who don¡¯t know might think you are some sort of ultimate class!


    You are a high school student, one might think you are a crazy boyband if they didn¡¯t know.¡±  ¡°What were you thinking, following Liam¡¯s lead?


    Their family could play Go with airplanes, unlike you who would have to head home to raise chickens if you don¡¯t study!


    They could sleep in class and the teachers wouldn¡¯t dare to interfere, but if your teachers don¡¯t discipline you, you will end up manual laborers!¡±  The Dean was really an old scrooge, always dropping harsh words.


    Liam usually didn¡¯t care and let it in one ear and out the other, but today he found the words especially grating.


    Why the shouting?


    What if the little mask in the classroom heard it?


    Liam yawned, glancing at the Dean and said: ¡°Could you lower your voice?


    What will we do if a teaching building suddenly disappears due to insufficient funds next year?¡±  ¡± The Dean¡¯s voice dropped instantly.


    But Maureen in the classroom heard everything loud and clear.


    She was studying early in the morning, hiding behind her book.


    She couldn¡¯t help but turn her head, asking Niel in shock:  ¡°Can his family money really buy dozens of airplanes to play chess?¡±  The story was usually about the male and female leads and some supporting characters like her.


    Minor characters often faded into the background.


    She only knew that the Williams family was rich, but she didn¡¯t think they were this rich!


    ¡°Not bad.¡±  Maureen¡¯s beautiful and almost aggressive face was right up close, and Niel found his breath hitching slightly.


    He felt as though the air had inexplicably become sweet and soft.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Is this the charm of a girl?


    It¡¯s totally different from the smell of sweat from scruffy old men.


    Why didn¡¯t he notice before how beautiful the transfer student was?


    In fact, he hadn¡¯t really paid close attention to the transfer student before.


    Her face was tightly covered by a mask, with only her forehead and a pair of eyes exposed.


    There were so many good-looking girls out there, so Niel hadn¡¯t paid much attention.


    Niel really regretted it.


    He regretted it so much.


    If he had known the transfer student was so beautiful, he should have stepped up when she was bullied by Liam bro on the first day!


    What¡¯s to fear from Liam bro then?


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to wear a mask anymore?¡± he asked.


    Maureen explained,  ¡°I hurt my face before transferring here last year, but now it¡¯s all healed, so there¡¯s no need to wear it.¡±  The transfer student was still the same transfer student, and her tone of speech was still that flat and moderate tone without much variation.


    But now that she had a beautiful face, Niel felt that everything she said sounded as pleasing as a nightingale.


    Niel said, ¡°That¡¯s good, otherwise it would be a waste.¡±  Sigh, it¡¯s always Liam who ends up benefiting.


    ==========  When Liam came back from the office, he saw Niel leaning towards Maureen, chatting with her in a flattering manner.


    It wasn¡¯t only him; all the boys and girls in their class were pretending to recite from the textbooks they had propped up in front of, but they couldn¡¯t help but glance over at Maureen.


    Liam felt as if everyone had the look of a homewrecker on their face.


    It was like danger was everywhere.


    With a serious face, Liam strode swiftly over, grabbed the collar of Niel¡¯s shirt, and lifted him up.


    He dragged Niel to the furthest place from Maureen and squeezed through:  ¡°Can you respect some discipline?


    Why are you chatting nonsense during your morning self-study?¡±  After saying that, he swept his gaze across the whole class.


    The students who were hungrily staring at Maureen immediately retracted their gazes.


    Speechless, Niel thought to himself,  ¡°You¡¯re the one who lacks discipline the most.¡±  Liam took his seat.


    After sitting down, realizing that Maureen was just next to him, the heat in his face started rising.


    ¡°Thank you, just now.¡±  Maureen spoke while using a book to hide her face, tilting her head right: ¡°The discipline master didn¡¯t punish you or anything, did he?¡±  As Maureen leaned closer, Liam tensed up, you could say it was like he had red hedgehog-like prickles all over him.


    He didn¡¯t dare to look at her.


    He tilted his head slightly away, uncomfortably saying,  ¡°What could they punish me with, cleaning, just cleaning the bathrooms.¡±  Cleaning toilets?


    Another opportunity to gain luck.


    Maureen quickly said,  ¡°Mr.


    Williams, let me help you!¡±  Liam, like a rabbit being cornered and about to be violated, nervously hid closer to the wall with his ears turning red and said,  ¡°No need.¡± Maureen, unsure if he had heard her, moved a bit closer.


    She glanced at the teacher at the podium, then lowered her voice and spoke in a whisper, ¡°Mr. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Williams, I beg you, please allow me to clean the toilets!¡±  This is so unfair!


    Liam felt that she was deliberately teasing him.


    He removed his mask to reveal his handsome face, and yet, she was speaking in a whisper to him.


    The cool breath that came out from her speech landed on his elbow.


    Moreover, what¡¯s so hard about cleaning a toilet?


    Even if his underlings are not allowed to assist, he could handle it all by himself.


    She just insists on being close to him.


    The men¡¯s¡­


    men¡¯s toilet.¡± Liam nervously gripped his desk, his heart pounding.


    It took a great deal of composure to keep his gaze focused on the desk as he forcefully articulated,  ¡°You can¡¯t clean that.¡±  Maureen could only respond with a disappointed ¡°Oh.¡±  ¡°Why are you stammering?¡± Maureen looked at Liam suspiciously.


    Liam had done a lot of mental preparation to reduce his anxiety.


    Don¡¯t be nervous.


    If he gets nervous from being approached a bit now, wouldn¡¯t he panic more when doing other things in the future?


    He took a deep breath silently, trying his best to look calmly at Maureen.


    It¡¯s just that she was a bit more attractive, he himself was quite handsome, wasn¡¯t he?


    But merely one glance caused him to blush, damn it, he was still flustered!


    ¡°I¡¯m not, not stuttering.¡±  ¡°Then why are you¡ª¡±  Liam abruptly shut his book with a loud slam, interrupting her hurriedly on a matter at hand:  ¡°What the hell do those people think they¡¯re doing?¡±  The ones Liam was referring to were the group from the Evergreen Class.


    Maureen shrugged her shoulders, explaining:  ¡°Ann from the Evergreen Class had a private grudge with me, but it¡¯s all sorted out now, it¡¯s been settled.¡±  Liam had not even heard of who this Ann was.


    In fact, throughout his three years of high school, he barely remembered his own classmates¡¯ names, let alone people from other classes.


    The only girl¡¯s name he remembered so far was Maureen¡¯s.


    He would never imagine, the personal grudge Maureen spoke of was all about the pursuit of Richard, as rivals meeting each other increased their jealousy.


    He thought it was some small conflict among the girls.


    Thus, Liam frowned pondering whether to alert this person named Elijah not to pull any more stunts behind the scenes.


    While they were whispering, a follower at the side reading a book couldn¡¯t help but cast a glance towards Maureen.


    Liam glanced sharply back at him.


    Liam actually considered for a moment having Maureen put her mask back on.


    Now there were many people staring at her.


    He was not amused.


    However, contemplating which girl wouldn¡¯t want to look pretty, she would definitely be happy once the injuries on her face healed.


    Therefore, Liam suppressed his selfish thoughts.


    He glanced at Maureen¡¯s backpack from behind, seeing it was still the old one, he couldn¡¯t help but ask:  ¡°Don¡¯t you like the backpack?¡±  Maureen realized that he was referring to the new backpack he had given her last Friday.


    She smiled softly and said in a low voice,  ¡°I like it, but I¡¯m going to sunk it before using it.


    I guess I will be able to bring it tomorrow.¡±  Liam was pleased, he hummed complacently, his hedgehog-like short hair seemed a bit softer,  ¡°Suit yourself, anyway, it¡¯s yours.¡±  Maureen hesitated for a moment, and added,  ¡°But I don¡¯t like taking something for nothing.


    Even if I made desserts for three years, it would not equate to your gifts, Liam.


    I might as well repay you after I have earned some money.¡±  In response, Liam thought to himself, then just made desserts for three years.


    Why not?!


    Could it be the ¡°itch¡± of the third year, intending to fall for someone else?!


    Liam flipped through the pages of the book, raising his eyebrows, displeased,  ¡°What are you planning to do in three years?


    Going abroad?


    Or heading to the moon?¡±  He paused for a moment.


    Gathering his courage, but acting as if he had just said it casually, Liam remarked,  ¡°If you want me to accompany you abroad, I could consider it.¡±  Maureen gave a dumbfounded  ¡°Huh?¡±  What was going on?


    As Liam saw her confused expression, his face turned sour.


    Sometimes he doubts whether Maureen really likes him or not.


    Otherwise, why would she keep addressing him politely as Mr.


    Williams, and hadn¡¯t even pondered about the future?


    Or was it just a whim, playing him around?!


    Liam¡¯s mood plummeted like a roller coaster.


    ¡°What do you mean, Mr.


    Williams?¡±  Maureen asked, seeing that he didn¡¯t seem to be very happy.


    ¡°Why are you still calling me Mr.


    Williams?¡±  Liam complained.


    Calling him by his full name would be better than this distant form of address, wouldn¡¯t it?


    Every time she referred to him as ¡°Mr.


    Williams¡±, it felt as if he was her employer.


    Maureen understood his meaning, after that fight, their relationship had progressed from being disliked, to more like big brother and younger sister.


    Today, he did protect her, so shouldn¡¯t she, like everyone else, acknowledge him as the boss?


    Accommodating readily, Maureen immediately responded, ¡°Liam.¡±  Liam..


    Liam?


    Hearing this name from the mouths of others like Niel didn¡¯t bother Liam, he even thought it was mediocre.


    But when he suddenly heard it from Maureen, his heart skipped a beat, and he blushed.


    So¡­how adorable.


    Liam¡¯s mood, having been on a rollercoaster ride, was now placated.


    He covered his face with a book, lips curving into a subtle smile.

 Chapter 28 - 28 Photoshop

    ?Chapter 28: Photoshop Chapter 28: Photoshop In less than a day, the news had spread that a very beautiful girl had arrived in the international class.


    Somehow, someone had secretly snapped a picture of Maureen standing at the classroom door in the morning, replacing the one with her wearing a mask on the voting page.


    Thus, those attracted by the lure of her reputation went to the forum to see.


    Many were instantly skeptical,  ¡°Was this picture photoshopped?


    How come I¡¯ve never seen such beauty at our school?¡±  There were also more analytical voices,  ¡°Look, the door frame in the background is skewed due to editing.


    It¡¯s clear that the beauty filter was overused.


    No ordinary person could have such perfect facial features.


    Why bother studying?


    She should go be a star.¡±  ¡°Yeah, if she truly appeared this way, she would have been quite popular in our school or even other schools by now.


    How come this is only coming to light now?¡±  Opinions abound.


    Those who hadn¡¯t seen her personally remained dubious.


    The few phrases on the forum praising Maureen¡¯s charm that morning even led to a controversy.


    Despite this, the vote count for Maureen on the voting page shot up uncontrollably, soaring as if on rocket propulsion.


    Even before the end of the school day, Maureen¡¯s popularity had almost surpassed Bianca¡¯s on the forum.


    Ann, slouching on the desk, felt an inexplicable sense of being publicly executed, as if her clothes had been stripped off.


    She spent the whole day with her head down, not daring to pay any attention to what the teacher was lecturing.


    In the Evergreen Class, no one expressly mocked her. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At most, a few girls who disliked her were murmuring among themselves.


    But Ann was extremely sensitive.


    She felt that whatever others were talking about related to what happened that morning, and that they were making fun of her.


    After class, her best friend Rachel came to comfort her, patting her arm,  ¡°It¡¯s alright, this will blow over in a couple of days.


    It¡¯s not a big issue.


    It is understandable if you feel a bit jealous of her.


    These petty sentiments are common among young girls¡±.


    Upon hearing this, Ann was about to burst into tears, lifting her head from her arm,  ¡°Exactly, why should I be blamed?


    Who knew that Maureen could be this charming beneath her mask?


    If anyone is to blame, it should be her for causing this misunderstanding, right?¡±  Two girls who were busy doing homework behind them heard the conversation.


    They exchanged glances, both thinking Ann was really shameless.


    Even at such times, she was still arguing irrationally.


    Every class has a gang of girls who band together, who are not to be messed with.


    Aside from the most beautiful, non-competitive Bianca, Ann is a central figure in this small group.


    The others shouldn¡¯t have to provoke Ann.


    Consequently, they continued to bury their heads in their homework, pretending not to hear.


    Rachel also felt that the one who uttered this, Ann, was a bit thick-skinned, but she didn¡¯t voice this, instead, she continues to console,  ¡°Indeed, if it had been me, I would also have thought that she would be very ugly after injuring her face and wouldn¡¯t dare to see people.¡±  Ann wiped away her tears,  ¡°I feel like I¡¯m a joke.¡±  ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±  Rachel continued to patiently reassure.


    Ann¡¯s mood improved quite a bit and she could think clearly.


    She looked complexly at Bianca, who was sitting not far away in the first row, and spoke in a low voice to Rachel:  ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect that Bianca, who has always been praised by us, would kick me when I¡¯m down at a crucial time.


    She doesn¡¯t consider me as a friend at all.¡±  ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Rachel didn¡¯t know whether or not to respond.


    There was a crack in the friendship between Ann and Bianca, and if she were to respond, she would offend Bianca.


    Noella, who got along rather well with Bianca, came over from the aisle behind her after giving her boyfriend medicinal treatment.


    She happened to overhear this, immediately slapping a bottle of alcohol heavily on Ann¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Ann, have some shame.


    It was your false friendship that caused Bianca to have an allergic reaction!


    No wonder why Bianca didn¡¯t want to talk to you these days, so this happened.


    If it wasn¡¯t for you making a fool of yourself today and dragging Bianca into it, she would continue to kindly keep this a secret for you.


    I feel bad for her ¨C she has already been such a good friend, what else do you want from her?!¡±  ¡°So Bianca has no problems?¡±  Ann ripped off the mask,  ¡°Every time I say Maureen is ugly, doesn¡¯t she just sit idly by?¡± Noella angered,  ¡°Don¡¯t you slander here.


    Whenever you say that, doesn¡¯t Bianca stop you?


    She always tells you not to talk nonsense.¡±  Ann could not win in the quarrel, she was sweating anxiously and was nearly on the verge of swearing,  ¡°Is ¡®don¡¯t talk nonsense¡¯ the same as ¡®don¡¯t say that¡¯?!¡±  The argument got louder and louder, attracting the attention of many people in the classroom.


    This morning, Ann single-handedly stirred up conflicts between two classes.


    A bunch of boys who sat in the back row hadn¡¯t even spoken to her about this yet, and she still dared to make a scene here.


    A boy impatiently said, ¡°What¡¯s all this commotion?


    Can¡¯t you take it outside?¡±  On seeing this, Rachel also tugged on Ann¡¯s clothes, whispering,  ¡°Drop it, don¡¯t drag Bianca down too, she¡¯s pretty and the boys in the class will definitely take her side.¡±  ¡°I get it, no matter what, you guys always stand with Bianca!¡±  Ann felt a chill in her heart, she glared at Noella and asked bitterly,  ¡°Are you my friends or Bianca¡¯s?¡± Noella gave her a cold look, turned and walked away.


    Ann slumped in her chair, feeling helpless.


    Why did it seem like no matter what she said or argued, everyone in the class, even her own friends, always sided with Bianca?


    Bianca sat at her desk doing her homework, but after a while, she realized she had no idea what she was writing on the scratch paper.


    She was restless, not in the mood to deal with the dispute between Ann and Noella.


    Noella came over and glanced at the competition materials on her desk,  ¡± Bianca, are you preparing for the Hundred Schools Championship?¡±  Bianca looked quite pale, and replied, ¡°Uh-huh.¡±  Seeing that she didn¡¯t look well, Noella comforted her,  ¡°Ann is responsible for this.


    No one will think it has anything to do with you.


    You¡¯re always so agreeable, don¡¯t worry.¡± Bianca laughed and looked up,  ¡°Thanks, Noella, I know.¡±  After thinking for a moment, Noella added,  ¡°Then you can prepare for the Hundred Schools Championship, I won¡¯t disturb you¡ª¡±  Then she recalled the voting forum where Maureen was on the verge of surpassing Bianca in votes.


    Even though Bianca never cared about such things, Noella couldn¡¯t help but comfort her again.


    ¡°Those school beauty contests don¡¯t matter, grades are what counts.


    No matter how pretty Maureen is, she¡¯s such a mediocre student.


    She didn¡¯t even qualify to participate in the Hundred Schools Championship.


    You are much better than her, Bianca.¡±  ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± another girl came over and comforted,  ¡°I also think it¡¯s pointless to just be pretty.


    It¡¯s the smart girls that are attractive.

 Chapter 29 - 29 comforting words

    ?Chapter 29: comforting words Chapter 29: comforting words Otherwise, why would Richard from the school¡¯s competitive team not give Maureen a second look?¡± Bianca listened to the comforting words silently, gradually feeling much better.


    What still unsettled her, however, was the scar on Maureen¡¯s face.


    The doctor at that time had said it would need at least two or three winters to fully heal, not to mention the strict need of using both chemical and physical sunscreens.


    So, why did it completely heal in less than a year?


    Bianca assumed that Maureen would be wearing a mask until they graduated from their Senior year.


    But right now, she effortlessly removed the mask.


    She even looked better than before, and the whole school would see her beauty.


    A sour taste filled Bianca¡¯s heart.


    She couldn¡¯t resist the urge to stand up, planning to head upstairs to the international class.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, she picked up the focus range of the Hundred Schools League that she had just written.


    Since she was going to give Maureen the key points, Maureen wouldn¡¯t be able to participate anyway.


    From the corner of her eye, Ann was keeping an eye on Bianca.


    Seeing her stand up, she quietly did so too.


    ========= On the other hand, Maureen was trying to adjust to being mask-free and the recipient of many staring eyes.


    After all, she had been wearing the mask for a year now, walking amid the crowd¡ªmost people would at most notice her figure, not the mask covering her face.


    Therefore, it had been a while since she received this much attention.


    Now, she suddenly removed the mask, prompting not just her classmates from the international class, but even people from outside classrooms to take a peek.


    During the break in the second afternoon session, someone said to Maureen, ¡°Someone¡¯s looking for you outside.¡± As Maureen put down her pen and walked out of the classroom, a group of boys were surrounding a tall, not unattractive boy, pushing him forward and urging him to hand over the drama tickets he held to Maureen.


    ¡± Maureen, Harold wants to invite you to a play!¡± ¡°Hahaha, quickly say yes!¡± Maureen recognizes a few boys from the Evergreen Class, two of whom also participated in the fight this morning.


    The boy called Harold looked stiff, not daring to meet Maureen¡¯s gaze.


    He said to his few companions, ¡°Scram, scram, scram.¡± Even as he said these kinds of words, he still pulled out two blue theater tickets from his pocket, coughed, and handed them to Maureen.


    ¡°This Saturday afternoon at five, I want to watch it?¡± One of the low-ranking students from the International Class sitting by the door shouted at the others outside, ¡°Scram, scram!


    You Evergreen Class folks are no good, you had a fight this morning and now you want to flirt with our International Class girls!¡± There was a clamor outside, the noises were pretty loud, but Liam wore noise-canceling headphones, hugged the small hand pillow Maureen got him, and lay asleep on the table.


    His silver noise-canceling headphones cost tens of thousands, of such high quality that once worn, you won¡¯t hear a thing.


    Niel was so anxious that he stretched out his arm and pushed Liam¡¯s back hard: ¡°Liam, the house is on fire and you¡¯re still sleeping, wake up!¡± If not you will get burned alongside the house.


    Liam woke up with a very grim face.


    His whole body exuded low pressure.


    He wrenched off his headphones, threw them on the table, turned his head and glared fiercely at Niel: ¡°You are getting on my nerves¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he saw what was happening outside.


    Suddenly, he stood up so fast that he almost fell off his chair.


    ¡°What have these guys been eating?


    Do they think I¡¯m dead?¡± Liam¡¯s fists clenched, and he headed out.


    Niel hurriedly stopped him and whispered: ¡°Calm down!


    Calm down!


    If you go out and beat someone up now, the whole school will know you like the transfer student.¡± ¡°I just like¡­¡± Liam exploded: ¡°How could I possibly like her?!


    She¡¯s the one chasing me!


    Did you get it wrong, when have I ever liked anyone?


    You dare to say such things?!¡± Niel glanced outside and suddenly said: ¡°Eh, it seems the transfer student has refused.¡± ¡°Do you remember the immersive show tickets you saw last year, Liam, the one called ¡®Sleep No More¡¯?


    They were over a thousand each, yet the transferee unexpectedly refused them.¡± Liam suppressed his anger, utilized his tall stature, and glanced out the window.


    As expected, he saw Maureen telling someone called Harold, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I need to focus on my studies.¡± After she said this, Maureen didn¡¯t even take the ticket.


    She directly turned and headed back to the classroom.


    Liam sneaked a glance at the boy who offered the show tickets, noticing his crestfallen and embarrassed look, losing face yet still trying to squeeze out a smile.


    Liam felt better all at once.


    ¡°Huh,¡± he was neither rushed nor angry now.


    With the demeanor of an upstanding man, he sat down, raised his leg, and satisfactorily watched the dejected person leave from his resting head.


    There was no need for him to step in; little mask handled it all by herself. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She didn¡¯t spare a glance at anyone but him.


    Niel touched his chin and said, ¡°But I feel that Maureen still wants to watch that play.


    Just now, she eyed that ticket for a while.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that easy?¡± Liam hummed, took out his mobile phone and started booking tickets.


    He recalled Maureen¡¯s desperate attempts to stick with him for toilet cleaning and her decisive rejection of the boy just now.


    The contrast made him feel increasingly special.


    The more he thought about it, the happier he got, unable to conceal the joy at the corner of his mouth.


    But¡­ At the same time, Liam felt something was amiss¡ª Why did she reject others with ¡°I need to study hard¡± instead of ¡°I already have someone I like¡±?

 Chapter 30 - 30 Printed materials

    ?Chapter 30: Printed materials Chapter 30: Printed materials Maureen had her hands within her school uniform pockets, about to enter the classroom.


    But just then, she was halted by a call.


    ¡°Maureen.¡± Bianca, with a stack of printed materials in her arms and worry evident in her reddened eyes, walked towards Maureen.


    Swiveling her head to glance back, Maureen acknowledged her and without a greeting, spun around to continue her way into the classroom.


    Years of hard work and dedication to accumulate some reputation, only to be crushed under Bianca¡¯s aura again!


    ¡°Wait!


    I have something to discuss with you.¡± Bianca quickly scuttled a few steps to intercept Maureen.


    Maureen regarded her potted plant ¨C its tender sprout noticeably trembling and halting its growth as Bianca approached it.


    How could she be in a good mood?


    Maureen¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°I have nothing to discuss with you.¡± Some people in the hallway turned to look.


    Bianca bit her lip.


    It appeared as if she was somewhat scared of Maureen, but she plucked up her courage and squeaked, ¡°I just¡­I just wanted to apologize to you on behalf of Ann¡­¡± Beautiful and kindhearted.


    Those words suddenly blossomed in the minds in the school corridor.


    Though this matter had nothing to do with Bianca ¨C even as Ann tried to involve her ¨C she still cared more about Maureen¡¯s feelings and came to apologize immediately.


    But Maureen didn¡¯t listen to what Bianca was saying.


    Bianca wasn¡¯t wearing her school uniform; instead, she was attired in the currently popular deep blue sailor dress, paired with short white socks and brown leather shoes.


    Her long hair was deftly kept at bay behind her ears by a headband. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On top her head, to the left side, lay a plaid, blue bow.


    She looked neat, generous, soft, and fragile.


    In short, she was a mix of all these pleasant adjectives.


    Maureen, who stood half a head taller than her, shifted her gaze such that it just fell onto the blue, plaid bow sitting atop the girl¡¯s head.


    Her eyes drooped slightly as if holding a secret.


    Her gaze was fixated so resolutely at the bow that it was hard not to think about certain events of the past.


    Two years ago, upon her arrival at the Smith family¡¯s, she had dragged along her luggage, packed with kindness by her grandmother in a woven cane bag.


    After being received warmly by Daniel , apart from Chris, everyone else in the family treated her kindly.


    She was hopeful and eager to begin her new life.


    Mrs.


    Smith held her hand and guided her to shower and change her clothes first.


    However, when she came back out, she found all the clothes and her grandmother¡¯s woven cane bag that she had brought, drenched and discarded in the garbage bin outside the villa ¨C Mr..Smith claimed that she had struggled long enough, and intended on buying her new ones.


    In a soft voice, Maureen retorted that those belongings were a keepsake from her grandmother.


    Disgruntled, Mrs.


    Smith replied,¡±You must adapt to the new environment here.¡± At the time, Maureen, who was just fifteen, felt quite restricted.


    She wanted to retrieve her grandmother¡¯s belongings, but at the same time, feared coming off as pretentious or being a nuisance, and upsetting the family.


    Hence, she obliviously went on with her meal, took a few bites, and decided to retrieve her belongings from the garbage bin once Mrs.


    Smith went upstairs.


    Unexpectedly, by the time she went out once it was dark, the garbage truck had already taken it all away.


    For several days after, Maureen wallowed in sorrow.


    Only then did she realize that fitting into this foreign environment wasn¡¯t as easy as changing her clothes and slipping into leather shoes, just like Daniel.


    In the small northern town where she had been brought up for fifteen years, people were usually seen exchanging pleasantries with their neighbors early in the morning, while carrying their garbage to the dumpsite.


    But here, the maids discarded the garbage anytime, anywhere.


    She might have to try harder to fit in.


    After this realization, Maureen worked even harder, diligently studying and learning just like her past 15 years of rigorous academic pursuit.


    She began to observe the lifestyle of the Smith family, paying attention to small details like how many times they rinse their mouth after a meal, and tried to emulate them.


    This way, she wouldn¡¯t seem so awkward and tried to appear more relaxed.


    On the day that she went shopping for clothes and shoes, and when Oliver took her to transfer her school records, Maureen noticed that many girls in the school were looking at her.


    Maureen realized that she was very different from them.


    Although they all wore expensive clothes bought from the mall, those girls were very skilled at dressing up.


    T-shirts were knot-tied, pleated skirts were cunningly tailored into unique patterns.


    Their hair was not all long and black, worn loose over their shoulders without adornment, like hers.


    Most of them wore vividly colored hair accessories that made them look lively and fashionable.


    Maureen felt their stares, her cheeks heating up from self-consciousness, and she wished she could hide.


    She realized once again that it might not be a matter of clothes and appearance, but the difference between being influenced by fashion magazines since childhood and freezing hands while studying in the winter and without air conditioning in the summer.


    If she wanted to fit in, she would have to try even harder, and be more desperate.


    After returning home, Maureen started learning about all of this on her new phone and computer, observing how Bianca did it ¨C Bianca was the best and prettiest example she had around her.


    Maureen planned to start by buying some hair accessories with the money she had.


    On her first shopping trip, she was overwhelmed by the choices and didn¡¯t know what to buy.


    Thinking of the bows that Bianca wore, she figured that couldn¡¯t go wrong, and bought two of them.


    Back home that day, she was very happy and wanted to show her purchases to Mrs.


    Smith to see if her sense of aesthetics had improved.


    However, as she passed by Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s room, she heard Chris¡¯s voice.


    Chris said sarcastically, ¡°The newcomer is just a copycat, always wanting to buy the same things as Bianca.


    Go and appease Bianca.¡± Maureen didn¡¯t know who the person opposite her was, but it is either Oliver, Mrs.


    Smith, or Chris.


    It¡¯s just this family¡¯s people.

 Chapter 31 - 31 Tears flowing

    ?Chapter 31: Tears flowing Chapter 31: Tears flowing That day, Maureen hastily retreated to her room in a fluster, hiding the hair accessory she bought in the bottom drawer.


    Tears flowed down her cheeks in large droplets.


    In the two years at the Smith¡¯s, Maureen has grown rapidly, almost forced to transform at the fastest speed.


    She can finally hold her head high and blend into the surrounding environment, looking no different from the girls who have grown up here.


    Composed, and adept at coping with things.


    She also knows how to show off her beauty.


    When others look at her, she easily lets them gaze.


    Today, the seventeen-year-old Maureen is confident and doesn¡¯t care about the opinions of others, even if she wears a uniform and carries an old backpack, she shows no fear.


    When she looks back on her fifteen-year-old self, she naturally feels that she was too timid, too concerned about others¡¯ eyesight, and even sharp.


    But Maureen doesn¡¯t want to deny herself.


    After all, the cautious and sensitive her who had just arrived in this city from a small town in the North was indeed Maureen.


    From a certain perspective, Maureen thinks it makes sense that the original text defines her as a vicious female supporting character.


    From Bianca¡¯s perspective, right?


    Since her arrival, she has attracted the attention of the whole family, even bought her accessories.


    She carefully cooks food, pleasing the family members, and foolishly imagining stealing the favor bestowed upon her.


    However, that was the Maureen from before who craved attention and love at fifteen.


    The current Maureen is indifferent to all, focusing solely on getting into college and surviving.


    Her attention returned to Bianca, who was still saying, ¡°¡­and I feel that I am also at fault.


    I didn¡¯t realize the conflict between the two of you had deepened so much.¡± Maureen glanced at the crowd in the hallway during class break.


    There weren¡¯t twenty people, but at least a dozen, all listening to Bianca apologize to her in public, as if she were the one being unreasonable.


    ¡°What does this have to do with you?


    Since it¡¯s her mistake, why are you apologizing for her in front of everyone?


    To show off your beauty and kindness?¡± Maureen couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°In that case, should you apologize when U.S and Ukraine go to war, because you failed to detect the conflict between the two countries in time?¡± Bianca was instantly speechless.


    So were the people nearby.


    Maureen: ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of the perpetrator apologizing to the victim, not a mere bystander apologizing to the victim.


    Isn¡¯t this creating unnecessary drama for yourself ¨C unless you¡¯re admitting you incited her.¡± Upon hearing this, Bianca was on the verge of tears, hastily saying, ¡°Maureen, don¡¯t misunderstand me.


    When she caused my allergy, how could I possibly be involved in what she did?


    One of you is my relative, and the other is my friend¡­¡± ¡°Oh,¡± responded Maureen expressionlessly, ¡°She both harmed you and bullied me, and yet you still came to apologize for her.


    You¡¯re truly magnanimous.


    If someone murders someone else on the street, should you take a loudspeaker and apologize for the murderer?¡± The onlookers began to suspect something was off.


    That¡¯s right.


    Bianca publicly exposed that Ann caused her allergy.


    Their friendship must be irreparable now.


    So why is Bianca apologizing for Ann now, making herself look pitiful in front of everyone?


    At first glance, she seemed to be very kind, even saintly, but upon closer inspection, why did she smell of sanctimonious virtue?


    Bianca didn¡¯t expect things to turn out this way.


    The current Maureen didn¡¯t seem to be the old Maureen anymore, who would blush and stutter.


    The current Maureen could effortlessly sway people¡¯s hearts to her side with a few words.


    Despite talking nonsense, she gains appreciation.


    Previously, Maureen always wore a mask and there was no one around to help her.


    But now that she has taken off her mask and is so beautiful, the face-lovers who believe in the doctrine of beauty are justice can¡¯t help but show her some tolerance ¨C just like they did Bianca before.


    ¡°Why are you blowing a minor issue up into a murder and an international war?¡± Bianca felt the gazes around her shifting, and nervously asked.


    Before she could finish her sentence, Maureen interrupted her, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a minor issue now?


    You just came seeking me out with tear-stained eyes and in front of so many people; I thought I was dealing with a life-or-death situation.¡± The crowd around: ¡°Pfft¨C¡± Bianca: ¡± Ann: She stood not far away, listening.


    Why did she find this conversation so satisfying?


    Wasn¡¯t she supposed to dislike Maureen?!


    Zooming out to this morning¡¯s events, Ann quivered in revulsion, more so not towards Maureen, but towards Bianca.


    It was mind-boggling how Bianca did nothing, said nothing, yet had countless henchmen willingly fighting and falling on her behalf.


    Bianca didn¡¯t dare continue down the same topic.


    She was afraid that if she did, everyone would view her with odd expressions.


    In a rush, she handed Maureen the documents she was holding, ¡°Aren¡¯t you preparing for the Inter-school Competition? sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Here are the highlights I¡¯ve outlined; I hope they can be of help to you.¡± She thought that Maureen would at least not refuse this.


    Once she received the documents, it would prove that Bianca was magnanimous, not harbouring any resentment from the harsh words and was willing to lend her a hand.


    However, Maureen didn¡¯t even move her hand out of her school uniform pocket to receive the documents, ¡°No need, I already have a copy.¡± When she left the library the night before, the librarian handed her a copy of the highlights.


    Glancing at it quickly, she recognised Richard¡¯s handwriting.


    It wasn¡¯t a problem for Maureen to accept it as she held no grudges against Richard.


    Since Richard was part of the school¡¯s debating team and had won numerous gold medals, his highlights would be much more accurate than what Bianca was offering.


    In her heart, Bianca had already firmly concluded that Maureen had no real intention to seriously participate in the Hundred Schools Competition.


    She probably just said this to her eldest brother to show that she was studying hard.


    Bianca didn¡¯t want to stay any longer, so she directly asked her last question with worry, ¡°When are you coming home?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Bianca didn¡¯t want to admit that she actually felt relieved deep down, ¡°The family is very worried about you.¡± Upon hearing this, Maureen looked at her with a sarcastic gaze.


    Bianca felt as if she had been seen through by her and unconsciously avoided her gaze.


    Then she heard Maureen say, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, what you want, is considered trash by me.


    If you want it, I will give it all to you.¡± ¡°You -¡± Bianca wanted to say how could you say that to big brother and mom, but she couldn¡¯t utter the words.


    She felt as if she had punched cotton, with no strength to use.


    Maureen used to care very much about her family, but now she could utter such words, did she really not care anymore?


    When Bianca left, she could hardly maintain her awkward expression.


    Most of the people in the corridor looked at Bianca with strange eyes.


    A girl from the neighboring top class passed by and gave Maureen a thumbs up, ¡°Sister, you are good at mocking your sister, I like it.¡± Maureen¡¯s eyes were clear, and she returned her a flying kiss.


    But there were always a few boys who thought Maureen was unreasonable.


    The people who had accompanied Harold to make trouble were from the Evergreen class and naturally knew Bianca much better.


    They hadn¡¯t left yet, and when they saw what happened, they subconsciously sided with Bianca.


    One boy couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°We¡¯ve seen it, she looks so beautiful, but her mouth is merciless.¡± Harold, who was standing beside him, wanted to steer him away, but he continued, ¡°Maureen, Bianca is only concerned about you.


    Can¡¯t you stop attacking her with your words?


    If someone didn¡¯t know better, they might think you¡¯re jealous of her!


    She¡¯s about to have her birthday, and you haven¡¯t even wished her a happy birthday.¡± Young boys and girls truly have a shallow preference; they only look at the face.

 Chapter 32 - 32 Jealous

    ?Chapter 32: Jealous Chapter 32: Jealous Maureen didn¡¯t want to pay attention to these boys, but she didn¡¯t want to hear them making judgments about her when they didn¡¯t know anything.


    Just as she was about to speak, the window was suddenly pushed open with a ¡°clatter¡±, and Liam¡¯s face was clouded with anger, ¡°Jealous of her?


    Jealous of her less attractive appearance or her less appealing scent than Maureen?


    You guys better be clear, how could Maureen be jealous of others when she has me as her desk mate?


    That guy named ¡®Harold¡¯, what are you looking at¡ª¡± Before Liam could finish his sentence, it seemed that he almost fell out of the window.


    The people in the corridor fled, and a few people from the regular class escaped down the stairs.


    Maureen: Fragrance?


    Maureen wondered whether Liam failed in language class, as he didn¡¯t seem to know the difference between humans and sweets.


    Maureen returned to the classroom and sat down at her desk.


    She couldn¡¯t help but correct Liam, ¡°His name is Harold.¡± Niel: ¡°Pfft¡ª¡± Liam was unable to conceal the anger on his face, but he didn¡¯t have the mood to fuss about Maureen remembering that guy¡¯s name, nor did he care about Niel.


    He stood there, his gaze fixated on Maureen as she sat down.


    His throat bobbed as if he wanted to vent his anger but held it back, futilely holding the flame of anger within him.


    Seeing Maureen pick up a piece of draft paper and continue studying, Liam kicked the chair and sat down, staring at her for a while.


    The expression on his face was ugly, but his voice was very low and soft when he asked, ¡°Is everyone in your family like that?¡± Maureen didn¡¯t really want to talk about this topic.


    Even though Liam had helped her once again, and it seemed as if they had established some kind of big brother-little brother friendship, it was difficult for Maureen to speak about these past two years, not knowing where to start.


    She silently turned a page of the competition question collection, remaining quiet.


    Liam ruffled his own hair, feeling a little irritated.


    He couldn¡¯t help but turn back and give Niel a glare.


    Niel: ¡°Liam had no experience in comforting people.


    He looked at the side profile of Maureen, opening his mouth but then awkwardly closing it again.


    Then he turned his head to glare at Niel again.


    Niel: ¡°¡­¡± Finally, Niel seemed to understand what he meant.


    He hurriedly said to Maureen with fervor, ¡°Exchange student, don¡¯t be upset!


    If you¡¯re really unhappy, let¡¯s go beat them up!


    There¡¯s no rule in our Liam¡¯s domain that girls can¡¯t fight.


    You can hit them however you want!


    Need more people?


    Just say it!


    If all else fails, we can even use money to crush that girl earlier and your family!¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing a good beating can¡¯t solve.


    Not satisfied?


    We can beat them twice!


    We can simply use money to smack them¡± Liam snorted, ¡°This is Niel¡¯s idea, not mine.


    But now that you¡¯ve called me Liam once, I¡¯ll reluctantly cover you.


    So, tell me, what are you thinking?¡± Maureen didn¡¯t really care about Bianca, but seeing how Liam and Niel were clumsily trying to comfort her, she had to laugh.


    The tip of her pen never stopped, transcribing the important formulas within the scope, she jokingly said, ¡°The money used to hit her can be better used to buy me an airplane.¡± Upon hearing that, she didn¡¯t hear a sound from Liam, so she quickly turned to look at him.


    She was surprised to find Liam seemed to be seriously contemplating the possibility of this request.


    Maureen: ?????


    Do all rich third generation treat their not-so-important underlings so generously these days?


    Just a while ago, he was purposely getting himself away, refusing to let her share a desk with him.


    But now, he¡¯s suddenly being so generous towards her, Maureen was downright flabbergasted.


    Terrified he might abruptly decide to make the purchase, Maureen hurriedly said, ¡°No, stop thinking.


    Why would I need a plane?


    Not only can¡¯t I fly it, I¡¯m underaged!¡± ¡°Underage?¡± Upon hearing this, Liam recalled something.


    ¡°They were talking about Bianca¡¯s birthday earlier ¨C when is your birthday then?¡± ¡± It was another question Maureen didn¡¯t wish to answer.


    Her birthdate was approximately ten days after Bianca¡¯s.


    However, due to an unexpected mix-up in the neonatal ward, her birthdate on official documents had been changed after the Smith family brought her back two years ago.


    Apart from relocating her household registration here, they also changed her birthday to coincide with Bianca¡¯s.


    If they didn¡¯t do so, they wouldn¡¯t be able to explain why she and Bianca were sisters but born on different dates within the same year.


    The birthdate listed on her ID card didn¡¯t belong to her, and she didn¡¯t want to celebrate it either.


    Maureen vaguely answered, ¡°October 24th, do you need anything?¡± Liam pretended to be nonplussed and casually said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to celebrate your birthday at home, you can come out and¡ª¡± Before he finished, Maureen interjected, ¡°I already have arrangements on that day.


    I have to go back to my hometown.¡± Liam, not knowing where Maureen¡¯s hometown was, widened his eyes, asking subconsciously, ¡°Where¡¯s your hometown?¡± ¡°A small city up north.¡± Liam stared at her for a couple of seconds, dissatisfied with her perfunctory response.


    Nonetheless, he thought she might not be in a good mood, hence, he didn¡¯t dwell on it, deciding to ask later.


    Niel, sitting nearby, chimed in, ¡°Transfer students, even if you can¡¯t celebrate your birthday, you can come celebrate Liam¡¯s birthday, right?


    Liam, yours is also coming, isn¡¯t it?


    Just a little more than half a month left¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!


    Why in hell are you casually mentioning my birthday?¡± Liam instantly bristled and stood up, covering Niel¡¯s mouth, ¡°What if a big crowd comes and gives gifts?


    Such a nuisance!¡± But subconsciously, he looked at Maureen¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°November 5th!¡± Niel blurted out. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°November 5th.¡± Maureen, thinking about the commemoration of her grandma on October 24th, repeated absently, ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡± She remembered!


    Liam¡¯s ears turned red as he let go of Niel¡¯s neck and muttered, ¡°So annoying.


    Don¡¯t even think about giving any presents!¡±

 Chapter 33 - 33 Richard and his team

    ?Chapter 33: Richard and his team Chapter 33: Richard and his team Richard and his team were in the middle of training camp; after finishing their classes for the day, a few of them went to the nearby bubble tea shop to wait for their orders.


    Elizabeth had just finished a ballet class nearby, and hearing that Team A was in the area, she excitedly hurried over.


    As she entered, the shop attendant¡¯s eyes widened, her khaki coat did nothing to hide the contour of her ballet attire that perfectly wrapped around Elizabeth¡¯s lithe figure.


    ¡°How¡¯s your training going?¡± Seeing the furrowed brow of Richard, who was glued to his phone, Elizabeth felt a bit awkward and decided to greet Ethan, who was beside him.


    But Ethan was also fixated on his phone as if the world around him had forgotten to exist ¨C oblivious to her.


    The same case went for the other boys of Team A, whom Elizabeth was used to being around.


    ¡°What are you all looking at?¡± Elizabeth just properly fixed her coat and went over, asked somewhat unhappily.


    ¡°She¡¯s too stunning, isn¡¯t she?¡± Ethan turned his head and looked in shock at Richard.


    ¡°Richard, did you know about this all along?¡± Richard just furrowed his brow, showing no shock.


    Clearly, he had known beforehand.


    Ethan regretted ever having mocked Maureen for being his hanger-on.


    If he had known she was that beautiful, he might have pursued her.


    After all, she had a great personality, too.


    ¡°What¡¯s beautiful?¡± Elizabeth thought they were talking about her.


    Subconsciously, she lowered her head and tugged at her skirt, then she gave a soft laugh.


    However, it was only at this moment that Ethan noticed her presence, he glanced at her ballet outfit: ¡°Hmm?


    You¡¯ve got class nearby?¡± Before Elizabeth could reply, Ethan¡¯s attention was already back on his phone.


    Elizabeth: ¡°What on earth were they looking at?!


    Elizabeth took out her phone and opened the popular A forum that they were engrossed in.


    There she saw that Maureen, whom she and Ann had voted into in second place, now had over 3,500 votes and was now ranked first.


    Elizabeth looked at the new photo of the girl on the screen, clearly taken this morning, in disbelief.


    Even if someone were to say it¡¯s a candid photo of a celebrity, she would believe it.


    Elizabeth¡¯s mind raced as she realized what had happened.


    So this was why Maureen was bold enough to chase after Richard ¨C she was this beautiful.


    It seemed as if she had shot herself in the foot.


    Elizabeth¡¯s face fell.


    She stared at the group of boys for a while and then forced herself to speak lightly, ¡°I have some news about the inter-school competition.


    Do you still want to hear it or not?


    If you only want to look at pretty girls then maybe I¡¯ll leave.¡± Only then did the boys notice her and lift their heads to ask, ¡°What news?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an insider¡¯s information, I¡¯ll share it with you all, considering Richard¡¯s report,¡± Elizabeth purposefully held back, her gaze fixed on Richard.


    However, Richard didn¡¯t look her way.


    ¡°Spill it,¡± Ethan finally threw his phone a glance, ¡°what kind of insider information is this?


    The competition¡¯s getting called off, can¡¯t possibly be that, right?¡± Everyone was aware of Elizabeth¡¯s credible connection in the city education department; hence, the validity of her insider news was deemed highly. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elizabeth stared at Richard, receiving no response in return, she gritted her teeth and spoke, ¡°It¡¯s related to your school.


    That Professor Logan from your school¡ªthe one who used to be the class teacher of your honor class, I heard he has applied for an extra competition slot.


    Does he see any potential in a student at your school and wants to provide an extra opportunity?


    This is top-secret news.


    It¡¯s unconfirmed as of now, so don¡¯t spill the beans.¡± ¡°How could that be possible?¡± Ethan shocked, ¡°Such a big incident, how could there be no rumors about it?¡± Another male student piped in, ¡°What¡¯s the significance of Professor Logan?


    All I know is his incredible teaching skills and test setting capabilities.


    His name often appears in national journals, even the headmaster respects him.


    But why is his name everywhere in various competition organizations?¡± Elizabeth rolled her eyes at the male student, disliking his lack of insight, ¡°Retired national-level competition gold medal coach, what do you think?¡± Ethan, who had some understanding about Professor Logan, said, ¡°But it¡¯s impossible.


    Professor Logan has always been incorruptible and has no relatives in our school.


    What¡¯s the point of him applying for an extra slot for our school?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Elizabeth dragged a chair over and sat beside Richard, ¡± Just remember not to talk about it.¡± After Elizabeth disclosed this news, the school competition team¡¯s boys all turned their attention to her.


    A boy, secretly in love with her, noticed her eyes always on Richard, who was still looking at pictures on his phone.


    Seeing her displeasure, he tried to please her, ¡°In my opinion, looks don¡¯t matter, intelligence does.


    What¡¯s the point of being handsome if you don¡¯t even qualify for the Hundred Schools Competition?¡± Elizabeth felt a little better and smiled at the boy¡¯s comment.


    She hadn¡¯t realized she wasn¡¯t really as cute as Maureen.


    But what¡¯s the point of just being good-looking?


    If you consider grades, intelligence, and versatility, anyone could see that she was much more impressive.


    For instance, she could participate in this competition while Maureen couldn¡¯t even if he tried his hardest.


    ¡°Done drinking?


    Then shut up and head back to school.¡± Richard puts away his phone and stands up with a cold expression.


    He walks to the counter, looks up at the menu, and orders a bold cheesy strawberry drink.


    ¡°I almost forgot, I haven¡¯t ordered yet.¡± Elizabeth looks around and sees everyone has ordered except for her.


    She thought he was ordering for her and walked over with a surprised expression, ¡°Thank you.¡± Richard glanced at her and said, ¡°It¡¯s not for you, order for yourself.¡± Elizabeth: ¡°Elizabeth looked back awkwardly, fortunately, the boys were all discussing the news she had mentioned earlier, they weren¡¯t paying attention to this side.


    Ethan guessed Richard¡¯s thoughts to some extent.


    He stood next to Richard and whispered, ¡°Has Maureen not come to find us for almost half a month now?¡± Not only did he not come to find us actively, he didn¡¯t even text or call.


    Ethan was not sure if Richard had ever actively called Maureen, but considering that Richard had hesitantly gone to the library to find Maureen that day, he probably did.


    But Maureen had changed his number ¨C without even telling him.


    Someone who would frequently appear in life, suddenly withdrawing totally.


    Nevermind Richard¡¯s reaction, even Ethan couldn¡¯t get used to it.


    Moreover, was School A really that big?


    They were in the same school, in the same building, in the same cafeteria, and even in the adjacent class, yet they hardly ever ran into each other.


    He didn¡¯t know if Maureen was purposely trying to avoid Richard now, or there were just so many coincidences, or it was because Maureen used to be nice to Richard.


    Richard¡¯s eyebrows and eyes were cold and stern, he didn¡¯t speak a word.


    Ethan took another glance at the dominating cheesecake strawberry handed by the waitress to him.


    Nursing the idea of comforting him, he lowered his voice and said, ¡°Richard, you shouldn¡¯t think too much.


    I guess she¡¯s just playing hard to get, trying to catch your attention.¡± ¡°Look, hasn¡¯t she already caught your attention?


    I remember that Maureen likes cheesecake strawberries.


    If you buy and bring it back to her, that means you¡¯ve admitted defeat first.¡± Richard gave Ethan a glare, but just kept casting a glance at the packaged drink in his hand.


    After hesitating for five seconds, he tossed it into the trash can.


    He had never lost before.


    And this time was no exception.


    ========== On this side, as the birthday banquet was getting closer and closer, Oliver began to worry.


    If Maureen is still not persuaded and unwilling to come back before Mrs.


    Chris¡¯s birthday, then the truth will come out.


    Chris was unable to meet Maureen in school for two consecutive days, so after school, he had his two brothers help him carry the carefully prepared gift to the bottom of Maureen¡¯s dormitory building.


    Before presenting the gift, Chris wanted to write an apology note.


    But with his terrible writing ability, he was unable to articulate anything, and letting his brothers help with the writing was embarrassingly too corny.


    He had never apologized like this in his entire life.


    So, seemingly fed up, Chris crumpled the paper into a ball and hastily chucked it.


    Maureen didn¡¯t come back, and he felt like he had lost two pounds due to hunger.


    Although Chris was very uneasy, always feeling as if he was about to lose something, he still felt that Maureen would return before the birthday banquet ¡ª after all, it was their mother¡¯s 50th birthday, wouldn¡¯t it be unlikely for her not to come back?


    However, the next morning, when he went to the bottom of Maureen¡¯s hostel building to wait for her, he found his gift box which he had entrusted to the hostel manager.


    The box wasn¡¯t even unwrapped, and directly found its way to the dirty trash bin.

 Chapter 34 - 34 He couldnt believe

    ?Chapter 34: He couldn¡¯t believe Chapter 34: He couldn¡¯t believe Chris could hardly believe his own eyes.


    Does Maureen have any idea how long he spent choosing this?!


    His anger made his head buzz, and he instinctively went forward to retrieve the packaging box.


    The dew was heavy in the morning and the bottom of the trash can was full of dirty water.


    As soon as the box was lifted out, it was dripping with black water, a few drops splashing onto Chris¡¯s trousers.


    A number of girls, arm in arm, came down from upstairs.


    They cast strange glances at him as they passed by, visibly diverting their paths.


    The two boys who had come over with Chris scratched their heads, a bit embarrassed.


    They went over and gave him a pat on the shoulder, ¡°What¡¯s going on?


    It was thrown away without even opening it.


    Did the dormitory aunt not deliver it to your sister?¡± Chris stared at the kraft paper at the bottom of the box which was already damp from the dirt in the trash can.


    Picking it up was out of the question now, as the dirty water must have soaked the gift inside.


    Suppressing his frustration, he finally calmed down a bit, let go of the box, and immediately rushed towards the dormitory management office ¨C Yes, that must be it.


    The dormitory manager must have failed to deliver it to Maureen.


    As he rushed over, before he even spoke, the aunt at the window looked up and recognized him.


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s you.


    Don¡¯t come asking me if I didn¡¯t deliver it to that girl.


    I personally handed it to her when she returned last night, for this I didn¡¯t even change my shift!¡± Chris propped himself against the window, unbelieving, ¡°Then how could it end up in the trash can?!


    It was thrown away without even opening it!¡± ¡°The girl herself threw it away!


    She took it from me, didn¡¯t even look at it, and discarded it after walking down a few steps.¡± After the aunt finished, she looked suspiciously at Chris, ¡°Are you not her brother?


    She said that if you come to deliver something again in the future, no matter what it is, it will be refused.¡± Chris was almost beside himself in anger, ¡°How could I possibly not be her brother?!¡± The aunt replied, ¡°If you¡¯re her brother why isn¡¯t she accepting your things?!


    You better leave, don¡¯t lurk underneath the girls¡¯ dormitory, and I advise you to focus on your studies¡ª¡± The aunt glanced at the name tag on Chris¡¯s chest, ¡°You¡¯re only in the first grade, and you are already chasing after a beautiful senior.


    She¡¯s in her third year with lots of studies, when would she have time for you?


    I, as someone who¡¯s been there, am warning you, this is futile!¡± Chris: ¡± Chris, felt a ball of anger in his chest that he had nowhere to vent.


    Apart from his annoyance after the setback, there was also the embarrassment of his two friends seeing that his gift had been discarded.


    Moreover, there was also a bit of inexplicable annoyance mixed with fear.


    He stomped off.


    His two friends quickly caught up with him, one of them said, ¡°Your sister has a stubborn temper, she¡¯s been running away from home for so long now?


    If you ask me, what does this have to do with you?


    Don¡¯t worry about it, staying at school isn¡¯t a big deal and she can¡¯t possibly not come back for the holidays.


    Oh right, isn¡¯t your mom¡¯s birthday coming up?


    This will give her a good excuse to come home.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s stubborn!¡± Chris said in irritation, ¡°If you don¡¯t understand my family¡¯s situation, don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± This wasn¡¯t a simple case of running away from home anymore, Maureen was breaking off relations with them!


    Before, there had never been a time when he felt so helpless even after giving gifts and trying to please her continuously.


    This was a first.


    The other friend consoled, ¡°I also think that you shouldn¡¯t worry.


    Your sister will be fine after a while.


    I always fight with my sister and the worst time was when she flew abroad following an argument, but we are still family, right?


    After some time, when she cools down, everything will be alright.¡± Chris stopped walking and rubbed his forehead, ¡°You guys don¡¯t understand, my family situation is really complicated.


    The relationship between my sister and me¡­


    it¡¯s not the same as the one you have with your sister.¡± There had been a lot of blank spaces in between him and Maureen over the years, but many things had happened in the last two years.


    During this time, without Maureen at home, the scenes from these two years often involuntarily flashed through Chris¡¯s mind.


    His room was the closest to Maureen¡¯s.


    A few times, while he had fallen asleep on the floor in front of the sofa after playing games late into the night, he found that Maureen would come in, take a stool, and reach for a blanket from the top of the wardrobe.


    She would then meticulously cover him with it.


    Chris woke up twice in the middle of the night, pulling Maureen to play video games with him.


    Maureen was reluctant, claiming she had school the next day.


    Chris, in his special threatening and persuading tone, promised to guide him.


    Maureen being unable to refuse him, finally agreed.


    The duo locked the door, put on headphones and turned down the volume as if they were up to some mischief deep into the night.


    Every time the ¡°game over¡± screen appeared, bathed in shimmering blue light, they would simultaneously hang their heads in loss.


    If they succeeded in clearing a level, they would be so excited that they would try to suppress their laughter and high-five each other.


    Chris, at 14, understood that Maureen was trying to fit in, which was why he was trying to win him over.


    Initially, he was a bit resistant to this.


    But there was usually nobody at home.


    His older brothers were engrossed in their careers, and Bianca attended interest classes.


    He had no other playmates except for Maureen, who had recently moved to the city.


    They spent the most time together.


    So, slowly, Chris started becoming accustomed to hanging out with Maureen.


    In fact, after turning 14, he gradually stopped constantly following Bianca around and the first thing he did after coming home from school was to look for Maureen.


    Last summer, he and Maureen found a kitten curled up under a car in the parking lot of their villa area.


    There were many things Bianca was allergic to, like cat fur and peanuts, so they didn¡¯t keep pets at home.


    The duo couldn¡¯t bring the kitten home either, but they were worried that the two-month-old kitty would be cooked alive in the blazing summer heat. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So, they ordered a tent, cat food, cat bowl, and litter box online and took the little kitten to a shady place in the back of their housing complex.


    They kept it there for two months.


    After the summer holiday, the kitten had grown up, nimble and energetic, and not looking feeble anymore.


    Maureen arranged for an adoptive family online.


    The day before school started, they covertly sent the kitty over.


    Looking back now, the memories were still clear.


    It was a very hot day.

 Chapter 35 - 35 Dont you dare

    ?Chapter 35: Don¡¯t you dare Chapter 35: Don¡¯t you dare They did not dare to let the driver from home drive them, so they hailed a cab, and it was unbearably hot there.


    Back then, Maureen¡¯s face hadn¡¯t been injured yet, and the cab driver kept staring at her pairs of long white legs under the hot pants.


    Chris pretended to be indifferent, but he was actually quite nervous inside, leaning forward and subtly blocking her from his view.


    The four-month-old kitten realized it was being given away and cried desperately in the car.


    Afterward, both he and Maureen felt an emptiness inside.


    To console themselves, they went to have H?agen-Dazs ice cream.


    This was their little secret shame.


    Chris recently realized that he often makes harsh comments, sometimes uncontrollably directed at Bianca.


    He always thought this was his way of interacting with Maureen.


    As she came later, she should not mind these little difficulties.


    But now, Maureen would rather break like jade than be complete as pottery.


    She would rather have nothing than only a part.


    It was as if she wanted to sever everything.


    No more connections between him and her.


    Anger was written all over Chris¡¯s face, but he was genuinely upset and at a loss.


    What should he do?


    The three of them walked to the tall teaching building when one friend, seeing his terrible mood, gave him an idea, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your sister had a crush on Richard?


    Why don¡¯t you try to play matchmaker?


    If you succeed, your sister will surely reconcile with you.¡± ¡°Cut it out, what a ridiculous idea,¡± Chris thought his friend was absolutely unreliable.


    ¡°I better go find my oldest brother.¡± Currently, Daniel was filming abroad.


    He had always been the most critical of Maureen, so he was the last person he could turn to for help.


    Their father was also abroad for business, and he didn¡¯t even know about Maureen living on campus yet.


    Once he found out, he would definitely be furious, so Chris absolutely couldn¡¯t go to him either.


    Out of options, Chris made a call to Oliver, urging him to come up with a solution quickly.


    ========= How could Oliver not be trying to figure out a solution?


    After all, he is quite occupied with his company affairs and social commitments.


    With Maureen changing her number making it impossible to contact her, he wasn¡¯t the type to spare time like Chris, to squat and wait outside her dorm.


    So he had the maid at home pack up the clothes Maureen often wore in autumn and winter, sneak a card with a few thousand yuan in it, then had the driver take the maid to deliver these to Maureen.


    This time, in order to avoid provoking Maureen¡¯s repulsion, he didn¡¯t leave any messages for her through the maid.


    His concern was purely about the weather getting cold and Maureen catching a cold, so he only sent over the clothing she might need.


    After giving these instructions, Oliver felt something was still not quite right.


    The maid had a long tenure with the Smith¡¯s, earning the respect from the family for her loyalty.


    She was the one who took care of Maureen as she grew up, thus her relationship with Maureen seemed just average at best.


    Oliver himself hardly spent time home, but he noticed that Maureen hardly initiated conversations with the maid when he was around.


    Sending the maid over might not serve to soften Maureen¡¯s hardened defense.


    So, Oliver chose to have his own assistant make the delivery.


    In the past, Oliver might not have had the luxury of time to consider catering to Maureen¡¯s emotions.


    Yet, now that she remained obstinately away, Oliver was naturally splitting his attention for her.


    However, the outcome was the same as with Chris.


    The things were returned as they were sent.


    The maid, having not grasped the severity of the situation, got down from the car in the parking lot, incessantly complaining to Oliver, ¡°Miss Maureen is really hard to serve!¡± ¡°I left the stuff in the car and went to the teaching building to find her.


    But I didn¡¯t see her anywhere, just ended up being kicked out by this boy with red hair.


    Has she been contaminated by a bad influence?


    Her classmates are all so unreasonable.¡± ¡°If Miss Bianca were here, she would definitely lead me to the dormitory and offer me a cup of water.¡± ¡°Enough, you can leave now.¡± Oliver¡¯s face became increasingly unpleasant.


    He was tired of her prattling and turned to his assistant who had rushed back in a hurry, ¡°Take the stuff and put it in my car first.¡± The assistant took the items from the nanny¡¯s hands and opened the trunk of Oliver¡¯s Audi.


    The nanny tried to say something but was escorted away by the Smith family¡¯s driver.


    After the two left, Oliver glanced at the untouched items that had been returned to the trunk.


    He furrowed his brows and said, ¡°I understand if she had a falling out with the family, but refusing to even accept these things is too stubborn of her.


    The weather turns cold abruptly, this child is too mulish.¡± ¡°And you.¡± He turned to his assistant.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to chase after them?


    Weren¡¯t you supposed to deliver these items?¡± ¡°Your family¡¯s driver was too fast.


    I couldn¡¯t catch up.¡± The assistant explained with a sense of grievance, ¡°But there¡¯s something¡­


    I¡¯m not sure if I should mention it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Oliver, feeling frustrated, made his way towards the elevator.


    ¡°Speak up.¡± The assistant hurriedly followed and hesitated for a moment.


    Oliver glanced at him: ¡°What is it actually?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid if I say it, it might seem like I¡¯m trying to meddle in your family affairs.¡± The assistant voiced out.


    Oliver knitted his brows, ¡°Did you happen to see something?¡± ¡°Yes, what I saw doesn¡¯t match with what your family¡¯s nanny said.


    When I went there, I bumped into them, Maureen had indeed come out to meet her.¡± The assistant noted Oliver¡¯s changing expression and carried on, ¡°They were underneath the teaching building at that time.


    Your family¡¯s nanny had a long, sour face, delivering the items to her in a very unpleasant manner.


    I didn¡¯t hear exactly what was said, but judging from your nanny¡¯s attitude, I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to accept those items either if I were in her place.¡± ¡°During the altercation, your nanny even said something along the lines of ¡®don¡¯t know how to appreciate kindness.¡¯ This irritated Maureen, who turned and walked away.


    Then, a group of boys returning from the field happened upon the situation, and that¡¯s when the incident of your nanny being driven away happened.


    Also, do you know whom your nanny was referring to when she mentioned the red-haired boy?¡± Oliver stopped in his tracks.


    His focus was not on the last sentence, but on what was mentioned beforehand. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was usually composed, but his face now was as grim as it could possibly be.


    ¡± Mark, are you telling the truth?¡± ¡°There might have been students who witnessed the event.


    If you don¡¯t believe me, I can find a few for you.¡± Oliver had never thought it could come to this!


    He was already swamped with work at the company, and he generally didn¡¯t manage the domestic affairs.


    That was all handled by his mother.


    If it weren¡¯t for Maureen threatening to cut ties, causing such a big scene, and fearing his parents would find out, he wouldn¡¯t have involved himself.


    However, as far as he was concerned, such an incident should absolutely not have happened.


    A nanny is a nanny.


    No matter how many years she has worked in his home, or how they treated her like family, she remained a nanny.


    If Maureen made a mistake, by what right did she ridicule and deride Maureen?


    Moreover, Oliver suddenly realized something.


    If it happened this time, had this nanny called Daniel ever targeted Maureen before, and the family was clueless?!


    Oliver felt a jab of pain in his heart and a whirl of emotions.


    He took a deep breath, threw the car keys into Mark¡¯s arms, and walked in the opposite direction.


    Mark hastily caught the car keys.


    ¡°What are you doing?


    We still have a meeting later.¡± ¡°The meeting has been postponed.


    You drive, I¡¯ll head back and see what¡¯s actually happening.¡± =========

 Chapter 36 - 36 Lets call

    ?Chapter 36: Let¡¯s call Chapter 36: Let¡¯s call On this side, Liam was like a ticking bomb, rushing into the classroom infuriated.


    With a cold face, he whipped off his jacket and fiercely gulped down some cold water from a cup on the table.


    The underlings inside the classroom watched him storm in tempestuous, fearing any accidental hit might leave them bankrupt, they were absolutely petrified.


    The one seated in the aisle hastily moved the table, making the already spacious ¡®Liam¡¯s Exclusive Lane¡¯ even more spacious.


    Maureen and Niel walked in.


    All the underlings cast hopeful eyes on Maureen, hoping she could calm down Liam.


    Facing these pairs of eyes pinning their hopes of life and death on her, Maureen felt enormous pressure.


    She walked over, looked at Liam, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, ¡°Why are you so angry?


    What¡¯s there to be angry about?


    My housemaid has always been like that.¡± Liam incredulously asked, ¡°She actually looked at you disdainfully!¡± ¡°So what?¡± Maureen replied, ¡°She¡¯s naturally cross-eyed.¡± Liam: ¡°¡­¡± Liam, unable to hold back his frustration, exclaimed, ¡°She actually directly threw stuff into your arms!¡± Maureen: ¡°Otherwise, should she elegantly wave her hand, make a figure skating spin, and hand it to me while flying?¡± Liam: ¡± Maureen: ¡°Moreover, you¡¯ve already driven her away, so stop being angry, okay?¡± Liam, maintained his sullen look, but upon hearing Maureen¡¯s half-coaxing, half-convincing tone, his expression eased up significantly.


    He stretched his leg to hook a chair, folded his arms, and sat down, saying, ¡°You have my number, so call me if something like this happens again¡ª¡± he paused, then added coldly, ¡°or Niel.¡± Niel hastily added, ¡°Yes, call me!


    I¡¯m happy to serve beauty!


    Your nanny is rather arrogant, isn¡¯t she?


    If something like this happens again, call me and I¡¯ll discipline her for you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call Niel then.¡± Maureen thought it bad to bother Liam with such trivial things.


    If the Williams family found out that she had their Liam drive off a nanny on her behalf, would they sue her for emotional distress?


    She turned to Niel, ¡°I haven¡¯t saved your number yet.


    Let¡¯s take care of that now.¡± Niel immediately took out his phone.


    Liam clenched his fist, coldly looking at Niel.


    Niel pretended not to see him, and cheerfully exchanged numbers with Maureen.


    Maureen, after removing her mask, was such a beauty that getting beaten up by Liam felt worth it.


    Liam¡¯s face darkened again, flipping the pages of his book loudly and disruptively, ¡°Have you finished exchanging numbers?


    Class is about to start!


    Can you show some discipline?¡± Maureen, no longer as afraid of him as before, look up at the clock on the blackboard, puzzled: ¡°There¡¯s still five minutes left.¡± Liam: ¡°After swapping numbers, Maureen sat down, took out the day¡¯s dessert from her bag, and handed it to him: ¡°Here.¡± Liam wasn¡¯t overly pleased, giving Maureen a cold stare: ¡°You only made one serving today, didn¡¯t you.¡± Maureen obediently nodded, ¡°Yes, one portion.¡± Yesterday, there were a lot of ingredients, so she made three portions.


    The other two were given to Niel and another junior who had helped her a couple of days ago.


    Liam was green with envy, so much so that he ignored her for a good half of the day.


    His ignoring her slowed the growth of her Good.


    Thus, Maureen only brought one portion today.


    Only then did Liam¡¯s expression relax.


    He took the box and started eating with a small spoon.


    The scent of the sweet treat wafted to Niel and the rest of the juniors, causing them to drool in envy.


    After eating a couple of mouthfuls, Liam felt dissatisfied.


    After some thought, he stood up suddenly as though inspired by a new thought, holding the box in his hand.


    Maureen: He then casually got up from his seat with the dessert in one hand, scooped up a spoonful of hazelnut cream and put it into his mouth.


    He then made a leisurely round in the aisle with long strides.


    With indignant righteousness, he announced, ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t move.


    I am on duty today, just checking the hygiene.¡± The entire class: Get lost!!!


    It smells so delicious, we¡¯re starving!!!


    Maureen: Who was the one talking about discipline earlier?


    Satisfied, Liam swaggered back to his seat.


    Maureen made some space for him to sit down.


    Glancing at the dessert in his hand, she asked, ¡°Is it really delicious?¡± Liam¡¯s dessert was nearly all scooped clean, his gaze intently fixed on the transparent box in his hands.


    Struggling with his little spoon, he scraped the last bit and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Maureen couldn¡¯t help curling her lips and smiling.


    Propping her head up with her left hand and leaning on the table, Maureen took her first proper look at him.


    Every day, Liam sported a head of flamboyantly red hair that was a tad ludicrous.


    But from the imprint of where his hair was flattened, one could tell whether he was merely sleep-deprived or completely insomniac.


    If he had slept a bit, a tuft of hair at his forehead would stick out, and there would be a flattened mark at the back of his head.


    However, Maureen observed, often there was no such mark on the back of his head the next day ¨C had he stayed up all night?


    Maureen was unsure whether, given the state of their relationship, she was in a position to ask.


    Just before class commenced, Maureen pondered, and finally asked, unable to contain her curiosity, ¡°Why were you, downstairs just now, angrier than I was?


    Could it be that¡­¡± Before Maureen could finish, Liam, holding his spoon, tensed up.


    He then let out a ¡°ha¡±, a single syllable chuckle, as if he had heard some outrageous joke, and dismissively said, ¡°Stop overthinking, it¡¯s not, it¡¯s not!


    The reason I was angry is because you are my protege and someone dared to bully you right under my watch.


    Understand?¡± Recalling the incident with Niel, Maureen realized that Liam always stood up for those he considered his equivalents or proteges.


    She felt slightly touched, now what?


    After exerting much effort, was she finally about to be officially taken under Liam¡¯s wing?


    ¡°Since when did you¡­¡± Maureen wanted to ask Liam when he had officially started seeing her as his protege.


    Don¡¯t they usually have some ceremony to mark the initiation?


    She didn¡¯t have to do anything or make a blood pact or anything of the sort to directly join his gang?


    Liam¡¯s heart was racing, anxiety causing him to interrupt her abruptly: ¡°What?


    What ¡®since when¡¯?


    I haven¡¯t accep¡ª¡± He suddenly stopped, his entire body tensing up.


    Maureen: ¡°What?


    ¡± Liam abruptly turned around: ¡°I haven¡¯t done the laundry yet.¡± Maureen: ¡°Huh?¡± Maureen tried to ask again, but Liam blocked his face with a book, lightly pushing her head away, his fair neck turning red: ¡°We¡¯re in class, what on earth do you want, asking questions left and right? sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    You¡¯ve started talking a lot since you stopped wearing your little mask.¡± ¡°What the hell does ¡®little mask¡¯ mean?


    Maureen took the opportunity to cast a questioning glance at Liam while he wasn¡¯t looking at her, as if to ask ¡®what the hell are you thinking?¡¯ She didn¡¯t dare to show her displeasure in front of the classroom bully.


    Niel sat a row behind them, sticking his head out like a turtle, whispering: ¡°It¡¯s a nickname Liam gave you.


    Since you¡¯re his little sister, you should have a nickname.¡± Maureen: ¡°¡­what ugly name?


    Fine.


    It might sound unpleasant, but she didn¡¯t really mind these little things.


    ¡°What is Liam called, just Liam?¡± Just as Niel was about to answer, a rigid voice came from behind the book that Liam had propped up: ¡°You can give me a nickname.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Maureen touched her own nose in disbelief.


    Does she hold such a high position in the sect now?!


    Are they treating her like a lieutenant?!


    How is she qualified to give their boss a nickname?!


    But since it¡¯s like this, she looked at the red hair poking out from Liam¡¯s book and casually said: ¡°Then let¡¯s call you Redy¡± Liam: ¡°¡­¡± Niel.¡±

 Chapter 37 - 37 Exams preparation

    ?Chapter 37: Exams preparation Chapter 37: Exams preparation Upon arriving home, Oliver first called his mother to his study, briefly explaining the situation to her.


    Mrs.


    Smith finds it hard to believe: ¡± Daniel has worked for our family for so many years and has always been honest and modest.


    Maureen has only been with us for two years, what reasons could he have to antagonize Maureen?


    Could your assistant have missed?¡± Remembering the firm and resolute expression Maureen had when she threw away the photo, a sense of frustration welled up within Oliver.


    He suggested it to his mother, ¡°Then we should call everyone in one by one to compare the details.¡± Apart from the nanny, Daniel, the employees at the Smith¡¯s family villa included another part-time cleaning lady, a chef in charge of cooking, a driver, and a gardener.


    Daniel had no idea why Oliver called his mother into the study as soon as he got home, and then summoned each employee into the study, excluding herself.


    Only later did she realize that each of them couldn¡¯t help but steal a glance at her as they exited the study.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Daniel couldn¡¯t shake a feeling of dread growing within her.


    The other employees avoided her.


    Another part-time cleaning lady, who wasn¡¯t particularly fond of Daniel¡¯s mother, glanced at her with alienation, commenting, ¡°Good luck to you.¡± Maureen only arrived two years ago.


    Smith family¡¯s explanation to them was simply that Maureen had poor health and hence, was raised in the countryside.


    Now, at the age of fifteen, it was time for him to return.


    Everyone did not think much more of it.


    After all, they had only been working for the Smith family for a few years.


    The familial disputes within the Smith family were none of their business.


    However, Daniel¡¯s mother stood out from them.


    Having worked for the Smith family for over a decade, she often took advantage of having cared for Bianca for many years.


    Since Maureen¡¯s arrival, she sourly noticed that half of the attention once poured onto Bianca had shifted onto Maureen.


    She often couldn¡¯t help herself but to feel anguished on Bianca¡¯s behalf.


    She had never done anything particularly outrageous ¨C only a few cold stares and sarcastic comments here and there.


    On one occasion, Maureen had been tempted to voice out, but failed to find any evidence of Daniel¡¯s mother¡¯s ill-treatment towards her.


    So, she had to let the matter drop.


    The other employees thought that with the senior position of Daniel¡¯s mother, there was no reason to cross paths with her, so it was impossible to blow the whistle to the Smith family about her.


    And this went entirely unnoticed by the Smith family.


    But unexpectedly Oliver, who had returned from the company especially for this, was questioning it today.


    Daniel¡¯s mother instantly understood what it was, but didn¡¯t care, even saying to the housekeeper: ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.


    Even if they knew about my bad attitude towards Miss Maureen, what can they do?


    They won¡¯t fire me for such a trivial thing, will they?


    The most would be a verbal reprimand.¡± The housekeeper went into the study with a disgruntled look on her face.


    Although she found her annoying, she also found what she said to be true.


    It was only a matter of attitude.


    Daniel¡¯s mother has been working in the Smith family for many years, and the Smith family has always respected her.


    It was unlikely the family would do anything drastic over such a trivial thing.


    However, before that thought even flashed in her mind, a magnified voice came from the study, it was Oliver: ¡°A minor matter?


    You, a nanny, have crossed your boundaries, and you call this a minor matter?!


    Do you know her¡ªbecause of your minor matters, Maureen¡ª¡± Mrs.


    Smith commented out of surprise in the study: ¡°Maureen, what happened?!¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Oliver responded, running his hands through his hair out of frustration.


    Unable to tell them about Maureen¡¯s decision to distance herself from them, he could only say: ¡°Because of these things, Maureen has run away from home.¡± Mrs.


    Smith looked confused, ¡°Maureen rarely runs away from home?


    Didn¡¯t she say that she would be back around her birthday banquet?


    Why are you suddenly so angry today?¡± Oliver was at a loss for words, glared at the horrified and trembling nanny, and simply said: ¡°Alright, take your severance pay and leave.¡± To get Maureen back, Oliver had no other good options at the moment.


    Sending gifts seemed insincere.


    But if he fired Daniel¡¯s mother, Maureen might be back before the birthday banquet, which would keep the family stable.


    Daniel¡¯s mother¡¯s mind was buzzing with disbelief, her face turned pale, and she opened her mouth wide.


    Mrs.


    Smith also got up in confusion: ¡°Just have her apologize to Maureen, wouldn¡¯t that be enough?


    Why do you have to let her go?


    She¡¯s old enough also in her forties or fifties, where else can she work?¡± The few people outside heard the commotion in the study and looked at each other in surprise.


    What¡¯s going on with Oliver today?


    He¡¯s usually a very gentle person, why would he suddenly want to dismiss someone?


    ========= The standoff on Oliver¡¯s side was still going on.


    On the other hand, Maureen was being summoned out by the teacher in charge of the international class.


    Maureen thought the teacher wanted to blame her for talking when class was about to start, but to her surprise, the teacher was concerned about her transition from a regular class, and whether the learning was too demanding, or whether she could catch up.


    Teacher Logan, the head teacher, spoke kindly, ¡°Maureen, midterm exams are coming up in the next two days in October.


    If you¡¯re finding it difficult to keep up, you could use that as a reason to apply for exemption from participating.¡± Maureen was somewhat puzzled.


    It seemed like the teacher was suggesting that she should not participate in the exam?


    The teacher avoided her gaze, took a sip of tea, and said in a low, troubled voice, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s like this.


    The average score of the international class is always much lower than the other two classes.


    The larger the gap, the worse I look¡ªso why don¡¯t you start participating from the November exam?


    When it comes to transferring classes, the school allows one to apply for exemption from the first exam.¡± Maureen instantly understood.


    At ¡°A Middle School¡±, these three classes were separate from regular classes, and their academic progress outpaced the regular classes by more than just a few textbooks.


    Not to mention the gold medal class that dominates the national competitions every year and the evergreen class with balanced academic performance, even the international class covers a wider range of knowledge than the regular classes.


    One could say that the twenty or so regular classes were not on the same level as these three specialized classes.


    None of the exam papers from each class were the same either.


    However, Maureen was a perennial underachiever in the regular class.


    The only time he performed incredibly well was when he mistakenly ended up in an ordinary class and ranked third in the entire grade.


    But even the top student in an ordinary class might only rank last among the three special classes.


    Essentially, Maureen wasn¡¯t qualified enough.


    With classmates like Liam, who occasionally topped the entire class when he was in a good mood, but would idly fill out the answer sheet when he didn¡¯t feel like it, which routinely lowered the class¡¯s average score.


    Bringing in another student from an ordinary class would surely lower the average even further, wouldn¡¯t it? sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Their Classroom teacher had been very worried about this recently, although he didn¡¯t show it.


    Maureen didn¡¯t know how to explain to him that her previous test results were due to a debuff, and that through absorbing Liam¡¯s good luck, she now has 66 little seedlings which significantly reduced the effect on her exams.


    She definitely couldn¡¯t be the last in the international class based on her abilities!


    But all she could do was pretend not to understand his concerns.


    ¡°But teacher, I want to take the test.


    I¡¯ve caught up with the curriculum, and I¡¯d like to see which level I¡¯m at now.¡± The Classroom teacher was a little anxious.


    ¡°But our international class always ends up at the bottom ¡­¡± Maureen cut him off.


    ¡°How many students are there in the three classes?


    One hundred and fifty, right?


    What if I can make it to the top 20 this time?


    That shouldn¡¯t lower the average score then.¡± The Classroom teacher gaped at her, thinking she was overly ambitious.


    Such a dreamy little girl.


    Who even were the top twenty?


    There were people like Richard and his impressive team, who already held six spots.


    The remaining spots were filled by students from the gold medal class and the evergreen class.


    There was almost no one from their international class ever among the top twenty.


    Seeing that his advice didn¡¯t seem to sway Maureen, the Classroom teacher had no choice but to let her go.


    But the Classroom teacher looked even more worried about the upcoming monthly exam.


    Because of this, Maureen felt a sense of pressure, she must do well in this monthly exam, at least not to pull down the class average score.


    She spent her lunch break in the classroom solving questions.


    Liam knew that she took the exam very seriously, so he didn¡¯t disturb her.

 Chapter 38 - 38 Take over

    ?Chapter 38: Take over Chapter 38: Take over At noon, he ordered takeout and deliberately said he ordered an extra portion due to a slip of the hand; so it was only for her to eat.


    Maureen completed a set of problems as swift as lightning, hastily ate and put it aside, failing to notice that Liam had to climb out of the window to throw out the takeaway boxes to avoid interrupting her.


    The whole class was shocked by this.


    Maureen continued solving questions until dusk when the teacher from the Literature and Art Center, Nolan, came to discuss the matter of the school celebration host.


    ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know it yet, but you¡¯re quite popular now.¡± Teacher Nolan smiled and blinked, ¡°But we haven¡¯t decided who it will be yet, want to consider signing up?


    I suggest you do.¡± After Teacher Nolan left, Maureen opened the forum to find that, after the event with Ann, she had already become this year¡¯s school beauty.


    The hosts for school celebrations and New Year¡¯s Day shows in past years were either Bianca or another male student who was good at hosting.


    But this year, perhaps because of her fresh face, the demand for her on the forum was remarkably high.


    At the same time, some on the forum questioned, ¡°Isn¡¯t this stealing from Bianca, not only the school beauty title but also the hosting rights?¡± ¡°Our school¡¯s celebration video will be on TV!


    Let¡¯s not just go by looks, anyway, should we choose someone with especially good grades?


    How could a patchwork pillow transferred from an ordinary class be better than the former school beauty?¡± However, someone from the ordinary class immediately retorted, ¡°The ordinary classes and your three classes never have the same test papers.


    In other words, the two school beauties have never competed together.


    Who gave you the nerve to assume that Maureen doesn¡¯t have better grades than Bianca?


    She has, after all, ranked third in the ordinary class.¡± People from the top three classes have always looked down on others.


    Someone from beneath immediately began to mock, ¡°You¡¯re referring to those testing papers of the ordinary class, which are so simple, one could answer them perfectly even with your toes?


    What¡¯s so hard about ranking third?


    Even with my eyes closed, I could achieve that.¡± A quarrel then erupted.


    Eventually, someone on a floor above settled the matter, ¡°What¡¯s all the fuss about?


    Isn¡¯t the monthly exam in October imminent?


    Just wait and see their performance.¡± Maureen was stupefied, my gosh, what¡¯s happening?


    Whoever wants to be the host, be my guest!


    She didn¡¯t say she wanted to compete with Bianca!


    However, she really has no choice but to participate in the October exam.


    They said she was all shown with no substance, she wanted to see who really was.


    Maureen rolled up her sleeves and returned to her class to work on more problems.


    ========== Maureen really had no intention of being the host, but the Elite class was not pleased.


    In the past years, the host of the school¡¯s celebration was without a doubt from their class.


    This year, why are most of the people in the forum leaning towards Maureen of the International class?


    ¡°Is Maureen worthy?


    Don¡¯t just focus on her looks, alright?¡± Seeing Bianca lying down on her desk, Noella couldn¡¯t help but defend her.


    In just a few days, everything was being taken by Maureen.


    Even the position of the school celebration host, which she held for two years, was at risk.


    A male student replied, ¡°She is indeed very pretty.¡± Noella disdainfully said, ¡°You guys only care about looks, what else does she offer?


    Even the top students from the ordinary class would rank at the bottom in our classes!


    Not to mention Maureen only overperformed once, she¡¯s usually among the lower ranks in her class!


    Whereas, Bianca consistently ranks among the top twenty of our three classes in every examination.


    Isn¡¯t such a shining track record more positive when propagated by the host?¡± Unable to retort, the male student reluctantly agreed, ¡°Yes, she may be pretty, but if she¡¯s not smart, something seems to be missing.¡± Bianca was outdone by Maureen in the campus beauty incident.


    Bianca originally thought she could be indifferent to this, as she was always doted on by her family, she excelled academically and was also endowed with multiple talents ¨C ballet and piano.


    But it was a strange feeling ¨C seeing those IDs that used to discuss her frequently on the forum, now one by one started to talk about Maureen from the international class instead, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a subtle sense of jealousy.


    On one hand, she told herself that this was temporary and that people were merely intrigued by the novelty and would shift their attention back to her soon.


    On the other hand, she couldn¡¯t help but start clicking on those posts about Maureen, and searched with the keywords ¡°Maureen¡± and ¡°pretty¡±, like being addicted.


    She would attempt to find imperfections in Maureen¡¯s photos, then convince herself that Maureen was nothing extraordinary after all.


    Bianca also realized that she shouldn¡¯t be in this state.


    Just because she has lost once, does not mean she would always lose.


    She would certainly regain wins in other aspects very soon.


    She focused, ready to prepare for the October monthly exam.


    Just as those people said, this would be the first time she and Maureen take the test together¡­


    =========== The exam atmosphere arrived fast.


    During the morning self-study on the day of the exam, when the Classroom teacher Mr.


    Logan made his rounds, he noticed that Maureen, though transferred from the regular class, was earnest and diligent.


    Just for this spirit and attitude, Mr.


    Logan already had growing fondness for her.


    He slightly regretted what he said yesterday morning, asking her not to attend the test.


    However, despite his fondness for her, when Mr.


    Logan thought of his performance bonus which would be drastically cut, he still felt a chill in his scalp and a heaviness in his heart.


    Maureen¡¯s ultimate goal was to break away from the fate of a supporting role, and get into the best university she could with her abilities.


    Without the Smith family, she would then just be that Maureen who hailed from a small town in the north, and only a good university could change her destiny.


    An ordinary October midterm might only be a trivial matter, but she still had to give it her all.


    So engrossed in her revision was that she was oblivious to everything going on around her.


    It was only when the examination papers were being handed out and the proctor asked everyone to move their chairs that she snapped out of her reverie.


    This was her first exam since her rebirth at Maureen.


    To say she wasn¡¯t nervous would be a lie.


    As she observed the fragile seedlings in her pot, she turned to Liam, who was absent-mindedly staring at her while one hand was holding a hedgehog mug and the other flipping through a book.


    She said, ¡°I¡¯m a bit nervous.¡± The moment she looked his way, Liam quickly averted his eyes.


    Only after hearing her words did he pretend to have noticed her with an air of nonchalance.


    ¡°What can we do about it?¡± Hearing her confide in her nervousness, Liam began to feel anxious too.


    He took off his noise-cancelling headphones.


    ¡°It¡¯s just an October midterm.


    Now that you¡¯re my underling, if you do poorly, who would even dare to criticize you?¡± Maureen opened her hand, looking at him bemused.


    Liam: ?


    Maureen said, ¡°Alright then, I will just be straightforward.


    Can you give me your hand and hold mine for a few minutes?¡± Scratch that.


    Liam almost fell off his chair in surprise.


    With a steady gaze, Maureen held out her slender, pale hands before him.


    Liam glanced at her hands, then her face.


    His cheeks immediately flushed a notable shade of red.


    ¡°If you want to hold hands, just say it.


    Why do all these ¡®I¡¯m nervous¡¯, ¡®I need a bit of courage¡¯ stories?¡± Maureen was starting to wonder if Maureen had been reading too many cheap romance novels from street stalls.


    ¡°Right here?¡± Liam frowned, reluctantly getting ready to play his part, as if he had no interest in holding hands.


    They were in a classroom with so many people, and it wasn¡¯t even snowing or raining to create some sort of ambiance.


    How unromantic could a first hand-holding be?


    ¡°Hurry up!¡± Maureen was getting impatient.


    They only had fifteen minutes left until the start of the test.


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Liam grumbled as his heart thumped wildly, reluctantly extending his hand.


    Glancing sideways, he caught Niel watching them.


    With an expression that said, ¡°Can¡¯t help it, she¡¯s just so clingy¡±, Liam wore a smug grin.


    Niel: ¡­


    Who would have thought the moment Liam put out his hand, Maureen would impatiently seize both his hands.


    Liam: ¡­!


    ¡°For the next fifteen minutes, Liam was completely flustered. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 39 - 39 Subconscious glance

    ?Chapter 39: Subconscious glance Chapter 39: Subconscious glance Other than the time when Maureen applied medicine on him, he had never held a girl¡¯s hand before.


    And not just one hand, but both!


    His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, doing anything to avoid thinking about their intertwined hands.


    Although he felt that he and Maureen should have reached this stage by now, wasn¡¯t she being a bit too casual about it?!


    Suddenly holding hands before the exam!


    A familiar figure suddenly walked outside.


    Liam took a subconscious glance and recognized the face.


    He had seen him in the library before, named¡­


    Laurel something.


    Just as he noticed this person, the exam bell rang.


    The person hurried towards the top-tier class.


    Maureen dropped his hand and said, ¡°Hurry up and take the exam, hope you do well.¡± They held hands for 15 minutes and suddenly it felt like ten sprouts had grown!


    Maureen felt a bit more confident about the exam!


    ¡ªIs that it?


    Liam looked incredulous at Maureen.


    Wasn¡¯t the first time holding hands something to write in one¡¯s diary?


    Why was she so casual about it?


    It felt just as casual as the time she confessed her feelings in the library.


    She didn¡¯t even say the proper words of confession!


    How could he possibly accept her?


    Liam stared at Maureen for a while until the proctoring teacher on the podium couldn¡¯t help but cough, and came in front of him to block his sight: ¡°Focus on your exam.¡± Liam then took his eyes back.


    After a while, the proctoring teacher walked away, and Liam¡¯s gaze inevitably returned.


    But this time, his attention fell on Maureen¡¯s speed of answering the exam.


    What the hell?


    Was she just writing gibberish?


    Why was she writing so fast?


    Wasn¡¯t she transferred from a regular class?


    ========= Ignoring his mother¡¯s astonishment and resistance, Oliver fired Daniel¡¯s mother and planned to look for Maureen once again.


    This time, he would have a proper talk.


    There was only one week left before the birthday banquet, and his urge to take her back was getting urgent.


    I heard that their school was having exams, so Oliver waited patiently for two days.


    After the exams were over that afternoon, he had his assistant drive, carrying the clothes that were brought back untouched by the nanny, and went straight to A Middle School.


    This time, Oliver did not go to the International section to look for Maureen as he did last time.


    Coming to terms with reality, he knew that if he went to find her as he did before, Maureen would probably walk away before he could say a few sentences, and there would be no progress.


    He planned to first find Maureen¡¯s head teacher and class teacher, have them bring Maureen over, and give him and Maureen a space for conversation.


    Oliver was also at his wit¡¯s end dealing with the task of reining in a rebellious girl, a task that he, a 25-year-old man, had never done before.


    Moreover, he had only attended parent-teacher meetings for the junior year of Bianca before, never for Maureen.


    Thus when he had the car parked outside the school and entered, he was at a loss, unsure where to find Maureen¡¯s head teacher and class teacher.


    They should not be in their office right after invigilating an exam, right?


    Oliver was about to throw his car keys to his assistant for him to park when he suddenly spotted a familiar figure coming out of a convenience store.


    The girl had a bag of snacks in her hands and recognized him first, calling out cheerfully, ¡°Uncle Oliver!¡± Oliver: ¡°Who might you be?¡± The girl approached, saying, ¡°I¡¯m Noella, really close with Bianca.


    I¡¯ve been to your house before, but you had just returned from the office and went straight to your study, so you probably didn¡¯t notice me.¡± Oliver nodded: ¡°Ah, hello.¡± Oliver is quite handsome and young.


    Dressed in a crisp white shirt and black suit, he stood out on the campus, and anyone passing by would give him a second look.


    Consequently, everyone also took a second look at Noella.


    Noella¡¯s face instantly grew hot.


    She asked: ¡°Did you come looking for Bianca?¡± ¡°No,¡± Oliver shook his head, then thought of how Noella was in the same class as Bianca, and the Regular and International sections were in the same building.


    They should share the same head teacher, so he asked: ¡°I¡¯m looking for your headteacher, do you happen to know where he might be at the moment?¡± Oliver was handsome, which made Noella unable to help herself but said a few more words: ¡°What do you need from our head teacher?¡± However, Oliver replied, ¡°Just tell me where he is, if you don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll ask around.¡± Noella passed behind him, noticing his assistant standing in front of the car, holding bags of all shapes and sizes.


    It seemed like those bags contained gifts.


    Was it because of Bianca¡¯s birthday banquet, and he wanted to present gifts to the head teacher and their Classroom teacher, and invite them?


    So he found it inconvenient to explain? S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With realization, Noella felt an even stronger twinge of envy towards Bianca.


    Her brother was so good-looking, so doting, and even thoughtful enough to bring gifts for the head teacher because of her.


    No wonder both the head teacher and the Classroom teacher were extremely supportive of Bianca.


    Noella cheerfully said: ¡°Let me take you there.¡± Oliver then entered the head teacher¡¯s office.


    Noella turned and left.


    As she exited the head teacher¡¯s office, she bumped into Bianca, who had just left the piano classroom.


    Running up to her, Noella grabbed her arm: ¡°Guess who I just saw visiting our school?¡± Bianca: ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Your big brother,¡± Noella chuckled, whispering in Bianca¡¯s ear: ¡°His assistant was carrying loads of bags.


    They were searching for our head teacher and our Classroom teacher.


    I think he¡¯s here because of your birthday banquet.


    After all, we¡¯re third-year students now, and he hopes the teachers will take extra care of you, so he secretly brings gifts.¡± Bianca glanced toward the head teacher¡¯s office, a shy blush creeping onto her face.


    Her whole family pampered her immensely.


    While her second brother, Oliver, defended her the most, for some reason, her eldest brother, Oliver, held a special appeal for her.


    Perhaps it was because he was exceptionally gentle in his actions and words.


    Since she was a child, she adored sticking to her older brother.


    As she grew up into a young girl and found out that she was not the biological daughter of the Smith family, her initial reaction was sadness and panic, but when she looked at Oliver, there was an expectation and joy that surged from the bottom of her heart.


    A faint flutter of emotions began to conjure in Bianca¡¯s heart, but she couldn¡¯t quite define what it was yet.


    But there was no doubt that her big brother was very good to her.


    Her slight unhappiness from the last time in the living room when her brother didn¡¯t come to comfort her, immediately swept away.


    She guessed that day; her elder brother must have been tied up with some issues at his company, and was not in a good mood.


    ¡°I will treat you to a hotpot,¡± Bianca said happily, ¡°Then after we finish, we can call brother to pick us up.¡± Noella couldn¡¯t help but show a bit of envy, ¡°It feels like you¡¯re a princess, you¡¯re really so fortunate.¡± While the two of them were talking and coming downstairs, they suddenly saw Maureen walking upstairs.


    They met in the stairwell.


    Upon seeing Maureen, Noella deliberately raised her voice a bit, ¡± Bianca, your brother has come to find you at school again, and he¡¯s given you so many things.


    He¡¯s really good to you!¡± Maureen¡± So was she expected to show an envious expression accordingly?


    Bianca hastily covered Noella¡¯s mouth, nodded at Maureen, laughed with Noella, and hurriedly ran off.


    As Maureen continued her way upstairs, she wondered why the head teacher suddenly wanted to see her.

 Chapter 40 - 40 Collecting Test papers

    ?Chapter 40: Collecting Test papers Chapter 40: Collecting Test papers Over here in the Dean of Instruction¡¯s office.


    The Classroom teacher of General Class 6 was a little late in collecting the test papers.


    When he brought the exam papers to the director¡¯s office, he happened to run into Oliver, who was waiting here.


    The teacher glanced at Oliver absently and suddenly observed him closely, feeling a sense of familiarity.


    It seemed like he was the parent of Maureen, a student he had taught before¡­


    Seeing that this bespectacled middle-aged man kept staring at him, Oliver quickly stood up and extended his hand, ¡°Hello, you¡¯re¡ª?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Tylan, the Classroom teacher of General Class 6.¡± The class teacher didn¡¯t reach for Oliver¡¯s hand, but instead, irritably put the test papers on the table, ¡°Are you here to pick up your other sister again?¡± ¡°Are you the Classroom teacher before Maureen transferred?¡± Oliver didn¡¯t understand why the Classroom teacher seemed suddenly antagonistic towards him, but he still explained politely, ¡°I¡¯m not here to pick up Bianca today, I came for Maureen.¡± ¡°Humph.¡± The sixth class teacher snorted, ¡°It¡¯s rare for anyone from her family to look for her.


    Last year when she was taking an exam in my class, she came down with gastroenteritis halfway through.


    No one from her family came, I had to ask two students from my class to send her to the hospital.¡± ¡°She never told me!¡± Oliver replied anxiously, completely unaware that Maureen had suffered from gastroenteritis.


    After a moment of thought, he confirmed, ¡°She never mentioned it to anyone in the family!¡± ¡°Of course, she wouldn¡¯t mention it!


    What¡¯s the point of telling you?¡± The class teacher looked at him with disdain, ¡°No one from your family ever attends parent-teacher meetings!


    I even went out of my way to ask last year why Bianca of Evergreen Class has parents attending meetings, but our class Maureen doesn¡¯t.


    I wanted to see what your family was up to.


    The only thing I saw was you getting into a car with your other sister!¡± Oliver was taken aback.


    Sure enough, he had attended Bianca¡¯s parent-teacher meeting last year, and asked his mother to attend Maureen¡¯s.


    But on that day, his mother forgot about it because she was playing cards, so she didn¡¯t attend.


    ¡°My mother forgot.¡± Oliver could only apologize, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it was just this incident, you¡­¡± ¡°Just this incident, do you think it¡¯s just this?


    ¡± The class teacher was so angry he almost threw the exam papers at him, ¡°For a while, Maureen, such a diligent and hardworking student, was always dozing off in class.


    I asked her several times, even scolding her severely.


    Only then did she tell me that she had stayed up late the night before cooking at home and didn¡¯t have time to do homework, so she had no energy during the day ¡ª your family is very rich, right?


    The cars you drive cost millions, so why do you let Maureen cook every night?


    The course load is heavy in senior high school!


    Don¡¯t you want her to go to a good university?¡± Oliver was stunned, ¡°Maureen feels sleepy in class¡­?¡± It had never crossed his mind.


    He thought that cooking dinner was an activity that made Maureen very happy.


    She was good at cooking and also wanted to please her family members.


    However, he never really paid attention to the impact this was having on Maureen.


    When Chris and Bianca returned home to do their homework, she was in the kitchen alongside a rather harsh nanny, plunging her hands into water.


    She was also human, she could also become tired.


    When she came to their home, she was only fifteen years old and still a very slim girl who dared not lift her head.


    He had also said at that time that Maureen didn¡¯t need to cook dinner.


    But Chris, who was rather thoughtless, insisted on having the meals cooked by Maureen.


    Maureen would just say with sparkling eyes, ¡°It¡¯s okay, big brother.


    It shouldn¡¯t take too much of my time.¡± Oliver, feeling less close to Maureen and still a bit awkward around her, had no choice but to let her do so.


    But if it was Bianca in Maureen¡¯s place¡ª Oliver could not imagine their family letting Bianca enter the kitchen and washing vegetables with the hands used for playing piano.


    A sour feeling welled up in Oliver¡¯s heart.


    ¡°She¡¯s not made of iron, how could she not get tired?¡± the Classroom teacher of class six sneered.


    He had always thought that Maureen was very talented. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was very quick-minded when solving problems privately, but for some reason, she always had incidents and injuries during exams and never performed well.


    He wondered if it was because Maureen was lacking in vitamins, but the Smith family was so rich, how could they let their child lack vitamins?


    He had bought vitamins and trace elements for Maureen, urging her to take them every day.


    After she paid him back and thanked him, he couldn¡¯t help but go to the Evergreen class to see what Bianca looked like, and what he saw was a totally different, confident, and pampered child.


    As a headteacher, it made his heart ache.


    This, quite naturally, led him to have a grudge against Maureen¡¯s family.


    ¡°Last year at the school sports meet, she scraped her knee, and no one from her family came.¡± The head teacher of Class Six complained further: ¡°Later, she was injured on her face and fell behind in her studies.


    Now I¡¯ve heard she¡¯s boarding at school, and I¡¯m happy for her.


    She doesn¡¯t have to cook dinner and can focus on her studies.


    How much extra time does this give her?!¡± ¡°A child¡¯s growth is not just about providing money.


    Would you neglect your other sister in the same way?¡± Oliver felt a sting in his heart.


    The words of the Class 6 teacher were like a dull knife, slowly gnawing at his heart.


    They wouldn¡¯t- The reason is that Bianca would voice it out.


    Since childhood, she has been raised in a jar of honey, educated to be naive and innocent, and would voice out her needs.


    But Maureen wouldn¡¯t, she was used to tackling any matter independently due to a different upbringing.


    Yet, their family insisted on treating two children with different personalities the same way.


    Was this their arrogance, or their lack of love?


    They should have shown more concern for Maureen, but they didn¡¯t.


    Oliver had thought that he had only missed his sister¡¯s past fifteen years, but now he realized that he had also missed the past two years.


    The head teacher of Class Six didn¡¯t like him anyway, turned around, and left.


    Before leaving, he even interestingly said: ¡°Don¡¯t touch the sealed exam papers.¡± Oliver: Flustered, Oliver slumped slightly.


    The class teacher of Class Six made a good point.


    If his family were really doing enough for her, why should Maureen pander to them?


    Shouldn¡¯t they be the ones owing Maureen?


    Suddenly, Oliver felt that Maureen¡¯s choice to board at school might not be a bad decision.


    If she was only being mistreated at home, it might be better for her to move out and live on her own.


    At this moment, Oliver¡¯s heart ached.


    He was desperate, desperate to see Maureen.


    He still remembered two years ago when he took Maureen to go through the transfer procedures.


    Then, Maureen was a little girl full of life and anticipation.


    Not until the door behind him was opened did Oliver snap out of his daze.


    Upon seeing him, Maureen immediately looked into the principal¡¯s office, and found only Oliver.


    Immediately she furrowed her brow, realizing that it was Oliver who had the principal summon her here.


    Maureen turned to leave.


    This time, Oliver didn¡¯t know how to approach her.


    Unlike his previous arrogance, this time Oliver recognized that to Maureen, their home might be an oppressive hellfire.


    If he truly cared for her, he shouldn¡¯t drag her back forcefully.


    ¡°Maureen.¡± Oliver drew in a deep breath and stopped her.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to tell you that if you don¡¯t want to go home, then don¡¯t.


    But, I hope you still see me as your big brother.


    If you have any problems, I will be there to help you.¡± Seeing Maureen leave without acknowledgment, guilt welled up within Oliver.


    He quickly followed her and handed her a card.


    ¡°This is my supplementary card.


    You can use it freely.


    I won¡¯t tell anyone at home.


    Just consider it our little secret.¡± Maureen couldn¡¯t figure out what Oliver was up to.


    She said, ¡°A supplementary card, how much can I spend with it?


    You¡¯re trying to appear kind, but what if I spend it all?


    Don¡¯t you have a crush on Bianca?


    Shouldn¡¯t you be saving this for your future marriage?


    Or will you make me pay you back when you¡¯re wishing you a happily ever after?¡± Having said that, she saw Oliver staring at her in astonishment.


    Maureen suddenly realized, ¡°Oops, it seems like Oliver hasn¡¯t developed feelings for Bianca yet.¡± She had spoken too quickly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± Maureen threw the card, it landed back on Oliver.

 Chapter 41 - 41 Luck Absorption

    ?Chapter 41: Luck Absorption Chapter 41: Luck Absorption ¡°It contains only three hundred thousand, it¡¯s a debt owed by our family to yours.


    I am giving you a part of it first, don¡¯t you get it?¡± Maureen didn¡¯t believe the Smith family had good intentions, and she didn¡¯t believe the male lead¡¯s halo would spare her¡ªdare to take the male lead¡¯s money and not invite some bad luck?


    All the luck accumulated with great difficulty will be gone in a moment.


    Maureen left without looking back.


    Oliver felt helpless and after standing there for a while, he collected his emotions.


    He found the previous class six head teacher, handed over the card, explained the situation, and asked to take good care of Maureen.


    Despite being mocked by the class six head teacher, this Mr.


    Logan agreed.


    Only then did Oliver sigh of relief.


    He returned to the school¡¯s parking lot with a heavy heart, looking at the things carried by his assistant, and said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t want it.


    Forget it, let¡¯s go back to the company.¡± Meanwhile, after having a hotpot, Bianca was under the impression that Oliver was supposed to pick her up today¡ª but he didn¡¯t?


    She also tried calling, but there was no response.


    Did he forget again?


    Does it take so long to talk and give gifts to the dean?


    Bianca was anxious and she couldn¡¯t help but return to school with Noella, only to find the Dean¡¯s office door already locked.


    Oliver¡¯s car was also no longer outside the school, indicating he had already left.


    In Bianca¡¯s heart, anger mixed with embarrassment.


    She could barely keep a neutral expression.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that my elder brother told you he was going to give a present to the headmaster?¡± Noella awkwardly answered, ¡°That was just my guess.


    He did ask me where the headmaster¡¯s office was.


    But, it couldn¡¯t be that he went there for you, could he be going there for Maureen?¡± Could he really be going there for Maureen?


    Noella secretly speculated in her heart.


    She looked at Bianca¡¯s face, thinking, perhaps the Smith family did not favor Bianca as much?


    Bianca felt her stare.


    A prick of irritation flashed across her face as she decided not to say any more.


    She got into the chauffeur-driven car and went home.


    The moment she got home, she found out that Daniel¡¯s mother, her nanny, had been fired.


    Bianca simply couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Why would you send her away without my consent?¡± She stormed into her mother¡¯s room, and was met with complete emptiness.


    Tears welled up in her eyes.


    ¡°What on earth did she do?


    What was her transgression that warranted her being fired?¡± Her mother Mrs.


    Smith had gone out shopping and had not yet returned home, leaving only Chris and a few other employees in the house.


    Chris typically did not meddle in such matters, and he was also anxious about how Oliver¡¯s visit to Maureen had turned out.


    He merely comforted Bianca briefly.


    However, irritated by the noise around him, he decided to go sit on the swing in the yard.


    The chauffeur explained to Bianca, ¡°Miss, you were in the middle of an exam, so we didn¡¯t have time to inform you.


    Your elder brother asked Mrs.


    Daniel to deliver something to Miss Maureen at school, but Mrs.


    Daniel acted rudely and even lied.


    Driven by anger, your brother fired her.¡± ¡°My elder brother?¡± Bianca couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing.


    ¡°But my elder brother knows that Mrs.


    Daniel and I are very close.


    She¡¯s really nice to me, even if she made a small mistake, she shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± The chauffeur did not dare to interrupt.


    They all shared the same sentiment, but after Oliver¡¯s display of anger yesterday, they felt it might be better not to side with Mrs.Daniel.


    Bianca received no response, a bad omen stirring in her heart.


    Why would big brother dismiss the person who has always been closest to her over a trivial matter concerning Maureen?


    In the past, she had been the most important person in her big brother¡¯s heart.


    The sound of a car braking resonated from outside.


    With reddened eyes and a pale face, Bianca walked to the door.


    Upon seeing Oliver disembarking from his car, her bottled up feelings of being wronged could no longer be contained.


    Maureen had become the school beauty, her big brother had failed to pick her up twice in a row, and Mrs.


    Daniel was inexplicably fired. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She rushed towards him without changing her footwear and plunged into the embrace of Oliver.


    The driver and Chris were hardly phased by the scene.


    Chris originally wanted to charge over and grasp Oliver to inquire about Maureen¡¯s matter, but ended up being beaten to it by Bianca, causing him to frown slightly in discontent.


    Comparing the two lately, he was increasingly recognizing the merits of Maureen¡ªshe could cook delicious meals, accompany him in playing video games, and even raise cats with him.


    As for Bianca, aside from playing with him in their younger years, she had been following their big brother around ever since they grew up.


    Sometimes, Chris would hazily realize that in this respect, indeed, it seemed only he and Maureen were family¡ª No one else in the family was allergic to cats and peanuts.


    Oliver opened his arms, feeling helpless as Bianca leaped into them, his tone involuntarily softened, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?


    Who bullied you?¡± Upon hearing the tender tone of her big brother, Bianca¡¯s heart finally settled, tears of grievance trickling down her cheeks, she rubbed her head against him, ¡°Why did you fire Mrs.


    Daniel?


    Answer me!¡± Usually gentle and generous, Bianca reserves this slightly coquettish tone only for Oliver.


    Before, Oliver had been accustomed to this, but at this moment, he abruptly recollected the words of Maureen, ¡°Wishing you and Bianca eternal happiness.¡± What did she mean by that?


    Did Maureen feel that he has feelings for Bianca?


    Or perhaps Bianca had feelings for him?


    However, in his eyes, Bianca has always been his sister, and never once have he entertained any inappropriate thoughts for her.


    Impossible¡­


    was Maureen overthinking things?


    However, Oliver suddenly noticed the tone of Bianca¡¯s voice and her flirtatious movements in his arms.


    ¡°Big brother, can I come to your room tonight, just like when we were kids?¡± Oliver¡¯s face suddenly changed.


    Could it be possible that Bianca feels that way towards him?


    That¡¯s unacceptable.


    Oliver¡¯s face changed again.


    Had it not been for Maureen¡¯s reminder today, he might have let their feelings evolve naturally.


    However, his words, like a bothersome fishbone, had embedded in his mind.


    He couldn¡¯t knowingly allow Bianca to continue feeling this way towards him.


    Just as Bianca was about to continue her lament, she felt Oliver harshly pull away from her, his expression evasive as he briskly walked towards the stairs.


    ¡°You are grown up now.


    Stop crying over these trivial things and sleep in your own room.¡± Bianca was shocked to see her big brother intentionally create such distance between them, he just walked into the room, rejecting her.


    It felt like a slap in the face, it put a sudden stop to what she was about to say, ending her flirting.


    Witnessing this scene, Bianca¡¯s blood turned cold.


    With delayed shock, she realized something was off, and a wave of panic washed over her.


    Oliver has never rejected her before.


    Since when did this start¡­?

 Chapter 42 - 42 Avoiding Bianca

    ?Chapter 42: Avoiding Bianca Chapter 42: Avoiding Bianca Oliver returned to his room only to discover that there had been a lot of Bianca¡¯s things throughout his room all along¡ªtwo cushions on the sofa, and a short coat left in his room.


    Oliver¡¯s temples throbbed with frustration.


    If it was just a sibling relationship, it seemed to outsiders that they were probably too affectionate.


    Moreover, Bianca didn¡¯t seem to depend on anyone else at home like this.


    Before, Oliver didn¡¯t think much of it, and he believed that Bianca might not feel the same way towards him, but Maureen¡¯s words were a wake-up call¡ªhe had to nip any possibility of this in the bud, whether there were signs or not.


    Creating some distance was absolutely necessary.


    With a newfound solemnity, Oliver quickly instructed his assistant to tidy up Bianca¡¯s belongings that were in his room, packed them in a cardboard box, and returned them to Bianca.


    There were some items he wasn¡¯t sure belonged to Bianca or not.


    Anything that belonged to a girl, he had his assistant pack them up.


    After all, he had never brought anyone home before, so they should only belong to Bianca.


    As he tidied up, Oliver increasingly felt his own prior unintentional favoritism.


    He didn¡¯t even have a single item of Maureen¡¯s in his room.


    On further thought, it seemed like Maureen had never entered his room.


    Oliver¡¯s mood grew more somber.


    Upon receiving the box from the assistant, Bianca¡¯s feelings of grievance and anger reached a crescendo.


    Her chest heaved, and with a ¡®bam¡¯, she slammed the door and didn¡¯t come down for dinner when it was time.


    The maid knocked on the door twice, but she buried her head in the bed covers and refused to eat.


    It was rare for Bianca to behave this way at home, because everyone in the family doted on her, and she had never suffered any real grievances.


    But once she got upset to the point of refusing to eat, the family would usually come to coax her in turns.


    Today, only Oliver and Chris were home since their mother hasn¡¯t returned yet.


    Chris is quite straightforward, never mincing his words with anyone.


    He had knocked on the door earlier, saying, ¡°Sister Bianca, are you going to eat or not, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t.


    Is it because Mrs.


    Daniel was fired?


    Is it such a big deal for you?


    Brother said that Mrs..Daniel has always been harsh on sister Maureen.


    Who¡¯s more important, Mrs.


    Daniel or Maureen?¡± Chris continued, ¡°Nonsense, let go of a hundred Mrs.Daniel, having sister Maureen return is more important!¡± ¡°Bianca felt terribly unhappy.


    Oliver should have comforted her, but firstly, he wanted to distance himself from Bianca, and secondly, he couldn¡¯t help but think of the words that Maureen¡¯s former class teacher had said to him the whole night.


    His guilt towards Maureen surpassed everything else ¨C in the past when Maureen didn¡¯t eat, he seemed to have never cared.


    Why did he have to hold Bianca so dearly?


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Oliver frowned and said, ¡°Let her be.¡± No one came to comfort Bianca even till ten at night.


    Bianca¡¯s eyes were swollen like walnuts, gradually, her heart was in panic like ants on a hot pan.


    This was completely unexpected.


    Why is this happening?


    Around eleven, the headlights outside swept past, and their mother who had been busy organizing the birthday banquet returned.


    After a while, Bianca¡¯s door was pushed open, their mother walked in, sat by the bed, gently lifted Bianca¡¯s blanket, sighed, and comforted, ¡°Bianca, why are you tormenting yourself over Mrs.


    Daniel?


    After all, Mrs.


    Daniel was the one who made a mistake, your brother is angry now.¡± ¡°If you really can¡¯t let go of her, after Maureen comes back for the birthday banquet, let Mrs.


    Daniel apologized to Maureen, admitted her mistake, and then we can call Mrs.Daniel back.¡± ¡°Mrs.Smith still cared about her.


    Bianca felt a lot more at ease.


    She sat up, holding back a sob, ¡°Mm¡­¡± But really, was it all because of Mrs.Daniel?


    What she cared about was her eldest brother and Chris¡¯s response.


    After calming Bianca, Mrs.


    Smith glanced at the cold moonlight outside the window, but couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know how Maureen is doing at school, it¡¯s been a long time since she came back.


    I¡¯ve been regretting it a bit since scolding her last time, but there¡¯s no suitable chance to make it up.¡± The slightly relaxed expression on Bianca¡¯s face froze.


    Her hand under the quilt involuntarily clenched.


    ¡°She¡¯ll come back when she has thought it through.¡± Bianca could only manage a forced smile and comfort.


    Mr.


    Smith nodded, ¡°When she comes back after the birthday banquet, we¡¯ll buy her some gifts that she likes.¡± Bianca: ¡°¡­¡± Mrs.


    Smith was a little tired, she didn¡¯t say much to her, and went out.


    Bianca had a sleepless night, her heart filled with unease and torment.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if it was her illusion, but it seemed like some things in the family were subtly changing because of Maureen¡¯s departure.


    ===== The next day, Bianca¡¯s eyes were a bit swollen.


    She covered them with foundation, but couldn¡¯t completely hide them.


    As soon as the flag-raising ceremony began, Noella immediately noticed and asked, ¡°What happened?


    Anything happened in your family last night?


    I misled you yesterday, it was my mistake.


    I had no idea that your eldest brother actually went to find Maureen¡­¡±¡± After some thought, Noella comforted, ¡°I think it¡¯s because Maureen has run away from home, so your family¡¯s attention is entirely focused on her.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Bianca turned her head, her gaze inadvertently fell on Maureen, who was situated in the third row of the international class not too far away.


    Like her, many people were also subtly glancing at Maureen.


    As Maureen removed her mask, she seemed even more beautiful with each day, standing amidst a hazy fog, with a fair face and dazzling features.


    Without doing anything, she simply stood in the crowd, causing others to pale in comparison.


    Also, she did not take much clothing when she left home, but for some reason, she wore only elegantly tailored designer clothes recently, making her stand out even more.


    Bianca frowned, ¡°But I certainly can¡¯t run away from home.¡± ¡°What¡¯s to be afraid of?¡± Noella whispered, ¡°The class teacher said that today¡¯s October monthly exam results are coming out soon!


    Maureen¡¯s results are certainly poor, while yours are always good.¡± ¡°Just bring your results back to show your mom and older brother, their attention will surely shift back to you.¡± During the flag-raising ceremony, none of the class teachers were present, they were all busy grading the monthly exam papers.


    There was only one disciplinary head in charge.


    Each class formed a square formation, and because Maureen was rather tall among the girls, she stood in the middle of the third row.


    Her mind was still replaying the monthly exam she had had last weekend and the several problems she asked about at Professor Logan¡¯s yesterday Sunday.


    At Professor Logan¡¯s, Maureen once again experienced the long-lost, pure joy of learning.


    It was just like when she was living in the northern town before, where she didn¡¯t have to worry about anything or manage anything, and she just needed to study hard.


    Just receiving the teacher¡¯s praise at the end of the term and showing her grades to Grandma, Uncle Donald, and Aunt Donald were enough to make her happy.


    It¡¯s a shame that she could only visit once a week.


    Lost in her thoughts, Maureen was given a jolt when a ¡°tsk tsk¡ª¡± sound came from behind her.


    A girl gingerly pulled at her hand from behind.


    As Maureen turned to look, the girl shoved a phone case into her hand.


    Confused, Maureen wondered, what is this?


    ¡°tsk tsk¡ª¡± Instinctively, she turned around and saw the tall figure of Liam standing at the last row.


    In the morning mist and cold wind, his short red hair stood up like a hedgehog.


    His fair face carried a trace of sleepiness, yet an air of satisfaction shone through.


    Seeing her turn around, Liam quickly raised his hand, waving around the item he held.


    He wanted her to look at his phone?


    Upon closer inspection, Maureen realized that the black phone case on his phone was identical to the one the girl had just given her. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The only difference was, his black phone case had a simple white line drawing of a small sun on its back.


    While the white phone case she held had a simple, black line drawing of a small face mask on its back.


    Maureen: ???


    Couple¡¯s phone case?


    Maureen nearly jumped out of her skin.


    But then she turned again and saw that a dozen or so boys at the back had also pulled out their phones for her to see.


    They were all the exact same phone cases, only differing in color, orange, yellow, blue, green, purple, and different designs at the back.


    Some had simple cartoon characters, others had simple drawings of a pile of poop.


    The boy who ended up with the yellow phone case and the simplistic poop emoji glanced at Maureen with a bitter expression.


    ¡± Only then did Maureen¡¯s rapidly beating heart settle down.

 Chapter 43 - 43 Terrify

    ?Chapter 43: Terrify Chapter 43: Terrify That was terrifying.


    She had initially thought that Liam had suddenly presented her with a couples¡¯ phone case.


    Oh, it turned out to be custom phone cases of this group of juvenile middle schoolers.


    How childish is that?


    Even though she thought it was both childish and arrogant, Maureen still managed to find a sense of belonging from this act, as if she was being accepted by a group of people.


    Maureen curved her lips into a smile, glanced back at Liam, then bowed her head to take out her phone, replaced the phone case, raised her phone again, and waved it at Liam without looking back.


    Liam¡¯s ears turned red instantly.


    He said to Niel beside him, ¡°I told you she would put it on.¡± Niel quietly blocked the cold gaze from the competitive class Richard next door and hesitated before speaking, ¡°Keep it low, Liam, everyone¡¯s watching.


    If you want to get a couple phone cases, just buy them directly.


    Why force everyone to put them on?¡± ¡°What couple phone cases?


    Are you asking for death?


    She likes me, okay?


    Those girly items must wait till she buys them.¡± Liam didn¡¯t admit his intentions, glaring at Niel, ¡°I bought them as the gang¡¯s phone cases!


    Can¡¯t I have some personal hobbies?¡± Niel immediately said, ¡°Of course!¡± Liam: ¡°Get lost.¡± Having finished, Liam raises his head to see the head teacher in front of him staring at him, ready to walk over and drag him out.


    Liam raises his eyebrow, silently mouthing the word ¡°building.¡± ¡± The headteacher changed direction, and patrolled elsewhere.


    Niel: ¡°¡­¡± Liam, who had just put on a new phone case, was in a great mood.


    His steps were unusually brisk as if he forgot his kinship with everyone.


    He hadn¡¯t finished his last punishment of cleaning the toilets.


    After that, he returned to the classroom and voluntarily took out the floor¡¯s trash.


    Today they were free from morning reading.


    Maureen¡¯s eyes sparkled as soon as she saw him taking out the trash, and she quickly followed him.


    Liam¡¯s legs were long, and he descended the stairs in just a few strides.


    Maureen had to jog all the way and finally caught up with him in the small alley under the school building.


    Hearing the footsteps behind him, Liam turned his head and saw her: ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you!¡± Maureen immediately grabbed the trash can that Liam was holding in one hand.


    The recent growth of the potted plant seemed to have stopped.


    Mainly because she helped Liam with homework too often and gave him desserts too many times, which both had diminishing returns on the margin.


    Aside from these, she had unexpectedly hugged him and held his hand, both of which skin-to-skin contacts could boost his luck.


    For a while, Maureen couldn¡¯t figure out what else she could do.


    Taking out the trash was something she hadn¡¯t done before, so she decided to give it a try.


    Liam held onto the trash can unwilling to let go, but seeing Maureen¡¯s determination and sparkling eyes, he eventually released his grip.


    Taking over, Maureen found the can quite heavy.


    She needed to carry it with both hands.


    She hurriedly said: ¡°Liam, you can go back.


    I can take it from here!¡± Sometimes, Liam felt that she might be a bit too good for him.


    Even such a trivial thing as taking out the trash, she insisted on doing for him.


    Was this the meaning of mutual affection and assistance?


    He steadily looked at her.


    The October wind was quite cool.


    Maureen stood in front of him, slightly looking up at him, and Liam felt like he had a taste of strawberry candy in his heart.


    Liam lowered his head and noticed Maureen¡¯s untied shoelaces, he said, ¡°Do you usually tie your shoes this way?¡± Maureen glanced down at her white sneakers, she was confused, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Her way of shoe tying was peculiar, she just knotted them randomly.


    It was not enough for them to come loose, but it did look somewhat messy.


    ¡°Come here,¡± Liam suddenly said.


    Maureen: ?


    Impatient, Liam coldly commanded, ¡°Step closer.¡± ¡°What for?¡± Maureen asked dismissively, holding the trash can, she unwittingly moved a step closer to him.


    Suddenly, Liam bent down, his fingers touched her shoe laces, untied the ones on both feet, and re-tied them into two perfect butterfly knots, ¡°Like this, it¡¯s correct.¡± In the small alley, Maureen was standing, with Liam squatting in front of her, his silhouette extended by the morning sun.


    Maureen cast her gaze down at his red hair.


    With her fingers tightening unconsciously around the rim of the trash can, she felt unexplainably nervous.


    She thought Liam has been kinda weird lately.


    Weirdly gentle towards her.


    Her gaze once again landed on the shoelaces that Liam had tied for her.


    Maureen was taken aback.


    In her entire life, spanning two generations, aside from her grandmother, Liam was the first to tie her shoelaces.


    Maureen instinctively retracted her foot and took a step back.


    Liam¡¯s fingers were still on her shoe.


    Suddenly left hanging, he stiffened all over.


    Realizing what he was doing, his heart pounded, his ear roots turned red, and he slowly stood up like a stone slab.


    He glanced at Maureen with a look of ¡°Look at you, an naive weeny¡± on his face, put his hands in his pockets, and said in a smug tone, ¡°Why are you so nervous?


    We¡¯re all in the same class.


    You being my follower, it¡¯s normal to help each other ¨C unless you ¨C ¡± Maureen knew he was going to say something irrelevant without waiting for him to finish.


    It was a pity that she had a trash can in her hand and couldn¡¯t cover her ears.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Maureen really wanted to cover his head with the trash can and continued to walk forward.


    Liam¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved, following behind her.


    Suddenly, Liam couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Looking at her elegant back, he suddenly wanted to impulsively say, ¡°Let¡¯s fall in love.¡± But the words came to his throat and were swallowed back in embarrassment.


    The naive weeny hasn¡¯t confessed her feelings yet, it might not be prepared yet.


    He couldn¡¯t just blurt it out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s dump it together.¡± Liam caught up in a few steps, one hand in his pocket, held back the grin he wanted to show, stretched out one hand, and lifted the side of the trash bin.


    Maureen wished she could run with the trash bin on her back: ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can handle it myself.¡± Liam: ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t understand.


    When a girl says ¡®no¡¯, it means ¡®yes¡¯.


    When a girl says ¡®it¡¯s nothing¡¯, it means ¡®there¡¯s something¡¯.¡± Maureen: ¡­


    ¡°You bloody know nothing!¡± Despite that, Liam disregarded whatever she said and continued carrying the trash can.


    She couldn¡¯t understand why Liam would allow his underlings to take out the trash for him, yet when it came to her, he wouldn¡¯t let her do such menial tasks such as emptying the trash or cleaning the bathroom herself.


    Maureen could only attribute it to some gentlemanly demeanor this arrogant boy possesses.


    Being able to do half of it is better than not being able to do it at all.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Maureen¡¯s spirits sank a little.


    She grabbed the other side of the metal trash can and walked with Liam towards the school dumpsite.


    After emptying the trash and carrying the empty bin back to the classroom, Liam was caught red-handed by the dean of instruction who was just coming out of the teaching building.


    The dean, concerning a matter that happened during this morning¡¯s flag-raising, asked him to go over.


    Liam, wearing a sour face, had no choice but to hand the trash can to Maureen, asking her to go up first.


    Maureen was delighted at Liam¡¯s absence.


    She leisurely carried the trash can up the stairs, counting her potted plants. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As it was her first time helping Liam take out the trash, three new shoots sprouted.


    So far, there were a total of 79 plants.


    Maureen became spirited, completely reinvigorated, and returned to the international class with a smile.


    However, before she entered the class, while walking upstairs, she looked up to see Richard and the other five members of the school team coming down from upstairs.


    The Gold Medal class always walked down the left-hand side of the academic building, but for unknown reasons, they appeared from the right side today.


    The group was looking at Maureen, their expressions somewhat awkward, and subconsciously glanced at Richard.


    Seeing the smile on Maureen¡¯s face, Richard found it immensely irritating.


    He couldn¡¯t help but clench his hand in his pocket a little.


    He had just seen it in the upstairs corridor.


    He saw Maureen and Liam taking out the garbage together, laughing and chatting.


    Liam had even tied her shoelaces for her.


    Despite himself, Richard¡¯s gaze landed on Maureen¡¯s shoes, his heart filled with an unbearable tension.


    He found himself walking towards her, only to be abruptly stopped by Ethan, who grabbed his shoulder.


    Ethan whispered in his ear, ¡°She might be doing this on purpose.


    Control yourself, Richard.¡± This time, Richard shrugged off Ethan¡¯s hand without hesitation.

 Chapter 44 - 44 Who is the owner of this exam paper

    ?Chapter 44: Who is the owner of this exam paper?


    Chapter 44: Who is the owner of this exam paper?


    His mind was taut, filled with the images of Maureen and Liam together.


    He could not calm down, could not restrain himself.


    What the hell was she up to?


    Even when he wasn¡¯t around, she seemed to be very close with Liam.


    Before the exam, he had even seen them holding hands.


    Richard clenched his hand tighter in his pocket, maintaining a modicum of composure, he stood his ground in front of Maureen: ¡°I¡¯ve got news that the Donald family is returning to the country this Saturday.


    Did you know?


    If you need ¨C ¡± Pausing for a moment, Richard looked up, straining to sound indifferent, ¡°I can go with you to fetch them.¡± Two years ago, Richard had been acquainted with the Donald family, and he was aware of the relationship between the Donald and Smith families, as well as the relationship with Maureen.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Maureen froze for a moment and quickly caught on that the Donald family, having rapidly acquired wealth, would have entered the circles of the Smith and Lincoln families.


    Therefore, it wasn¡¯t surprising that the news about their return home reached Richard.


    She hurriedly shook her head, ¡°No need, really.


    I appreciate your concern, but I can pick them up myself.¡± Richard¡¯s brow instantly furrowed, ¡°Why?¡± Maureen asked, ¡°What do you mean ¡®why¡¯?


    What if they mistake you for my boyfriend?¡± ¡°Richard was puzzled by Maureen¡¯s recent behavior, just as he was puzzled as to why she didn¡¯t want people to make such a misunderstanding¡ª A confusing irritation churned within him that he couldn¡¯t shake off.


    Bearing his tolerance till the bitter end, he blurted out, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡± Maureen finally understood.


    So Richard still assumed she liked him.


    Although it felt inappropriate to discuss this matter in front of so many people, since Richard had brought it up, she decided to clarify things then and there.


    Why should they spend additional time arranging to meet in an outdoor cafe?


    Her previous pursuit of Richard had been rather impulsive after all.


    He never reciprocated the feelings, so presumably he didn¡¯t take it to heart.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like you anymore.¡± Looking at Richard, Maureen said seriously, ¡°My previous affection for you probably stemmed from the fact you had helped me.


    But we were young then, so don¡¯t take what happened too heart.


    ¡± Maureen couldn¡¯t have made it clearer.


    ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The air at the entrance of the corridor fell into deathly stillness, as if only the sound of wind remained.


    Ethan was stunned, his mouth agape.


    Richard just watched Maureen, word by word, utter the four words ¡®no longer like¡¯, his face turning as rigid and ugly as a plaster statue.


    A vague feeling of pain arose within his heart.


    His friends from the school competition team behind him dared not draw a breath as they saw his expression.


    Although Richard had had inklings of this for some time now, he had never dared to believe it.


    Unexpectedly, before he could convince himself, she had said it out loud.


    Richard didn¡¯t know whether to praise Maureen for her decisiveness or what.


    In his memory, whatever she wanted to do, whatever decision she made, she never hesitated.


    Her decisiveness made his previous pursuit seem like a joke.


    Richard had originally thought that if Maureen no longer appeared in his field of vision, he would heave a sigh of relief and save himself a lot of time dealing with her.


    But at this moment, instead of feeling relieved, he experienced a rush of dull pain, as if a mountain had collapsed onto him.


    The feeling of having completely lost something was never so clear¡­


    Richard¡¯s face was exceedingly ugly as he coldly stared at Maureen.


    Maureen guessed that she must have embarrassed him, so she said awkwardly, ¡°Is that it then?


    Goodbye, I have to go to class.¡± Without waiting to see Richard¡¯s and his teammates¡¯ reactions, Maureen quickly left.


    ¡­


    They watched Maureen¡¯s retreating figure for a few seconds.


    Ethan still couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°Is she joking?


    Just saying she doesn¡¯t like him and that¡¯s it?


    Who could stop liking someone without going through any transitional period?


    Or is she trying to provoke you?¡± Richard¡¯s head was buzzing, unable to process what Ethan had just said.


    How did things get to this point?!


    He even started to recall, on the day when she abruptly started to avoid him, had he done anything?


    But no, Richard couldn¡¯t come up with anything.


    On that specific day when she seemed to give up on him, it was a day as usual with fine weather.


    And that was what made Richard¡¯s stomach churn with discomfort.


    Ethan said, ¡°But just now when Liam bent down to tie her shoelaces, she reflexively stepped back.


    So, it doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s fallen for someone else, right?¡± ¡°I need some alone time,¡± Richard shook him off, turned and walked away.


    ¡°Richard, we have an experiment later and it¡¯s graded!¡± A male member from the school¡¯s competition team hurriedly said.


    Ethan quickly caught up and asked, ¡°Do you like her?


    You didn¡¯t happen to fall for her, did you?


    If you don¡¯t have feelings for Maureen, there¡¯s no need to fuss about it, right?¡± Richard stopped on the stairs, the words almost jumped out from his throat, ¡°I don¡¯t like her.¡± Ethan said, ¡°Right.¡± Richard told himself that it didn¡¯t matter if she didn¡¯t like him.


    It wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    There were so many people giving him love letters every day.


    He would not miss one.


    Even if he admired her, they could still be friends ¨C she just didn¡¯t like him anymore.


    But at this moment, Richard was still upset and speechless.


    Everything had gone beyond his control.


    He didn¡¯t care about any damn experiments at all.


    He walked downstairs and coldly said, ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡± ========= Meanwhile, in the office, several teachers were huddled together, examining a test paper with surprise.


    ¡°The last big question requires the use of linear functional analysis. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I specifically set this question to create a mark difference.


    The knowledge scope far exceeds that of high school contests.


    What gratifies me is that the answers of seven students had a clear path of thinking, among which three individuals even answered every step correctly, indicating their extensive knowledge.¡± said Teacher Brown, the math teacher and headteacher of the gold medal class.


    ¡°This one is Richard¡¯s, I¡¯ve been familiar with his handwriting for two to three years.¡± He raised a test paper on his left, a look of pride in his eyes, and then raised another test paper on his right: ¡°This one is Richard¡¯s from our class¡ª¡± They were such excellent students that even their handwriting was familiar to these teachers.


    ¡°So the question is, who does this test paper on the desk belong to?¡± Teacher Brown said, ¡°I have never seen this student¡¯s handwriting before!¡±

 Chapter 45 - 45 test papers

    ?Chapter 45: test papers Chapter 45: test papers Now, the test papers had all been graded and sealed, with names hidden from view.


    The three of them were still baffled by the exceptional performance of an exam paper, which they discussed while eating breakfast.


    Teacher Nolan of the Evergreen class casually gazed at Teacher Logan of the International class in the corner, with a mysterious grin.


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t possibly be from your International class, right?¡± ¡°Teacher Logan, if the students from your class continue performing this poorly, you won¡¯t even have a footing in this building!


    Although your class doesn¡¯t need to compete or score exceedingly well, aiming for all-round development ¨C but isn¡¯t the gap between our classes much too wide?


    At this rate, you¡¯ll be lumped in with the regular classes.¡± ¡°Furthermore, are you going to lose half of your monthly performance bonus because of your class¡¯ midterm grades, in addition to losing the other half due to that Williams family student?¡± As Teacher Logan gnawed on his fried dough stick, he wore a frustrated expression on his face and dared not open his mouth to respond.


    Why on earth was he stuck teaching the International class?


    These students barely scraped together average grades and were infamous for instigating all kinds of problems.


    Although he found the comments disheartening, he forced a smile at Teacher Nolan and said, ¡°I bet it¡¯s someone from your Evergreen class, you could recognize the handwriting.¡± Teacher Brown chimed in, ¡°Definitely someone from your Evergreen class.¡± Madam Miller, couldn¡¯t identify the handwriting on the test, but she, too, assumed the student was from her class.


    She pursed her red lips, picked up the mysterious exam paper, and suggested, ¡°Quit guessing; let¡¯s collect the other subject papers and rank them.¡± Later, when the teachers of other subjects handed over their papers, most commented that a student with unfamiliar handwriting seemed to have done exceptionally well, the scores were simply outstanding.


    Only the Biology teacher didn¡¯t say so.


    The confusion among the three head teachers was palpable.


    The handwriting seemed unfamiliar to the other subject teachers too?


    Particularly attentive to this inquisitive student who bagged full marks in Math, they took extra notice of the identity during the marking and categorization process.


    When it was time to unseal the test, all three class teachers huddled together.


    Although Mr.


    Logan thought it wasn¡¯t really his business, he went over regardless, pretending he didn¡¯t care, hiding his bitterness underneath.


    But when he saw the name that was revealed ¨C ¡± Mr.


    Logan couldn¡¯t believe his own eyes!


    Both Ms.


    Miller and Mr.


    Brown was taken aback, ¡°Who is this¡­


    Maureen?¡± To think, they had no idea about his student when she scored full marks.


    Indignant, Mr.


    Logan retorted, ¡°She¡¯s in our class!


    She transferred to us from the regular class in the other building this month!¡± ¡°What¡¯s all this?!¡± Mr.


    Logan was stunned for a full five seconds before he hurriedly started flipping through Maureen¡¯s papers for the other subjects.


    Even though he only found the ones for English, his hand was already shaking.


    His heart raced as though on a treasure hunt, filled with disbelief and fear, terrified that her grades in the other subjects were just average ¨C However, when he found all her test papers, her scores were remarkably high in all subjects except for Biology where she didn¡¯t finish.


    The total score was an astonishing seven hundred points.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?


    Transferred from a regular class and scoring 700?!


    ¡°Miss.


    Miller, couldn¡¯t help but blurt out, ¡°The math paper was really challenging this time!


    It was equivalent to the difficulty level of previous inter-school competitions!


    Did you set the other subjects too easily?¡± The other subject teachers replied, ¡°Not at all, we made our papers quite challenging too.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s happening here?¡± Unwilling to accept the situation, Miss, Miller hastily turned around, ¡°Quickly, add up the scores for other students¡¯ subjects and calculate the rankings.¡± If a transfer student from a regular class could score seven hundred points, then wouldn¡¯t all the students from the top class and evergreen class score above seven hundred?


    ========= For the Evergreen class, monthly exams were a common affair and no one paid much attention to them.


    However, this time, due to the election of the host for the school anniversary and the first time the newly-awarded and former ¡®school beauty¡¯ took the same test together, everyone in the Evergreen class couldn¡¯t help but pay attention to how Maureen performed.


    Bianca used to not care about these exams.


    After all, her grades were good enough.


    As long as there were no issues, she would usually rank about twentieth.


    Although she was not as high-achieving as the school competition team with their exceptional IQs, she was still sufficient to surpass ninety-nine percent of the people in the city.


    However, this time, Maureen¡¯s participation caused Bianca to feel nervous deep down.


    After finishing her breakfast, she came to the classroom and waited.


    Although she appeared to read a book nonchalantly, her mind was constantly alert for any movements at the door, waiting for the class teacher to project the grades onto the white screen.


    Due to the incident that happened in the corridor in the morning, where Ethan and a few others from the Gold Medal class and the school competition team saw Maureen rejecting Richard they were privately discussing what was going on with Maureen.


    From not caring about the monthly exam results¡ªbecause no matter what, they were always among the top six combinations¡ªto becoming rather interested.


    On the other hand, Maureen was honestly anxious.


    She had heard that the participants for the centennial competition weren¡¯t chosen yet.


    Usually, twenty people were selected.


    If she could make it to the top twenty in the test, she would be able to take part in this year¡¯s centennial competition.


    Only heaven knew how much she wanted to participate.


    When she took the first few subjects in this exam, she felt thrilled as if she was entirely free from any debuff.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was due to the ten little sprouts that had grown before the exam.


    When it came to the Biology paper, however, the familiar feeling of pressure, where she could not write any words and her vision darkened, returned.


    Hence, she didn¡¯t do very well in Biology.


    She had no idea what the outcome would be.


    She constantly checked the time and turned back to ask Niel, ¡°When does the International class teacher usually announce the grades?¡± ¡°Before the first class, around 8:50,¡± Niel sat on his desk, swinging his leg and playing a game, ¡°Little Mask, you seem pretty nervous, huh?¡± The moment he finished speaking, Liam rolled up his book and whacked him hard on his leg, looking threateningly at him.


    Liam won¡¯t let anyone use his nickname.


    Niel hastily corrected himself: ¡°Maureen, you seem quite nervous, huh?¡± ¡°Of course I am.¡±- Maureen thought to herself, this could be her quickest way to earn money: ¡°I want to participate in the competition.¡± She could hardly make any money from substitute testing or tutoring.


    However, by participating in a competition and qualifying for the finals, she heard that each student would receive a reward of fifty thousand yuan from the school.


    If she could manage to win in the finals, not only the school, but the city authorities would also give her money!


    Plus there¡¯s bonus points!


    What could be better than this!


    Although, she did not dare to think too much about actually winning in the finals.


    ¡°But your grades¡ª¡± Niel glanced up and down at her, hesitatingly remarked: ¡°Should be not that good, right?¡± ¡°What kind of thing to say is that?¡± Liam snapped at him.


    Niel¡¯s leg was swollen.


    He dared not stay on the table and quickly climbed back down.


    Earlier, the boy who maliciously asked how Maureen looked under her mask, unknowingly muttered: ¡°Taking part in such exams, it¡¯s about participation; let¡¯s just hope she doesn¡¯t drag down our class average.¡± Even though he thought he spoke softly and no one in the noisy classroom would hear him, to his surprise, Liam immediately stood up, his eyes like a school overlord: ¡± Tonny, come out for a moment.¡± Niel could not resist: ¡°¡­ His name is Wayner.¡± Damn.


    The boy hastily hid under the table.


    The classroom was in utter chaos.


    Liam was fuming as he tried to get past Maureen to grab Wayner.


    Seeing this, Maureen, mindful of Liam¡¯s recent visit with the dean, quickly intervened.


    Blocked by Maureen, Liam opened the window on his right and attempted to exit that way.


    Just at that moment.


    The Classroom teacher, Teacher Logan, rushed in!


    Everyone watched as Teacher Logan, flushed and striding confidently, marched over to Maureen, looking at her as if she were her own daughter!


    Then¡ª!


    She suddenly grabbed Maureen, pulled her into a quick embrace, and in a shout of ¡°oh my, turning the tide!¡±, hugged Maureen and jumped up and down in excitement twice!


    Maureen was dizzy and disoriented: ¡­?


    Liam: !!!???


    ¡°Mr.


    Logan just what the hell are you doing?


    Liam irate, quickly pulled Maureen out from him. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 46 - 46 She is among the top 20

    ?Chapter 46: She is among the top 20 Chapter 46: She is among the top 20 When Mrs.


    Miller walked into Evergreen Class holding exam papers, her lips tightly pursed and wrinkles on both sides of her mouth were visible.


    Evergreen Class could feel the brewing storm, as if she was on the verge of erupting.


    They were relieved when they heard her first sentence, ¡°The overall performance of our class this time is acceptable, there¡¯s not much difference with before.¡± But in the next second, she slammed the exam papers onto the lectern!


    ¡°But your performance in math is so poor!¡± ¡°There¡¯s not even one full score in math!¡± ¡°Out of three full scores in total, even the International Class upstairs has one, why doesn¡¯t our class have any?!¡± ¡°Did I teach worse than the math teachers of the other two classes?!¡± Mrs.


    Miller was frustrated.


    She had always lost to Mrs.


    Brown of the Honor¡¯s Class, which was somewhat acceptable since they have students of the School Competitive Team, it¡¯s understandable if they couldn¡¯t surpass them.


    But this time, for the first time in several years, she was surpassed by Mr.


    Logan from the International Class!


    Thinking of how smug Logan had looked in the office earlier, cheerfully saying to her ¡°Victory and defeat are common in the military,¡± and acting modestly despite gaining an advantage, Mrs.


    Miller felt even more irritated.


    ¡°The International Class just lucked out.¡± A student muttered softly.


    The question was so difficult, they couldn¡¯t even understand it.


    It was beyond the scope of what they learned, even beyond the competition range.


    Knowing from Mrs.


    Miller, that only three people in the whole building could solve it, even the six members of the School Competitive Team didn¡¯t all make it¡ª how could the traditionally bottom-ranked International Class have someone who could solve it?


    No one cared about it.


    It was just a single question, after all.


    Their overall scores were definitely stronger than the international class.


    Bianca didn¡¯t care much either.


    Although she didn¡¯t get the answer right, her strength lay in her balanced scores across all subjects.


    Her overall ranking would never be too bad.


    After all, it¡¯s impossible for the only perfect score in math from the international class to be achieved by Maureen.


    She kept her head down, her gaze fixed on the book.


    But her mind was completely focused on the upcoming step of revealing the rankings.


    The tension grew inside Bianca as the projector turned on.


    She didn¡¯t show it on her face, but her hand involuntarily clenched the page, leaving it drenched in sweat.


    Noella, sitting next to her, whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.


    As long as you perform normally, you¡¯ll be among the top twenty in the three classes.


    Maureen only transferred from the regular class last month and probably hasn¡¯t caught up with the learning progress.


    How can she compare with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not nervous,¡± Bianca shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m definitely ahead of her in scores.


    The worry is¡­¡± The worry was the gap between her and Maureen was not large enough.


    The worry was that Maureen had made great progress compared to her previous scores.


    Bianca didn¡¯t elaborate further, but Noella quickly understood, ¡°It¡¯s true.


    Maureen started from a lower point.


    Any little progress could attract your family¡¯s attention.


    But they are so used to your excellent scores over the years, Bianca.¡± Only if Maureen, who transferred from the regular class to this building, took a huge fall ¨C say, to the bottom ¨C could the disparity between them be visible to Bianca¡¯s family.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Bianca closed her eyes for a moment to steady her mine.


    By the time she opened her eyes again, the scores had been projected.


    She held her breath, looking for her ranking and systematically checking her scores for each subject.


    Noella looked down from the top, first found her name, and exclaimed, ¡°Damn, Bianca, you are so awesome!


    Ranked fifth in our class, and twentieth among the three classes!¡± ¡°You made it into the top twenty again!¡± Bianca let out half a sigh of relief, smiled at Noella, and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t perform particularly well this time.¡± Noella said, ¡°I think you can rest assured.


    There are a total of one hundred and fifty people in the three classes.


    Maureen is either number one hundred and forty-nine or one hundred and fifty.


    She inherently has poor grades and an average score in the regular class.


    Moreover, it¡¯s almost impossible for those transferred from the ordinary class to catch up with the progress of our three classes!¡± Listening to this, Bianca felt a sense of relief and said, ¡°I still hope she doesn¡¯t test so poorly, otherwise my big brother may be called in by her class teacher again.¡± As the two were talking, Mrs.


    Miller pressed a key, switched the class score screen to the entire building score, and said with a stern face, ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re so great just because you did well on the test.


    Look at the school competition team¡¯s scores, and compare the gap between yourselves and them.¡± The students of the evergreen class were all looking for the grades of people familiar to them in the entire building ranking.


    Very suddenly.


    ¡°Damn, wait a minute.


    Am I seeing that wrong?


    Isn¡¯t that Maureen¡¯s name?¡± someone suddenly found out.


    ¡°What is her ranking¡ªI feel like I¡¯m blinded, teacher, can you make the list bigger?!¡± ¡°Harold, the one who rejected you last time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Harold, it¡¯s Nelson.


    Didn¡¯t the heir apparent of the Williams family christen that name himself?


    Isn¡¯t it exciting?¡± Harold: ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡­ So what exactly happened?


    Bianca and Noella inexplicably heard someone calling out Maureen¡¯s name, and initially thought they were hearing things.


    The way Mrs.Miller displayed the projector was always scrolling from top to bottom slowly.


    The ranking for the entire building had just been released for a few minutes, so it should still be on the first page, which meant the top fifty.


    Maureen made it to the top fifty¡ª?


    Bianca felt her heart skip a beat and quickly looked up at the screen.


    What she saw next was completely incomprehensible, absolutely incredible.


    The white background, the black chart, and the number in front of Maureen¡¯s name was 19.


    From left to right, the most eye-catching was the column for math.


    A perfect score.


    She scored full marks.


    Voices kept ringing in her ears: ¡°Maureen, who transferred from the regular class, ranked 19th????


    She made it to the top twenty?¡± ¡°What on earth, holy cow!


    It¡¯s so hard to get into the top twenty.


    Every time, the elite class occupies a dozen or so spots. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only about five students from our class can make it, and no one from the international class has ever entered the top twenty!


    But this time, ¡ª¡ª didn¡¯t they say Maureen came from a regular class?¡± More and more people noticed Maureen, squeezed in the 19th spot.


    Then, like Bianca, others started to realize ¡ª ¡°Wait a minute, she¡¯s the one who got a perfect score in math?!¡± As soon as these words came out, they stunned all directions.


    The whole class bubbled like boiling water.


    Was one of the three students with perfect math scores mentioned by Class Teacher Miller from the International Class just her?


    Seeing that the class suddenly buzzed because of the name Maureen, Mrs.


    Miller¡¯s face darkened even more, ¡°You still have the face to talk about others?


    She only transferred here a month ago and she¡¯s still working hard to catch up, yet she could score perfectly in Math!


    I¡¯ve been teaching you for so long, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t have any idea about that last question?¡± Bianca was looking at the name that was just above hers.


    For five square minutes, it was like she was in a dream.


    She wondered if she was witnessing some kind of supernatural phenomena.


    Her expression was very, very ugly.


    Her entire person was in a void.


    She couldn¡¯t help but steady herself, and quietly asked Noella, ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t hear it wrong, did I?


    It¡¯s Maureen, right?


    Nineteenth place¡­?


    Ahead of me?¡± Noella was still in shock, her mouth agape and unable to return to reality: ¡°Eh?¡± The male student in front of Bianca heard her question, thinking Bianca couldn¡¯t see clearly, and kindly turned his head back to her: ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Maureen.


    She even scored full marks in math!


    Never expected that, especially with such difficult questions this time!


    How did she end up in the regular class before?¡± ¡°Your sister, is she a selective learner?


    No, not really.


    She¡¯s just particularly weak in biology, but her scores in every other subject are quite high.¡± ¡°Wait, why do you look so upset?


    Are you feeling unwell?¡± ========= The international class was also in the state of the hubbub.


    The class instructor, Teacher Logan, didn¡¯t even utilize a projector.


    Upon rushing in excitedly, he immediately announced to Maureen while hugging her excitedly, that she had scored a perfect score in Mathematics this time, ranking first in the international class and nineteenth in the entire floor.


    The entire class turned to look at Maureen, shocked.


    ¡°Holy crap, Maureen, you are something else!¡± exclaimed Niel, surprised.


    ¡°I knew your grades were good, should have had you let me and Liam copy off you.¡± ¡°Copy, copy, copy, all you know is copy!¡± Liam raised a proud smile, glanced at Maureen, and emphasized: ¡°I never cheat, okay?¡± Niel retorted sarcastically, ¡°Right, you¡¯re too lazy even to do your paper.


    What would you cheat?


    Copy someone else¡¯s name onto the top left corner of your paper?¡± Liam picked up a dictionary from Maureen¡¯s desk and was mock-threatened, ¡°Getting a little too bold, aren¡¯t you?¡± Niel quickly dodged away with a sheepish grin.


    ¡°Me, nineteenth?¡±

 Chapter 47 - 47 tinge of sarcasm

    ?Chapter 47: tinge of sarcasm Chapter 47: tinge of sarcasm Maureen was still in shock, pointing to her own nose and turning to Liam, ¡°Is the paper marked correctly?


    Is it for real?¡± She used to always rank first back in her small home town, but ever since she arrived here, her grades had never been good, leading her to not only be clueless about her actual academic prowess but also to think this place¡¯s teaching quality far outweighed that of small-town.


    Thus, she believed her ranking had plummeted from first to last as a result of her moving here.


    But who expected that, being unsuppressed, she would rank nineteenth among three classes?


    How perplexing.


    Liam¡¯s heart melted at the sight of her confusion.


    He couldn¡¯t help but ruffle her hair with laughter, saying, ¡°Little Mask, don¡¯t be so shocked.


    You scored first in the class but still ask me if you are ranked in the bottom.


    Are you intentionally showing off?¡± Maureen, hair in a mess from Liam¡¯s ruffle, was pulled by him to sit down.


    Once seated, her heart pounded, struggling to accept the fact that she wasn¡¯t as bad as she thought.


    As she pondered, she couldn¡¯t help but cover her face in excitement.


    However.


    ¨C ¡°Are you sure no mistakes have been made in the grading?


    Plus, there are cameras in the classroom, so don¡¯t suspect me of cheating.¡± Maureen didn¡¯t want an emotional rollercoaster.


    ¡°Silly girl,¡± Mr.


    Logan looked at her lovingly at this moment.


    He returned to the podium, still looking in the direction of Maureen with an excited ¡°my child has finally made me proud¡± look.


    ¡°Cough cough, everyone please be quiet, I¡¯d like to say a few words.¡± ¡°Today is the happiest day of my teaching career.


    Our international class has never had a student who scored first in math across all the classes.


    It is true we are tied for first with two other students from the elite class, but we are still ranked first!


    This shows that my teaching has achieved great results, and my efforts have not been wasted¡­¡± What followed was a long, uninterrupted emotional speech, tracing back to the time when Mr.


    Logan resolutely joined the education industry as a youth after graduation, before he started losing his hair.


    Just as the international class students were exasperated and almost throwing rotten eggs, a real emotional rollercoaster came.


    The biology teacher entered the classroom and called Mr.


    Logan out, saying there had been some issues with the biology scores of two students.


    The total core would need to be recalculated.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Mr.


    Logan was startled.


    Their class had finally produced a student who was within the top twenty in the entire school, and he hoped it wasn¡¯t Maureen¡¯s score that had an issue.


    Nervously, he asked, ¡°Which two students?¡± ¡°One is Maureen from your class, and the other is Lopez from the elite class.¡± ¡°Mr.


    Logan timidly followed the biology teacher.


    The atmosphere in the international class became tense all at once.


    Liam glanced out the window and frowned, saying, ¡°Releasing the grades before they are properly sorted out, and now re-sorting them again, what if the grades are lower than before?


    Isn¡¯t this just setting people up for disappointment?¡± Maureen sighed.


    She felt that this was the normal course of things ¨C how could she possibly have made it into the top twenty of the entire building so easily?


    It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t trust Liam¡¯s luck, but rather, she didn¡¯t trust herself.


    She had been getting lousy grades for two years, and now she had suddenly soared so high, she felt like she was dreaming.


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Maureen said, cooling down at this point.


    She picked up the milk on the table, took a sip, and inserted the straw.


    ¡­


    The Evergreen class also received news that the rankings were to be re-sorted because of Maureen from the international class and Lopez from the Gold Star class.


    As soon as the news came out, Mrs.


    Miller went to the office to help with the reordering.


    With Mrs.Miller, known for his strictness, gone, the voices of discussion in the Evergreen class got louder.


    ¡°I was wondering why Maureen scored so high.


    Turns out there was a problem with her score.¡± Harold couldn¡¯t help but defend Maureen, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear that there was a problem with a small fill-in-the-blank question in biology?


    It¡¯s only worth three points here.


    Even if these three points are deducted, she still has 697 points, which is still pretty awesome.¡± ¡°But in that case, she would have to drop a few places ¨C she should be¡­¡± The person looked up and said, ¡°She would be below Bianca, at the twenty-second place.¡± Feeling the rush of blood to her head and the buzzing in her ears finally subsiding a little, Bianca reluctantly started to calculate what would happen if Maureen lost those three points.


    If points were to be deducted, then I would be the 19th and Maureen would be the 22nd.


    Noella quickly did the math, swallowed hard, and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Maureen to do so well on this test.


    Could it be a fluke?


    Did Richard help her revise the scope?


    But if we re-rank, she¡¯ll be under you.


    This way¡ª¡± Noella wanted to say that it¡¯s better than her being ahead, but seeing Bianca¡¯s still displeased expression, she decided not to.


    These few minutes of waiting were unbearable for all three classes.


    Bianca kept staring at the projector, until about five minutes later when Mrs.


    Miller returned.


    Mrs.


    Miller replaced the projector.


    Because of what had just happened, everyone subconsciously went straight to find the names of Maureen and Lopez, curious to see the change in their rankings. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And then they saw¡ª Maureen actually moved up???


    She was given extra points, not deducted?


    She was moved to the 17th place in the overall ranking?!


    Compared to the uproar just now, the classroom of Evergreen Class was suddenly silent for a moment.


    In a cold tone, Mrs.


    Miller explained, ¡°There are two answers to the biology fill-in-the-blank question, but the other one is at the university biology level, not within our scope of learning, so it was corrected at first, but now it has been adjusted back.


    Only these two students used the other answer.¡± ¡°I want to remind those of you who plan to participate in competitions to expand your knowledge as much as possible.¡± Bianca felt her blood run cold, watching with wide eyes as Maureen rose to seventeenth place as a result of the added three marks.


    And because of these three marks, Lopez, who was ranked behind her, moved ahead of her as well.


    Suddenly, she found herself at twenty-first place!


    How could this be?


    Upon noticing Bianca¡¯s shift in ranking, the entire class instinctively cast more glances at her.


    Bianca strived to maintain a calm fa?ade, but she just couldn¡¯t compose herself, her mind a blank slate.


    Why did this happen?


    Maureen used to perform so poorly.


    How could she have surged so spectacularly within such a short span of a month?


    Did she go for tutoring?


    But who could have tutored her such that she could suddenly surpass me in terms of academic performance?


    Panicking, Bianca lowered her head out of fear that others would see the unsightly look on her face.


    Ann looked at Bianca, saying with a tinge of sarcasm: ¡°Looks like Maureen isn¡¯t as bad as we thought.¡±

 Chapter 48 - 48 Atmosphere

    ?Chapter 48: Atmosphere Chapter 48: Atmosphere Compared to the somber atmosphere in the Evergreen Class, it was once again a scene of chaos in the International Class.


    ¡°I¡¯m so thrilled!


    Seventeenth place, seventeenth place, I¡¯ve tutored a student into seventeenth place!


    Do you know what this means? sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It means that we¡¯ve made a great start in our International Class!¡± Teacher Logan strode over, his face flushed with excitement and his eyes slightly moist.


    He was about to pull Maureen up.


    But Liam stopped him in time, irritably saying, ¡°Teacher Logan, as a role model, you should remain composed.¡± The students from the international class looked at Maureen in awe¡ªthey now understood why Liam had initially had such a strong aversion towards this transfer student but eventually began to accept her.


    Perhaps it was because they¡¯d noticed her good grades and wanted to copy from her homework.


    But why was this student who transferred from a regular class so impressive?


    Could it be that she had been pretending to be weaker than she was, only to surprise everyone with her true abilities?


    In any case, everyone was very surprised.


    Wayner, who had earlier rashly commented that Maureen¡¯s grades were terrible, felt sheepish, his face swelling with embarrassment and he dared not lift his head.


    ¡°Seventeen?


    There won¡¯t be another mistake this time, right?¡± Maureen exclaimed in surprise.


    Although she tried to maintain her calm, she couldn¡¯t hide the joy that filled her heart, a happiness no less than that of Mr.


    Logan.


    Although it was just a monthly test, it signified the possibility of a complete change in her fate.


    Liam didn¡¯t know why seeing her so joyful gave him a peculiar sense of satisfaction, as if he¡¯d just completed a level in a game.


    Seeing Maureen abruptly stand up, her face full of excitement, he promptly stood up too.


    Turning her head to look at Liam, Maureen¡¯s joyful expression faltered momentarily.


    Huh?


    Why did he stand up when she did?


    Liam thought that at this moment, Maureen must be at the point of tears from sheer joy, and by the look in her eyes, it seemed like she wanted to suddenly throw herself into his arms.


    He zipped up his jacket, blushing from head to toe, raised his chin, and said defiantly, ¡°Bring it on!¡± with a resolute air of one facing death without fear.


    Maureen: ?


    Maureen didn¡¯t get what he was going to do.


    Liam would go mad more than a hundred times a day.


    She got used to it and quickly sat down.


    Niel: ¡°¡­¡± Liam: ¡°¡­¡± Wasn¡¯t he supposed to hold her?


    Both embarrassed and annoyed, Liam touched her nose, and quickly treated it as if nothing had happened, and turned her head to sit down casually.


    After such a jest, everyone calmed down, except for Teacher Logan.


    At least until next month, in the office, when he heard Teachers Brown and Mrs.


    Miller praising the good grades of a certain student in their class, he didn¡¯t have to pretend to be a happy boy while feeling sour inside!!!


    Who was it that persuaded Maureen not to take the monthly test earlier?


    It was him!


    Teacher Logan was simply too glad that Maureen didn¡¯t listen to him!


    ========= After getting such an excellent score, the arts teacher who previously asked Maureen to be the host came again that afternoon.


    However, Maureen was just going to the bathroom when she arrived, so she missed her.


    So, she simply left a message for Maureen to come and find her in her office in the next few days.


    After the third lesson in the afternoon, Teacher Logan called Maureen to the office.


    He first applauded Maureen, then inquired about her studies.


    He had always had a soft spot for Maureen, having even allowed her to choose her own seat when he first transferred to the international class.


    Now that he saw her as a promising sprout worth cultivating, he had become even more attentive.


    ¡°But I¡¯m puzzled as to why you always performed so poorly in the normal class before.¡± Mr.


    Logan uttered curiously as he carefully examined Maureen¡¯s work, saying, ¡°Just by looking at your work, it seems unlikely that you could have ranked 600th or 700th in the regular class.¡± Before Maureen could respond, the office door was pushed open.


    Mr.


    Nolan the head of class 6, entered the room holding a tea cup, stating, ¡°I¡¯m curious about this too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± said Mr.


    Logan as he glanced at Mr.


    Nolan then spoke to Maureen, ¡°Your former headteacher asked me to take care of you when you transferred classes.¡± Maureen quickly thanked, ¡°Thank you, Mr.


    Nolan!¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to thank for?


    Mr.


    Logan, don¡¯t make the child flattered with your nonsense.¡± Seeing Maureen standing in front of Mr.


    Logan¡¯s desk, Mr.


    Nolan pulled out a chair for her and said, ¡°Sit.¡± Seeing Mr.


    Nolan, Maureen felt warmth.


    During her time in class 6, he was always very kind to her.


    Mr.


    Nolan chuckled, ¡°Our Maureen is quite a success, isn¡¯t she?


    Several teachers from the general class were talking about it during lunch.


    They said that the student who transferred from my class 6 outperformed most of the students from the three competition classes during the recent monthly test.


    I feel so proud.¡± ¡°Did that reach your ears?¡± Said Maureen, scratching her face, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    She couldn¡¯t explain the various situations that would occur during every exam in the past.


    Just when she was thinking about how to respond, she thought of Professor Logan and said, ¡°I found a great teacher for tutoring recently and have been doing lots of exercises, so my performance might have improved this way.¡± It¡¯s not unheard of for a student¡¯s grades to suddenly skyrocket in the third year of high school.


    The two teachers didn¡¯t doubt her, thinking maybe the child wasn¡¯t putting her best efforts earlier due to family issues.


    Now that she¡¯s living on campus, away from any distractions, and having joined the remedial classes, it¡¯s natural for her grades to improve.


    ¡°It seems like you are the type of late bloomer who¡¯s capable of creating miracles in tests.


    But you must continue to work hard and not fall behind.¡± At this point, Maureen couldn¡¯t help but ask the question she cared about most, ¡°Teacher Logan, is the All-School League participant decided?


    With my current ranking of seventeenth, I don¡¯t know if I will be able to participate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also hoping you can participate.¡± However, Teacher Logan¡¯s expression grew serious, and he sighed, ¡°But it¡¯s tough.


    The decision is made by Teacher Brown, the Classroom teacher of the golden class.


    He was a student of the famous retired gold medal coach Professor Logan, who also serves as the coach each year.¡± ¡°Generally, out of those selected, the average grade point needs to be within the top eighteen of this building ¨C and on top of that there are two more spots for our International Class foreign language specialists.¡± ¡°Although you rank seventeenth this time, your average score was dragged down a lot by your previous performance,¡± said Teacher Logan.


    ¡°So it really is a bit difficult.


    However, I will mention it to Teacher Brown.¡± Saying this, Teacher Logan also looked quite worried.


    How much he wished that Maureen could participate because the greater her chance, the more hope he had for his bonus.


    Although Maureen was somewhat disappointed, she nodded in understanding.


    ========== The monthly test was just a minor episode, but it directly placed Maureen into the leading group of the three classes.


    At least the first battle was started, and she had a foothold in the three classes.


    People calling her a transfer student were getting less, and gradually some forgot that she was originally from a regular class.


    In the gold class, the announcement of results never created as much fanfare as in the evergreen class.


    Teacher Brown just handed out the score report to everybody and then made a brief comment.


    Richard never really paid attention to the ranking list handed out each time because whether he glanced at it or not, he was always first.


    But this time, he clenched the paper tightly, his knuckles turning white, his expression murky and unreadable, staring at it for a long time.


    Just as he once used to take roundabout routes, going to the building of the regular class to take a peek at the score ranking board after each exam.


    Maureen ranked seventeenth.


    It was within his expectations.


    The gap between them was shrinking.


    Richard had an inexplicable premonition in his heart.


    He firmly believed she would inevitably rise and stand beside him someday, allowing everyone to see her brilliance.


    However, in the past, he was certain she was climbing for him.


    This time, he wasn¡¯t so sure anymore.


    She was still looking up, but it seemed like her gaze was no longer directed at him.

 Chapter 49 - 49 Wednesday

    ?Chapter 49: Wednesday Chapter 49: Wednesday It was not until Wednesday that Chris found out other people were saying that Maureen had entered the top seventeen in the October monthly exam, even ranking ahead of Bianca.


    He felt both surprised and delighted.


    Finally making it to lunch, he immediately dashed to the cafeteria on the side of the Senior Year area.


    It had been a whole month.


    Chris hadn¡¯t had a meal cooked by Maureen, and was no longer being dragged back to school by her when he skipped classes to play games.


    He didn¡¯t believe the words Maureen previously told him; he didn¡¯t believe she was really capable of drawing a clear boundary between them and her family.


    He had placed his hopes on his elder brother.


    Yet, his elder brother seldom came home recently, seeming unsure how to talk to him.


    Chris then knew that his elder brother was unable to persuade Maureen to come back.


    Chris initially thought that without Maureen, his family would just revert to their state two years ago.


    But he didn¡¯t expect that when he was about to truly lose Maureen, he would become a mess, feeling more lost than he had ever imagined.


    Maureen had not appeared in his life for a month.


    Only then did he suddenly realize that he wasn¡¯t as annoyed with this sister, Maureen, as he had thought, and she wasn¡¯t as unimportant as he had assumed.


    ¡°I read on the forum that the host for this year¡¯s school anniversary might be Maureen.


    Is that true or false?¡± The first thing Chris did when he arrived was to ask about Maureen.


    Bianca¡¯s hand holding the Spoon involuntarily tightened.


    Noella said, ¡°The forum is full of rumors.


    A teacher from the Art Department did indeed approach her, but the final choice of the host is yet to be decided.


    Besides, the host has always been Bianca in previous years, there¡¯s no way they would change it this year!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Chris was somewhat disappointed.


    It has always been Bianca in past years, but it would actually be quite nice to switch to Maureen this year.


    Unable to hold back, Noella said: ¡°Chris, she¡¯s also your sister!


    How come you never ask about Bianca?


    Her mood must be terrible because she didn¡¯t do well on the exam this time¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t do well?¡± Chris paused while eating his food and asked Bianca, ¡°Weren¡¯t you ranked twenty-two this time?


    Isn¡¯t that your usual score?


    How did you not do well?¡± Bianca: ¡°¡­¡± Chris¡¯s mind was still focused on Maureen, he mumbled thoughtfully: ¡°Speaking of which, how did Maureen progress so quickly?


    If we mention it at home, mom would be over the moon¡­¡± Bianca knew that with Chris being such a big-mouth, the news of her losing to Maureen in the monthly test would undoubtedly be leaked.


    She lost the monthly test; she had to at least bear a tenth of the burden at the Academic Decathlon and school celebration.


    She said nothing for a long time; after a while, she bit her lip and said, ¡°If you really want to see a Maureen host, I can talk to the school arts department teacher this afternoon and recommend Maureen.¡± Probably Oliver or other men would perceive Bianca¡¯s grievance in her tone.


    Yet, Chris, as a straightforward man, beamed in surprise, ¡°Really?!¡± Bianca: ¡°¡­¡± Bianca clenched her Spoon tightly.


    Lately, she even wished that Maureen would go home soon.


    As long as Maureen didn¡¯t return home, all the family¡¯s attention would stay on her.


    ========== The weather turned cold, and some girls, having their music classes in the auditorium in the afternoon, have put on scarfs, with fluffy rims on their coats, both fashionable and warm.


    Maureen, who grew up in the north, was more cold-resistant than the locals.


    His fair neck was bare and smooth, and he wasn¡¯t wearing anything around it.


    He didn¡¯t feel cold either.


    But there was Liam, wearing noise-canceling headphones and sprawling over the desk, staring at her, which made him frown.


    Could her family afford a small mask, let alone the money to buy a scarf?


    Why did he notice at noon that Bianca from the class downstairs was especially warmly dressed?


    Even sporting black Martin boots.


    But the small mask, she always wore sneakers.


    The more Liam thought, the more frustrated he became.


    He beckoned to a brother on his right rear and handed him a card.


    The brother took the card and slipped out from the back door of the classroom. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Turning back, Liam stretched his long legs and accidentally kicked the chair of the girl in front.


    The girl looked back and after seeing Liam¡¯s face, she blushed and whispered to the person next to her, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s that someone from the international class, the one with a load of money.¡± The two girls in the front kept looking back at Liam.


    Liam thought they were picking a fight, his face turned sour, and he retorted, ¡°What¡¯s it to you?


    Are you looking to fight?¡± The two girls were scared and quickly turned their heads back.


    After a while, one of the girls folded a paper crane, her face blushing and ears burning as she quietly passed it over.


    It was placed on the desk in front of Liam.


    Was it a love letter?


    Liam involuntarily frowned in disgust, intending to crumple it up and throw it away.


    But then he suddenly thought of something; he quickly glanced over at Maureen out of the corner of his eye.


    Damn it, the small mask was bound to be jealous now.


    How long did he have to coax her?


    He had such a headache.


    Who would have guessed that Maureen didn¡¯t even notice him, still engrossed in solving advanced math problems, her pencil going ¡°swish, swish.¡± Liam: ¡°¡­¡± Liam¡¯s mood suddenly dampened.


    He stared at Maureen for a moment, strained to look like it was just an accident and elbowed Maureen lightly.


    Maureen, thinking that Liam was annoyed at her for taking up too much space, gave him a puzzled look, implying with her eyes, ¡°You already have enough room, why are you still nudging me?¡± She moved her book to the left without making a fuss and continued to work on her problems.


    Liam: ¡°¡­¡± Sometimes, Liam was really frustrated with Maureen¡¯s obliviousness, she made him doubt whether she even liked him or not.


    Why has she never been jealous?!


    Why, when he was deliberately approached by two girls this morning, was she not jealous and instead was calmly waiting behind them?!


    Was she just too magnanimous or had she already decided on him?!


    While Maureen was working on her questions, she noticed Liam frowning and staring at her, wondering what she had done to upset him this time.


    She lifted her head, glanced at Liam, then subconsciously looked at the thermal mug on her desk.


    Maureen hesitated, then handed over the thermal mug, ¡°It¡¯s filled with soy milk, do you want some?¡± Was he still hungry or what?


    But she had used the mug herself.


    Would this Liam care about that?


    Liam¡¯s gaze landed on the thermos she handed him, the iciness on his face shattered instantaneously, and the carefully articulated speech about ¡°I¡¯m not that easy to pursue, you should always be on guard and not let others chip away at me¡± was casually thrown out the window.


    Liam¡¯s ears suddenly turned red.


    She was handing him a cup that her lips had touched.


    Was this some sort of hint?


    It must be a hint.


    Liam¡¯s brow furrowed even more, his fingers involuntarily drawing circles on the table, feigning reluctance: ¡°If you insist I taste it, I guess I could force myself to try it ¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Maureen reach into the backpack behind her, and suddenly pull out a handful of disposable cups.


    She picked out a clean one from the middle, unscrewed the thermos and carefully poured a small cup of soy milk.


    Liam: ¡°What the hell?


    Was she disgusted by him?


    Suddenly, Liam wasn¡¯t so keen on drinking this cup of soy milk.


    He stared at Maureen and gulped down the cup in one go.


    Maureen originally thought that offering milk wouldn¡¯t grow the seedlings, since even giving desserts had no effect, but she never expected that after Liam finished drinking, the plant strangely wiggled a bit?!


    Fifty seedlings can become one small tree, and right now she has one small tree and twenty-nine seedlings.


    She had to keep going.


    Maureen immediately poured another cup for Liam, her eyes shining brightly: ¡°Another cup?¡± Liam, confused, drank another cup.


    ¡°One more.¡± ¡°He poured himself another glass.


    ¡°Another one?¡± Again, he poured himself a drink.


    One sapling and thirty-one tender buds.


    Maureen: ¡°One last one?¡± Liam was about to vomit from the excessive drinking, closing his mouth tightly.


    Did she think she was feeding a pig?


    Who would gulp down 800 milliliters of milk in one go?


    Unless she was doing it on purpose?


    Was this her way of punishing him for talking to another girl?


    Liam mumbled, ¡°I only said one phrase.¡± Maureen: Fortunately, there was no more in the thermos.


    Maureen softly said to Liam, ¡°If you like it, I can replace your dessert with this every day.¡± Damn.


    His little partner¡¯s jealousy was unbelievable ¨C quiet until it suddenly burst forth.


    Though Liam felt a sweet sensation in his heart, he quickly responded, ¡°I refuse.


    I want my dessert, what kind of grown man drink milk all day?¡±

 Chapter 50 - 50 My chest

    ?Chapter 50: My chest Chapter 50: My chest Drinking so much, even his chest had grown larger.


    Subconsciously, Liam glanced at his pecs.


    Maureen, looking at two newly sprouted tender buds, felt somewhat unsatisfied but could only say, ¡°Alright then.¡± ========= Music class was a mix of several grades held in an auditorium-style classroom.


    Previously, Liam would usually skip such a class and never attended.


    Today, however, was an unusual day, and he decided to attend class.


    Moreover, this is the month with the highest attendance rate.


    He has been coming to school almost every day.


    His striking red hair is very noticeable, so the music teacher on stage couldn¡¯t help but call him up to play a piece on the piano.


    In the past, Liam couldn¡¯t even be bothered to stand up.


    But today, when he saw Maureen sitting next to him, he intentionally showed off, curling his lips and nonchalantly went on stage.


    After he got on stage, Liam performed smoothly.


    Maureen couldn¡¯t help but put down her pen, giving a whole new level of appreciation to Liam.


    But thinking about it, even though he looks languid and sloppy on the surface, always too lazy to do anything, after all, he is the heir of the Williams family.


    His upbringing since childhood was indeed extraordinary, and he knew far more than ordinary people.


    Before she was seventeen, Maureen really couldn¡¯t play any musical instruments.


    But after high school in her previous life, she had learned to play the cello for a few years.


    Now she hadn¡¯t played for a long time and was a bit rusty, but playing a song shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    So when it was her turn, she played a short familiar piece.


    The low and elegant music flowed gently, Maureen¡¯s visage was beautiful, and the afternoon sunlight fell softly on her.


    All of the gazes in the classroom fell upon her for a moment.


    After all, they had all seen the others perform before, but this was the first time they saw Maureen playing some instruments.


    Richard sat in the last row, pressing his lips tightly, his eyes were closely fixed on Maureen.


    He usually also did not attend such large classes, but today when he saw people from the International class coming to attend the class, among the handful of groups, there was a familiar figure that inexplicably caught his attention.


    By the time he snapped out of it, he was already sitting in the lecture hall.


    Beside him, Ethan was discussing with another school competition team member, ¡°Since when did Maureen master musical instruments?


    Never heard about that before!¡± Richard was also surprised; he knew Maureen for two years, but it seemed that he only started to really understand her recently.


    He watched as she, like a dust-covered pearl, was gradually breaking through layers of obscurity.


    The girls around Bianca were even more astonished.


    ¡°Since when did Maureen know how to play the cello?!


    And she plays it so, so¡­,¡± exclaimed Noella with wide-open eyes.


    Surprisingly well.


    If one would give her cello skills eight points out of ten, her posture and face would undoubtedly fill up the remaining two points.


    The classroom¡¯s mediocre podium seemed like a professional stage when she was on it.


    ¡°But you are still better.¡± Noella brought her mind back to the current situation, quickly saying to Bianca, ¡°You already reached level ten in piano.¡± Bianca, her lips pale, fingers cold and stiff in her pockets, slowly digging into her palm.


    Suddenly, she got up and left the room from the back door.


    Liam, propping his head up with his hand while watching Maureen play the cello, glanced at Bianca out of the corner of his eyes.


    He furrowed his brows, ¡°Where is she going?¡± Niel glanced at her, ¡°It looks like she¡¯s heading to the art department¡¯s office.¡± Suddenly realizing something, Liam revealed a somewhat malicious smirk ¡°Do you happen to know any freshman?¡± Quickly realizing something wasn¡¯t right, Niel responded, ¡°Liam, what are you up to?¡± ========== Back to the classroom.


    Niel was still talking about that part when Maureen was playing the cello just now.


    ¡°Damn, Maureen, you hide your light under a bushel!


    Why didn¡¯t you mention before that you could do this?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not such an important skill.¡± Maureen put the test paper into the drawer of the desk.


    Moreover, it¡¯s a skill she learned in her previous life.


    She¡¯s not sure if she can still play now.


    But surprisingly, the moment she touched the cello, the melody ingrained in her mind came out.


    It seems that everything else is unreal, but the knowledge learned and stored in the mind is truly tangible. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Get that drooling face of yours away,¡± Liam irritably pushed Niel¡¯s head away.


    Just as they sat down, Maureen noticed that Liam poured a cup of hot water, then put a few white vitamin-like things from his bottles and jars into it and gulped it down.


    Maureen was about to ask what he was drinking, when she saw Liam casually wave at the classroom door: ¡°Come here.¡± A junior student quickly ran over, placed a large box on Maureen¡¯s desk, and let Maureen pick first.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Maureen¡¯s attention was diverted.


    She looked at a whole box of fluffy scarves.


    They looked soft and fluffy.


    The hanging tag was unfamiliar to her, but it looked exquisite.


    It should be a branded product.


    But because too many scarves were bought, they had to be kept in a box.


    Niel explained, ¡°It¡¯s a gang scarf.¡± Liam threw several white bottles into the desk pocket, sat on the table, hands behind him, swinging his long legs, looking down at Maureen with a triumphant squint.


    The tiny mole near his eye was particularly conspicuous from this angle.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re the top underling, you get to pick first.¡± Maureen: ¡°¡­The stuff from your gang is really unique, from phone cases to scarves.¡± Did she finally infiltrate the group and become the top underling after a month?


    Even though Maureen wasn¡¯t cold, she felt obliged to participate since it was a group activity.


    She browsed through the items and picked out a white scarf, wrapping it around her neck.


    The scarf was comfortable, it made her warm after wearing it.


    Seeing her, Liam pretended to be nonchalant, coughed lightly, and grabbed saying, ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll randomly pick one too.¡± He casually grabbed a pink scarf, his face darkened, and he quickly tossed the pink one back.


    After observing the pattern on Maureen¡¯s scarf, he picked out a black one.


    Niel: ¡°This is what you called a random pick?


    It seems like you¡¯ve been quite deliberate to me.


    The class joyfully distributed scarves.


    Within a joyous atmosphere, Maureen sat down to continue her problems.


    Liam sat at the table, his legs puckered up.


    He was about to happily remove his own necklace and put on a new one of the same kind.


    As Maureen looked up, she suddenly noticed two deep, long bloodstains near the back of his neck on the right side.


    Like the bloodstains on the back of his hand last time, they looked like wounds from shattered glass.


    It had scabbed over already, but when first cut, it must have been shocking.


    Maureen instantly stood up and turned Liam¡¯s face towards her.


    Their faces were abruptly brought very close, her breath falling onto him.


    ¡­


    Her eyelashes were like crow feathers, black and long, clearly visible.


    ¡°What¡­


    What are you doing?¡± Liam was startled, thinking she was going to suddenly kiss him.


    His face was immediately reddened, and his body was as rigid as a rock¨C¨Cbut after waiting for two seconds, Maureen made no movements.


    Underneath Liam¡¯s eyelids, it hit him that she was looking at the wound on his neck.


    The color in Liam¡¯s face drained instantly, pushing Maureen away immediately.


    He stood up straight, took two steps back, and quickly wrapped his scarf around his neck.


    ¡°What happened to your neck?¡± Maureen stared at his neck in shock.


    She didn¡¯t see this scratch on Liam¡¯s neck a week ago, and involuntarily assumed that he got it within the recent week.


    But because the weather had turned cooler recently, Liam had always been wearing a scarf.


    Furthermore, as he always sat on her right side, she couldn¡¯t see the right side of his neck.


    So, she only found out about it now.


    Liam¡¯s expression eased, and he touched his scarf-wrapped neck unconcernedly.


    ¡°Instant noodles.


    The water temperature was too high and the glass bowl exploded.¡± Maureen: ¡°Was it the same last time?¡± Liam looked at her, ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too forgetful.


    This is the second time.


    If you¡¯re not a bit luckier, it could hit your carotid artery.¡± Maureen didn¡¯t know why, but she was inexplicably angry in her heart.


    ¡°Are you always like this?¡± Seeing her reaction, Liam felt a sudden softness in his heart.


    Trying to hide his vulnerability, he pulled a chair, sat down, hugged his arms, glanced at Maureen, raised a triumphant eyebrow, and arrogantly said, ¡°Little mask girl, haven¡¯t you heard?


    Scars are a man¡¯s medals.¡± Maureen: ¡°Medals, my foot.

 Chapter 51 - 51 Disturbance

    ?Chapter 51: Disturbance Chapter 51: Disturbance Maureen was a little disturbed all afternoon.


    She wondered if she was sucking away Liam¡¯s luck, causing him to be so unlucky.


    He had been cut by glass twice in a row.


    Regardless of the fact that Liam is now treating her well, taking care of her as his buddy, she knew she must return the favor.


    Even if Liam were just a stranger instead of a friend, she couldn¡¯t possibly stand the idea of transferring her bad luck to him.


    Her system told her, ¡°This is not possible.


    You¡¯re just freeloading luck, not absorbing it.


    Do you understand?


    Liam getting cut by glass has nothing to do with you.¡± When Maureen heard the system¡¯s words, she felt somewhat relieved, but she still had some worries gnawing at her.


    She planned to pause absorbing luck for a few days and observe the situation closely.


    ========== Meanwhile, after the second class in the afternoon was over, Chris was abruptly pulled into the Literature and Art Department office by a friend.


    ¡°A senior from grade 12 is looking for you.¡± ¡°What the heck?¡± Chris didn¡¯t know anyone in grade 12, but he couldn¡¯t escape because his friend was dragging him along.


    With a frustrated heart, he was dragged towards the Literature and Art Department office.


    Before he even got close, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.


    Chris instinctively stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°Teacher.¡± It was the soft voice of Bianca.


    ¡°Has the host for the school anniversary next month been decided?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± came another gentle female voice.


    Chris thought that Bianca was going to recommend Maureen as she had spoken about doing during lunch, and therefore, he dared not interrupt, choosing to wait outside for her.


    He thought to himself, how magnanimous his sister Bianca is.


    ¡°I have been a host for two years, I possess both the experience and the capabilities to handle this role.¡± ¡°I am aware that Maureen is quite popular right now, even her test scores are higher than mine.


    But have you not looked at the forum, teacher?


    Many people suspect that Maureen was cheating ¡ª She, she is my sister and I know her well, she could not have achieved such high scores under normal circumstances, it¡¯s indeed true that she had contacted Richard before the test.¡± ¡°The photos from the school anniversary will be put on the school website¡¯s homepage, I¡¯m afraid it might create a negative impact?


    I hope you can continue to offer me this opportunity.¡± ¡°If you agree, I can invite a pianist from Berklee College for the piano performance this year.¡± ¡°Whether there is cheating or not, it is up to the monitor to prove, not just a couple of student rumors spread on the forum.¡± The teacher said, ¡°But still, I appreciate you letting me know about this discussion on the forum.


    If it exists, choosing Maureen would be bad for the school¡¯s reputation.¡± ¡°What follows is unclear ¨C the teacher seemingly said something to Bianca, something that Chris is all unaware of.


    He feels his adrenaline rushing, his mind buzzing like an old, broken television set.


    If the one inside, the one saying these words, was someone like Ann, Chris¡¯s reaction would not be like this.


    But why would it be Bianca? S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Why would Bianca, who has never been competitive or grasping, do this?


    But then Chris realizes, even if Bianca has never competed for anything, everyone at home, including her friends, would actively deal with Maureen for her ¨C just like the incident with Ann last time.


    As he recalls past events one by one¡­


    The blood rushes to Chris¡¯s head, too shocked to remember to leave.


    His face changes color again and again, he doesn¡¯t even notice the boy who brought him here hastily slipped away.


    After who knows how long, the door is opened with a ¡®click.¡¯ Bianca comes out, politely closing the door behind her, a hint of a smile already playing at the corners of her mouth.


    When she turned her head, she was met with Chris¡¯s incredulous gaze.


    The air was deathly quiet for a long time.


    Bianca yelped in surprise, aghast, ¡°How could you be here?¡± ========= On the day after school, the atmosphere in the Smith family was quite tense.


    Oliver hadn¡¯t returned home, and Mrs.


    Smith didn¡¯t know what kind of argument Chris and Bianca, these two children, had again.


    Chris returned home with a sullen face, confined himself to his room to play games, and didn¡¯t even come out for dinner.


    Meanwhile, Bianca¡¯s eyes were red-rimmed, and she refused to say what had happened when asked, and also returned to her room.


    Mrs.


    Smith concluded that Chris had bullied Bianca.


    She frowned, went upstairs to knock on the door, and dragged Chris out: ¡°Apologize to your sister, what the hell have you done again?¡± Chris was absolutely infuriated, ¡°What the hell does this have to do with me?


    Why don¡¯t you ask her what she did?


    She told the teacher at school that Maureen cheated¡ª¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Mrs.


    Chris disbelieves, ¡°Why would Bianca say that?¡± Chris clenched his teeth, wishing he had a recording.


    Upon hearing the commotion outside the door, Bianca hurriedly came out and told Mrs.


    Smith, ¡°No, Mom, it has nothing to do with Chris, I encountered something else.


    Really!¡± Seeing Bianca¡¯s afraid-to-speak appearance, Mrs.


    Smith was even more convinced that Chris had bullied her, and grew more angry: ¡°Chris, you are fifteen years old, are you still a man or not, dare to do but not admit it?!¡± Chris¡¯s head was buzzing with anger, he fiercely glared at Bianca.


    Now he understood how Maureen must have felt when he couldn¡¯t explain himself.


    So damn suffocating!


    His fists clenched tight!


    ¡°Come downstairs for dinner.¡± Mrs.


    Smith said briefly, then turned and went downstairs.


    ¡°Cool.¡± Chris stared at Bianca as if he didn¡¯t recognize her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got us all spinning in circles.


    Does it feel good?¡± Bianca said, ¡°Chris, let me explain, I had no choice!


    I just didn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity¨C¡± ¡°You and I think differently,¡± he cut her off disappointedly, looking at her.


    ¡°You did wrong.


    You should apologize.


    Not to me, but to that teacher, because you talked nonsense in front of her.


    Apologize to Maureen, because you disparaged her.


    But you are still making excuses, you don¡¯t feel guilty at all.¡± Afraid that her mother might hear, Bianca lowered her voice: ¡°We grew up together, why must you side with Maureen?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re taking over someone else¡¯s nest, do you understand?!¡± Chris, outraged and desperate, let loose all his frustration over Maureen¡¯s departure from home.


    He shouted, ¡°You took over her nest, do you deserve everyone¡¯s favor?¡± ¡°And not even let me keep a cat, this is my home why can¡¯t I have a cat?


    I damn want to keep a cat!


    I damn want to keep a hundred cats!¡± Smith rushed over and slapped Chris.


    That night, Chris, with a red palm print on his face, moved out of the Smith house and into a hotel.


    ========= When Oliver returned home, Mrs.


    Smith found out that Maureen had ranked 17th in the monthly exam, even higher than Bianca.


    Naturally, she was overjoyed and said with mixed feelings: ¡°Maureen¡¯s grades have never been good, now that she can achieve this ranking, she must have worked very hard.¡± ¡°Originally, with her good performance, if she was at home, we should have prepared a lavish dinner for her and celebrate together.¡± ¡°Sadly, she¡¯s not here.¡± ¡°Should I visit her in school tomorrow?¡± Mrs.


    Smith couldn¡¯t help bringing herself to suggest.


    Feeling a tightening scalp, Oliver hurriedly interjects, ¡°The birthday banquet is only three days away, she will come.


    Please don¡¯t go to school.


    You might say something that would upset her.¡± Deep down Oliver figured that, no matter what, even if Maureen never came back, he had to bring her home on the night of the birthday banquet.


    Otherwise, this birthday banquet might result in the fragmentation of the Smith family.


    So, Mrs.


    Smith had no choice but to sit back down.


    Seeing her empty home, Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s mood dropped into irritation.


    Why did it have to be like this, couldn¡¯t the family live in harmony?


    Did Maureen and Chris really have to run away from home, and even block her from all contact?


    Where did things go wrong Mrs.


    Smith didn¡¯t want to blame Bianca ¨C she thought it was Chris who bullied Bianca, after all, Chris has been hot-headed since he was young whereas Bianca was compliant.


    But now seeing Maureen and Chris both leave home because of Bianca, she couldn¡¯t avoid harboring some resentment towards Bianca.


    Bianca sat on the sofa and started to cry, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mom.


    I¡¯ll go and bring Chris back tomorrow.¡± Mrs.


    Smith brushed off her hand, upset, she headed upstairs, ¡°Never mind, don¡¯t provoke him, let his older brother go in a few days.¡± Bianca never expected things would turn out this way, she opened her mouth to say something, watched Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s retreating figure, then closed it again.


    Her teary eyes looked towards Oliver.


    Oliver handed her a cup of water, ¡°Get some rest soon.¡± Bianca wanted to seek some comfort from Oliver, just like before.


    But when Oliver saw her, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that ¡®Maureen¡¯, who had broken her leg during the sports festival and whom nobody cared about, was watching him.


    Furthermore, he had been repeatedly reminded recently that he and Bianca had no blood ties.


    He felt extremely uneasy, avoiding Bianca¡¯s gaze and quickly turning around to rush upstairs.


    Bianca watched his retreating figure in disbelief, instantly standing up.


    The panic in her heart intensified, the fear of losing something was sawing at her nerves.


    What was wrong with everyone in this house?


    Was it just because Maureen had run away from home?


    ¡­If she also ran away from home, who would they care more about?

 Chapter 52 - 52 Things have changed

    ?Chapter 52: Things have changed Chapter 52: Things have changed Bianca couldn¡¯t understand why Chris had suddenly appeared outside the literature department yesterday.


    She always felt that Maureen might be up to something.


    But after asking Noella and several classmates, they all said that when she left the lecture theater, Maureen was still performing in front of the classroom.


    Who could it be then?


    She and Chris were at odds, it was impossible for her to go ask him this question.


    Not until the second lesson in the morning, during the lunch break exercise, was doing a turning exercise when she subconsciously looked up.


    Suddenly she met a gaze cast from the fifth floor of the teaching building.


    Even from a distance, it was hard to make out who it was.


    However, the vibrant red short hair bathed in a golden halo under the sunlight was already a telltale sign of his identity.


    This person was incredibly fair-skinned, almost blinding, yet his eyes were pitch black and frosty.


    Bianca felt a chill gust of wind and shivered all over her body.


    Looking up again, Liam was already departing shoulder-to-shoulder with two other boys.


    ¡ª Could that be Liam?


    Or just a coincidence?


    Bianca found it hard to believe that the esteemed heir of the Williams family, Liam, would target her, a mere girl, because of Maureen.


    ========== Liam never liked to participate in physical activities during breaks at school, and the head of student discipline couldn¡¯t do anything about it either.


    So every day when there was break time physical activity, he always lay down on the table hugging his small pillow, sleeping.


    Once Maureen finished her physical activities and was going back, she was passing the Evergreen classroom building when she was suddenly halted: ¡°Maureen!¡± Mr.


    Logan, the teacher was panting as he caught up from behind: ¡°Why are you walking so fast?


    Walk and talk.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, teacher?¡± Teacher Logan responded: ¡°I just received some news.


    Apparently, our school got an extra place in the hundred schools this time.¡± Maureen was shocked: ¡°Really?¡± Maureen¡¯s heart started racing, unable to contain the excitement on her face.


    If A-middle school has an extra spot, does it mean her chances of participating in the hundred schools competition has increased a bit?!


    ¡°Yes, the news is accurate.


    I¡¯m going to help you relay this to Teacher Brown from the Gold Medal class.


    There¡¯s a chance you might be chosen,¡± Logan said.


    Without waiting for Maureen¡¯s reaction, he hurriedly continued climbing the stairs, heading for the office to find Teacher Brown, sweat dripping off him.


    Maureen stood rooted to the spot for a while, calming her emotions, before she continued up the stairs.


    She couldn¡¯t be overly hopeful; if she were not chosen for the competition, her spirit would surely plummet.


    This was something her grandmother had taught her: to keep a low profile.


    Teacher Logan could not be considered as an information hub at the school.


    If news had reached him, other teachers from different classes would have known about it already.


    The students from both the Gold Medal class and the Evergreen class had probably heard about it as well.


    ¡°Holy shit, Elizabeth is right after all, our school did get an extra quota!


    She always seems to be one step ahead,¡± Ethan exclaimed, putting down the experiment in his hand.


    Seeing Richard rolling up his sleeves, silently assembling several small grey robots with a cold expression, a pile of assembled parts already on the table.


    Richard probably didn¡¯t go home again last night, instead sleeping in the lab.


    Ethan couldn¡¯t help but say,¡± Richard, with your current level, winning the national championship should be a piece of cake.


    It won¡¯t be a waste of energy if you have a girlfriend.


    Elizabeth is pretty good, she can do ballet, and her grades are good.


    You two together would be a perfect match¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Richard¡¯s face was frighteningly cold, but his hands never stopped working.


    ¡°Ethan awkwardly kept silent.


    He then refocused his attention on the completed parts that Richard had assembled.


    Ethan then looked again at the timing board hand-written by Richard.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if his perception was off, but the frequency of Richard¡¯s errors seemed to have increased significantly over the past few days.


    It seemed to have started from the day Maureen said, ¡®I don¡¯t like him anymore¡¯ in the corridor.


    Ethan suddenly sensed something.


    ¡°Or maybe¡ª¡± Ethan suddenly said: ¡°You should try to get Maureen back? S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two of you are actually quite compatible.


    Except for her average academic performance, everything else about her is pretty good.


    Besides, her grades are slowly improving¡­¡± Ethan looked up at Richard¡¯s face.


    ¡°Shut up, or I¡¯ll throw you out,¡± Richard said with no obvious change in his expression.


    Ethan looked at Richard¡¯s hand again.


    And Richard¡¯s hand didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡­ However.


    It was blatantly clear, he had connected three circuits wrong.


    The red and blue were completely reversed.


    Richard¡¯s cool brows were knitted tightly, yet he didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.


    Ethan thought.


    It¡¯s really over.


    The news about the extra spot had also reached the top class.


    Cassie of the Evergreen class was always ranked nineteenth¡ªthe edge of the competition quota, just a step away.


    But suddenly, there was news that an EXTRA quota was added.


    Wasn¡¯t that her spot for certain?


    She was so thrilled that she immediately went to find her head teacher, Mrs.


    Miller was actually her aunt¡ªand on top of that, Mrs.


    Miller was being pursued by Teacher Brown from the premium class.


    Given these relations, Cassie couldn¡¯t imagine who else besides herself would be the one filling the newly added spot.


    Before the announcement, everyone in the Evergreen class had already started celebrating Cassie.


    Previously, always ranked nineteenth and one step away from taking part in the competition, and now she finally had a chance to join.


    ¡°Today, at the corridor entrance, I even saw Maureen from the International class talking with her class teacher about the new quota.¡± Someone in the Evergreen class said, ¡°What is that International class¡¯s teacher¡ªLogan, even thinking?


    Could he possibly believe that the new quota could be Maureen¡¯s?¡± ¡°Even if Maureen scored seventeenth once, her overall performance is far behind all of us in this class, okay?¡± Speaking of this, they started to mock, ¡°The International class is just like that, from the teachers to the students, all stuck in their foolish dreams.¡± Bianca quietly kept her head down doing her homework, and turned to glance at them.


    Thinking Bianca was warning them not to badmouth Maureen, they immediately shut up.


    School host, inter-school competition¡­


    Bianca clenched her pen, thinking, at least she would win these two things on her own.


    ¡­


    However, on Thursday afternoon, to everyone¡¯s surprise, a bombshell exploded in this building.


    The final name announced on the list was Maureen.


    =========== When this news broke out, it spread through the entire building like a common cold.


    Everyone gaped in disbelief at this piece of news.


    Even Logan was dumbstruck ¨C he had requested the gold medal holder, Teacher Brown, but he never really held out hope for it!


    The students of the Evergreen class repeatedly confirmed: ¡°Is it really Maureen?¡± ¡°Go downstairs and see for yourself, her name is printed in black and white on the list.¡± The Evergreen class was practically having PTSD over these three words, this name.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t fair!¡± ¡°Why is it Maureen?


    In terms of grades, the 19th place student is Cassie, why was she brushed off just like that?¡± ¡°Is it backdoor dealings again?


    I¡¯m so pissed!¡± One person stated: ¡°And I heard this opportunity was specially applied for our school by Professor Logan, but the school just rashly gave it to Maureen.


    Professor Logan is the fairest person, he would be furious when he finds out ¨C how much money did Maureen spend, oh no, I mean, how much money did Liam spend for her?¡± Cassie, hopes dashed, tears streaming down her face, sobbed on her desk, to the discomfort of the whole Evergreen class.


    The Evergreen class was about to take the matter to the school counsel.


    Not just the Evergreen class was making a fuss, Miss Miller also felt it was unfair, chasing after Teacher Brown in the office asking: ¡°Why was this opportunity given to the international class?


    You know these chances are highly sought after, why wasn¡¯t it given out fairly?


    It should¡¯ve been Cassie¡¯s!¡± ¡°Who do you expect me to question?


    The head of the disciplinary committee said so,¡± the student challenged.


    Mrs.


    Miller started to suspect Liam, too.


    ¡°Is the Williams family trying to threaten us with their donations again?


    That¡¯s so low!¡± ¡°No, I must find the head of the disciplinary committee!


    If it concerns a student from our class, I absolutely must fight for her!¡± Meanwhile, the international class was in an uproar.


    However, it was a joyful clamor, filled with prideful remarks like, ¡°Regardless of how angry you are, the quota still fell on Maureen from our class.¡± During the break, a few students from the regular class went to the international class to stir trouble.


    A boy from the international class, one of Liam¡¯s lackeys, rolled up his sleeves at the classroom entrance, swinging his scarf in a provocative manner.


    ¡°Who¡¯s up for a fight?


    I dare you,¡± he challenged with fervor.


    The scene was nothing short of chaotic.


    ¡°It¡¯s so noisy,¡± Liam, who was inadvertently caught in the crossfire, took one glance outside.


    He was tired yet unable to sleep.


    He raised an eyebrow in surprise, then laughed.


    Turning to Maureen, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve never asked the head of the disciplinary committee to assign the quota to you.


    I won¡¯t take credit for something I didn¡¯t do.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Maureen was taken aback as if a huge donut had suddenly hit her, leaving her dazed.


    She suspected this could have something to do with Professor Logan ¨C she had braved the rain to take his grandson to the hospital when he suddenly fell ill the other week.


    But would Professor Logan really go to such lengths to help her simply because of that?


    Impossible, wasn¡¯t it?


    In her past life, she had never experienced such good fortune!


    Maureen tried her best to stay calm: ¡°I¡¯ll wait and see for a bit longer.


    It might be a mistake, just like with the monthly exam scores.¡± Meanwhile, the shouts from the students outside from the regular class had become louder and were mostly aimed at Liam.


    ¡°Liam, don¡¯t think you can trample all over the Evergreen class!


    Do you understand how significant a competition slot is?


    You just nonchalantly grabbed it away?!¡± ¡°Liam, what kind of skill is it to buy a slot with money?


    If you¡¯re really capable, buy a slot for your girlfriend, now that would show your real ability!¡± Liam: ¡°¡­¡± Girlfriend???


    Liam doubted if his ears had heard correctly.


    He hastily googled on his phone to check what derogatory language was being used.


    After taking a look, the anger on his face lessened by half.


    Maureen and Niel watched as Liam¡¯s ears inexplicably turned red: ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry?¡± Liam slapped the table symbolically: ¡°I¡¯m very angry indeed.¡±

 Chapter 53 - 53 Everyone in school respect Maureen

    ?Chapter 53: Everyone in school respect Maureen Chapter 53: Everyone in school respect Maureen However, the Evergreen Class only dared to make noise outside the classroom.


    As soon as Liam, with his face darkened, came out, with only half of his flaming red hair showing from behind the door, the crowd scattered immediately.


    They were like little men scrambling back to their tower guard, warily backing against the wall, fearing that Liam would move a half step closer.


    They could only continue to stare at him closely with their eyes.


    ¡°What are you shouting for?¡± Liam wore silver headphones around his neck, hands in his pockets, and lazily glanced at the people from the Evergreen Class.


    ¡°Since Maureen has been given the spot, it means she has that ability.


    What are you worthless ones fussing about?¡± Seeing Liam come out, the underlings of the International Class immediately gained confidence, stood tall, and retorted.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°Why are you questioning that we bought the spot with money?


    Would the spot be of use to your Evergreen Class?


    Did anyone in your class manage to solve the last, big problem from the math competition?


    Blah blah blah.¡± ¡°The spot was given to Maureen because our dean of instruction values our class.


    Our class beauty doesn¡¯t even want it!


    Humph!¡± The more they spoke, the more arrogant they sounded.


    What did they mean by not wanting it?


    They were clearly playing innocent after gaining an advantage!


    The members of Evergreen Class were infuriated, their fists clenched, ready for a fight ¨C with anyone other than Liam.


    The class monitor of the Evergreen Class said, ¡°Liam, this is not a small matter like before, it involves the competition.


    If you dare, compete fairly.


    Don¡¯t play these shabby tricks behind our backs!¡± As the excitement grew, along with the prolonged grudges between the two classes, the boys from both sides started pushing each other.


    More and more people began to gather in the corridor on the fifth floor, even the people from the gold medal class couldn¡¯t resist poking their heads out the window to watch the commotion.


    Maureen started to step out, but was pulled back by Niel: ¡°If you go out now, you¡¯ll just add fuel to the fire.


    Let¡¯s wait for Liam to settle it.¡± Just as the situation was about to escalate further, the dean of instruction rushed over anxiously, sweating profusely, ¡°What are all of you doing?


    Want to clean the toilets again?¡± Under Liam¡¯s threatening gaze indicating ¡°I dare to dismantle the building if you make me clean toilets again,¡± the Director of Instruction swallowed hard and turned to his regular class, scowling, ¡°What are you guys doing?


    Are all of you just idling around after filling your stomachs?


    If you don¡¯t get back to your classrooms immediately, whoever is here will face punishment!¡± ¡°Why are you only scolding us?¡± the regular class was even more incensed.


    Just as everyone was starting to get excited, Mrs.


    Miller arrived with ringed-red eyes alongside the bullied Cassie.


    Mrs.


    Miller said coldly, ¡°All the students in this building already know what¡¯s going on.


    So, Director, let¡¯s make things clear right here!


    Why such a choice of people?


    You need to provide a fair and justified explanation!¡± The Director of Instruction was worn out from all the explaining, ¡°I¡¯ve told you this spot was specially requested by Professor Logan for Maureen!


    What the hell are you all arguing about?¡± The crowd immediately started whispering amongst each other: ¡°Who would believe that?!¡± ¡°No way.


    If the spot was really reserved for Maureen, I¡¯ll eat three hundred basketballs!¡± ¡°Maureen just transferred from a regular class a month ago.


    Professor Logan has never been to that building, he doesn¡¯t even know her.


    Director, you blaming Professor Logan is quite laughable.


    He specially requested?


    Ha, why doesn¡¯t Professor Logan specially request one for me?¡± No one believed him.


    They couldn¡¯t possibly believe him.


    Not to mention Professor Logan was eccentric, he would never do such a thing.


    Let¡¯s not forget that Teacher Brown from the gold medal class is Professor Logan¡¯s student, even though he did not hear about this news!


    It must be a behind-the-scenes operation!


    It¡¯s not the first time that Liam has done something like this.


    Whenever they were bullied by him, didn¡¯t the Director of Instruction always let him off while punishing their regular class?


    It¡¯s simply outrageous!


    Following behind Mrs.Miller, Cassie felt more sorrowful the more she thought about it, and her tears fell like threading beads.


    The opportunity that should have been hers was ruthlessly snatched away by Maureen from the international class.


    Was she to blame?


    Was it because she came from a not so rich family, wasn¡¯t as pretty, hence unable to attract Liam¡¯s?


    Cassie was a small-sized girl, usually peace-loving, low-profile and focused on her studies, and yet she was bullied like this now.


    The Evergreen class, including Mrs.


    Miller, was furious beyond belief.


    Mrs.


    Miller said, ¡°Director, you must give us the truth!¡± The Director was about to explode, ¡°I did!¡± Mr.


    Logan, standing with his hands stuffed in his pockets against the wall, didn¡¯t dare say a word.


    Despite the intense argument, when thinking about how they got chosen for the competition, he almost couldn¡¯t help but break into laughter.


    Mr.


    Brown, the head teacher of the Gold Medal class and also the competition coach and selection teacher, was the one with the most say among these classes.


    He came forward to smooth things over, addressing the Director saying, ¡°We are educators, we should not bend over a bag of rice ¡ª metaphorically speaking.


    Please allow me to make a suggestion.


    I feel that this competition spot should be given to Cassie from the Evergreen class, following the usual rules.¡± Liam chuckled, ¡°Interestingly, I have not given any ¡®rice¡¯ yet and here you are talking about bending or not bending.


    Whoever cares about your old back.¡± Crunch!


    Crunch!


    He wasn¡¯t crispy enough yet, apparently.


    ¡°How do you speak to your teacher?!¡± Mr.


    Brown was livid, his face flushed and eyes bulged with anger.


    Teacher Logan thought to himself, finally you also know what it feels like being enraged enough to feel ten years older all of a sudden.


    Just then.


    ¡°Mr.


    Brown, what nonsense are you causing?!¡± A stern, ruthless voice suddenly broke the chaos in the hallway.


    The voice sounded familiar, so familiar¡­


    Everyone turned to see the angry Director holding up his mobile phone, with a video call going on.


    Over on the video end¡ª Despite the poor signal, it was unmistakably the face of Professor Logan that made them tremble in fear!


    The evergreen class members were suddenly delighted.


    Did Professor Logan also know that the quota had been given to Maureen and that¡¯s why he called in on video?


    Professor Logan was always fair and impartial, he wouldn¡¯t allow such a situation to occur if he knew about it!


    A glimmer of hope gleamed in Cassie¡¯s eyes.


    Teacher Mrs. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Miller also hastily seized the opportunity to walk over, speaking rapidly, ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, didn¡¯t you apply for a national school league quota especially for us, your juniors?


    By rights, the quota should be awarded to Cassie from our evergreen class based on division by ranks.


    But now, the director announced the list, the new quota was given to Maureen Smith.


    Please bring justice to us¡ª¡± Before he could finish she sentence, he was interrupted, ¡°It¡¯s Maureen Smith.¡± The air in the hallway was deathly quiet for a moment.


    The dozens of people present were dumbfounded.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Miss.


    Miller did not understand what Professor Logan meant.


    No one in the hallway, including students from the evergreen and international class, understood it.


    It¡¯s Maureen Smith.


    What does that mean?


    Keeping his stern and serious face in check, Professor Logan restrained himself and said, ¡°I initially applied for an additional quota for my favorite selection, my student Maureen Smith.


    What are all of you fussing about here?!


    Crying out about unfairness?


    Do I even not have the qualification to recommend someone now?!


    Come, come, it¡¯s Teacher Miller, right?


    How about I let you take the position of competition vice-chair?


    Then you can recommend whomever you want!!¡± Mrs.


    Miller was simply stunned into silence.


    ¡°Mr.


    Brown, didn¡¯t I send you the application materials?


    Wasn¡¯t I clear enough?¡± Professor Logan said to the director, ¡°I hold Maureen in high esteem.


    Didn¡¯t she solve the final problem in your last monthly test?


    Only three people managed to do it and she was one of them, wasn¡¯t she?¡± The head of education quickly replied, ¡°Yes, yes, yes sir.¡± ¡°Do you have any more doubts?


    Don¡¯t call again!¡± Professor Logan coldly ended the video call with a stark ¡°click¡±.


    Upon hanging up the phone, a chill ran through the hallway.


    ¡­.


    Everyone looked at each other in dismay.


    Liam: ¡°Pfft.¡± Liam¡¯s followers: ¡°Pfft.


    Pfft.


    Pfft.


    Pfft.¡± Members of evergreen Class: ¡°¡­¡± After such a big commotion in Evergreen Class, it all turned into a joke.


    When did Maureen become Professor Logan¡¯s private student?!


    These places were really specifically applied for her, so what were they all doing there?


    Trying to take someone else¡¯s place?


    Hopping around like grasshoppers.


    The face of Evergreen Class students were utterly blown.


    The furious head of education roared,

 Chapter 54 - 54 Why cant you believe me

    ?Chapter 54: Why can¡¯t you believe me?


    Chapter 54: Why can¡¯t you believe me?


    ¡°I told you, but you didn¡¯t believe me, and you insisted on disturbing Professor Logan until you believed, right?!¡± Everyone: ¡°¡­.¡± Cassie was dumbfounded ¨C especially applied for Maureen?


    ¡°What was she crying for earlier?¡± Wouldn¡¯t that make her seem like a total fool?


    She hurriedly wiped her tears away, wishing she could crawl into a hole.


    Mrs.


    Miller felt she had faced the greatest defeat in her teaching career, her face turning pale from distress.


    With a stern face, she said nothing and walked downstairs.


    Seeing that the students of Evergreen Class were still dazed outside of the other class, she snapped, ¡°What are you all standing there for, go back to lessons!¡± Only then did the people of Evergreen Class come back to their senses, their faces flushing crimson as they scurried down hastily.


    The students of the International Class regained composure, scoffing.


    What nonsense was this?


    The quota was originally intended for Maureen from their class by Professor Logan.


    What reason did these Evergreen Class people have to make a scene here? sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Where was their pride?


    They quickly seized the chance to mock, ¡°Who said that they¡¯d swallow three hundred basketballs if the quota was specifically for Maureen.


    Come on, start swallowing now!


    Can¡¯t you handle a loss?¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t afford basketballs, you can ask our class for reimbursements!¡± ¡°Our class is loaded!¡± With the ridiculing laughter ringing around, Evergreen Class ran away even faster.


    Even Teacher Brown tried awkwardly to act as if nothing had happened and returned to his class.


    ========= Contrary to Evergreen Class¡¯s downcast mood, over at the International Class, spirits were high, and they were overjoyed.


    A group of boys were leaning over the corridor railing, flipping off the Evergreen Class downstairs.


    Teacher Logan couldn¡¯t believe the outcome had turned out this way, he was brimming with joy.


    He called Maureen to his office again to share more encouragement.


    He even took out a precious notebook and a pen from his drawer and gave them to Maureen, wishing her success in the competition.


    His private Student?


    Maureen had never heard Professor Logan mention this before.


    She guessed that Professor Logan said so intentionally because he was afraid that she would be questioned by the people in the school.


    No matter what, now that everything was settled, the competition spot was hers.


    Finally, she could also participate in the competition.


    With joy in her heart, Maureen stepped out of the office.


    Downstairs, the Evergreen class was so angry but dared not to speak up.


    Hiding in the classroom, they felt as if their faces were swollen.


    Ohhhh, they really despised the International Class.


    In the past, they had already had enough of Liam who always surpassed them in terms of wealth.


    Now, there was Maureen who further superseded them in looks and luck.


    Hearing the successive scolding in the classroom, Cassie increasingly kept her head down on the desk, her cheeks burning with embarrassment, not daring to speak.


    Harold, on the other hand, did not join the afternoon¡¯s denunciation activity.


    He had gone to play basketball.


    After school, two boys rooting around his desk found a prepared cartoon box gift and exclaimed, ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of pursuing Maureen, are you?


    Our two classes are mortal enemies already!¡± ¡°Give it back to me.¡± Harold unhappily snatched the gift from them and shoved it back into his desk.


    The two boys noticed the date ¡°October 24¡± marked on his calendar on the desk and found it strange.


    One of them picked up the calendar and asked, ¡°Harold, did you get the girl¡¯s birthday wrong?


    Isn¡¯t Maureen¡¯s birthday supposed to be the same as Bianca¡¯s, on the 14th of October?¡± Harold, prompted by this, paid attention and also found it strange, ¡°But this is what Maureen said herself.


    Ryan from their class heard it and told me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange; it should be the same day as Bianca.¡± The other boy said, ¡°She must have made a mistake somewhere.


    Maybe it was Ryan who heard it wrong.


    Forget it, don¡¯t worry about it.


    Playing basketball is more important.¡± Harold furrowed his brows, also thinking it was possible that Ryan might have misheard.


    If he was to give a gift, he would have to do so on the fourteenth of October.


    A few boys were chattering and horsing around at the back of the class, and nobody paid much mind.


    Bianca, after finding out that the spot in the competition was indeed Maureen¡¯s, hadn¡¯t uttered a word all afternoon.


    She left straight away when school ended, allegedly to try on the dress designed specifically for her birthday feast.


    Only Ann and a couple of other girls were left in the classroom, packing up their schoolbags.


    Ann, having overheard more, couldn¡¯t help but become extra cautious.


    What was going on?


    Did Ryan from the International Class mishear or did Maureen misremember her own birthday?


    Or, was it because Maureen, rebelling, didn¡¯t wish to share her birthday with Bianca, and thus randomly gave others a different date?


    Or was it because¨C Ann didn¡¯t know if she was reading too much into the situation.


    She recalled past visits to Bianca¡¯s house, remembering the scenes where Maureen was treated indifferently by her family members.


    A shocking guess suddenly sprang to mind.


    ======== The matter of the competition spot was temporarily put aside, bringing both joy and sorrow.


    The Evergreen class went quiet while the International class was gloating.


    As for the person in question ¨C Maureen, she didn¡¯t care about these petty rivalries amongst the classes.


    Instead, she was overjoyed and wholeheartedly invested in her studies.


    Furthermore, due to Liam¡¯s neck injury, she was somewhat worried and planned to temporarily suspend her interactions with him for a while.


    Liam was a bit baffled.


    Since Thursday afternoon, Maureen started avoiding him as if thwarting him three houses away.


    ¡°You should do your homework today,¡± Maureen pushed her homework towards him.


    ¡°The same goes for the comic book.


    Don¡¯t leave it on my desk.¡± Just as Maureen was about to tidy up for him, she thought better of it and took a step back, ¡°Clean up after yourself.¡± ¡°As for the trash, you should take it out yourself.¡± ¡°Desserts?


    Nothing today.¡± Liam was very upset and had trouble sleeping.


    He furrowed his brows and stared at Maureen, not understanding her irritation.


    Was she still upset about him talking to those two girls during music class?


    But he only said one sentence!


    Or was she angry about him not directly and decisively beating up the troublemakers from the evergreen yesterday?


    But wasn¡¯t it her who told him not to act impulsively?


    Or was there something else he did wrong?


    So, on Friday morning, Liam was lost in deep thought, reflecting on his actions, and he had no appetite for food.


    Ever since Chris moved out of his house, the more he thought about his mother slapping him, the angrier he became.


    He didn¡¯t attend school on Thursday and slept all day.


    When his teacher called to check on him, Oliver asked for sick leave on his behalf.


    Originally, Chris was raging on Friday and simply wanted to skip class, going out to play games with his gang of friends.


    But after seeing his friends, he was reminded of the scene where Maureen pulled him out of the internet cafe, and he suddenly lost interest in hanging around.


    So he played all morning, and with a lackluster spirit, returned to school.


    Without Maureen¡¯s lunch, Chris felt homeless, and he didn¡¯t even know where to eat lunch.


    As for Bianca, the last person he wanted to see right now was her.


    Chris circled around the second floor of the cafeteria, then went up to the third floor.


    Just then, he saw Maureen and Josephine eating in a corner not far away.


    Chris saw the opened thermal box next to Maureen¡¯s table and his eyes brightened somewhat, he instinctively wanted to walk there.


    But after taking two steps, it finally dawned on him that Maureen no longer wanted to sit at the same table to eat with him.


    A feeling of aggravation and inexpressible sadness suddenly surged in Chris¡¯s heart.


    He calmed himself, got a portion of food, and then glanced back at Maureen.


    Seeing her still sitting there, after hesitating a bit, Chris still walked over.


    As Maureen and Josephine looked up, Chris was just walking towards them.


    ¡°Sister, I heard you did well on your monthly test,¡± Chris racked his brain for a topic, sat opposite Maureen, and said, ¡°Congratulations to you.¡± Josephine immediately put down her Spoon and repelled, ¡°Chris, why are you coming here?


    There are so many seats there.¡± Pressing down his temper, Chris handed Maureen a card, and said, ¡°This is my meal card, there are several thousand in it that should be enough for you to eat for a while.


    On my side, my elder brother will still give me money¡ªyou don¡¯t need to work or anything¡ª¡± Maureen didn¡¯t take it, didn¡¯t show any intention of accepting it but straightforwardly refused: ¡°No need.¡± Josephine also said, ¡°Stop pretending to be nice.

 Chapter 55 - 55 Family bank card

    ?Chapter 55: Family bank card Chapter 55: Family bank card Are you now giving her your family¡¯s card, and then expecting her to slave away for you in the future, then one careless move and you¡¯ll chase her out of your house?


    Do you think she is at your beck and call?!¡± ¡± Chris squeezed the card in his hand, his heart sour.


    He wanted to express his grievances to Maureen, to tell her that he had a big argument with Bianca yesterday, and that he is no longer staying at home.


    But he felt that she might not have the patience to listen to his complaints.


    What is the point of him saying these things?


    In the past, he helped Bianca bully Maureen, and now he can¡¯t bear to see her treated this way.


    However, Chris couldn¡¯t help but blurt out: ¡°Sis, I ran away from home, for the birthday banquet tomorrow I ¡­¡± Maureen glanced at him and narrowed her eyebrows: , Chris, have you not figured out the situation?


    I¡¯ve made my point clear; creating boundaries means ¡ª don¡¯t meddle into my affairs, and I won¡¯t involve myself in yours, and ¡®you¡¯ refers to everyone, and it includes you.


    You have your own family.


    While you are having a good time with them, are you still hoping I¡¯d care about you?¡± ¡°But it wasn¡¯t like this before!¡± Chris couldn¡¯t help saying; ¡°In the past, you used to¡ª¡± Before he could finish his words, it seemed that Maureen didn¡¯t want to listen any further and she moved away with Josephine, each of them carrying a plate. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Chris really didn¡¯t understand how someone could be so decisive in withdrawing her emotions.


    He wasn¡¯t clear about Maureen¡¯s attitude towards other family members in the past two years, but he was certain that Maureen had always treated him very well and cared about him, her brother.


    Whenever their mother scolded him, Maureen would always come to his defense.


    However, from the day Maureen left home, everything had changed.


    She had suddenly retracted all her emotions.


    She could retract them, but he couldn¡¯t adapt.


    He is still unable to adapt.


    Chris looked at Maureen and Josephine having a meal.


    After a while, two students from the international class carried their trays and ate with them.


    Maureen and Liam¡¯s two underlings from the international class were all more relaxed compared to when they were with him.


    She made new friends.


    She would raise cats with other people.


    Chris saw that Maureen was sharing her food with others.


    In the past, the person sitting across from her was always him, and she would only share delicious food with him.


    But now, she won¡¯t be as good to him as before.


    Will she have a ¡®new little brother¡¯ to replace him in the future?


    Chris is upset and messy.


    ============== In the blink of an eye, it was Saturday.


    The Smith family booked a hotel.


    After all, it was their mother¡¯s 50th birthday, and the whole family wanted the celebration to be grand.


    Taking the earliest flight, Their father and eldest brother both dropped their work and hurried back.


    ¡°Chris is still a little unhappy, but he said he will come around six in the evening.


    I have already had someone send his suit over.¡± Oliver, dressed in a finely tailored suit, entered the room.


    He looked handsome and dashing but wore a slight furrow in his eyebrows, ¡°But once he arrives, don¡¯t get angry with him again.


    You know he¡¯s going through his rebellious phase now.¡± After sending away some of her friends from their housewives¡¯ circle, Mrs.


    Smith was complimented on her youthful appearance, causing her to smile happily.


    She assured Oliver, ¡°I won¡¯t get angry if he doesn¡¯t provoke me.


    Why would I lose my temper with him?


    As his elder brother, you should advise him more when you have the time.


    He¡¯s already fifteen ¨C his temper shouldn¡¯t be so bad.¡± Once she finished speaking, she couldn¡¯t help but ask the question she cared about the most, ¡°What about Maureen?


    Have you sent someone to pick her up?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Oliver faltered.


    Mrs.


    Smith, noticed his expression, called Bianca in the changing room, ¡°Bianca, are you done trying on your clothes yet?


    Come out and try on this one.¡± Hearing her son¡¯s reply, Mrs.


    Smith went in to help Bianca with the zipper.


    After exiting the changing room, she again urged Oliver, ¡°I¡¯m asking you, have you sent anyone to pick her up?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Oliver lifted his wrist to glance at his watch, ¡°At most, she¡¯ll be here in two hours.¡± With a displeased tone, Mrs.


    Smith added, ¡°Still two hours?!


    It¡¯s already five o¡¯clock!


    Tell her to hurry up!


    If she doesn¡¯t arrive soon, she won¡¯t have enough time to try on her evening gown!¡± Oliver: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, yes, I¡¯ve bought four evening gowns; two in her size and two for Bianca; Bianca wanted to try on the white mermaid dress, so I let her do so.


    Of the remaining three, there is probably only one that will fit Maureen¡¯s size.


    I¡¯m worried it won¡¯t fit her when she arrives, so please ask the designer to send over some alternatives.¡± In the past, Oliver might not have paid attention to these details, but now he found them somewhat glaring.


    Keeping his voice low, he questioned, ¡°So why did you let Bianca wear Maureen¡¯s dress first?


    Shouldn¡¯t Maureen¡¯s clothes be for Maureen?¡± Confused, Mrs.


    Smith rebuked, ¡°Why are you knitting your brows over this?


    It¡¯s just a dress.


    If Maureen likes something else, we can just buy it.


    We have plenty of alternatives.


    Maureen won¡¯t mind.¡± Feeling helpless, Oliver held his forehead.


    He felt it would be impossible to make his mother understand the current situation.


    The issue now is not whether Maureen likes the outfit left for her.


    Rather, it is whether or not she will come.


    He has sent someone to pick her up.


    If it is unsuccessful, he might have to personally go and politely ask.


    But Oliver believes that even if he personally asks her, Maureen might not show up tonight.


    ========== Mike walks in carrying a wine glass, hearing the two¡¯s conversation, he laughs:¡±Running away from home, causing such a fuss?


    Does my big brother have to send someone to fetch her personally?


    Our little sister is quite something.¡± Mike had just returned, weary from his journey, and napped in the hotel suite.


    His dangling, half-lidded eyes and slightly messy silver hair gave him the appearance of someone just woken up.


    ¡°Enough, enough, you have been filming abroad for almost a year and a half.


    You¡¯re not familiar with the situation, so don¡¯t say too much.¡± Mrs.


    Smith abruptly took his wine glass from him, and said: ¡°Indeed, we wronged her first, that¡¯s why she ran away from home.¡± Oliver has never gotten along with the flirtatious elder brother, he didn¡¯t bother to spare him another glance and strode past him, ¡°Then I will go fetch her.¡± Mike, idly standing with his hands in his pockets, ¡°I¡¯ve seen everyone in the family, but Maureen.


    I¡¯ll come with you.¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Mike, not minding Oliver¡¯s coldness, picks up the car keys and chases after him.


    While catching up to him in the underground parking garage, he chuckled, ¡°Brother, you¡¯ve really changed, actually going to fetch Maureen.


    Weren¡¯t you always only fetching Bianca before?


    I went to pick up Maureen twice, she was so scared, absolutely hilarious.¡± Mike¡¯s words hit right where Oliver¡¯s recent concerns lay.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± He said coldly.


    Mike shrugged his shoulders, ¡°It¡¯s a good time to go see if the little girl has grown up.


    I remember she was still very small two years ago, but everyone in our family has a tall frame, she should be no exception.


    Looking forward to it.¡± Oliver stopped in his tracks and said to Mike, ¡°You¡¯d better not say anything indecent to Maureen today, and don¡¯t make sarcastic remarks like you used to.


    Now she is¡ªshe¡ª¡± Mike¡¯s personality has always been irritating.


    When Maureen just arrived home, Mike was very malicious, often deliberately hurting others, which infuriated Maureen.


    Mike seemed to take pleasure in this, and would never tire of it.


    It wasn¡¯t until Maureen completely ignored him and treated him as if he didn¡¯t exist that he found it boring.


    However, Maureen has been at home for two years after all, and over these two years, Mike feels that he has developed a little affection for his sister, whom he hasn¡¯t interacted with much.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Mike chuckled, ¡°Going through the rebellious phase?


    I hope she doesn¡¯t get a boyfriend and stop coming home.¡± Oliver exclaimed irritably, ¡°You¡¯ll know when you see her.¡± ¡­


    Mike couldn¡¯t imagine what a chaotic day it would be today.

 Chapter 56 - 56 Parking space

    ?Chapter 56: Parking space Chapter 56: Parking space Oliver is still looking for a parking space, but Mike couldn¡¯t wait any longer, and jumped out of the car first.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave the car first.


    I warn you, when you see Maureen you should not-¡± Seeing Mike already rushing to find someone, Oliver furrowed his brows and hurriedly parked the car into a narrow space.


    Mike was the first one to locate Maureen in the library.


    Although he¡¯s not exactly a top-tier star, he¡¯s a somewhat well-known artist.


    Wearing a baseball cap, he lowered the brim to create a sense of mystery and walked briskly over, his lips curved into a smirk, and gave a heavy pat on the right shoulder of Maureen.


    Maureen thought it was either Josephine or Liam, so she turned her head to the right.


    Instead, Mike¡¯s voice appeared on her left, ¡°Little Bean, studying so studiously again.


    Let¡¯s see what you¡¯re working on?¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he reached for the competition question book on Maureen¡¯s desk, exclaimed, ¡°oh,¡± and mocked her in a habitual tone, ¡°It¡¯s actually a competition question book.


    I advise you to give up, no matter how much you study, your IQ won¡¯t change.¡± She hadn¡¯t expected Mike at all.


    Maureen felt a sudden pounding in her temples.


    But considering that it was her birthday banquet, it made sense that Mike would return to the country no matter how busy he was.


    Maureen immediately stood up, pushed Mike back, swiftly snatching the book from his hand, she quickly packed up her pen cases into her bag.


    Knowing that the library was no place for a fight, Maureen swung her bag onto her shoulder and left without a word.


    Maureen had used so much force that Mike almost lost his balance.


    He stabilized himself by grabbing the table, and watched the retreating figure of Maureen with surprise ¨C what just happened?


    In the past, when he jokingly teased her, she never reacted this way, she would quietly peel fruits and call him ¡®eldest brother¡¯.


    What had come into her in half a year to become so aggressive?


    Mike swiftly followed her.


    Outside the library.


    Maureen swiftly descended the stairs.


    In her past life, when she first entered the Smith family, Mike deeply detested her.


    Mockery was inevitable in his words.


    Over the subsequent two years, she did many things to win over the entire family, indicating Mike was starting to see her as a sister ¨C but his sarcastic character was deeply ingrained, and his words were still unpleasant.


    Before she died at the age of 23, signs of a thaw in their tensions began to emerge, and this included Mike.


    But all of this was five years later.


    There was no way Maureen could waste another five years on this family this time ¨C what a waste of time!


    ¡°Little bean, you¡¯re getting arrogant now, aren¡¯t you?


    Abandoning the path of following Bianca, and choosing the rebellious one instead?¡± Catching up to her, Mike, as was his bad habit, extended his hand to pinch Maureen¡¯s face.


    But Maureen ¡°smack¡±, slapped it on the back of his hand.


    ¡°Scram.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Mike thought his ears must¡¯ve deceived him.


    Did Maureen just tell him to scram?


    His hand turned stiff, staring at Maureen disbelievingly, he repeated, ¡°Did you just tell me to scram?¡± ¡°The one I told to scram, yes, it¡¯s you.¡± A trace of loathing clearly clouded Maureen¡¯s eyes.


    When she had been only fifteen years old, she didn¡¯t realize that the likes of Mike were the ones who needed a lesson, thinking that they simply had the artist¡¯s temperament common in the entertainment circle.


    Only later did she realize that this so-called artist¡¯s temperament was bullshit, he was downright obnoxious.


    ¡°At this moment, Mike felt as if he was struck by a sudden bolt of lightning, leaving him in complete shock and forgetting how to react.


    When he regained his composure, his temper flared.


    In a few strides, he caught up with Maureen on the shaded alley, snapping, ¡°I just got back from abroad, it was fine to not greet me, but asking me to get lost?


    Maureen, do you think you¡¯re being too rebellious?¡± He thought she was being rebellious.


    Mike took a deep breath, tightening his grip on Maureen¡¯s wrist, ¡°Alright, follow me to the hotel, it¡¯s a birthday banquet today, I don¡¯t have the mood to discipline a rebellious brat like you.¡± Before his fingers could touch Maureen¡¯s wrist, with a sudden flick of her wrist, she slapped his hand away.


    A crisp ¡°slap¡± sound in the air.


    Maybe it was Mike¡¯s illusion, but he thought the look on Maureen¡¯s face was like looking at a fly that once came too close, full of regret.


    What was she regretting?


    Regretting that she once pleased this second brother of hers?


    Or regretting that she came to this family?


    Mike was instantly infuriated by her disdainful gaze, ¡°Maureen, you¡ªwhat¡¯s with that look?


    Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Whatever you think it is, it is.¡± Maureen responded: ¡°Go back?


    You are dreaming!


    If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯m going to call security.


    If you don¡¯t want to appear on the social news page tomorrow, you better scram!¡± Mike: ¡°You called¡ª¡± Maureen interrupted him: ¡°Oh, I forgot, you¡¯re just a B-list actor barely scraping by, with a fan base made up of mostly silent followers, no one would care about you over such a trivial matter.¡± Mike: ¡°¡­.¡± Mike felt his blood pressure skyrocket in rage.


    His eyes were red in fury.


    Gazing at Maureen¡¯s indifference and repulsion, there was also a stabbing pain in his heart as if being pricked hard by a needle.


    He now understood Oliver¡¯s reluctance to speak before leaving.


    All the respect and favor Maureen had showed him had vanished; all that was left was dislike for a stranger who wouldn¡¯t stop bothering her.


    Why was that?


    Mike took a cold breath, noticing a few people playing basketball looking his way, he realized this wasn¡¯t the place to have a quarrel.


    He reached out to grab Maureen¡¯s wrist: ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the hotel and talk!¡± Not far away, on the shady pathway, Liam and Niel were carrying takeouts towards the library when they saw a man in a duckbill cap pulling and shaking Maureen.


    Liam¡¯s mind buzzed.


    His rationality shut down.


    He strode forth and sent Mike flying with a kick.


    It was already too late for Maureen to stop it.


    Caught off guard, Mike ¡°bam!¡± hit the wire fence of the basketball court, seeing stars.


    His cap was sent flying, it landed on his nose, obstructing his view, he didn¡¯t even see who it was.


    Then he was lifted off the ground by the collar in anger, got punched, and fell to the ground.


    He heard the boys involved in basketball yelling in his direction.


    ¡°Holy shit, is that Liam?


    Is Liam fighting?


    Who?


    A hooligan?¡± ¡°Did some punk sneak into the school and act indecently towards a girl?


    Fight him!¡± Mike was cursing continuously in his heart, damn it, damn it, damn it!


    What the hell was going on!


    He tried to get up in a rush.


    But the next second, a barrage of fists rained down on his body and face.


    By the time Oliver had hurried over, what he saw was Mike, his face bruised and covered in blood.


    Thirty minutes later.


    The police station.


    ¡°Did you all, a group of high school boys, think it through before ganging up on an adult man?


    Do you realize that fighting in school could lead to discipline?!¡± The officer reprimanded the line of tall boys in front of him, fuming with anger: ¡°And you, why did you dye your hair red?


    Why did you lead the attack?!¡± A group of underlings kept their heads down, pecking like chickens. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°He¡¯s a pervert, who else should we beat?¡± Liam raised his head in defiance: ¡°As for the red hair, it¡¯s because I look handsome with it.


    There¡¯s no law that says people with red hair can¡¯t be human-¡± Finishing his words, Liam turned to look at the lawyer who had hurriedly brought his briefcase: ¡°Where is Maureen?¡± The sharp and efficient Daniel Lawyer quickly came over, saying: ¡°Young Master Williams, she is waiting outside.¡± Liam: ¡°Don¡¯t let her stay with that lunatic ruffian.¡± ¡°Who the hell is a lunatic ruffian?!¡± Mike, who had been reprimanded by another officer, yelled out angrily.


    The moment he opened his mouth, blood flowed from his split lips.


    He gritted his teeth, saying: ¡°I¡¯m her brother!


    Her older brother!


    I was just asking her to come back to the birthday party!¡± Oliver frowned: ¡°Mike, say less, shut up.¡± The police officer immediately scolded, ¡°Don¡¯t cause trouble yourself!


    Since you¡¯re the victim¡¯s brother, why were you mistaken for a hooligan in public?


    Who let you behave inappropriately?¡± Mike angrily said, ¡°I¡¯m a celebrity!


    I saw people looking over here, I was afraid of getting stalked by ardent fans, so I hurriedly wanted to take Maureen back home¡ª¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Niel and Liam¡¯s followers all laughed, ¡°Even obsessive fans, you don¡¯t have as many as Liam.¡± Mike: ¡°¡­¡± Mike was so furious that he nearly had a heart attack, his blood pressure surged several times throughout the night.


    If it weren¡¯t for being at the police station, he would have given these little brats a good lesson.


    Liam coughed, ¡°Although it¡¯s the truth, don¡¯t flaunt it too much.¡± Mike and Oliver: ¡°¡­¡± Liam turned to Lawyer Daniel and said, ¡°Oh, I think I lost quite a few strands of hair, did you count them at the scene?¡± ¡°I counted them, young master, don¡¯t worry.¡± The police: ¡°¡­¡± Oliver: ¡°¡­¡± Mike: ¡°¡­¡± Lawyer Daniel turned to Mike, seething with rage, and Oliver, who was turning green beside him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, gentlemen.


    I will handle everything from here on.¡± Liam and his two minions left the police officer¡¯s office.


    Maureen was anxiously waiting outside in the corridor, holding his backpack.


    His shadow stretched long down the corridor, and when he saw them coming out, he quickly stood up, ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.

 Chapter 57 - 57 Considering

    ?Chapter 57: Considering Chapter 57: Considering Considering Niel and others were also involved in the fight, to avoid getting them implicated, Attorney Daniel might choose to handle it privately,¡± Liam responded while examining Maureen¡¯s wrist.


    Seeing no signs of bruising on her delicate wrist, the rage that was burning within him started to subside slightly.


    A voice from the infirmary urged, ¡°Come over quickly!¡± ¡°Just a moment,¡± Liam shouted towards the voice from the corridor.


    He hesitated for a while scuffling his feet on the ground.


    He did not dare to look into Maureen¡¯s eyes because of his earlier mistake.


    Maureen was quietly observing him.


    After a while, the voice from the infirmary happened again.


    Just then, Liam scratched his head and said in a soft voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, little mask girl, for hitting your brother, I wasn¡¯t aware that he was¡­.¡± Maureen replied, ¡°It¡¯s alright, it doesn¡¯t bother me at all.¡± So that¡¯s what he wanted to say.


    Maureen felt a surge of bitterness in her nostrils.


    Aside from her friends Josephine and Laurel Donald from her past life, nobody else had ever stood up for her like this.


    Apparently, family ties didn¡¯t seem to matter much to her.


    The ones who treated her well were really the ones who mattered the most.


    She looked at Liam and the boys behind him, ¡°As long as you all are okay.¡± Niel quickly said, ¡°We¡¯re all scratch proof.


    Buddies gotta stick together, right?


    Moreover, keep your worries aside, Liam already scolded us and we won¡¯t let out the secret of you being at his home today.¡± Liam ruffled Maureen¡¯s hair, his tone taking a lighter nuance, ¡°So wait here, don¡¯t move a bit.


    .We¡¯ll just have our wounds looked at in the clinic room and then we¡¯ll all leave together.¡± None of them were significantly hurt, just a few minor scrapes on their knuckles.


    Mike was beaten so badly that it was anticipated he would need to be transferred to the hospital soon.


    Maureen nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± It was already seven in the evening.


    The birthday banquet had long since begun, but Oliver, Mike, and Maureen had not shown up, no one had even answered their phones.


    Their mother, Mrs.


    Smith, was already frantic.


    With the situation escalating so greatly, it was impossible to keep it a secret from the rest of the Smith family.


    Oliver glanced irritably at the trouble-causing Mike, burdened with worry, he furrowed his brows before moving to the window to make a call.


    ¡­


    The evening¡¯s birthday banquet for Mrs.


    Smith was entirely ruined, leaving everyone in the Smith family in a state of disarray.


    Mike was sent to the hospital.


    Bianca, assistant to Oliver, and his agent followed along.


    Upon learning that Mike was beaten so badly by the heir of the Williams family, the faces of Mr.


    and Mrs.


    Smith turned grim instantly.


    If it were the Williams family, they stood no chance of winning any potential lawsuit; they would have to settle this matter privately and swallow their dissatisfaction.


    In addition to this, the couple learned of another bombshell piece of news.


    ========== Outside the police station.


    Clutching her coat as a gust of wind hit her, Mrs.


    Smith was unable to wrap her head around the situation.


    She looked unsteady, completely unable to understand what Oliver had just said, ¡°What do you mean Maureen wishes to sever ties with our family?


    Explain yourself, what on earth is going on?!


    Is it not just about her running away from home?!


    You¡¯ve frequently visited her at school!


    What are you even talking about now?!¡± Oliver looked extremely tired, massaging his temples as he spoke.


    ¡°In reality, ever since she left home the last time, I was not able to persuade her to come back.


    I kept it hidden because I was afraid you¡¯d react like this.


    But as the saying goes, you can¡¯t wrap fire in paper¡ª the truth comes out.¡± Mr.


    Smith¡¯s face turned ashen, ¡°What the hell happened at home while I was away?


    How did things become such a mess?!¡± ¡°Can you please not ask me?¡± Oliver found it difficult to explain, his typically gentle demeanor cracking under pressure.


    ¡°How was I to know that things would turn out this way?


    Mom, have you ever really shown concern for Maureen?¡± Chris hunkered down on one side, equally frustrated as he listened to the three of them quarrel.


    ¡°She¡¯s still behaving like a child,¡± Mrs.


    Smith said emphatically.


    ¡°She made such a big fuss today, caught everyone¡¯s attention; she must be pleased with herself.


    If you can¡¯t bring her back, then I¡¯ll go fetch her.¡± Oliver pulled down the corners of his mouth and made a gesture of ¡®please go ahead¡¯.


    Just as Mrs.


    Smith took a few steps towards the police station, Maureen emerged.


    A bunch of tall, sturdy boys followed her.


    The one leading them was the redhead who had sent Mike to the hospital.


    His short red hair looked especially cold in the darkness, giving off an air of arrogance; there was an adhesive bandage stuck on the corner of his mouth.


    Upon seeing this, Mr.


    And Mrs.


    Smith felt their hearts race in anger.


    However, due to his status, the Smith family could only suppress their anger.


    Maureen glanced at the people outside the yard, then swung around to address Liam, ¡°Wait here for me for a while.


    There are a few matters that I need to handle.¡± Niel was worried.


    ¡°Maureen, you¡¯re not seriously thinking of cutting ties with your family?¡± He worried aloud.


    What could she do after cutting ties?


    She was still a student after all.


    What¡¯s more, despite their favoritism, they were still her family.


    Niel felt that such a move wasn¡¯t necessary.


    But before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted.


    ¡°Stop, hold on a second.¡± Liam said, ¡°No need for irrelevant advice.


    After all, just as each person knows if the water they drink is hot or cold, outside opinions are generally bothersome.


    Maureen, don¡¯t listen to others, don¡¯t even listen to me.


    Make your own decision.


    As long as you have thought it through, any decision is a good decision.¡± Maureen looked at Liam, nodding resolutely.


    ¡°Do you need help?¡± Liam pointed to the lawyer behind him.


    Maureen shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ll handle it myself.¡± Liam looked over Maureen¡¯s head, coldly sweeping his gaze over the crowd of people behind her.


    He felt somewhat uncomfortable but understood that he had to give space for her to handle this on her own.


    After considering, he took her backpack and extended his hand, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have your phone then.¡± Maureen: ?


    Maureen took out her phone.


    Liam continued, ¡°Fingerprints.¡± Maureen unlocked her phone with her fingerprints.


    Liam quickly switched her phone to the dialing screen, typing in his number.


    He then returned it to Maureen, his tone unusually serious, ¡°I set your screen to stay on.


    When you press the call button later, once I receive the call, I¡¯ll be there.¡± Niel said, ¡°We¡¯ll come too.¡± Maureen nodded, turning to walk towards her parents.


    The night was cool, but she felt as if she had a solid wall behind her.


    Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 58 - 58 First to speak

    ?Chapter 58: First to speak Chapter 58: First to speak Seeing Maureen coldly walking towards them, the look in her eyes was as if she was looking at a bunch of unwanted guests, Mr.


    Smith¡¯s vein began to throb on his forehead.


    ¡°Stop coming to find me.¡± Maureen was the first to speak, ¡°Again and again, it¡¯s very annoying.¡± Before Mrs.


    Smith could even speak, she was rendered speechless, her mind becoming a mess.


    Annoying?


    Maureen said they were annoying?


    She suddenly realized that what Oliver said might not be false ¨C Maureen seemed determined to sever their relationship.


    The expression on Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s face began to change, her body slightly shuddering in disbelief, ¡°Maureen, what on earth are you talking about?


    The fight between you, your brother, and your classmate today was a misunderstanding, mom and dad won¡¯t blame you anymore, hurry and come back with us!


    Do you know you haven¡¯t been home for a month?


    Whatever the issue is, we can discuss it at home.¡± ¡°Still didn¡¯t get my point?¡± Maureen coldly said, trying to speak even more clearly to make her family understand in one go: ¡°Severing relationship, in other words, you don¡¯t need to support me anymore and in the future when you¡¯re old, I don¡¯t have to bear the responsibility of taking care of you.


    In legal terms, it means we owe each other nothing.¡± Mrs.


    Smith: ¡°¡­¡± Maureen took out a card and tossed it to Oliver.


    Chris, who was in the corner, suddenly stood up.


    Chris said, ¡°Sis¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me sister.¡± Maureen cut him off immediately.


    Chris¡¯s throat tightened.


    With a deathly pale face, Oliver caught the card, ¡°This is¡ª¡ª¡± Maureen said, ¡°This is a sum of money I borrowed from Josephine, one hundred and thirty thousand, to repay what your Smith family has spent on me in these two years.


    I can slowly repay Josephine¡¯s money, but I don¡¯t want to owe you anymore.


    As for what you owe me, I¡¯m too lazy to claim it.¡± After pondering for a moment, Maureen added, ¡°Oh, there are some things I want to reclaim.


    My photos, please delete or crop them from your phones, and refrain from using my pictures for any illegal activities. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I will be of age in a little over ten days, gaining the right to retrieve my own things, so please erase my image information.¡± ¡°As for your pictures, I¡¯ve already deleted them all.¡± For a moment, Mrs.


    Smith almost couldn¡¯t catch her breath.


    She panted heavily, clutching her chest, and exclaimed, ¡°Today is your mother¡¯s birthday.


    Must you say these infuriating words on her birthday?!¡± Mr.


    Smith looked at Maureen incredulously, and couldn¡¯t help but reprimand Oliver and Chris, ¡°What on earth happened when I was not here?!¡± A sharp pain stabbed Oliver¡¯s heart.


    He had a feeling that, if he couldn¡¯t persuade Maureen to stay today, they would truly be separated forever.


    He couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Maureen, at least today, on mom¡¯s birthday, don¡¯t say these¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not said out of anger.¡± Why did they think she was saying these out of anger?


    Were they convinced she couldn¡¯t leave them behind?


    Or were they certain she wanted to please them?


    Maureen took a deep breath and said, ¡°I was wrong in the first place.


    I shouldn¡¯t have expected to have biological parents.


    I shouldn¡¯t have anticipated a fresh life with you after my arrival.


    I shouldn¡¯t have yearned for anything that didn¡¯t belong to me.


    Now I¡¯ve moved out, and no one is making you choose between me and Bianca.


    No one is on your way.¡± ¡°Can you consider it a final act of responsibility, a final act of kindness towards me, to let me go, not to bother me anymore?


    Is that possible?¡± The air was deadly silent for a while.


    The wind whimpered softly.


    Mrs.


    Smith and Mr.


    Smith, who were initially angry when Maureen came out of the police station, now had blank minds.


    They had looked for their biological daughter for a long time.


    Once they had brought her home, they thought they could finally let go of their regrets.


    Who knew that she wanted to cut ties with them.


    ¡°Severing ties.¡± Even uttering these words, regardless of whether they¡¯re true or false, already feels like a knife, slicing one¡¯s heart and lungs bit by bit.


    Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s heart seemed to be grasped tightly by a pair of large hands, wrenching it with a painful pang.


    She had never imagined such a moment would come.


    In her mind, a rush of memories with Maureen flitted¡ªwhen she was trying on clothes, Maureen patiently waited and complimented her; being the most patient person in the family, Maureen; when her shoulders ached, Maureen volunteered to massage them; when she complained about Mr.


    Smith¡¯s constant absence, Maureen offered her advice¡­ At this very moment, all these bits of moments quickly gathered together, transforming into Maureen¡¯s cold eyes.


    How did it come to this?


    Mrs.


    Smith clenched at her chest, unable to utter a word.


    She could only stand stiffly, as if she had lost her voice.


    Mr.


    Smith¡¯s mind was buzzing too.


    He encountered so many things as soon as he got back, unable to react in time.


    He just subconsciously walked forward, trying to bring Maureen back home.


    But as Maureen watched his movement, she took a step back.


    The action of stepping back is profoundly hurtful.


    It signifies¡ªdon¡¯t come close to me.


    Two years ago, she was the little girl who would run towards them with all her strength but today, she retreated as if dealing with strangers.


    Oliver and Chris felt a dull pain in their hearts.


    At this moment, they didn¡¯t even know what to say.


    ¡­ Maureen no longer looked at them.


    Ten seconds later, Maureen dialed a phone number in her hand.


    Moments later, a never-before-seen silver off-road motorcycle drove up, followed by several cars.


    Within the humming of the engines, Liam took off his helmet, his eyebrows beautiful and his red hair flamboyant.


    He leaned over, placing the cold helmet on Maureen¡¯s head.


    Maureen looked at him, the unease in her heart settling down.


    The relationship was completely severed.


    A burden seemed to have been lifted off her shoulders.


    Perhaps it should have been like this long ago, it was her lack of clarity in the previous life.


    But as she turned her back to the Smith family, her eyes reddened.


    Maureen stubbornly refused to admit her weakness, insisting that her sadness was due to her wasted eight years.


    She said quietly to Liam, ¡°Thank you.¡± Liam did up the strap on her chin, then gently, deftly wiped away a glint of moisture from the corner of her eye.


    ¡°Are you this happy to leave such a hellish home?¡± Liam lifted his eyes to the Smith family, his lip tugging up in a smirk, ¡°Get on the bike.


    Let¡¯s go.¡± They didn¡¯t care about ¡®Little Facemask¡¯, so ¡®Little Facemask¡¯ was his now.


    ¡­


    In the night wind, the members of the Smith family felt heavy-hearted, watching the motorcycle break through the wind, following the neon lights, moving onto a bridge and crossing the river.


    Maureen¡¯s black hair was tousled by the wind, getting farther and farther away from them.


    Maureen never once looked back.

 Chapter 59 - 59 Members of the Smith family

    ?Chapter 59: Members of the Smith family Chapter 59: Members of the Smith family ¡­


    The members of the Smith family were in chaos, they had no idea how they managed to get home.


    When Mrs. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Smith returned to the villa, her fingertips were trembling.


    She tried to compose herself, but in her dazed state, she nearly fell as she was taking off her high heels.


    Oliver, who was standing by, wanted to say something but hesitated, he quickly stepped forward to steady her.


    Without uttering a word, Mrs.


    Smith clutched her clothes tightly and hurried back to her room.


    A short while later, the sound of sobbing could be heard from the room.


    With Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s sobs resonated through the villa, the atmosphere was heavy and tense.


    The housemaid and the cook didn¡¯t understand what was happening, they dared not stay in the villa and instead chose to venture out into the yard.


    Seeing how Mrs.


    Smith was, Mr.


    Smith looked ugly.


    He glanced in the direction of her room and seemed a bit displeased with her, but he was too weary to talk much about it.


    He said, ¡°There are still many guests at the birthday celebration who haven¡¯t been sent off.


    I need to go there.¡± This birthday celebration had become a total disaster.


    It might be a birthday party that Mrs.


    Smith would remember for the rest of her life.


    Just as Mrs.


    Smith had managed to put on her evening dress, before she had a chance to mingle with the guests, many of whom hadn¡¯t even arrived, she received a call from Oliver which led to the current situation.


    Did anyone in their family have the mind to go back and continue entertaining guests now?


    Oliver nodded and said, ¡°I will go to the hospital later.


    Mike¡¯s injury is not serious, there¡¯s no fracture, so you can rest assured.¡± ¡°What peace of mind am I supposed to have?


    Every one of you is nothing but trouble!¡± Mr.


    Smith adjusted his tie with a grim expression.


    As he was walking out, he added, ¡°We will talk about the Maureen issue when I return.


    I need to have a serious talk with you all!


    I was only on a business trip for a month, how did things end up like this?!¡± As soon as Mr.


    Smith left, Chris was also ready to go out with a weary look on his face.


    Oliver rushed to grab his arm, feeling exasperated, ¡°Where are you going?!


    Chris, where are you off to now?!¡± ¡°Bro, did you forget that I¡¯m still running away from home?¡± Chris sneered, ¡°I attended the birthday banquet today just to save face for you, otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t even bother going!


    I¡¯m livid, mom slapped me without reason and has yet to apologize!¡± After saying that, Chris didn¡¯t care about Oliver¡¯s expression, threw his tailcoat jacket onto the cabinet at the entrance, and walked away.


    Once Chris and his father left, the entire Smith villa seemed as desolate as a tomb.


    Only the faint sobs of Mrs.


    Smith could be heard.


    It was so cold that it was unbearable.


    Oliver sat on the sofa, massaging his own temples in distress.


    After deeply breathing in, he realized, aside from him, there was no one else to clean up this mess.


    After a long while, he went upstairs and knocked on Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s room door.


    ¡°Mom, are you okay?¡± ¡°How did things end up like this?


    Is there even room to reverse the situation?¡± Mrs.


    Smith recalled the icy tone at the police station¡¯s entrance, where Maureen mentioned that she had deleted all their photos, and they should do the same, and not use them for illegal purposes.


    The more she thought about it, the more pained her head seemed with a piercing sensation, her chest felt tight, and her heart palpitates.


    She was crying so hard that she could hardly catch her breath, ¡°Where did I go wrong with her?!


    I gave her free rein over the card and allowed her to buy whatever clothes she wanted, eat whatever she wanted!


    I even personally decorated her room¡­


    Why!


    Why does she hate me so much?!¡± Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s tears filled the room with sorrow, Oliver felt like his brain was being blended.


    He closed his eyes, pressed down the frustration, and tried to console her by saying, ¡°Perhaps, we should reflect on our own attitudes.¡± Mrs.


    Smith just kept crying.


    When she finally calmed down a little, she asked about Mike¡¯s condition, becoming a bit relieved after hearing about it.


    But then, whatever she thought of made her emotional distress rise again.


    Oliver, now having a headache, decided to leave her alone to cool down and started walking downstairs.


    The sound of a car parking resonated from outside, signaling that Bianca had returned.


    The instant she entered, she heard the faint sobs of her mother, hinting that something had occurred.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to comfort mom.¡± Bianca said, delicately lifting the hem of her dress as she headed upstairs.


    Oliver subconsciously glanced at her long dress.


    A peculiar feeling of constriction welled up in his throat.


    Maureen had already been ousted from the house, never to return under the chill of the night wind.


    Yet Bianca wore Maureen¡¯s dress.


    In truth, the dress didn¡¯t quite fit Bianca¡ªit was too long for her shorter stature.


    The originally neat fishtail dress that was supposed to end at her knees seemed exceptionally baggy and dragging on her.


    Despite its poor fit, the dress naturally found itself on her body.


    It was similar to many other things from the past¡ªsomething as significant as a slot in a chemistry competition, or as trivial as a bunny doll.


    Whatever Maureen had, she always ended up having too, yet what Bianca had, Maureen couldn¡¯t touch¡ªironically, they rightly belonged to Maureen.


    A surge of annoyance swept over Oliver, causing him to divert his attention.


    Bianca rushed into her mother¡¯s room.


    The sobbing quickly subsided.


    Oliver¡¯s headache was seemingly alleviated by half.


    The assistant returned from the hospital and asked him, ¡°Are you staying home tonight?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to the company.¡± Oliver said, laden with worries.


    He too tossed his evening wear on the sofa and left the villa.


    For some reason, he did not want to stay in this cold and quiet villa tonight.


    Bianca tried to console her mother with words like ¡°Mom, you still have me¡±.


    Mrs.


    Smith received a bit of distraction from Bianca, and her mood improved slightly.


    However, her gaze inevitably fell on the evening dress worn by Bianca.


    She felt strangely irked, and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why are you still wearing it?¡± Bianca, kneeling by her side, replied, ¡°Mom, you have a great taste.


    Many people praised the dress tonight.¡± ¡°Mrs.


    Smith felt like her words had metaphorically slapped her in the face.


    ¡°Where did I let her down?¡± Where did she owe Maureen?


    She was always afraid that Bianca would feel lost and rejected because she wasn¡¯t her biological daughter.


    Hence, she always tried her best to show her love to Bianca, wanting to tell her that she was still her mother, just as before.


    So when Maureen unintentionally picked up Bianca¡¯s toy two years ago, she rushed over to take back the toy and returned it to Bianca, telling Maureen, ¡°If you want one, I¡¯ll buy you another.


    Don¡¯t snatch Bianca Bianca¡¯s.¡± So, when Bianca expressed her liking for this dress, she didn¡¯t hesitate to give it to her, assuming Maureen wouldn¡¯t mind.


    But how could a child who has been neglected time and time again over the span of two years not feel hurt?


    It¡¯s these accumulated feelings of being disregarded that lead to today¡¯s situation!


    It is her, herself!


    It is her who disregarded Maureen¡¯s feelings in these events in order to maintain a 15-year-old connection with her adopted daughter!


    She is the one who actively pushed Maureen further and further away!


    Mrs.


    Smith feels a painful prick in her heart, both anxious and hurt.


    She can¡¯t bear to see Bianca wearing that dress anymore, it¡¯s like getting slapped across the face time after time, reminding her of how she had treated Maureen.


    She quickly buries herself into her blankets, saying, ¡°You go first, let me stay alone for a while.¡± Bianca looks at her, startled: ¡°Mom, why all of a sudden¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Go out!


    Let me be alone for a bit!¡± Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s voice chokes from under the blanket.

 Chapter 60 - 60 Seating back

    ?Chapter 60: Seating back Chapter 60: Seating back Maureen is sitting in the back seat of a motorcycle, grasping Liam¡¯s jacket.


    Cars flow like waterfalls, the chilly night wind brushes past her temples, she looks at the twinkling neon lights across the river, passes under one after another streetlights, and gradually calms down.


    She suddenly thinks of something: ¡°Wait, where did you guys get the motorcycle from?!¡± Liam¡¯s jacket billows in the wind, he teases intentionally: ¡°I can¡¯t hear clearly!¡± Helplessly, Maureen straightens up slightly, grabs his shoulder, leans to his ear, and yells: ¡°I asked, where did you guys get the motorcycle from?!¡± Her face is too close, despite the cold wind dispersing her breath, a few drops still land on his earlobe.


    Liam is extremely sensitive there, experiencing a sudden tingling sensation.


    Instantly his ears turn red, he jolts his hand, and nearly swerves.


    Liam swallowed, ¡°Niel has a friend who repairs cars for a living, and it¡¯s just a few hundred meters from here.


    We borrowed a few bikes from him.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Maureen looked back to see four or five motorcycles trailing behind them.


    She quickly counted how many people were there and found out that all of Liam¡¯s underlings were present except Niel.


    She suddenly felt startled, ¡°Wait a minute, where¡¯s Niel?


    Did we leave him at the police station?¡± Liam asked, ¡°Why are you so concerned about Niel?¡± ¡°Over here!¡± Niel followed along in a sports car.


    He rolled down the window and waved at them.


    Niel had long turned eighteen and obtained his driver¡¯s license.


    Seeing the four-wheeled sports car Niel was driving, Maureen asked Liam, ¡°So with a sports car available, why did you ride here on a motorcycle?¡± ¡°So cool!¡± Liam raised an eyebrow, oddly proud, ¡°Don¡¯t you find it cinematically thrilling, the sight of several motorcycles suddenly stopping by your side, buzzing and circling around you?


    Don¡¯t all you girls love that?


    It¡¯s a pity there are no sunglasses.¡± Maureen, ¡°¡­¡± No doubt about it, that¡¯s so you, Liam is such a Liam.


    Maureen asked, ¡°So where are we going?¡± Liam replied, ¡°Let¡¯s get off the bike first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too cold at night.


    If we continue riding, our fingers will freeze.¡± He parked the motorcycle by the side of the road, smoothly got off, and naturally hugged Maureen¡¯s waist to help her off.


    Then, he flushed and tucked her scarf in.


    Maureen felt something was off at how adept he was in his movements, but her mind was slow due to the cold wind, and she couldn¡¯t figure out what was wrong.


    Liam felt uncomfortable under Maureen¡¯s gaze, he turned his head away, his face reddening and lips curving into a smile before quickly sucking in a sharp breath.


    Maureen asked, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Liam touched the band-aid at the corner of his lips, ¡°Ah, for such a minor injury, I fear nothing.¡± Niel also parked the car at the side of the road.


    The car window in the back row rolled down, and Josephine poked his head out, waving at Maureen, ¡°Maureen!¡± Maureen: ¡°Why did you bring Josephine along, too?¡± ¡°On such a wonderful day when things are finally taking a turn, we absolutely need to celebrate with some barbecue or something!


    Liam suggested we invite your friend,¡± said Niel.


    ¡°Maureen, get in the car!¡± Maureen felt a warm glow in her heart; the unpleasantness at the police station¡¯s entrance seemed swept away. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She walked over and opened the car door.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Liam interrupted suddenly.


    He strode over to the car door, pulled it open, and dragged out a boy from inside.


    ¡°Drake, you go sit in the passenger seat.¡± ¡°Long time no see, that¡¯s how you treat your old friend?¡± ¡°Get out of here.¡± Drake?!


    Maureen¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened ¡ª isn¡¯t this the one, the person who¡¯s second on the list of those she can mooch off?


    The boy called Drake had peach blossom eyes.


    His high collar sweater covered the lower half of his face as if he were very afraid of the cold, clad as if dressed for winter.


    He glared at Liam and then his eyes briefly landed on Maureen¡¯s face when he took a look at her.


    Then, he reluctantly went to sit in the passenger seat.


    Maureen¡¯s gaze stayed on him.


    2%!


    What would be the outcome of a mere 2% luck return rate?


    He had never tried it before!


    Liam blocked the car door, urging Maureen to hurry up and get in.


    As he followed her gaze, his eyes landed on Brown.


    He: One second, two second, three second ¡ª counting ten seconds on his watch, Liam could see that Maureen was still staring at Drake!


    Was Drake so handsome?


    She had never stared at him like that before!


    Maureen snapped back to reality, and noticed that Liam was glaring at her, his face inexplicably sour.


    Confused, Maureen asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Your eyesight is really sharp at night.¡± Liam responded, trying to hide his bitter tone.


    He then hurriedly pushed Maureen into the car.


    ========== Liam tossed the keys to a minion, and had someone ride the motorcycle back.


    The group sat down in a steaming barbeque restaurant.


    ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± ¡°Is it you?¡± Both Maureen and Drake asked at the same time, and after they asked, they both had expressions of surprise and then enlightenment.


    Liam stared at Maureen, then at Drake, and finally at Niel who brought Drake here.


    He was virtually clenching his fists.


    In panic, Niel signaled with his eyes, ¡®It¡¯s him who contacted me to come, not me who brought him here on purpose.¡¯ Liam glared back with his eyes, ¡®Can¡¯t you refuse?


    ¡® Niel looked even more bitter, ¡®Isn¡¯t he your own childhood friend?


    How could I refuse?¡¯ After several rounds of eye contact, Liam¡¯s red short hair was already tousled by the night wind like a hedgehog, and now there was a thin layer of frost on his face.


    He was flipping the menu loudly, quite disturbing for the other patrons, ¡°What do you mean ¡®is it you¡¯?


    Mask-girl, have you met Drake before?¡± Maureen explained, ¡°It¡¯s not exactly that we know each other, it¡¯s just that I took a cello exam for him at the Cultural Palace half a month ago.


    It was the one with the nickname Mr.


    Handsome.¡± Charged 8000, she was thinking who was such a nouveau riche, turned out to be Liam¡¯s rich second-generation friend.


    Now remembering it, Maureen said no wonder the tender seed grew so fast during those days, it turns out this incident contributed to its growth.


    Liam wore a long face, ¡°So you two have already added each other on Whatsapp?¡± Maureen said, ¡°Yes.¡± Without adding on Whatsapp, how were they going to contact me for the competition exam?


    Liam picked up the bottle of vinegar on the table, ¡°Isn¡¯t that very fateful?¡± Maureen said, ¡°Yes.¡± Liam: ¡°¡­¡± Liam only felt that the wound at the corner of his mouth was so painful!


    Drake was wiping his Spoon, grinning at Liam and speak to Maureen, ¡°My acquaintance with you, however, comes from¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Liam, from across the table, stuffed a piece of cantaloupe into his mouth.


    Angrily, Liam retorted, ¡°You¡¯re always chattering away.


    I warn you not to blabber about things you shouldn¡¯t.


    Eat some fruit!¡± Drake continued to smirk, as if he had something to use against Liam.


    Seeing Drake¡¯s profound smile, Maureen suspected if Liam was slandering her behind her back ¨C probably during the time she had just transferred and tried every means to become his desk mate, the time he hated her the most.


    Niel did not understand what they were saying either, so he broke the silence, ¡°The Barbecue is here!¡± Maureen voluntarily stood up, took the plate from the waiter and put it on the table.


    Seeing the crowded restaurant and the shortage of waiters, she instinctively asked for an apron, ¡°You guys eat.


    I¡¯m good at grilling.


    I¡¯ll grill for you first.¡± Liam had never grilled meat before but seeing Maureen take over the grilling tools so naturally, he felt a bit uncomfortable.


    Standing up, he grabbed the tongs from Maureen.


    Taking advantage of his height, he pulled off her apron from behind and directed, ¡°You, sit over there.¡± The apron blocked Maureen¡¯s vision for a moment.


    By the time she reacted, she had already been pushed back into her seat by Liam.


    In shock, she blurted, ¡°Your turn?¡± Everyone was surprised and turned to look at Liam.


    Resting his cheek on his palm, Drake took an extra glance at Maureen, grinning secretly, an internal ¡®yo¡¯.


    ¡°What?


    Looking down on me?¡± Liam declared, ¡°You think I can¡¯t grill?


    You¡¯re challenging me.¡± ¡°No, not at all,¡± Maureen tried to hold back her laughter.


    Liam and Maureen swapped seats, leaving Liam on the outside.


    He clumsily cut the meat into pieces with a pair of scissors and then threw it onto the grill.


    Not long after, the smell of burning filled the air, amid the sound of sizzling oil.


    The skewer was unusually unsteady in his hand, almost flipping out.


    The nearby waiter was in a panic, afraid that the red hedgehog-headed young man would set their shop on fire.


    He left his table of customers and hurried over, ¡°Let me help you guys.¡± Liam reluctantly let go of his tongs.


    ¡°Who wants to eat these few pieces?¡± the waiter asked, pointing at several pieces of meat that were burned to a crisp, so black that their original form could hardly be identified.


    Liam looked at Drake, who quickly averted his gaze.


    Then Liam turned to Niel.


    coughed and looked out the window, ¡°What a beautiful moonlight tonight.¡± Seeing no one wanted them, Liam hung his head in defeat, a dark look on his face: ¡°Give them to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have a few pieces too,¡± Maureen couldn¡¯t bear to see no one come to his aid, passing over her plate.


    Liam grunted, the corner of his mouth curling up into a smirk, feeling secretly pleased inside.


    Yet, the very next moment, he dumped all the burnt meat from his and Maureen¡¯s plates into the garbage bin.


    It¡¯s safer not to eat anything that¡¯s overcooked.


    They began to enjoy their barbecue.


    Maureen, who was across from Drake, hatched a plan and said, ¡°Employer, let¡¯s shake hands.


    If there are similar tasks in the future, you can look for me.¡±

 Chapter 61 - 61 shouldnt be a problem

    ?Chapter 61: shouldn¡¯t be a problem Chapter 61: shouldn¡¯t be a problem Initially, she thought that Liam¡¯s friend would be as difficult as Liam, but much to her surprise, Drake was very amicable, readily extending his hand towards her with a beaming smile, ¡°No problem.¡± Overjoyed, Maureen quickly wiped her hands on her clothes and took his hand.


    Liam, who was still eating barbecue and didn¡¯t have time to stop, said: ¡°As soon as Maureen¡¯s skin touched Drake, the small sprout in the flowerpot moved a little.


    It had grown one and a half!


    Although it did not grow as many as the five buds that first sprouted when she touched Liam, it was still enough to make one happy!


    Maureen was filled with joy, chewing a piece of barbecue, and asked again: ¡°Drake, haven¡¯t you been to school for almost a month because of your illness?


    There should be many papers piled up on your desk, right?


    Do you need someone to help you organize them?


    Do you also need somebody to run errands for your usual duty day?¡± Niel quietly looked at Liam¡¯s gloomy face.


    Before Drake had time to speak, Liam yanked Maureen over, holding her shoulders with both hands, staring at her angrily- ¡°What¡­what¡¯s wrong?¡± Maureen was baffled.


    Liam had a foul expression.


    He stared at her fiercely, held his breath for a long time, and finally said, ¡°Are you my friend or his friend?¡± Maureen swallowed the barbecue: ¡°Can¡¯t I be both?¡± Since when was there such a career competition in being the friend of two best friends?


    ¡°No!¡± Liam was exasperated ¨C He wondered if she really didn¡¯t understand him or was just pretending.


    did she really think he meant an actual ¡® Friend?


    Is she forcing him to come clean?


    Maureen: ¡°Why?¡± Liam¡¯s face turned red with anger, and retorted: ¡°There cannot be two tigers on the same mountain, get it?¡± Drake couldn¡¯t help coughing with laughter on the side, he took a sip of water and sighed: ¡°What can I do?


    I can¡¯t help my irresistible charm.¡± Maureen felt goosebumps all over her body.


    She thought to herself, given the choice between six percent and two percent, she would definitely choose Liam who represented the six percent.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll choose to be your friend, then.¡± A hint of redness spread across Liam¡¯s ears, feeling relieved in his heart.


    He released Maureen¡¯s shoulder and generously added several pieces of meat to her plate.


    Maureen: ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No need to thank me.¡± Liam proudly dusted off non-existent dust from his clothes, raised an eyebrow at Drake with a confident and cool look.


    ¡°I guess my charm is irresistible.¡± Niel and Josephine: ¡°¡­¡± Maureen: ¡°¡­¡± Great, double the goosebumps.


    Her little fists clenched tightly.


    What the hell¡­


    The barbecue restaurant was filled with a warm atmosphere, with the aroma of meat and spices wafting throughout the room.


    Maureen felt a comfortable warmth in the midst of these youthful companions, which also warmed her heart.


    Something indescribable quietly took root, filling the empty corners of her heart.


    At noon, the waiter brought over some fruit wine.


    Maureen didn¡¯t draw any attention as she took two cups.


    By the time Liam noticed her unusual behavior, she had already downed three cups.


    Maureen began to feel a bit dizzy ¨C the moon outside the window seemed to have fuzz around its edges.


    Liam gave her a little shake.


    But then, she began to see two Liam.


    She turned her head, and the yellow-green glass window frames behind her seemed to be splitting into two.


    Maureen propped up her head, her beautiful face flushed, her eyelashes coated with foggy mist.


    Her gaze involuntarily fell on the street side, where a pair of grandmother-granddaughter was setting up a stall in the cold wind, selling bright red candied haws.


    She did not know what the granddaughter was sweetly talking about, but she continued to tug on her granny¡¯s sleeve.


    That granny couldn¡¯t withstand it anymore, took out a candied haw, and handed it to the granddaughter.


    When the granny turned her face back, it carried a mild and kind smile, and her mucky hand tousled her granddaughter¡¯s hair.


    Maureen watched blankly, and couldn¡¯t hold back anymore.


    She felt a sour sensation in her nose, and her eyes reddened.


    All the emotions she had accumulated since her rebirth, upon learning that her grandmother was no longer alive, suddenly poured out.


    Tears fell uncontrollably, ¡°pitter-patter¡±.


    ¡°I, my grandmother,¡± Maureen burst into tears, her voice carrying a raspy melody, ¡°My grandmother left me a few thousand yuan before she passed away!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone at the table looked at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s over, Maureen can¡¯t drink.


    Even a little can make her drunk,¡± Josephine suddenly remembered, feeling a bit dizzy herself.


    Liam quickly stood up and pulled Maureen over, frowning at Josephine, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± Maureen hugged Liam, like clinging to a telegraph pole, sobbing uncontrollably.


    She hadn¡¯t even seen her grandmother for the last time.


    When she left the countryside, her grandmother was worried, yet Maureen herself was filled with expectations and desires.


    She even told her grandmother that once she had won over the approval of the Smith family; she would take her grandmother with her.


    After getting into a good university and proving her worth, she would be able to support her grandmother.


    She hadn¡¯t been at the Smith family¡¯s home for long when, around her birthday, she sensed something was wrong after making a call to her grandmother and no one answering.


    Then the phone call from the town came.


    They told her, after she left, her grandmother went to deliver goods on her own.


    Unfortunately, she got caught in a torrential rainstorm and due to leg ailment, she had slid downhill and passed away that night.


    The townsfolk, kind-hearted, had conducted her grandmother¡¯s funeral before reluctantly informing her.


    Due to the discovery of grandmother¡¯s demise being delayed, coupled with inadequate medical conditions in the town, they didn¡¯t even know the exact day her grandmother passed away.


    Upon hearing this, Maureen was rooted to the spot, shocked.


    She raced all the way back to the countryside in a frenzy.


    In the cold funeral hall, she was completely silent, crying till she was numb.


    She had said she would help her grandma lead a better life, but in the end, her grandmother had left behind an old red cloth pack for her- It was filled with tuition money her grandmother had saved for her over the years, even suffering from her leg ailment without getting it treated.


    Like a switch being flipped, Maureen¡¯s tears began to fall ¡°plop¡±, ¡°plop¡±.


    The tip of her nose was red from all the crying. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her hand haphazardly wiped her tears.


    Having chili on her hand, the more she wiped, the greater the burning sensation in her eyes, and the tears flowed even more furiously.


    Looking at this, Liam panicked and grabbed the tissues on the table to wipe off the tears on her face.


    Liam rarely saw such a devastated cry from Maureen.


    His heart clenched, he quickly turned his head and asked Josephine, ¡°Who was her grandmother?


    Where did she live?


    What¡¯s the address?


    Send it to me.¡± ¡°She has already passed away.¡± Josephine looked sadly at Maureen and said, ¡°Nevermind¡­ These things¡­ Telling you shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±

 Chapter 62 - 62 avoiding sensitive topics

    ?Chapter 62: avoiding sensitive topics Chapter 62: avoiding sensitive topics Avoiding the sensitive topic of the real and not real daughters of the Smith family, Josephine only mentioned that Maureen had lived in the northern city of the countryside since she was little and only returned to the Smith family when she was fifteen.


    Liam frowned even more as he listened.


    Niel looked at Maureen, his feelings mixed: ¡°Had no idea.¡± In fact, seeing Maureen¡¯s extraordinary temperament, he had thought she was one raised in the lap of luxury.


    But on reflection, which pampered person would know how to barbecue and cook?


    Maureen felt light-headed, like water was flooding her brain, swaying unsteadily.


    But she could vaguely hear their conversation, and she started to cry again in sorrow.


    She clung to the person in front of her, headbutting him: ¡°It¡¯s all my fault that he¡¯s gone.¡± Liam: ¡°¡­¡± Then a few others said something else, but Maureen couldn¡¯t hear clearly.


    Even if she did, her brain was turning so slow that she couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying.


    She was immersed in a huge and sad dream, as if she had returned to the day at the spirit hall in her previous life.


    Her hands and feet were numb from the cold, and she was shaking from crying.


    Maureen vaguely felt herself being half-carried out of the barbecue shop by Liam, she had vomited all over him, he squatted down in front of her, and re-tied the shoelaces that she had messed up.


    Then he gave a few instructions to Drake and the others.


    The street light outside the barbecue shop shined on the ground, small insects fluttering in the cold air.


    The breathed-out air became a white mist.


    Tears fell on the ground.


    So cold that it was unbearable, the tears flowing into her neck were also cold.


    There was an extra scarf around her neck.


    Finally, she wasn¡¯t cold anymore.


    Maureen hugged the warm utility pole in front of her.


    ¡­


    Next, Maureen completely lost consciousness.


    She fell asleep.


    ¡­


    What¡¯s strange is that a person who is drunk knows when they¡¯re about to sober up.


    Their consciousness starts to gradually clear, yet their body feels as if a mountain is weighing down on it, unable to move.


    Their eyelids heavy with exhaustion can only perceive a little flickering light.


    Like a jammed movie projector, the only remnants they can remember of the previous night are sporadic scenes.


    The hum of an engine combined with a slight swaying made Maureen¡¯s head feel like it¡¯s about to split open.


    The sense of weightlessness upon landing twisted her stomach into knots, making it feel like she was about to throw up everything she ate.


    ¡­


    When Maureen began to regain consciousness in a daze, almost ready to open her eyes, the first thing she felt was the cold.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Is it colder than yesterday?¡± ¡°Has the temperature suddenly dropped by more than ten degrees?¡± The incessant cacophony of noise buzzed in her ears, while the seat beneath her was in a constant state of jostling, making Maureen feel as if none of her bones belonged to her.


    She fought hard to open her eyes, her consciousness sluggish.


    What came into view was a rather dirty car window.


    Was she¡­


    in a car?


    Kidnapper?!


    A chill ran down Maureen¡¯s spine, and she was petrified, instantly snapping to alertness.


    Glancing over to her left, she saw Liam lounging by her side, which brought her some peace of mind.


    Even if it were kidnappers, with Liam around, someone would surely ransom her off.


    Liam, with brows furrowed, lips tightly pursed, was sound asleep, albeit worn out.


    He had changed his clothes and wasn¡¯t wearing his noise-cancelling headphones.


    Maureen soon realized that the silver headphones were hanging around her own ears.


    She took them off.


    They were out of battery so she turned them off.


    Then, Maureen turned to her right.


    An old and run-down yet familiar bus station came into view.


    The waiting area still had the wedding ¡°Double Happiness¡± character posted from last year.


    The dust was thick, but the hawking of peddlers and crowd bustling made the scene lively, in a place seemingly worn-out yet brimming with vivacity.


    The streets were littered with an array of red, green, and even multicoloured flyers.


    The car continued forward, just brushing past many tricycles.


    On the rough and uneven gravel ground, after every interval there was a pile of rubbish, the supposedly functional trash bins all along the road appeared merely for show.


    A spasm twitched in Maureen¡¯s eyelid, as a sudden wave of familiarity washed over her.


    Even the quiet Roasted Meat stall hidden around the street corner felt strangely familiar.


    The boss called out in a familiar accent that Maureen recognized: ¡°Roasted meat!


    Tasty and cheap Roasted meat!¡± It¡¯s almost as if the aroma overflowed.


    She was left breathless.


    Her heart was thumping non-stop, and she involuntarily pressed her forehead to the cold car window, feeling the temperature difference.


    Who knows how long it took, the jolting finally paused.


    The car twisted around for quite some time and came to a halt at the entrance of an old, rundown alley in town.


    The dark alley was just like what Maureen remembered, the ground covered with moss and filled with water from the recent rainfall.


    Looking upwards, there were disorderly, dilapidated tube-shaped buildings, with not many households having their windows closed.


    All of them were wide open, with one or two bamboo poles sticking out, faded t-shirts, school uniforms, and dried cured meat haphazardly hung together.


    ¡­ She was all too familiar with it.


    A few more steps into the alley, and she would reach the small courtyard she used to live in with her grandmother.


    In it, there would be several gardenia trees, some pots of sun-dried radishes, and neatly arranged shoes that her grandmother had mended.


    Realizing where she had arrived, Maureen¡¯s heartbeat quickened even more.


    Her fingers that were touching the car window were slightly trembling.


    Some aspects had changed, but most of what she remembered remained the same.


    A group of teenagers strutted around, carrying a basketball and heading to a small, less damp patch of land nearby to play.


    The car stopped, and the driver announced in the local accent: ¡°We¡¯re here, wake up.


    Pay up.¡± Only then did Maureen notice there was another car following behind.


    Niel, Drake, and Josephine, rubbing their eyes, jumped down looking like they had just woken up.


    Liam awoke as well, glancing subconsciously at Maureen beside him.


    He yawned, as usual wearing an impatient look on his face.


    He pulled out several red bills, handed them to the driver, and then got out of the car, walking around to this side.


    He opened the car door in front of Maureen.


    Maureen, her eyes reddened and swollen, looked dazedly at him.


    At this moment, she felt as if she were dreaming.


    Was she in Alice¡¯s wonderland or what?


    How did she seem to wake up back in the place where she grew up, when a trip back home would take a train journey of ten or more hours?


    But how did she get on the train while she was asleep?


    Maureen suddenly remembered the humming sound of taking off and landing when she was deeply asleep¡ª Was it a private jet? sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And then there was Liam¡ª these people¡ª They seemed to have stumbled into her dreams.


    Liam stood in front of the car door, holding the door open, waiting for her to get out.


    Against the light of the early morning, his red, eye-catching short hair warmed the cold morning fog considerably.


    Seeing her standing still, Liam leaned slightly, the corner of his mouth rising, starting to smile, ¡°What are you blanking out for?¡± Maureen got out of the car a little too slowly, while Liam held the car door open for her.


    He kicked a plank under the car, just covering the pooled water on the muddy ground.


    ¡°Welcome home, little girl,¡± he said to Maureen.

 Chapter 63 - 63 Bad humor

    ?Chapter 63: Bad humor Chapter 63: Bad humor Suddenly Liam threw in such a cocky English phrase, promptly pulling Maureen back from her fantasy. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Josephine couldn¡¯t help rolling her eyes and said to Niel, ¡°Are all the students in your international class like this?¡± Seizing the moment when Liam was too occupied to confront him, Niel covered his mouth and murmured to Josephine, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m the most normal one, plus, I¡¯m the class ¡®hunk¡¯.¡± Josephine: ¡°¡­..¡± Well, she shouldn¡¯t have had any expectations.


    Not a single sane person in sight.


    Maureen resurfaced from her dreamlike state as she got out of the car, and found herself holding her breath uncontrollably.


    Seeing all the familiar yet strange things before her eyes triggered a quick secretion of adrenaline, her heart pounding inside her chest.


    Looking at everyone, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How on earth did we end up here?¡± Niel explained, ¡°Your town doesn¡¯t have an airstrip, so the plane first landed in the city center.


    Then Liam chartered two cars, and we drove for four hours on the muddy road to get here.¡± Maureen turned to look at Liam.


    She found it hard to describe her feelings at that moment; it was like in the coldest times, someone offered her warm coal fire, adjusted her clothing for her, and assured her everything would be fine.


    ¡­


    Something was stirring in her throat.


    Maureen wanted to say something, but felt that saying ¡®thank you¡¯ at this point seemed too formal.


    Liam, with his sharp yet unbridled vitality, was as flamboyant and passionate as a blazing hue of red, easily recognizable in a crowd from afar.


    Before, if Maureen approached him for the mere sake of Good luck, now he regulated to being someone who was substantial to Maureen even without Good luck.


    Important.


    Maureen quietly made this decision in her heart.


    Being intently watched by Maureen, Liam¡¯s face suddenly blushed in heat.


    ¡°Ahem, there are no difficulties in the world that scare the rich,¡± Liam tried to maintain composure, casually combing back his hair with one hand, showing off, bearing a persona that seemed to say, ¡°It was a small piece of cake for me, just a wave of my hand, so don¡¯t be overly moved.¡± With one hand, he pulled Maureen¡¯s backpack out of the car.


    Just after boasting, he heard Niel suddenly begin to complain, ¡°Liam, you really are impulsive.


    Why did you run here in the middle of last night?


    It had just rained, and there was soil and sludge everywhere.


    I¡¯m all shook up.


    And how much exactly does Maureen weigh?


    You said she¡¯s too heavy, none of us could lift her, we had to¡ª¡± Liam¡¯s ears abruptly flushed red, cutting off his sentence in a tactless manner, ¡°You talk too much, don¡¯t you?


    Do you want me to sign you up for an hour to speak a million words contest?¡± Niel asked in surprise, ¡°Is there really such a competition?¡± Maureen couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go in quickly.


    The wind is strong here.¡± Liam glanced at Maureen¡¯s ears, which were turning white from the cold, and urged her.


    Maureen nodded, took a deep breath, mentally prepared herself, and walked towards the dilapidated yard deep in the alley.


    Liam, on the other hand, went around to speak to the two drivers.


    The sound of the engines starting up came, and the two drivers quickly drove the old stammering car away from the bumpy road.


    Drake lagged behind, clutching his hands, his sweater collar practically shielding his face.


    Trembling from the cold, he approached Liam and asked as he let out a chilly breath, ¡°When are they coming to pick us up?¡± ¡°Seven in the morning,¡± replied Liam.


    Drake whispered, ¡°Does that mean we have to spend the night here?¡± Liam glanced at Maureen, leisurely leading them, and said carelessly, ¡°My little mask wearer has taken the trouble to come all the way here.


    Moreover¡­¡± He looked around, lowered his voice, and added, ¡°I checked ¡ª the only train back home departs at seven in the morning.¡± ¡°Wait¡­,¡± Drake¡¯s drowsy eyes suddenly widened, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me we¡¯re taking a train back.


    What about our private plane?!¡± ¡°Our arrival stirred up my grandfather¡¯s side,¡± Liam pulled out his phone and glanced at it, ¡°Thirty ¡ª now fifty-two missed calls.


    Since I didn¡¯t answer, he cancelled my permissions ¡ª what are you doing, Drake?


    Why is your face like that?


    Are you poisoned?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking for it,¡± Drake retorted, ¡°Wait till you get home and see how you¡¯re dealt with.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my problem,¡± Liam shrugged nonchalantly, seemingly proud of his mischievous actions, ¡°Look at the natural beauty here.


    Without me, you would never have had the chance to appreciate the grandeur of our country!¡± Drake glanced at the surrounding remote countryside, speechless¡­


    Thanks to you, Your Highness, indeed.


    Meanwhile, Maureen entered the courtyard.


    The familiar bamboo tea table, which used to be a staple in the courtyard, had vanished.


    It had been relegated to a corner under the eaves, layered with dust from lack of use.


    The window paper she pasted on the glass window had been torn off, leaving only impressions behind.


    The gardenia tree was also gone, the soil covered with rough, crude marble bricks.


    The earth-red courtyard wall too had been rebuilt.


    To be precise, this plot of land didn¡¯t belong to the grandma and Maureen, but rather to Aunt Eli next door.


    It was previously rented out, but after grandma passed away, Aunt Eli renovated this small courtyard.


    Everything remained the same, but the people were different.


    However, Maureen¡¯s state of mind was completely different from her previous life.


    In her previous life, after her grandma passed away, she returned alone each time.


    Not to mention the time she returned after being diagnosed with a terminal illness, the despair was immeasurable.


    She felt lost amidst the bustling crowd, failing to identify a place where she truly belonged.


    But this time, perhaps due to the presence of a group of friends making banter, the courtyard became lively.


    Maureen¡¯s mood also brightened up, and she was filled with hope for the future.


    Liam walked over carrying his school bag, holding the Maureen steam eye mask in one hand and putting the other hand in his pocket.


    He looked everywhere but at her, nonchalantly saying, ¡°Apply this.


    Your eyes are swollen.¡± Maureen opened the one-time-use eye mask package and found it was a steam eye mask with cut-outs for the eyes, so her eyes could show through.


    After she put it on, Liam glanced at her.


    Maureen had fair skin, black pupils, slender dark eyelashes, and her eye sockets were red like a rabbit¡¯s.


    With the mask on, the two pointed corners of the eye mask lifted up, making her look even more like a dazed rabbit.


    Liam nearly failed to suppress a smile at his usually stoic face.


    ¡°Find this funny?¡± Maureen used her hand to press the warm part of the mask against the area around her eyes, warming her hands.


    She then asked, ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Liam took out another one, ¡°Just bought it randomly.¡± Drake, who was left standing alone in the cold corner: ¡­


    Who was it that had the bus driver wait for half a day at the bus station?


    Liam clumsily tried to open his bag with one hand while holding his textbook with the other.


    Maureen reached out, opened it for him, and stood on her toes to put it on: ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Suddenly, Liam held his breath.


    The air was cold, and Maureen¡¯s fair face appeared even paler.


    Overnight, it seemed her face had narrowed a bit; a mask covered most of it, only her light pink lips and flawless white chin were exposed.


    She leaned in.


    Liam swallowed hard, feeling his blood rushing to his head.


    ¡­..


    Niel, like a large monkey, hopped over and complained: ¡°That¡¯s not fair!


    I too had a bad sleep, Drake was lying across the back seat and numb my legs, I have dark circles under my eyes.


    Why didn¡¯t I get anything?!


    The atmosphere was instantly destroyed.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t your eyes always surrounded with dark circles?!¡± Liam angrily pushed him away: ¡°All gone, only two were left.¡± Niel: ¡°¡­.¡± Maureen, who had just received much help from them last night, felt that she had developed a strong bond with them.


    She removed her own eye mask in a rather embarrassed manner, suggesting, ¡°Would you like to use mine?


    I¡¯ve had enough sleep and my eyes are quite comfortable.¡± Niel was about to happily accept it.


    But Liam ¡°smacked¡± his hand away.


    Liam, in bad humor, grudgingly pulled out another three from his bag.


    ¡°Here.¡± Niel: ¡°???¡± Maureen: ¡°Don¡¯t you only have two???¡± Liam, without blushing or batting an eye, replied, ¡°I forgot I had an extra set.¡± ¡± All five were wearing eye masks, appearing like a band of robbers barging in, which made Aunt Eli, who was washing vegetables in a porcelain basin, jump in surprise.

 Chapter 64 - 64 Remove of Eye masks

    ?Chapter 64: Remove of Eye masks Chapter 64: Remove of Eye masks Maureen quickly removed her eye mask and walked over, ¡°Aunt Eli, it¡¯s me.


    I just came by for a visit.¡± ¡°Is that you, Maureen?!¡± Aunt Eli instantly recognized Maureen, placed the porcelain basin down, and came over to hold her for a closer look, she exclaimed warmly, ¡°Maureen, you¡¯ve become prettier.¡± Aunt Eli, was very hospitable; she insisted all five stay for dinner.


    She also lit the heating stove for everyone to warm their hands.


    After busying herself with preparations, she chatted with Maureen for what felt like a long time.


    Maureen spent a considerable amount of time in her former room, packing all the items she hadn¡¯t managed to bring along before.


    For lunch, they had Aunt Eli¡¯s self-cooked meal.


    Even though the food was hot and steaming, the rice was a bit hard and the taste of the vegetables was average.


    But neither Liam nor Drake complained, and both Niel and Josephine helped Aunt Eli wash dishes actively.


    Before they knew it, afternoon arrived.


    Maureen planned to grave-sweep.


    Apart from Drake, who had particular cold sensitivity and couldn¡¯t stay away from the brazier, the other three joined Maureen on tasks.


    They bought lighters and joss paper of red and green colors from a store in town.


    Carrying them in red plastic bags, they trudged uphill, step deep, step shallow.


    There were many graves on the mountain.


    This small town didn¡¯t have the meticulous order of a big city- graves scattered here and there.


    Maureen¡¯s grandmother¡¯s grave was nested in a remote corner, located on a somewhat steep mound.


    Now when it rained, the ground was slippery, making it easy to slip down accidentally.


    Only ten minutes after finishing the grave worship, Niel and Josephine both slipped.


    Seeing this, Maureen suggested to Josephine, ¡°Why don¡¯t you three go back first?¡± Josephine looked at the mud splattered on her clothes.


    Even if she didn¡¯t want to, she had to go back.


    If she waited a bit longer, the mud would seep into her clothes, making him unimaginably uncomfortable.


    Besides, the grave worship was completed, and they, being outsiders, shouldn¡¯t stay any longer.


    So, Josephine replied, ¡°Then we¡¯ll go first.


    Be careful not to slip.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Maureen nodded.


    Liam pretended not to hear, saying, ¡°I haven¡¯t slipped.


    I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Considering the place was secluded, it wasn¡¯t particularly safe for a girl alone.


    So Niel said, ¡°Then, Liam, stay with Maureen.


    Josephine and I will go first.¡± Once the two men left, the mountain top became quiet in an instant.


    Maureen silently burnt the joss paper.


    Liam stood by, watching her, fiddling with his hair, feeling frustrated and anxious.


    He didn¡¯t know how to console her and even wished he could summon Niel back.


    Maureen lifted her head, gave him a glance, then smiled softly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to comfort me.


    I¡¯m not sad.


    Shall we go back to school tomorrow?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Liam breathed a sigh of relief, about to discuss the arrangements for the train ride back, when suddenly, they both heard a sustained, frantic barking of a dog.


    The barking was horribly menacing, as though at any moment, it would lunge over.


    Taken aback, Maureen quickly placed down the ceremonial money she held and stood up, ¡°When did a dog come to this mountain?!¡± She pulled at Liam¡¯s wrist, intent on running away. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, whether it was Maureen¡¯s imagination or not, Liam was glaring intently at the dog, his body extra stiff, and his hand that she was holding was moist with sweat.


    This was the first time Maureen had ever seen him act like this; his face devoid of any expression and even mingled with a touch of coldness.


    His lips pressed together tightly.


    ¡°Liam!¡± Maureen yelled out, startled by his demeanor.


    Only then did Liam manage to wake up from that state.


    His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed a little, and coming to his senses, he blurted out an ¡°Oh no,¡± and immediately pulled Maureen to start running.


    They were just a moment late, and an enormous dog with snarling teeth and an intimidating stature charged at them head-on.


    The dog was robust, eyes pitch black.


    Its sharp and menacing Fangs closed in, the foul-smelling hot breath was almost hitting their faces.


    Liam stood in front of Maureen.


    Their feet slipped, they lost their balance and in an instant, they slid down the muddy slope.


    The soil was soft, so luckily they weren¡¯t injured.


    However, the dog was about to charge down at them again.


    ¡°Blackie!¡± The dog stops at the call and bares its teeth menacingly at them, looking terrifyingly hostile.


    Shortly after, a local farmer arrives, extending an apologetic hand towards them, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you two students.


    Quick, let me help you up.¡± Liam helped Maureen up, ¡°Did you get hurt when you fell?¡± Maureen shook her head, ¡°No.¡± Liam looked furious, shouting at the middle-aged man who was holding the dog, ¡°Mind your own business!


    Just leash your dog and take it away!¡± By the time Liam and Maureen returned, they were covered in more mud than Josephine and Niel, and looked just like clay figures.


    Aunt Eli was startled and quickly sent them to take showers.


    Maureen was more familiar with the facilities here.


    She showered quickly, changed into the clothes Aunt Eli provided, and came out.


    Liam took a bit longer.


    ¡°You guys encountered a large dog?¡± Drake asked as he came over.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Maureen thought back to Liam¡¯s reaction this afternoon.


    ¡°Does Liam have some trauma related to dogs?¡± His behavior that day was abnormal; even when he came back to shower, he remained silent.


    This was in stark contrast to his usual boisterous demeanor.


    Drake didn¡¯t say anything before Liam, who had just finished his shower, cut in: ¡°Damn it, I¡¯ve caught you red-handed.


    Don¡¯t badmouth me behind my back!¡± With his red hair dripping wet, Liam dragged Maureen behind him in haste, leaving a vast distance between them and Drake.


    He resumed his usual cocky self, glaring at Maureen, ¡°Well done, Little mask-Girl!


    Despite claiming that you only recognize me as your boss, you still talk behind my back with others!¡±

 Chapter 65 - 65 Mike is a small time celebrity

    ?Chapter 65: Mike is a small time celebrity Chapter 65: Mike is a small time celebrity Mike, after all, was a minor celebrity, and his admission to the police station stirred up some news.


    However, before Mike¡¯s agent could prepare for crisis management, the Williams family suppressed the news.


    After all, the incident involved the Williams family¡¯s heir.


    Even though they looked down on an insignificant Z-list celebrity like Mike, the Williams family still didn¡¯t want the incident to become public knowledge.


    Regardless, Mike¡¯s agent was relieved.


    In the hospital, Mike, who was always the last to know, found out that he was blocked by Maureen.


    He couldn¡¯t believe it.


    His fox-like eyes widened as he pointed to his phone and looked at Oliver in shock, ¡°She blocked me?!


    What¡¯s going on, she blocked me?!¡± Seeing Mike still confused about the situation, Oliver didn¡¯t bother to explain.


    He continued to order his assistant to pack up Mike¡¯s things, preparing to leave the hospital.


    Mike¡¯s carefree demeanor sobered a bit, and he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Did Maureen sever ties with the family because of me¡­?


    Because I kept bullying her before?¡± In his heart, Oliver thought, isn¡¯t it because of you?


    Chris, standing at the side, crossed his arms.


    Seeing Mike like this, he felt a little comforted.


    At least Maureen disliked him less than Mike.


    Chris deliberately said¡± Mike, if it¡¯s not because of you, then who?


    I get along well with Maureen.


    Oliver and father are always at the company, so you¡¯re the one who¡¯s always home bullying Maureen¡ªOh, and mother¡ª¡± Mentioning Mrs.


    Smith, Chris shut his mouth, an unhappy expression on his face.


    Hearing Chris¡¯s words, Oliver found some humor in the bitter situation, saying bitterly, ¡°And Chris and I were the first to know about Maureen severing ties with the family.


    You were the last to know.


    Comparing all this, it¡¯s clear whose importance is least.¡± The expression on Mike¡¯s face was absolutely gloomy.


    ¡°Maureen doesn¡¯t appreciate favors.¡± The nurse on the side: ¡°¡­¡± What¡¯s there to compare?


    Mike was helped down from the bed.


    As soon as his right foot neared the floor, he hissed in pain, ¡°Slow down!


    Slow down!¡± He touched the earring that had been ripped off during a fight, flaring up in annoyance, ¡°Those damn juveniles led by the redhead, if I see them again, I¡¯m going to beat them to death.


    And Maureen, whether she is coming back or not, now she¡¯s making a fuss about cutting off contact with her family, perhaps instigated by that redhead!


    After some time, when she comes to her senses, she¡¯ll know to come back!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe that a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl can throw such a huge tantrum!¡± But no one responded after he finished speaking.


    Mike looked up and saw expressions of deep concern and heavy thoughts on both Oliver and Chris¡¯s faces.


    He remembered Maureen¡¯s indifferent gaze at the library on the day, and he couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°¡ªCould it be true?


    She really cut off ties?


    Has she become so rebellious?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Oliver frowned, ¡°Dad got mad at me last night because of this, I don¡¯t even know how to deal with it.¡± Only then did Mike¡¯s expression change.


    He thought for a moment and snorted, ¡°Well, this is a big deal.


    I¡¯m not leaving now, I¡¯ll stay and solve this problem.¡± Chris couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Mike, what can you solve?


    It would be a blessing if you don¡¯t make things worse.¡± Chris originally wanted to return to the hotel, but Oliver said that a family meeting had to be convened because of Maureen.


    He reluctantly got into Oliver¡¯s car.


    As soon as they entered the house, the three brothers felt an unusually heavy atmosphere.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Oliver went over to ask.


    Their mother¡¯s eyes were red and swollen, while their father¡¯s face was ashen. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was Bianca who came over and handed him a piece of paper.


    Oliver took a quick glance and his eyelids twitched.


    It was a letter from a lawyer, urging them to return Maureen¡¯s personal belongings ¡ª including photos, household registration book, and other items as soon as possible.


    They especially emphasized that in the group photo, please crop out Maureen.


    The sender is Daniel, who was the lawyer with Mr.


    Williams whom they had met at the police station that day.


    This lawyer¡¯s letter was like a slap in the face, hitting hard on everyone who thought Maureen would not really leave.


    ¡°I never thought that Maureen was serious¡­¡± Mrs.


    Smith covered her face and started crying again, ¡°When she ran away from home, I scolded her, I thought she was just a kid throwing a tantrum.


    I even thought she was so annoying¡­


    But I didn¡¯t expect her to really sever ties with me.


    How can she be so heartless, she is my flesh and blood¡­¡± ¡°Enough crying!¡± Mr.


    Smith had enough of his wife¡¯s nagging all morning.


    Mike and Chris received the lawyer¡¯s letter and their faces were very ugly.


    After Mrs.


    Smith stopped sobbing, the living room fell silent for a while.


    Everyone was left breathless.


    Mike scratched his silver hair, turned around, and sat down on the sofa, ¡°If you ask me, it¡¯s all that Liam¡¯s fault!


    If Maureen doesn¡¯t come back then let her be, she will return one day¨C¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Mr.


    Smith interrupted him, ¡°Can¡¯t you figure out the current situation?


    Your sister, your own sister, was bullied away by you!¡± ¡°How is this my fault?¡± Mike snapped back angrily, ¡°I just returned, how would I know anything¨C¡± Mr.


    Smith scolded, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t gone to school and badmouthed your sister, would she have done this?!¡± This incensed Mike even more, and he was about to retort but was interrupted by Oliver, who furrowed his brow and said, ¡°Enough.¡± The Smith family was in chaos.


    Bianca seemed to have been ignored by them.


    Bianca stood in the corner, biting her lower lip, her fingernails gradually digging into her palm.


    She had never thought that Maureen¡¯s departure would have such a big impact on the Smith family members.


    Before Maureen arrived, they had all belonged to her alone.


    But unknown to her, Maureen began to carry more weight in their lives.


    ¡­


    Even Mike found it more entertaining to tease the notoriously temperamental Maureen than her.


    Last night Maureen had fully left their home, and when Bianca woke up this morning, she saw Mrs.Smith ordering people to move things.


    She thought they were going to empty Maureen¡¯s room, reverting to its former layout.


    But to her surprise, Mrs.


    Smith decided to keep all of Maureen¡¯s things, and even had them covered with dust cloth, preventing them from gathering dust for when Maureen returned.


    Even though Maureen had made it so clear, this family was still waiting for her to return.


    Mrs.


    Smith even asked her to avoid contact with Maureen at school, in case she upset Maureen.


    Bianca felt as if there was a rock blocking her heart.


    She carefully brought up the dismissed nanny, Auntie Daniel, to Mrs.


    Smith.


    This time, Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s response was very firm, and she clearly lacked patience with the mention of this person: ¡°She bullied Maureen like that, she definitely can¡¯t stay, stop speaking up for her.¡± Bianca only felt that everything in her home was changing.


    Moreover, due to the breach between Maureen and the Smith family in front of the police station last night, this change was rapidly accelerating.


    The balance was tilting towards Maureen all of a sudden.


    ¡°Maybe¡­


    I should just leave this house.¡± Bianca suddenly spoke up, her words breaking the deadlock: ¡°Maureen probably dislikes me, that¡¯s why he doesn¡¯t want to come back.¡± As she stood there, tears large as peas fell down her cheeks, clearly flustered by their quarreling.


    All of the Smith family members looked at her.


    Bianca¡¯s father immediately scolded her: ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?


    Why would you need to leave?


    This is none of your business.


    I promised long ago, our Smith family can still afford to raise one more child.¡± Seeing Bianca¡¯s eyes red-rimmed, Bianca¡¯s mother also felt a pang of sadness.


    Usually, she would rush forward to embrace Bianca.


    However, all last night Mrs.


    Smith had been thinking over and over about the many moments shared with Maureen, and somehow, she felt that by comforting Bianca in this way, she was betraying her own son Maureen.


    This feeling stabbed painfully at her heart.


    Consequently, Mrs.


    Smith moved her fingers slightly but did nothing, only verbally advising: ¡°Yes, don¡¯t speak such nonsense.¡± Covering her face, Bianca¡¯s tears fell through her fingers in big drops.


    Mike, being constantly exposed to women¡¯s crying in the entertainment industry, now saw some subtle changes in Bianca¡¯s eyes.


    At times like this, saying these things, it may sound like she¡¯s very kind-hearted, but somehow- Something seems to be off.


    Mike hasn¡¯t seen Bianca for quite a long time.


    He feels that Bianca seems to have changed from what he remembered of her.


    But soon he started to question whether he was over-thinking.


    He was, after all, using the insights he gained from the entertainment industry to speculate on his own sister.


    Maureen¡¯s gaze, however, is even more subtle.


    In the past, he would feel sorry for Bianca, believing that Maureen stole something from her.


    But after the clash in the Art Department last time, he began to feel that he couldn¡¯t fully understand Bianca anymore.


    Her cries now might not be genuine.


    It could be another strategy.


    Maureen snorted in disdain.


    Bianca: ¡°¡­¡± The whole family: ¡°¡­¡± Mrs.


    Smith explained, ¡°Chris and Bianca are having some disagreements that have not yet been resolved.¡± But at this point, no one had the energy to further probe the dispute between Chris and Bianca.


    Everyone remained silent under this oppressive atmosphere.


    Oliver was called into the study by Mr.


    Smith, who wanted to discuss matters concerning Maureen.


    Only Mike, with his legs crossed, called Chris over after watching Mrs.


    Smith and Bianca go upstairs.


    He rubbed his chin pensively and asked, ¡°Come here and tell me what happened between you and Bianca?¡±

 Chapter 66 - 66 What a weekend

    ?Chapter 66: What a weekend Chapter 66: What a weekend The whole weekend, Ann was dwelling on what had happened the previous Friday.


    She couldn¡¯t fathom it out.


    After school on Friday, she made a special trip to the school¡¯s information department, logged in, and checked the student information for Maureen and Bianca.


    Both showed their birth dates to be on October 14th.


    Why on earth did Maureen tell Liam and the others that her birthday was on October 24th?


    A slip of the tongue?


    Or did she just not want to receive gifts, so she was making things up?


    But Ann had an intuition that things weren¡¯t so simple.


    Deep down, she began to have some doubts about whether Maureen was actually the adoptive daughter or illegitimate child of the Smith family.


    But she wasn¡¯t sure.


    So on Saturday morning, she couldn¡¯t hold back and paid a visit to the villa where the Smith family was living.


    In the past, she often came over, spending time in Bianca¡¯s room.


    The Smith family¡¯s driver and others were familiar with her.


    Combined with the fact that the maid didn¡¯t know about the fallout between her and Bianca and assumed they were still friends, she was allowed to come in after changing her shoes.


    As soon as Ann entered the Smith¡¯s house, she noticed that Mrs.


    Smith was instructing someone to dust Maureen¡¯s room.


    Mrs.


    Smith was also staring blankly at a framed photo of Maureen in the corridor, covering her face and crying.


    What was going on?


    Could she be so heartbroken because Maureen ran away from home?


    Ann was somewhat at a loss.


    Bianca came downstairs, immediately noticing Ann, who was sitting in the living room holding a cup of water.


    Her face changed instantly and she hurriedly approached, ¡°Who let you in?¡± The maid on the side panicked and quickly explained, ¡°Miss, I thought she was your friend.¡± Bianca retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t have a friend as treacherous as a serpent.


    Don¡¯t let her in from now on.¡± Ann was barely seated for two minutes before she was asked to leave.


    However, she didn¡¯t feel surprised, as she was just here to observe the situation.


    As Ann was leaving, she turned her head to sneak a peek inside.


    She saw Bianca reaching out to steady Mrs.


    Smith, only to be gently brushed away.


    Then, Mrs.


    Smith went into the room, leaving Bianca standing outside with a troubled look on her face.


    Seeing Ann still glancing around outside the door, the maids hurried over to shoo her away, ¡°Miss told you to leave at once!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the attitude?¡± Ann murmured, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and quickly leaving.


    She was grappling with the chaotic situation in Smith¡¯s household.


    Maureen was brought back from the countryside only two years ago.


    If her birthday truly wasn¡¯t the same as Bianca¡¯s, it would imply that one of them must be an illegitimate daughter or an adopted child.


    Looking at Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s behavior¡ª Currently, Mrs.


    Smith showed reluctance in parting with Maureen, while Oliver was repeatedly visiting the school to see Maureen.


    It indicated that the Smith family still cared a lot about Maureen¡ªdrawn by inference, Maureen wasn¡¯t the illegitimate daughter.


    However, there was a slight shift in Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s attitude towards Bianca, from initially doting to mild indifference.


    Oliver, too had been ignoring Bianca after school¡ªit could potentially mean that the game-changing event was the realization that Bianca wasn¡¯t their biological daughter?


    Could it be that Bianca was the illegitimate daughter of Mr.


    Smith?


    Ann recklessly made a bunch of assumptions, intuitively certain that she surely guessed some parts correctly.


    She just lacked evidence at the moment.


    ¡­


    Biting her teeth, she felt she couldn¡¯t let this chance slip by; she had to extract some information from either Bianca or Maureen.


    ========= Over on the side of the countryside.


    After descending from the mountain, it became dark in a blink of an eye.


    During dinner, Liam continuously joked around and Maureen wasn¡¯t able to get a word out of Drake.


    Seeing that everyone was curious, especially Niel, who was literally craning his neck to hear about their frightful encounter with the dog.


    Liam slapped his Spoon on the porcelain bowl with a ¡°pah¡±, his face flushed, and indignantly said, ¡°Fine!


    I admit, I¡¯m afraid of dogs.


    Satisfied?!¡± ¡°Oh my god, laugh my head off!¡± Niel laughed uproariously, wondering, ¡± Liam, you¡¯re actually scared of something?!


    What¡¯s there to fear about dogs, such adorable creatures?!


    No wonder you never come to my house; I keep a Husky.


    I will bring it to the school next time for you all to see.


    It¡¯s such an obedient dog that never snarls at people.¡± Liam fumed, standing up to grab Niel¡¯s collar and threatening him ominously, ¡°You dare bring it to school and you¡¯re done for!¡± Niel got scared and began to dodge around the room.


    Happily entertained by this scene, Josephine and Aunt Eli turned their heads to watch the duo while holding their bowls.


    For a moment, the air was filled with mirth and laughter.


    But when Maureen thought of Liam¡¯s unusual behavior at that time, she couldn¡¯t laugh.


    She was worried but she didn¡¯t know whether to ask or not.


    She turned her head to stare at Liam for a while, she couldn¡¯t help but say to Niel who was running around in fear: ¡°Being afraid of dogs isn¡¯t something shameful.


    I am afraid of them too.


    Hurry up and sit down for dinner before it gets cold.¡± Seeing this, Aunt Eli handed a piece of bamboo shit to Liam whom she thought was the most handsome among the boys.


    ¡°This is our local specialty.


    Mr.


    Liam from the city must not have tasted it before living.


    Try some.¡± Liam looked at the dark piece of bamboo shoot, trying hard not to show his dislike.


    ¡°No, thank you.¡± ¡°Come on, just try a piece.¡± Aunt Eli persistently offered with her Spoon.


    Liam simply moved away his bowl, ¡°Auntie, I never eat this.¡± Maureen broke the stalemate, picked up a small piece and placed it in Liam¡¯s bowl, whispering: ¡± Just try a bit to appreciate Aunt Eli¡¯s goodwill, if you are not allergic.¡± It was the first time Maureen served Liam food and moreover, she was whispering softly, he glanced at Maureen, his ears turned hot instantly.


    Pretending reluctantly, he picked up the piece of bamboo shoot and put it into his mouth, chewed slowly: ¡°All right then, I¡¯ll reluctantly give it a try.¡± Aunt Eli who was still holding the Spoon.


    The meal was finished amid the bustle.


    Maureen and Josephine shared a room.


    Because of the hard journey to get here, and excessive fatigue during the day, everyone soon fell asleep.


    Josephine was even so tired that she started to snore quietly.


    Maureen couldn¡¯t sleep, so she put on her clothes and went out, carefully continuing to pack the sewing kits and other things that her grandmother used before.


    The moonlight was deep and long, painting the night with a blanket of tranquility and giving Maureen some time to buffer her emotions.


    Silently, she missed her grandmother in her heart, telling her, ¡°In this life, I will live well.


    Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± The next day, the sunlight penetrated the thin mist, illuminating the earth below, signaling the start of a new day.


    A group of them skipped classes and took the train back to the city.


    After a fourteen-hour train journey, they emerged from the train station, groggy and disoriented, to the surrounding lights brightly lit at around nine in the evening.


    Glancing at the time, Maureen jerks awake, realizing she had nearly forgotten about Uncle Donald and his family returning to the country!


    The flight that the Donald family was on was due to land around ten in the evening, leaving her with an hour to rush to the airport.


    In a hurry, Maureen took her schoolbag from Liam: ¡°I nearly forgot, I need to pick up some elders at the airport!¡± Niel drove his car over from the parking lot and stopped in front of them: ¡°Let¡¯s go, Maureen.


    I had someone park the car here.


    I¡¯ll take you to the airport, and then drop Josephine and Drake home.¡± He looked at Josephine and Drake: ¡°You guys are not in a hurry, right?


    If not, have a nap in the car.¡± Josephine yawned and climbed into the car: ¡°I¡¯m so tired.


    I¡¯ll get in first.¡± Maureen felt it would be too much trouble for Niel ¨C he had also sat on the train for more than ten hours without proper rest.


    She hurriedly said: ¡°The route to the airport is quite a detour, you don¡¯t have to drop me off!


    I can go myself ¨C ¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to do what?!¡± Liam cut Maureen off impulsively.


    ¡°On your own late at night?


    You want some unlicensed cab to take you out into the sticks and sell you off?¡± He lifted his hand and adjusted Maureen¡¯s scarf, then held her shoulders and turned her in a circle.


    Maureen was a bit dizzy and was only just starting to react when Liam had already opened the car door and pushed her in.


    Maureen: ¡°Drake shot a glance at Liam and gave him a pat on the shoulder, whispering, ¡°Good luck.¡± He then turned around without any hesitation and climbed into the front passenger seat.


    Just as Liam was about to close the car door, Maureen grabbed it. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Afraid that he would shut it, she stuck her foot in the door and hastily looked up and asked, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll wait for my family to pick me up, there¡¯s no way I would squeeze with you guys in this small old car.


    Look at Niel¡¯s car, it¡¯s been parked outside for a night and is now covered in dust.¡± Liam stuffed his hands in his pockets, showing a clear look of disdain on his face and looked at Maureen, ¡°What, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re worried for me¨C¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Maureen said, ¡°I am worried for you.¡± ¡± Unable to help himself, Liam swallowed.


    His heart started pounding as his gaze fell on Maureen¡¯s face.


    She was worried about him.


    Liam wanted to smile, but then he was afraid that it would be noticed.


    He quickly licked his back molars and averted his gaze, suddenly turning icy cold: ¡°Psh, there¡¯s nothing to worry about for me.¡± Maureen asked, ¡°You¡¯ve privately moved a private plane and skipped class, won¡¯t your parents scold you?¡± Liam¡¯s Adams apple bobbed.


    He reached out to pat Maureen¡¯s head, gloating, ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s not a big deal.


    I¡¯m the only heir in my family, how could they blame me for such a trifle?¡± ¡°Little Mask, you should go now, or you¡¯ll miss your schedule.¡± Maureen looked at him for a while before finally retracting her foot, ¡°Alright then, be careful when you¡¯re alone.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Liam¡¯s lips curved up, trying his hardest to hide his embarrassment from her.


    With a gentle push, Liam closed the car door.


    Maureen looked back.


    The dim lights of the night cast a shadow upon Liam.


    The boy¡¯s figure was tall and slender as he waved at her.


    As the group departed, a black limousine slowly pulled up.

 Chapter 67 - 67 One Lamp lit

    ?Chapter 67: One Lamp lit Chapter 67: One Lamp lit Half an hour later, at the Williams family mansion.


    All the lights under the eaves were on.


    An elderly man with clear wrinkles was playing chess, making Liam jump with each move.


    Seeing Liam¡¯s red hair bouncing like a blazing fireball, Attorney Daniel and the butler¡¯s lips trembled.


    They watched as Liam fled for his life and was chased out of the house late at night, then into the yard.


    In the end, in his panic, he hopped onto a rockery.


    Liam clung to the mock mountain, swiveling his head to glower at the old master, furiously exclaiming, ¡°I am fond of her!


    If you dare lay a finger on her, I will jump off a building immediately!


    I will leap from here ¡ª no, I will leap from the Williams Corporation Building!


    I will make the Williams Corp¡¯s stocks plummet!¡± The old master¡¯s blood pressure surged in anger.


    Previously oblivious, as Liam spent his time at school.


    Despite his constant fights and troubles, he had thankfully avoided significant calamity.


    However, that changed the night before when he ended up in the police station.


    The news was no longer concealable and reached his ears.


    Immediately, he had people bring Liam back, only to find the boy causing even greater commotion, even using a private plane!


    Just to pursue a romance with a young girl?!


    ¡°Why would I touch her?


    It¡¯s you I want to deal with!


    You little brat, I feel like beating you to death!¡± Rolling up his sleeves, the old master began climbing the mock mountain in a fit of rage, ¡°You claim to like her, but does she reciprocate your feelings?


    You¡¯re trapped in unrequited love.


    You¡¯re undeserving to be part of my Williams family!¡± Seeing this, the lawyer Daniel and the butler hastily helped the old sir down, ¡°This is not advisable.


    What if you fall?¡± Piecing together a few labored breaths below, while clutching the chessboard, the old master growled.


    ¡°My feelings for her are not unrequited, we¡¯re both in love!¡± Fuming, the old master retorts, ¡°Both in love, my foot!¡± Perched above, Liam boldly asserted, ¡°If you kill me, there won¡¯t be anyone to inherit the family¡¯s wealth.¡± The old master could not bear the likes of Demon, and his feelings were evident.


    Trembling with fury, the old master pointed at Liam with the chessboard: ¡°If your brother were alive, would you have even had a chance to inherit?


    You caused the death of your father and brother yet have the audacity to continue their legacy!


    If it weren¡¯t for you, your brother may still be alive.


    He was my most promising grandson.


    Do you think you could touch a dime if he were still around?¡± Liam stiffened for a moment before quickly reverting to his normal state, ¡°There¡¯s no big brother now, only me.


    You have no choice.¡± The old man was flustered and exasperated, throwing the chessboard aside.


    He seized a stack of photos wrapped in brown paper from the attorney, Daniel, and tossed it towards the artificial hill, ¡°I honestly don¡¯t care about you anymore, but you better get your facts clear.


    Don¡¯t be dimwitted enough to help someone whilst they exploit you.¡± Liam hopped down from the artificial hill and picked up the items the old man had thrown at him, but didn¡¯t even bother opening them.


    He casually threw them back to attorney Daniel, ¡°What¡¯s this?


    I¡¯m not interested.


    Most definitely another attempt to cause a misunderstanding between me and Maureen.


    I don¡¯t believe it, I only trust what I see.¡± The old man¡¯s face was ashen, ¡°Get out!


    Leave my place within a minute!


    Go back to your own house, I don¡¯t want to see you!¡± Attorney Daniel quickly caught sight of Liam limping down from the artificial hill.


    He couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°The young master was hit several times earlier.


    His back and leg are probably bruised.


    Should we get a private doctor to apply for some medication first?¡± ¡°Serves him right,¡± the old man cursed at Liam.


    ¡°Your brother is dead.


    What¡¯s wrong with you getting hurt?¡± With that said, the old man walked away infuriated.


    Attorney Daniel looked back at Liam.


    Liam, still and silent, stood there head bowed, a layer of frost resting on his short hair, looking extremely worn out.


    He silently spun around, intending to leave.


    But the moment he turned, perhaps pulling the wound on his back, he grimaced in pain, unable to suppress a hiss of discomfort.


    Attorney Daniel could not resist advising, ¡°You better not move.


    Let me drive you home.


    Rest for a while.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Liam swiped his hand across his face, replied in a relaxed tone, ¡°Thanks, Attorney Daniel.¡± Attorney Daniel shook his head and sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll go bring the car around.¡± Attorney Daniel stepped back with long strides and headed to drive the car.


    His assistant, who had followed him for many years, was visiting the Williams estate for the first time and witnessing such a tense scene.


    He couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard, whispering, ¡°I thought this grandfather-grandson duo were just kidding around ¨C jumping around and playing.


    How is it that the old man really hit him?


    If I were hit like that, all my bones would break, plus he never hit the face, only where clothes were covering.¡± Attorney Daniel replied, ¡°Hit the face?


    If Liam leaves the Williams estate with a bruised face, wouldn¡¯t it make the news tomorrow?¡± The assistant continued to question: ¡°Does that mean he has to hit as hard as if the young master were his enemy?


    Liam can hardly walk.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not exactly an enemy, the old man still treats him as his grandson, but there¡¯s a barrier they¡¯ve been stuck on for years.


    Anyway¡­¡± Attorney Daniel shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t ask anymore, the more you know, the sooner you die, understand?¡± The assistant quickly shut his mouth and dared not ask any further.


    Attorney Daniel drove Liam home.


    He couldn¡¯t help but glance a few times at Liam, who was quietly recuperating, through his rearview mirror.


    This young man had changed a lot.


    He still remembered the first time they met.


    Back then, he was a newbie in the legal profession, accompanying his boss to handle the Williams family¡¯s affairs.


    At that time, Liam was only thirteen years old, and his elder brother, Nelson, was eighteen.


    Both brothers were well-behaved, humble, and polite.


    Anyone who came in contact with them would feel welcome and pleased.


    At thirteen, Liam was still a child with bright, innocent eyes.


    Unschooled in worldly matters, when he knocked into a golf caddy at the golf course, he promptly helped the caddy up and apologized.


    Like his elder brother, Nelson, Liam had short, black hair that gave him the look of a clean and tall poplar tree.


    But then, that incident happened.


    It was quite a sensation at that time, as it was audacious for kidnappers to dare to abduct the two heirs of the Williams family and publicly demand that his father personally bring the ransom to retrieve his sons.


    The incident almost made headlines, but was suppressed by the Williams family¡¯s money due to bad publicity.


    Only rumors about the incident circulated privately.


    Exactly what transpired during the kidnapping, even Lawyer Daniel, who is considered a close confidante of the Williams family, didn¡¯t have a clear understanding.


    However, he knew that Mr..


    Williams who went to pay the ransom didn¡¯t return, neither did Nelson.


    They both died there, their bodies gruesomely mangled.


    This was because one person managed to escape, which led the gang to vengefully kill the remaining captives.


    Only Liam managed to return.


    Presumably something occurred during the kidnapping.


    Upon his return, Liam not only didn¡¯t receive comfort or embrace, but also was forgiven by his grandfather and mother.


    Back then, the old man even gave him two choices: either to take the money and leave, or to stay and clean up the mess.


    Liam seemed to have chosen the latter.


    When Lawyer Daniel next met Liam, it was already the beginning of the current year.


    Liam, now eighteen, had grown into a young man completely different from his brother in his formative years.


    His hair dyed red, his learning sporadic, as if he fished for three days and sunbathed for two.


    There was no trace of the boy from his past.


    ¡­


    Suddenly, Liam opened his eyes, prompting Lawyer Daniel to hastily avert his gaze.


    The vehicle moved into a luxurious villa under the cover of night.


    Several cars were parked outside the villa, one of which bore the license plate of Liam¡¯s mother.


    ¡°Mistress has returned?¡± Lawyer Daniel glanced over, his brow furrowing.


    ¡°Those who are bound to arrive, will arrive,¡± Liam sprang to life, rolled his shoulders, and briskly exited the car after pushing the door open.


    He took two steps forward, heaved a deep breath, and took larger paces.


    That way, his wound would be disturbed less. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The villa was chilled to the bone, lacking even a single framed photo.


    The lights were equally cold.


    In the living room, only one lamp was lit.

 Chapter 68 - 68 Makeup

    ?Chapter 68: Makeup Chapter 68: Makeup A lady, her makeup meticulously done, sat on the sofa with crossed arms.


    On hearing his footsteps, she shot a glance and said coldly, ¡°So you finally remembered to come back?


    I heard you even went to the police station, really impressive.¡± Liam didn¡¯t answer and headed for his room upstairs.


    The next moment, a glass cup shattered on the floor right before him with a ¡°bang,¡± shattering into pieces.


    Shards of glass scattered everywhere, narrowly brushing past the back of Liam¡¯s hand.


    Liam flinched, and the two servants in the corner, who had narrowly escaped injury, hastily stepped out of the way.


    ¡°Both of you,¡± Liam told them.


    ¡°Thanks you, young sir,¡± they hurriedly dashed into the kitchen.


    ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± Liam wheeled around, frustration tinging his voice.


    ¡°I went to the police station, but Lawyer Daniel bailed me out.


    It wasn¡¯t your problem!


    I used a private aircraft, which belongs to me, so that¡¯s also not your problem!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who got your dad and brother killed!


    And you still dare to talk back!


    Can you still face yourself so happily?!


    ¡± Mrs.


    Monica bit back angrily, ¡°Can you still fancy dating?


    Are you this happy because you¡¯ve already forgotten what you did to them?!¡± Liam clenched his fists.


    Mrs.


    Monica got closer and closer, her gaze unyielding on the teenager before her, who remarkably resembled her late husband.


    Her voice trembled with sorrow and accusation, ¡°Why did you survive alone?¡± ¡°Do you feel happy, being the only one to survive?¡± ¡°Why did you run so slow on a road without any ditches or obstacles?¡± ¡°Do you know that it¡¯s because of you that your father and brother are dead?


    Your father loved you so much, but he died on your account.


    Two lives for one, is it worth it?¡± Liam¡¯s temples started throbbing: ¡°Have you taken your medicine?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t take it!


    If you send me to the hospital, you will only forget about all these things, right?


    You have to remember your mistakes forever!¡± Seeing his face turn ashen, she stood in his path as he tried to leave in anger, ¡°Just can¡¯t take a few words?


    Your brother and father are dead.


    Have you ever thought if they are cold in the ground?¡± After a long pause, Liam swallowed his fury, didn¡¯t utter a word, and turned to go upstairs.


    Mrs.


    Monica continued ranting behind him, but he chose to ignore her.


    ¡­


    After messing around on the green-skin train for a night, Liam was extremely tired and fell asleep as soon as he lay down on the bed.


    He started to blur the lines between dream and reality.


    ¡­


    He was running.


    The sound of the wind whizzed past his ear, nearly cutting off half of it.


    On the pitch-black night, the moon was very large and close to the ground, as if it could swallow everything.


    It was very cold, his fingers were cracking, the corners of his mouth swelled, his face was full of blood, and he ran desperately forward.


    The frantic sense of urgency from his dream had him soaked in perspiration all over.


    Suddenly, barking noises filled the air.


    The overlapping sounds weren¡¯t from just one dog, but a pack of starving, relentless hounds that emerged out of the black night, chasing him down.


    He could almost feel their foul breath near his ear.


    Liam had no wish to stumble, but a vicious bite at his ankle and the ensuing intense pain quickly set in and he fell to the ground, his elbows scraped raw from the crash.


    The sharp pain spread across his body in a series of twitching spasms.


    His father risked his life to untie the ropes binding his hands, buying him precious time to escape through the ventilation duct and seek help as quickly as possible.


    He had run a long way until his lungs felt they would burst.


    Suddenly, he was dragged back by the pack of starving dogs.


    Liam was in tears, breathless from crying, desperate to reclaim his leg and run towards safety¡ª But there was no time, and he was too late.


    It was his delay.


    Everything was too late.


    In the end, two lifeless bodies lay across the ground.


    Drenched in cold sweat, Liam abruptly woke up from his nightmare and sat up panting heavily.


    Large beads of sweat dripped from his fiery red hair.


    After realizing it was yet another nightmare, Liam wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, gulped down his saliva, and gradually calmed down.


    He sat motionless for a while, reluctantly straightening his body to retrieve two white bottles from his bedside table and twisted the caps off.


    He poured out a few pills and swallowed them down without water.


    However, sleep still refused to descend.


    He always found it difficult to fall asleep at night, as nightmares would ensue as soon as he did.


    The intermittent sound of crying began to echo in his ears again, at first, Liam thought he was dreaming again.


    But he wasn¡¯t.


    The crying came from his mother¡¯s room.


    His mother often cried in the middle of the night, she had mild bipolar disorder, but she always managed to escape from the hospital.


    After a while of crying, she came over and knocked on Liam¡¯s door.


    The sounds of despairing sobs and repeated inquisitions echoed outside Liam¡¯s room: ¡°Why are you the only one who survived?¡± ¡°Why, even when your father asked you to get help, did you take so long?¡± ¡­


    Liam listened silently.


    After a while, outside the room, his mother slowly squatted down, covering her face and sobbing, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Liam, mom is sorry.


    But mom is really distressed.


    Will you make mom feel a bit better?


    Don¡¯t forget about your brother ¨C they all have forgotten him.


    No one remembers him anymore, but you cannot forget him.¡± Liam remained silent.


    After a while, his mother seemed to have sobered up a bit, and fumbling left, her crying intermittently.


    Liam glanced outside the window.


    The morning fog was hazy.


    Another night passed, and the day was about to break.


    His mother has been blaming him all these years, feeling that he was the only one who managed to escape.


    But sometimes, Liam would also think, if he ran a bit faster at that time, was a bit stronger, showed more courage and did not take a detour because of those wild dogs, even if it means being bitten badly ¨C maybe things would be different.


    Everyone at home felt that he and his brother looked too similar ¨C the same face, same black hair, same personality.


    Every time they saw him, they were reminded that Nelson and his dad were dead.


    The only one who survived was Liam, who was the weakest.


    As a result, everyone did not want to look at him again.


    After he turned thirteen, his mother always stared at him with eyes full of hatred, hating that he looked too much like Nelson.


    So he dyed his hair red.


    But, his hatred hated him even more for not resembling Nelson any longer.


    His mother could no longer find traces of Nelson and her husband in him, so she bought Demon over.


    ¡­


    Liam lay down again, hands under his head as a pillow, staring at the ceiling, his whole body covered in cold sweat for a while.


    He strived to visualize Maureen¡¯s face in his mind.


    ¨C Those sparkling, clear, and pure eyes when they looked at him.


    He tried hard to let her smile flood his mind, to let the words she said and her voice linger around his ears.


    ¨C ¡°My name is Maureen Smith, I just transferred from the ordinary class six.¡± ¨C ¡°Can I run for him?¡± ¡­


    Little Mask liked him .


    Little Mask cared about him.


    At least he had Little Mask.


    After many repetitions, the turmoil in his heart gradually began to calm down.


    In Liam¡¯s heart, suddenly a frenzy surged, a desperate longing to see Maureen.


    That desire burned brightly every night, but tonight it was even more intense.


    If Maureen knew about this, would she blame him?


    Would she still say to him, ¡®I¡¯m really worried about you¡¯?


    Liam couldn¡¯t be sure.


    He couldn¡¯t help but get up and put on his shoes, put on his coat, he climbed out of the window, his mind completely blank while doing this, he was like a person about to freeze to death, eager to head towards the blazing firelight.


    He drove away one of his family¡¯s cars.


    The sky was still dark in the wee hours of the morning, the whole world was not yet awake.


    Liam dashed all the way to the dormitory building of the school.


    His cheeks were frozen white, gasping for air.


    Only when he saw the iron gate did he realize that there was a security system for the dormitory building where Maureen lived.


    His steps halted. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Outside the guard room, a warm yellow light stretched his shadow long.


    White mist huffed out from his mouth, his eyelashes seemed to have frosted over with the cold.


    Standing dazedly for a while, Liam deflated, slumped down onto the flowerbed next to him, worn out.


    He wanted to wait for Maureen to wake up, wanted to see her as soon as she came down from her dorm, and wanted to see her earlier.


    Nobody liked him, they all disliked him.


    But as long as Maureen liked him, he was not afraid

 Chapter 69 - 69 Diligent

    ?Chapter 69: Diligent Chapter 69: Diligent Maureen has always been diligent in getting up early.


    The sky was barely lit, and everything around her was deadly silent.


    Carrying her backpack, she stepped out and received keys from the dormitory lady to open the steel gate.


    As soon as she unlocked the gate, she noticed a tall figure outside.


    ¡°Hey, Liam, why are you here so early?


    Didn¡¯t you sleep last night?¡± Maureen bounded down the steps, quickly ran down, flicked away the bangs from her forehead, and asked, ¡°Is there something urgent?¡± ¡°How could I not get any sleep?!¡± Liam, with a ¡®do you take me for an IronMan, you little fool?¡¯ expression, stated, ¡°I fell asleep as soon as I got home from the train station yesterday.


    Since I fell asleep early, I woke up early today.


    Having nothing to do, I came out for a walk and happened to pass by your dormitory building.¡± Maureen asked, ¡°Did you manage to receive your relatives yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± As soon as Maureen mentioned Donald¡¯s family, the corners of her lips couldn¡¯t help but curve upward.


    Even though they hadn¡¯t seen each other for two years, when she met them again, she didn¡¯t feel awkward.


    Both Aunt Donald and Uncle Donald had gained some weight, but Laurel had lost some.


    ¡°They¡¯ve settled in somewhere now, after school today, I¡¯ll go to dine with them.


    Laurel will transfer to our school after a period,¡± she said.


    ¡°Who?¡± ¡± Laurel.¡± Looking at Maureen¡¯s excited and joyful expression, Liam tried hard to disguise his jealousy.


    He casually asked, ¡°Male or female?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a boy, a year younger than me.


    He¡¯s our former neighbor.¡± Liam suddenly asked, ¡°Do you like him?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?


    He¡¯s just a neighbor,¡± Maureen frowned at Liam.


    Moreover, she strongly suspected whether Liam, such a single-cell school bully, even understood what ¡®liking¡¯ was.


    Last time during a music class, when a girl gave him an origami crane, he fiercely asked her if she wanted to pick a fight.


    Liam was too naive.


    ¡°Do you think he likes you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like him,¡± Maureen admitted helplessly.


    ¡°I just want to study hard right now.


    You know the situation in my family.


    I am not just Maureen, I am Maureen.


    I must raise my grades to a higher level.¡± Liam received the gratifying answer he wanted, trying hard to control his apparent joy.


    He thought smugly, claiming to study hard was just an excuse.


    She had obviously developed feelings for him.


    Seeing this, Liam, one hand in his pocket, turned his head and coldly handed Maureen a bag full of breakfast.


    Maureen was surprised, took the brown paper bag and saw McDonald¡¯s along with several other breakfast items inside.


    She looked up at Liam incredulously and asked, ¡°For me?


    Are pigs flying?¡± Seeing the morning cold radiating from Liam, his hair still covered with dew, her heart skipped a beat, ¡°You¡­


    did you bring this all the way to me this early in the morning?¡±.


    ¡°What do you mean all the way?


    Liam, why are you so conceited?¡± Liam¡¯s fair neck turned red, and he immediately became agitated, ¡°My driver bought a lot.


    I couldn¡¯t finish it and wanted you to help me get rid of the rest.


    I¡¯m too tired, you take it to the classroom and give it to Niel and the others.


    ¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Maureen looked at the obviously oversized portion in her hand and realized that she might have just been too self-centered.


    Liam, a typical rich young man who could command a helicopter by lifting a finger, would do anything for his friends, but he would go insane before delivering breakfast to a girl¡¯s dormitory early in the morning.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just take it to the classroom?¡± Maureen asked. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Liam asked, ¡°Is it wrong for me to come by and pick up the clothes I put in your backpack yesterday?¡± Yesterday, everyone¡¯s coats were soiled by mud, so they casually bought a few sets of clothes in town.


    While others carried their own dirty clothes, Liam was too lazy to do so.


    He stuffed his dirty coat wrapped in a plastic bag into Maureen¡¯s backpack.


    Maureen remembered and grumbled, ¡°I thought you would just throw that coat away.¡± Just for a piece of dirty clothing, was it necessary for him to make a special trip to fetch it?


    It made her feel like she had overthought, assuming he had specially brought her breakfast.


    ¡°It was really expensive, okay?¡± Liam retorted angrily.


    ¡°When you get home, carefully check the brand on the label, it costs over 30,000 per piece!


    Why else would I be here if not for the clothes¨C¡± ¡°Ah, ah, ah, I know it¡¯s expensive, shut up.¡± Maureen, yelled at until her ears tingled, glanced at the crowd around her, turned and ran upstairs.


    ¡°Fine, fine, fine, I¡¯ll go get it now.¡± As Liam watched her dash away, her backpack bobbing back and forth, he couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Only when Maureen brought down the clothes, carrying them in a bag, did Liam feel satisfied.


    The two walked towards the classroom in the morning fog.


    After Maureen entered the classroom, she hurriedly opened her textbooks, reading while eating.


    She didn¡¯t eat much, leaving the rest of her breakfast on Niel¡¯s desk.


    The qualification for the inter-school competition was hard-won, she had to prepare properly and couldn¡¯t waste this opportunity.


    Regardless of whether she would win a prize at the end, she had to pass the final selection.


    Seeing that she only ate a few bites, Liam was extremely unhappy about the waste.


    Considering she was studying intensely, he decided not to disturb her.


    He sat on the side, observing her for a moment before he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°When will you join the training camp for the Hundred Schools League?¡± Seeing the date on her phone, Maureen replied, ¡°I have to go to the training on October 23rd for ten days.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ll end up spending your birthday at the training camp?¡± Maureen was taken aback, looking at Liam in surprise.


    She had casually mentioned the date once, and he actually remembered it?


    She didn¡¯t expect that his memory would be so sharp, even though he always slept during the day and had relatively poor academic performance.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see when the time comes.


    It doesn¡¯t matter whether I celebrate it or not,¡± Maureen said indifferently.


    ¡°You all accompanying me to visit my grandmother¡¯s grave was the best birthday gift.¡± Liam replied, ¡°Then we¡¯ll find a solution when the time comes.¡± He thought to himself that he could possibly go to the training camp on that day as well.


    But this was meant to be a surprise, so Liam did not plan to reveal it just now.


    Pausing for a moment, Liam flipped the pages of a book and continued staring at Maureen.


    ¡°Maureen felt uncomfortable under his gaze, she turned her head and looked at him in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s up?


    Aren¡¯t you sleeping this morning?¡± Previously, the first thing Liam would do when he arrived at school each morning was doze off on the table, never in high spirits.


    What was happening today?


    He seemed exceptionally talkative?


    And the way he looked at her, it felt like he was expecting her to say something.


    Liam thought that Maureen would add, ¡®Your birthday is coming soon, I can celebrate it for you.¡¯ But after waiting for a while, Maureen didn¡¯t utter a word.


    He stared at Maureen, thinking suspiciously, could it be that the young mask had forgotten his birthday?


    Impossible.


    Who wouldn¡¯t remember the birthday of the person they liked?


    Moreover, on that day, he specifically insinuated Niel and emphasized it twice.


    Perhaps Maureen just wanted to surprise him, pretending she can¡¯t remember this matter on purpose.


    ¡°Nothing much,¡± Liam thought, curling his lips, his heart full of anticipation.


    ¡°I said, I had a good night¡¯s rest.

 Chapter 70 - 70 Fast and Rapidly

    ?Chapter 70: Fast and Rapidly Chapter 70: Fast and Rapidly He pulled out the noise-cancelling headphones that had been recharged, put them on, then took out his small pillow and lay on the desk.


    Just as his gaze aimlessly drifted towards the window, he saw the group from the school competition team walking past outside the window.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if it was his misperception, but it seemed that recently the school competition team was always coming up from the corridor to the right of the international class?


    Obviously, it was most convenient for the gold medal class to take the left corridor.


    Moreover, they used to take the left side corridor too. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But now, this caused the frequency at which this group appeared outside the international class corridor to be particularly high.


    Even Liam, someone who never cares about others and is indifferent to others, has noticed this.


    The individual leading is called Richard Lincoln?


    Each time he passes by, he always glances this way.


    Liam slightly raises his head, his dark eyes flashing irritably, icily returning the glance.


    ¡°What happened to your hand?¡± A voice suddenly comes from Maureen by his side.


    Maureen, holding a neutral pen, looks at Liam¡¯s hand resting on the table, puzzled.


    Because the hand is on the table, the sleeve rides up slightly, showing a small bruise at the wrist.


    If it were anyone else, Maureen might not have noticed.


    But Liam¡¯s skin is so fair that his complexion appears icy.


    The bruise on him stands out much more apparently.


    ¡°Liam returns to his senses and quickly pulls his sleeve back down to hide the bruise.


    Seeing Maureen still looking at him, he raises an eyebrow, ¡°Isn¡¯t it from the dog chase on the mountain with you?


    I fell.¡± Maureen: ¡°Fell the day before yesterday?


    I don¡¯t recall seeing it on the train ride home yesterday.¡± Liam answers, ¡°You were drowsy on the train.


    How could you remember clearly?¡± ¡°All right.¡± Maureen doesn¡¯t ask any further.


    She pulls out some medicated alcohol from the drawer that was left over from last time, ¡°Give me your hand.¡± Liam thought familiarity breeds numbness, that he got past the awkwardness when she applied medicine to him before at the library door.


    He wouldn¡¯t stiffen up this second time.


    But unexpectedly, his heart still races wildly in the heat of the moment.


    Maureen poured a bit of medicinal alcohol onto the bruise on his wrist, then rubbed it with the palm of her hand.


    Liam watched her, his gaze landing on her slightly pursed lips.


    It felt as if a source of light had fallen into a dark corner of his heart, illuminating and warming it.


    His entire being was about to melt from this warmth.


    Liam curved up the corners of his mouth.


    Maureen, assuming he was about to say something silly like ¡°scars are the medals of a man¡±, immediately said without thinking: ¡°Shut up, be quiet.¡± Liam: ¡°¡­¡± Liam couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡­


    Maureen suspected that his bruises were not limited to the ones on his wrist, she grabbed his sleeve, hoping to push it up when he wasn¡¯t paying attention.


    However, Liam was extremely alert and swiftly pulled his hand back in time.


    Maureen then, taking advantage of the classroom still being empty, tried to peel off his jacket.


    Liam, nearly jumping onto the table, retreated quickly towards the wall.


    He crossed his arms over his chest, looking like he was defending his innocence, his face flushed as he stammered, ¡°Wh-what are you trying to do this early in the morning?¡± No wonder she was called little mask, she was so aggressive from the get-go.


    ¡°Forget it, if there are any left, deal with them yourself.¡± Maureen, annoyed, spoke her irritation.


    Why did this Liam always act as if she were trying to take advantage of him?


    She never even thought about it, okay?


    But anyway, there probably isn¡¯t much difference anywhere else.


    Maureen was certain that the small slope they had fallen from was very soft; she didn¡¯t injure herself at all.


    ¡°Take it.¡± Maureen pushed a medicinal liquor onto Liam¡¯s table.


    Liam, for his part, didn¡¯t seem to mind her gruffness; it even seemed like he was used to and indulged her occasional ¡®insubordination.¡¯ Liam picked up the medicinal liquor himself and leisurely headed to the bathroom.


    After eight o¡¯clock, students from the international class began trickling into the classroom.


    When Niel entered, he was huddled over and checked left and right to ensure no teachers were nearby before sneaking in, he looked super secretive.


    ¡°Has Liam arrived?¡± he noticed that someone had clearly been sitting in Liam¡¯s seat, but the person was no longer there.


    Without lifting her head, Maureen continued solving problems, ¡°He¡¯s gone to the bathroom.¡± ¡°Maureen, come here.¡± Niel said excitedly in a low voice, ¡°I have something precious to show you.¡± His words gave Maureen the shivers, she put down her pen and turned to look at him contemptuous.


    She saw Niel glance left and right, then slowly and excitedly lifted the coat he was holding¡ª There was a sudden ¡°woof woof¡± from his embrace!


    Inside was a two or three months old Siberian husky that was about the size of a pillow, its black and white fur was absolutely adorable.


    It tilted its head, looking firmly at Maureen.


    It was simply too cute for words.


    Maureen¡¯s eyes lit up, she reached out to pet the little dog¡¯s head and the dog didn¡¯t bite her.


    It looked at her curiously, then licked her palm gently.


    Many classmates who had entered the classroom also looked over, several girls looked excited.


    Maureen asked, ¡°Where did you get it?¡± ¡°My family¡¯s Siberian Husky gave birth to it.¡± Niel said, ¡°I just found out recently that our Liam is scared of dogs.


    This weakness isn¡¯t very Liam-like, right?


    Wait till the people in the Changqing class hear about this, they will laugh at him.


    So, I brought over a little puppy for him to get acquainted with.


    Perhaps after spending time with a gentle puppy that doesn¡¯t bite, he¡¯ll get over his fear of dogs¡­¡± Maureen initially thought that Niel found the dog at the school and was planning to give it away later.


    Surprisingly, he had specially brought it for Liam.


    She disagreed, remarking, ¡°I think you should just drop it.


    He said he¡¯s afraid of dogs, why do you insist on him overcoming it¨C¡± Before she could finish speaking, Liam walked in through the rear door of the classroom, and in his hand was a bottle of medicinal liquor.


    His gaze slowly fell on the dog in Niel¡¯s arms.


    His adam¡¯s apple moved visibly, and his face changed suddenly.


    ¡°Liam, look!¡± Unaware of the risks, Niel held out the dog towards Liam.


    The little dog was eager, attempting to pounce on Liam.


    For a moment, Maureen wasn¡¯t sure if it was her imagination, but she saw on Liam¡¯s face a look of fear that was almost petrifying, as though he was returning to a nightmare.


    It was a look of free fall, falling straight down, fast and rapidly.

 Chapter 71 - 71 Has Liam Arrived

    ?Chapter 71: Has Liam Arrived?


    Chapter 71: Has Liam Arrived?


    After eight o¡¯clock, students from the international class began trickling into the classroom.


    When Niel entered, he was huddled over and checked left and right to ensure no teachers were nearby before sneaking in, he looked super secretive.


    ¡°Has Liam arrived?¡± he noticed that someone had clearly been sitting in Liam¡¯s seat, but the person was no longer there.


    Without lifting her head, Maureen continued solving problems, ¡°He¡¯s gone to the bathroom.¡± ¡°Maureen, come here.¡± Niel said excitedly in a low voice, ¡°I have something precious to show you.¡± His words gave Maureen the shivers, she put down her pen and turned to look at him contemptuous.


    She saw Niel glance left and right, then slowly and excitedly lifted the coat he was holding¡ª There was a sudden ¡°woof woof¡± from his embrace!


    Inside was a two or three months old Siberian husky that was about the size of a pillow, its black and white fur was absolutely adorable.


    It tilted its head, looking firmly at Maureen.


    It was simply too cute for words.


    Maureen¡¯s eyes lit up, she reached out to pet the little dog¡¯s head and the dog didn¡¯t bite her.


    It looked at her curiously, then licked her palm gently.


    Many classmates who had entered the classroom also looked over, several girls looked excited.


    Maureen asked, ¡°Where did you get it?¡± ¡°My family¡¯s Siberian Husky gave birth to it.¡± Niel said, ¡°I just found out recently that our Liam is scared of dogs.


    This weakness isn¡¯t very Liam-like, right?


    Wait till the people in the Changqing class hear about this, they will laugh at him.


    So, I brought over a little puppy for him to get acquainted with.


    Perhaps after spending time with a gentle puppy that doesn¡¯t bite, he¡¯ll get over his fear of dogs¡­¡± Maureen initially thought that Niel found the dog at the school and was planning to give it away later.


    Surprisingly, he had specially brought it for Liam.


    She disagreed, remarking, ¡°I think you should just drop it.


    He said he¡¯s afraid of dogs, why do you insist on him overcoming it¨C¡± Before she could finish speaking, Liam walked in through the rear door of the classroom, and in his hand was a bottle of medicinal liquor.


    His gaze slowly fell on the dog in Niel¡¯s arms.


    His adam¡¯s apple moved visibly, and his face changed suddenly.


    ¡°Liam, look!¡± Unaware of the risks, Niel held out the dog towards Liam.


    The little dog was eager, attempting to pounce on Liam.


    For a moment, Maureen wasn¡¯t sure if it was her imagination, but she saw on Liam¡¯s face a look of fear that was almost petrifying, as though he was returning to a nightmare.


    It was a look of free fall, falling straight down, fast and rapidly.


    That day on the mountain slope, she had been too flustered, and she herself was incredibly afraid of the dog, so she hadn¡¯t gotten a clear look at Liam¡¯s rigid expression while he was staring at the dog.


    But now, she saw it clearly.


    It was an expression that absolutely shouldn¡¯t have appeared on Liam¡¯s face.


    And precisely because of this, Maureen didn¡¯t know why, but her heart was racing, her blood seemingly had rushed to her head.


    She quickly stepped forward to stand in front of Liam, couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Enough, we¡¯re about to start class, stop causing trouble.


    Quickly take the dog to the security uncle, otherwise if Mr.


    Logan comes by later¨C¡± Before she could finish speaking, realizing something was off, she turned her head to look.


    The figure behind her had suddenly disappeared.


    Liam was nowhere to be found, holding a bag of medicinal liquor in his hand.


    Niel opened his mouth wide, watching Liam¡¯s reaction in dismay, and it belatedly dawned on him that he may have caused trouble.


    His spine went cold as he said to Maureen, ¡°I¡¯m finished, Liam will kill me soon, I didn¡¯t realize he was that scared, I just thought it¡¯s a puppy, not at all scary, so I brought it for amusement.¡± Maureen directed him, ¡°You deal with the puppy first, I¡¯ll go looking for him.¡± Swallowing his saliva, Niel was about to say something, but Maureen had already rushed out of the classroom.


    The bell had rung for the class.


    Upon seeing Mrs.


    Miller who had just exited from the office with textbooks in her arms, Maureen tensed up and, even before Mrs.


    Miller could call out to her, she panicked and ran downstairs.


    She took a round near the school building but couldn¡¯t find Liam anywhere.


    The school was too large, and at this rate, she would end up skipping a whole morning of class.


    So, Maureen decided to go to the rooftop of the school and search from there.


    Panting as she reached the rooftop, she saw Liam lying there, asleep.


    There were a few lounge chairs arranged on the rooftop for the students to study on.


    However, these chairs were often dusty, so not many students used them.


    Liam lay calmly on one of the chairs, his hands crossed, staring into the sky.


    His expression was pensive, as if deep in thought, but also as if he was thinking nothing at all.


    Heaving a sigh, Maureen approached him.


    Liam heard the footsteps and immediately straightened up his body, asking in surprise, ¡°How come you¡¯re up here?¡± Maureen walked over, took out two pieces of tissue paper from her pocket, and wiped the chair.


    She then sat next to him looking at him sideways, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in class?¡± Liam tugged at the corner of his mouth, nonchalantly saying, ¡°Alas, I just suddenly felt sleepy.


    The classroom was too noisy, so I decided to come up here and lie down for a bit.¡± ¡°Yet, you, the little mask-girl, what are you doing here and actually dared to skip class?¡± This was definitely not like Maureen.


    ¡°If you can skip class, why can¡¯t I?¡± Maureen also thought this didn¡¯t resemble her at all.


    She actually skipped class for Liam?


    And she even rushed out without a second thought, and it¡¯s not over a tender sprout in a potted plant¡­


    However, although Liam was a bit harsh on her at first, he started to shelter her as time went by, always standing by her side as a true friend.


    sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 72 - 72 What are you guys gossiping about

    ?Chapter 72: What are you guys gossiping about??


    Chapter 72: What are you guys gossiping about??


    Since she arrived back home she decided from that day on, Liam was a very important friend.


    Worrying about him was nothing but natural.


    ¡°You go sit on another seat.¡± Liam raised his eyebrow, looking at her discontented, ¡°I don¡¯t have a place to lie down anymore.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Maureen insisted, still sitting without moving, ¡°I only have two pieces of tissue paper.


    After cleaning up this park bench, I don¡¯t have a napkin to clean up anything else.


    If I sit on another chair, I¡¯ll get dust all over my butt.¡± Maureen didn¡¯t ask about his fear of dogs, and Liam didn¡¯t mention it either.


    This can be considered a tacit understanding between the two.


    Liam felt that if Maureen wanted to talk about her family matters, she would tell him.


    But if she didn¡¯t want to, why bother unearthing it.


    Maureen felt that if Liam didn¡¯t want others to know he was afraid of dogs, he must have his own reasons.


    She didn¡¯t need to relentlessly pursue the matter.


    To Liam, Maureen was someone who cared for him, paid attention to him, and wanted to cling to him.


    Maureen was like that one person who could always tear a hole in the darkness and barged in carelessly.


    Life was indeed hard.


    But with the presence of ¡®little mask,¡¯ it seemed a little sweeter.


    Liam struggled to hold back his upward-curving mouth, a warm feeling unconsciously spilled out from his heart. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The stiffness throughout his body seemed to have melted away.


    Suddenly, Liam said, ¡°Forget it.¡± Maureen asked, ¡°Why?¡± Liam responded, ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs.¡± If they didn¡¯t go down now, it could get ¡®little mask¡¯ scolded by the Classroom teacher.


    Maureen hesitated for a moment.


    Has Liam calmed himself down already?


    As soon as the two went downstairs, they were indeed scolded by their Classroom teacher, Mr.


    Logan.


    While scolding, he was also worried about delaying Maureen¡¯s studies, so he let her go and continued to reprimand Liam.


    Liam: ¡°¡­¡± When Liam finally returned to the classroom, Niel did not dare to raise his head to look at him.


    Although Liam claimed to have slept well the night before, he spent the entire next day sleeping.


    He hated noise, so he wore his noise-cancelling headphones the entire time, with a frown on his face.


    After class, Maureen agreed with the Donald family to have dinner.


    Knowing that she was a boarding student, in order to make it more convenient for her, Aunt Donald chose an African restaurant.


    To Maureen, the Donald family was very close to her.


    There was nothing bad to say about the things related to her family, so Maureen talked to them in detail about her recent situation in the last two years.


    Of course, she hid some things that would make the Donald family indignant, only mentioning that she had recently cut ties with the Smith family.


    ¡­


    On the other hand, Liam, was still in the classroom.


    Niel saw him packing his schoolbag and could not help but whisper an apology, ¡°Liam, I didn¡¯t know¨C¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Liam said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s put this matter behind us.


    Please don¡¯t bring the dog again.¡± Niel hastily nodded.


    Niel thought he had known Liam for quite a while, does two years count as long?


    But sometimes he still felt like he didn¡¯t fully understand him.


    However, since Niel mentioned that this matter has been turned over, then it is turned over.


    Niel sighed in relief.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Liam remembered the look of the guy named Laurel from the school competition team who had been staring at Maureen from the window this morning.


    He was not very pleased and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What¡¯s the deal with that guy from the school competition team?¡± Upon hearing this, Niel instantly knew who he was asking about and said hurriedly, ¡°You mean the one Maureen talked about the other day, right?


    He knows Maureen?¡± Niel looked at Niel suspiciously and asked, ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡± Niel: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Liam, did Maureen miss out on a bottle in the bag of medicinal liquor she gave you?¡± Noticing this, Niel quickly changed the subject.


    Liam, rummaged through the bag of medicinal liquor on the desk, and found that a bottle of alcohol was missing, probably left in the restroom.


    He glared at Niel and said, ¡°We¡¯ll settle this when I get back.¡± After saying that, he turned around and left the classroom.


    Niel breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed behind Liam.


    However, just as Liam and Niel were about to reach the bathroom door, they suddenly heard the name ¡®Maureen¡¯ from inside.


    It was obviously some boys discussing Maureen behind her back.


    Upon seeing Liam¡¯s expression sour, Niel saw him lift his foot to step in, only to hear the next sentence¡ª ¡°Maureen¡¯s desserts are really tasty; the period when she was desperately pursuing Richard was the best, we had desserts every day.


    Now that she¡¯s having issues with Richard, we¡¯re out of luck.¡± ¡°The inter-school competition is coming soon, she will go to training with our school¡¯s competition team then.


    I wonder if she will reconcile with Richard.¡± ¡°She chased Richard for two years.


    Just as it seemed like Richard was about to relent, it¡¯s impossible for her to give up halfway, right?¡± ¡°Do you think she has given up or is she still using that Williams son to make Richard jealous?


    Ethan said she seems to have really given up¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± What was said afterward, Niel didn¡¯t dare to listen.


    The air was almost suffocating.


    The evening corridor was naturally gloomy.


    Now, with the impending rainstorm, it seemed even darker under the dense clouds.


    He watched as Liam¡¯s face visibly turned paler by the minute.


    ¡­


    It was over.


    Niel felt a sense of despair, the thing he feared most had happened.


    ¡°What are they saying?¡± Liam had a face etched with foreboding, as if a storm was imminent.


    Niel hurriedly intervened, ¡°They¡¯re just spreading rumors!


    None of it is true!¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t believe it!


    Maureen (Little Mask) is not like that.¡± Liam¡¯s fisted hands were subtly trembling, he was panting heavily.


    He grabbed Niel¡¯s collar and shoved him aside, then charged inside the next second.


    ¡°What the hell are you guys gossiping about, dare to say it again.¡±

 Chapter 73 - 73 Could Maureen be using me to make Richard Lincoln Jealous

    ?Chapter 73: Could Maureen be using me to make Richard Lincoln Jealous?


    Chapter 73: Could Maureen be using me to make Richard Lincoln Jealous?


    The two boys from the school¡¯s competitive team jumped in fright, having never imagined that their casual chatter after school would be overheard by the person involved.


    Immediately, they felt a shiver down their spine, grabbed their team uniforms, slipped away without even bothering to turn off the faucet.


    ¡°Stand still if you dare!¡± Liam¡¯s face turned ugly to a frightening degree.


    He dashed out to nab them, but was held back by Niel.


    ¡°Forget about it, forget about it, Liam.


    How many times have you been scolded by the headteacher this month?


    You also went to the police station!


    Calm down!


    Calm down!¡± The two boys dared not look back, terrified of being recognized by Liam.


    In a hurry, they fled from the school building.


    Liam could not calm down at all, their conversation resonated constantly inside his mind.


    ¡°What do they mean by ¡®chasing Richard to the death¡¯?


    What is ¡®will they patch things up¡¯?¡± ¡°Did they mean me when they talked about ¡®Williams son?


    Did they say Maureen is using me to make Richard jealous?¡± Liam seemed to have heard something absurd, so he turned to Niel, ¡°These people have some wild imaginations!¡± But Niel, who was turning off the faucet, moved his lips.


    He glanced at him but looked troubled and dared not speak.


    The air was silent for a while..


    Liam paused for a bit, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Suddenly, he had an ominous feeling in his heart.


    He stared at Niel, ¡°What are you hiding from me?


    This is your last chance.¡± ¡°Right, right¡ª¡ª¡± Niel didn¡¯t know what to say at all.


    Liam prompted, ¡°Spit it out!¡± ¡°When Maureen first transferred to our class, didn¡¯t you ask me to find out about her family, her likes, her previous friends, and so on?¡± Niel was getting desperate, he blurted out all at once: ¡°She used to pursue Richard!


    Yes, the Richard from the class next door!


    Someone else¡¯s child!


    The same Richard who has been arrogantly collecting gold medals every year, thinking he¡¯s superior to everyone else!¡± ¡°Richard is very famous, but Liam, you sleep in class every day.


    You don¡¯t even remember our Classroom teacher¡¯s name, so it¡¯s normal you haven¡¯t heard of him.


    He¡¯s that handsome guy. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    You saw him in the library last time¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°But she said they were just ordinary friends.¡± Niel mumbled, ¡°Girls are usually shy, she can¡¯t casually tell us that she pursued Richard.


    Besides, at that time, you, Liam, were always driving her away.


    She didn¡¯t like us either, so why would she tell us?¡± Liam did not understand the situation before him.


    His heart was filled with a sense of anxiety and irritation.


    He didn¡¯t understand whether it was jealousy or something else.


    Richard, handsome, the gold medal holder for years, someone else¡¯s child.


    Then, what about him?


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± Liam took a deep breath, which seemed to calm him down a bit: ¡°There must be some misunderstanding.¡± Just because Richard is excellent, and had relations with Maureen, and Maureen had given him sweets.


    So everyone believes that little mask girl pursued Richard?


    He is way above Richard, he could literally crush Richard with his money.


    Isn¡¯t he perfect?


    Maureen had been sending him desserts for almost a month now.


    Why don¡¯t people link him with Maureen?


    Liam realized that he was even jealous of these rumors.


    Maureen said they were just friends, he believed they were just friends.


    He doesn¡¯t care about the nonsense these people talk about.


    When Niel saw this, he was helpless, ¡°Shall we go back?


    Liam, are you going to the villa or the apartment today?¡± ¨C No, how can he not care?


    He cares to death.


    ¡°Go back?


    Let¡¯s sort things out first.¡± Suddenly, Liam strode out.


    Niel thought he was going to confront those gossipers again, and quickly followed him.


    However, he saw that Liam was heading to the Information Department upstairs.


    As Liam burst into the Information Department, the teachers who hadn¡¯t left work yet, subconsciously stood up upon seeing him come in.


    Liam stormed into the electronic archive room without uttering a word.


    Niel followed from behind, hurriedly entered, and closed the door.


    By the time Niel walked over, Liam had already begun tapping away at the keyboard, logging onto the school¡¯s internal website.


    The internal website would post many photos of past events depending on the timeline.


    Usual weekly basketball games and flag-raising ceremonies would also be posted there.


    Liam pulled up all of the photos from the school that were taken throughout the entire previous year.


    Once all of the photos were displayed on the computer, many minute details became clear at a glance.


    Every basketball game featuring Richard, Maureen was present ¨C always holding water.


    During last year¡¯s school anniversary, Maureen and Richard were spotted in each other¡¯s class photos.


    During last year¡¯s recruitment, Maureen also helped Richard, her face even covered with a mask then.


    This was the same ¡®Masked Girl¡¯ Liam knew, whom Richard also knew, and even much earlier and longer than him.


    The number of photos that they were seen together was quite considerable.


    If he were to download all these photos where they were seen together, it might take up several gigabytes.


    There were also their Check-in records at the library, broadcast room, where they often signed in after one another.


    Piece by piece, it all seemed like a gradual, grand process of affection.


    And it was presented so vividly in front of Liam and Niel¡¯s eyes.


    Niel simply couldn¡¯t bear to look any longer.


    Liam¡¯s face looked terrible, his fingers tightly clutching his mouse, still flipping through one picture after another nonetheless.


    His face was mirrored on the computer¡¯s LCD screen, and Niel couldn¡¯t tell what Liam was feeling while looking at these things.


    Liam rarely browsed online forums in the past, viewing the baseless school scandals as a waste of time.


    The last time he went to a forum to get his juniors to vote for Maureen was the only time he visited one, but he merely clicked on the voting channel without paying attention to the comments.


    But this time, he couldn¡¯t help but pull out his phone and take a look at the forum.


    In the threads regarding ¡®Mask-girl,¡¯ the mentions of Mask-girl and Richard far outnumbered the mentions of Mask-girl and himself.


    Someone in the forum asked: ¡®Has anyone spilled the beans about the new school beauty and Richard from the School Competitive Team?


    There seems to be a long history between them.¡± Another person asked: ¡°Now that Maureen has become the school beauty, even her past chases after Richard have been dug out.


    I wondered back then why she was so courageous, turns out it¡¯s because she¡¯s naturally pretty~¡± ¡®What role exactly does ¡®L¡¯ (Not allowed to mention the full name) play here.


    Isn¡¯t it obvious that Richard is the official match, using him to make Richard jealous?¡¯ Looking at these made Liam¡¯s temples throb.


    Why did everyone in the world know that Mask-girl used to chase after other guys, except for him?


    Jealousy was gnawing at his heart, like unknown insects, making him extremely tormented.


    ¡°Stop looking, Liam,¡± Niel couldn¡¯t help but say.


    He was scared that Liam would find out about this, fearing the scene that occurred today.

 Chapter 74 - 74 I thought she loves me never knew she was using me

    ?Chapter 74: I thought she loves me never knew she was using me Chapter 74: I thought she loves me never knew she was using me Though Liam was someone who wouldn¡¯t care about gossip, if he found out that others were saying Maureen was getting close to him to make Richard jealous, wouldn¡¯t he explode immediately?


    He might even blow up the school.


    Niel tried everything to prevent it, but what was meant to come, still came.


    After a long time, Liam turned off the computer, took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself down.


    He stood up, his hands clenched into fists: ¡°What does it matter if she once liked someone surnamed Richard?


    I am not some antiques from the Dynasty, why should I mind?¡± ¡°She did like him¡ªbut she definitely doesn¡¯t now.¡± Now, the person Maureen likes is him.


    Yes, that¡¯s right.


    She likes him now.


    However, despite repeating this to himself over and over again, Liam became increasingly unsure, the question marks in his heart growing larger.


    He felt as if he had misunderstood something.


    It was as if he had mistakenly created a beautiful lie for himself.


    Now, this dream had accidentally torn open, revealing a part that was so real, it made him feel as if he was falling into an ice cellar.


    The tear would only grow larger.


    Liam didn¡¯t know if he should thoroughly investigate this matter.


    What if the answer knocks him down like a sledgehammer?


    Suddenly, Liam remembered the stack of photos that Grandfather had asked Lawyer Daniel to give him.


    Grandfather says he is in a one-sided love¡ª¡ª Might there be something in those photos?


    Liam¡¯s heart pounded in his chest.


    Suddenly, he hurriedly composed a text message to Lawyer Daniel, asking him to have someone deliver the items to a storage room near the school.


    Then Liam headed out of the Information Department.


    His limbs were stiff, his head was buzzing, and he didn¡¯t even know how he managed to leave the school.


    Half an hour later, in a storage room outside the school.


    There was no music, everything was silent.


    Liam quietly sat there, his face shrouded in darkness, continuously viewing the photos that Grandfather had given him.


    Niel didn¡¯t dare to say a word by his side.


    ¡­


    The first photo was from the day Little Mask offered to help him take out the trash.


    The two of them were talking in the alley, and the alley was right in front of the teaching building.


    From the fifth floor, Laurel was watching them from a distance.


    So, did Maureen rush over to help him take out the trash then genuinely, or was it because Richard was watching?


    The second photo was taken before the monthly exam when Little Mask hastily held his hand.


    A corner of the classroom surveillance photo printed out shows Richard¡¯s passing figure¡ª So, did she hold his hand genuinely, or did she abruptly do it only after seeing Richard?


    The third, fourth, and fifth photos are a series from the library surveillance.


    That day, before he arrived at the library, Little Mask clearly had an argument with Richard, their expressions laying bare a striking familiarity.


    Yet, she told him that they were just ordinary friends.


    Besides these photos, there were also Little Mask¡¯s class transfer applications from last year.


    As it turns out, Little Mask didn¡¯t transfer to the international class from the start, and definitely not because she had love at first sight for him and transferred to the international class.


    Her first application last year was to transfer to the Golden Class where Richard was, but her grades weren¡¯t good enough at the time, and her application wasn¡¯t approved.


    Only this year did she apply to transfer to the international class.


    ¡­


    Liam tightly gripped these objects until his knuckles turned white.


    The blood surged from every corner of his body to the top of his head, making him feel icy cold all over.


    He had no idea where the elder managed to find these from.


    He only knew that clues to many things had been present for a long time.


    He was only humbling and deceiving himself.


    ¡­


    When she ran 800 meters for him, everyone in the next classroom knew that Richard¡¯s face looked awful.


    At that time, what role exactly was he playing in all this?


    Was he just a tool?


    This morning, when she suddenly wanted to help him apply the medicine, Richard just happened to pass by.


    The worn-out review outline for the Inter-School League that she had, it was actually given to her by Richard.


    Moreover, when she rejected Ethan back then, what she said was that she wanted to study hard, not that she already liked someone ¨C despite knowing full well that he was listening by the window. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This had puzzled him at the time.


    So, so that¡¯s how it was.


    ¡­


    Liam didn¡¯t know how to describe his feelings at the moment¡­


    Anger, rage, he seemed to lack the strength to evoke such emotions.


    If they do emerge, they are certainly accompanied by resentment, but he simply couldn¡¯t bring himself to hate.


    His mind was clouded by overwhelming despair.


    It felt like he had personally punctured a dream he had woven, only to face the harsh reality and realize that he was nothing more than a joke.


    Whether he¡¯s being used or not, he no longer cares.


    A voice in his head maliciously repeating itself over and over again ¨C Little Mask doesn¡¯t like him.


    Little Mask never liked him.


    After she held his hand in the library, he had never contemplated this possibility.


    This revelation knocked him off a cliff, shaking him to his core.


    So, does she remember his birthday?


    The thought dominantly popping up in Liam¡¯s mind was surprisingly this.


    Like clutching onto a life-saving straw, he thought desperately, what if this was all a misunderstanding?


    In this world, such coincidences do happen!


    It was just when she was good to him, that Richard happened to appear nearby!


    If he misunderstands this and starts futilely stirring up trouble, then he¡¯s just being ludicrous!


    Yes, she did have feelings for Richard before.


    But, what does that matter now?


    Currently, she has no contact with Richard whatsoever, and that doesn¡¯t bother him in the least!


    As long as she likes him now, he will act as though nothing happened today!


    ¡°I trust no one, I need to hear it from her myself.¡± Liam wiped his face and abruptly stood up instructing Niel to take out his phone, ¡°Call her.¡± Liam stood on the precipice of losing his composure, his final fragment of rationality hanging by a thread.


    Despite his visibly pale face and bloodless lips, he exerted his maximum effort to maintain his dignity, straining to keep a straight face, so as to not reveal any signs of distress.


    Recollecting his spirits, he said the Niel word by word, ¡°You ask for me.¡± Niel looked at him hesitantly for a moment, but eventually made the call.


    In the quiet room, only suppressed breathing sounds were discernible.


    After a while, the call connected.


    Not sure what to ask, Niel glanced at Liam¡¯s face and first asked, ¡°Maureen, where are you right now?¡± ¡°Eating with the Donald family?


    Well, let me see¡­¡± Niel hesitated: ¡°Do you remember when Liam¡¯s birthday is?


    Should we give him a surprise?¡± Through the noisy electronic sound, Maureen from the other side said: ¡°Yes, surprises are always good.¡± Niel turned on the loudspeaker of his mobile phone.


    Then Liam heard Maureen ask: ¡°But when is his birthday exactly?¡± Liam: There was a dead silence.


    Niel dared not look at Liam¡¯s expression and went on to ask, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it tomorrow, we¡¯ll discuss at school what to give him.


    Let¡¯s keep it a secret, don¡¯t tell Liam.


    What are you planning to give him?¡± The person on the phone said they haven¡¯t thought about it yet.


    Niel¡¯s heart was pounding with nervousness, he said tentatively: ¡°Don¡¯t give too extravagant a gift, or the whole class will know you like Liam.¡± After he finished speaking, he was mentally screaming, hoping Maureen would confess her feelings for Liam.


    Or else, Liam, might blow up the school tomorrow!


    It could cause trouble for others too.


    There was a moment of silence from Maureen on the phone.


    She suddenly realized that some of her behavior since she transferred to the new class could easily lead to misunderstandings, judging from Niel¡¯s tone, it seemed like he thought she was pursuing Liam.


    Thankfully, Liam didn¡¯t think so.


    Luckily, Liam was naive and saw her as a junior of different same sex.


    If he had misconstrued her feelings for him, they might not be able to remain friends.


    It was like that day when she gifted the origami cranes, he thought she was looking for a fight.


    Not wanting to lose Liam, Maureen quickly excused herself to the restroom with her phone: ¡°No, no, no, don¡¯t misunderstand, I regard Liam as my boss, I wouldn¡¯t¨C¡± Maureen wanted to say that she wouldn¡¯t cross the line, but for some reason, the phone line was cut off as soon as she finished speaking.


    Then a busy signal came through.


    Out of battery¡­?

 Chapter 75 - 75 Visit to a Restaurant with the Donald family

    ?Chapter 75: Visit to a Restaurant with the Donald family Chapter 75: Visit to a Restaurant with the Donald family Liam abruptly hung up Niel¡¯s phone.


    He didn¡¯t know what he might do if he continued to listen.


    ¡­ Everything was clear now.


    Little Mask didn¡¯t like him at all.


    Liam didn¡¯t know what he was thinking, or maybe he was not thinking at all.


    His head was buzzing, and it felt like a giant hand was mercilessly twisting his guts, making him feel hollow inside and powerless all of a sudden.


    He plopped himself on the sofa, staring blankly at the ground, not saying a word.


    Niel was anxious, feeling lost as he looked at Liam: ¡°Liam¨D¡± Niel felt that he too was to blame. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If he had told Liam that Maureen had pursued Richard before, when she transferred to their school, they might not have let Liam¡¯s feelings develop to this extent.


    But back then he hadn¡¯t thought that far, just afraid that Liam would lose his temper.


    ¡°You go out first,¡± Liam interrupted him, ¡°Let me be alone for a while.¡± But Niel couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°If you feel deceived, and very angry and don¡¯t want to see Maureen, how about letting Lawyer Daniel negotiate with the Dean for Maureen to change classes?¡± Although Maureen was also his friend, he had only known her through Liam.


    Deep down, Niel sided with Liam.


    ¡°Deceived?


    How has Maureen deceived me?


    It was said in the post that she was nice to me because she wanted to make Richard jealous.


    I don¡¯t believe a word of it.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not that kind of person.


    Don¡¯t you dare believe it, and don¡¯t spout nonsense.


    If you hear anyone gossiping again, just punch them.¡± Liam spoke without any emotion in his tone.


    The light in the private room is dim, making it hard to discern his expression.


    ¡°I always consider my own will in the things I do.


    If I am unwilling, even a knife to my throat wouldn¡¯t make a difference,¡± Liam said.


    He wouldn¡¯t reciprocate someone¡¯s feelings for him just because they liked him.


    It might have started when he removed his mask, or perhaps during that night in the library, or maybe even earlier, the instant when their fingers touched ¨C he realized he was in love with Maureen.


    Hence, there was no deception, nor any misunderstanding.


    He didn¡¯t care if Maureen had loved someone else before, all he cared about was whether Maureen liked him now.


    Now, it¡¯s clear.


    She doesn¡¯t like him.


    She merely sees him as the boss, her series of good deeds towards him after her transfer might have been just to blend into the class more quickly.


    It was him who, after spending his life without any affection, mistook a small kindling for a roaring flame waiting for him.


    He had let his imagination run too far, far too far.


    Liam felt extremely embarrassed.


    After a silence that lasted who knows how long, he tugged at the corner of his mouth, ¡°Don¡¯t mention what happened today.¡± No one knew about the farce that he had caused.


    After today, he could act as if nothing had happened.


    Niel looked at him, and only said, ¡°Okay.¡± Despite Liam¡¯s efforts to rally himself, he still couldn¡¯t stop his body from shaking in empty dread.


    A flash of lightning streaked through the sky, illuminating Liam¡¯s pale face.


    And then, the torrential rain outside began to pour down.


    ========= Maureen ended the call, feeling confused.


    Why did Niel need to make such a strange call?


    Why not just talk in school tomorrow?


    Regardless, she first marked Liam¡¯s birthday in her phone¡¯s memo.


    Back when they were messing about, she was preoccupied with her own thoughts and didn¡¯t hear clearly.


    Luckily, Niel reminded her again.


    This time, she would remember.


    Maureen¡¯s memo was full of dates, important days of significant people, including Josephine, Aunt Donald, and Laurel.


    After some thought, she circled November 5th and placed it on top to ensure she wouldn¡¯t forget.


    ¡°Maureen, the food is getting cold,¡± Laurel called her.


    Maureen hurriedly returned.


    Aunty Donald moved Maureen¡¯s favourite dish towards her and asked with care, ¡°Do you want to move in with us?


    However, our house isn¡¯t ready yet.


    We made a down payment just two months ago while we were abroad.


    It will probably be about a month before we can move.


    The place is in a great neighborhood, it¡¯s a second-hand villa¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay, Aunt Donald,¡± Maureen responded without hesitation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll live at school.


    It¡¯s more convenient for me.¡± Aunt Donald hastily asked again, ¡°What about the winter and summer holidays?


    You will need a place to go, right?


    Otherwise, won¡¯t you be afraid when the school is all deserted?


    Come to our house!


    As soon as you agree, we will arrange a room for you right after we move into our new house.¡± Upon seeing Maureen hesitating, Mrs.


    Donald hurriedly said, ¡°What are you hesitating for?


    Your Uncle Donald and I have watched you grow up, you¡¯re hardworking and diligent, we¡¯ve always treated you like a daughter.


    We are now economically capable of helping you, so why hesitate?


    Your grandma even entrusted us with taking care of you before she passed away.


    If we knew how your own parents would treat you, we wouldn¡¯t have left the country.¡± Laurel also said, ¡°That¡¯s right, and Maureen, didn¡¯t you say you were going to take me shopping for clothes?


    In a few days, we will need your help with the transfer formalities and a lot of other things.¡± With her head bowed and holding her Spoon tightly, Maureen felt a slight sourness in her nose.


    She nodded and agreed, ¡°Okay.¡± Upon hearing Maureen¡¯s agreement, the entire Donald family was thrilled.


    But since the Donalds had just returned to the country and were staying in a hotel with many matters unfinished, they could only let Maureen stay in school for the time being.


    When the winter vacation starts, she could move into the new house the Dongs just bought.


    After having a lively meal with Donald¡¯s family, the four of them exited from the restaurant¡¯s second floor.


    Seeing the heavy rain outside, Mrs.


    Donald said, ¡°Let¡¯s send you back to school first, then we¡¯ll go back to the hotel.¡± Not being polite with them, Maureen directly replied, ¡°Okay, thank you, auntie.¡± Maureen, Mrs.


    Donald, and Laurel stood under the restaurant¡¯s eave, waiting for Mr.


    Donald to drive the car over.


    A familiar car was slowly driving by.

 Chapter 76 - 76 The truth is Bitter but it must be spoken

    ?Chapter 76: The truth is Bitter but it must be spoken Chapter 76: The truth is Bitter but it must be spoken The driver held up an umbrella, as Mrs.


    Smith, Bianca, and Chris got out of the car.


    Mrs.


    Smith and Chris were not on good terms.


    Worried that if this dragged on too long and Chris remained estranged, Mrs.


    Smith would blame her.


    Bianca decided to invite both of them out for a meal.


    These days, Mrs.


    Smith had been uncomfortable due to the situation with Maureen and had lost her appetite.


    But when she heard that Chris would be joining them for dinner, she hurriedly agreed, thinking that she had already lost one daughter and couldn¡¯t afford to damage her relationship with Chris further.


    As for Chris, he didn¡¯t want to come at all.


    The reason he did was that after he told Mike about what Bianca did in the literary department, his older brother seemed thoughtful and advised him to keep a closer eye on Bianca.


    He wanted to see what exactly Bianca was up to, hence he came.


    Unexpectedly, before the three of them had even gotten out of the car, they saw Maureen standing under the eaves.


    While A city is vast, it¡¯s not that big.


    Furthermore, there are only so many five-star hotels.


    As long as you live in the city, you are bound to bump into each other one day.


    Maureen looked a bit thinner and dressed a bit thicker, perhaps she had just gotten out of school.


    She was wearing a long overcoat over her school uniform, but it didn¡¯t look bulky at all.


    Instead, due to her tall figure, she appeared gracefully dignified.


    Her skin was fair, and around her neck hung the longevity lock that her grandmother had previously given her.


    She was a beauty who could be identified from afar.


    Mrs.


    Smith felt really choked up.


    All the children in the family were extraordinarily good looking, but Maureen was undoubtedly the most outstanding among them.


    When she first brought Maureen home, she was stunned by Maureen¡¯s beauty and even couldn¡¯t help pulling her aside to take a closer look.


    But she was always worried about Bianca¡¯s feelings, so she dared not look too much.


    Now, this attractive child belongs to another family.


    Both Mrs.


    Smith and Chris noticed Mrs.


    Donald and Laurel standing nearby.


    They never expected that the first thing Donald family did upon returning to the country was indeed to find Maureen.


    Both of their expressions were identical, as if they had been hit with a sledgehammer, so they immediately walked over, holding their umbrellas.


    Mrs.


    Smith had thought that, even if they had cut off ties, Maureen at least would greet them if they ran into each other in the crowd, right?


    But not as expected.


    No.


    Maureen saw them too, but she immediately averted her gaze and got into Donald¡¯s family car.


    ¡°Suddenly, Mrs.


    Smith felt as if she¡¯d been pierced by a needle, her breath hitching in her throat.


    Without thinking, she dashed forward to block the car door, and the driver hurried to follow, umbrella in hand.


    Bianca stood alone on the restaurant steps.


    She turned around, only to see Mrs.


    Smith and Chris hadn¡¯t kept up with her.


    They were out trying to block the car, dashing about in the heavy rain.


    For a moment, her face changed.


    ¡°Maureen!¡± Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s heart ached, ¡°Don¡¯t you even bother to greet those you meet now?¡± As Maureen seated herself inside the car, Mrs.


    Smith onto the door, preventing it from closing.


    Maureen frowned, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Laurel was seated on Maureen¡¯s right.


    Seeing Mrs.


    Smith and Chris made him furious.


    He yelled, ¡°What the heck is wrong with you?


    Let go, don¡¯t cling desperately!


    What were you doing before?


    What¡¯s there to greet you about?


    We¡¯ve severed ties; why on earth would we greet you?¡± Underneath his umbrella, Chris looked at Maureen with disappointment and said, ¡°Sis¡­¡± ¡°Sis, what sis?


    She is now my sister!¡± Laurel intentionally provoked Chris, wrapping an arm around Maureen¡¯s arm and leaning his head onto her shoulder.


    Chris was frustrated and furious as if he wanted to rush in and pick a fight with Laurel, ¡°Let go of Maureen or I¡¯ll slug you, you fatso.¡± Two years ago, Laurel would have been overweight, and Chris had laughed at him several times.


    But now, Laurel had turned rather handsome.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let go!¡± Laurel yelled, ¡°Your whole family is full of fatsos!¡± Watching the impending argument that would soon spiral into a childish quarrel, Mrs.


    Donald seated in the passenger seat, turned around and said to Mrs.


    Smith, ¡°Let me be honest, Mrs.


    Smith, you¡¯re really at a loss here.


    Maureen is so hard-working and ambitious.


    I wish I had a daughter like her.


    If you all didn¡¯t want her, you should have said earlier and given her to us, we would have treated her much better.


    We would have bought her nice clothes, had her live in a beautiful room, and she wouldn¡¯t have to tolerate you.¡± Mrs.


    Smith wanted nothing more than to slap Mrs.


    Donald and make her shut up.


    Yet, what hurt her more was an acute pain in her heart ¡ª perhaps she really hadn¡¯t fulfilled her responsibilities as a mother, and even strangers seemed to treat Maureen better than her.


    Unable to contain herself, she said to the silent Maureen, ¡°Maureen, can we have a good talk?


    I¡¯ve been doing a lot of self-reflection these past few days.


    I want to apologize to you¡ª¡± ¡°What kind of apology is a mere verbal act, have you or your family taken any real actions?


    You already have your biological daughter, Bianca, why are you still seeking Maureen?¡± Laurel couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, indignantly retorted, ¡°All of this is because of you!


    Maureen couldn¡¯t even have her own birthdate, she¡¯s still using Bianca¡¯s birthday!


    Let me tell you, a few days from now when Maureen turns eighteen, my mother is taking her to change the date on her ID card!


    We don¡¯t need anything from you!¡± Having said that, Laurel bypassed Maureen and roughly pushed away Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s hand.


    Mrs.


    Smith felt a surge of heat rising to her head.


    She couldn¡¯t refute what Laurel had said.


    Yes, this situation had indeed treated Maureen unfairly.


    About three years ago, when Bianca was injured at a sports event and taken to a hospital, they discovered through DNA testing that Bianca wasn¡¯t their biological daughter.


    Later, they realized that there had been a mix-up at the hospital many years ago.


    It¡¯s unclear whether it was Bianca¡¯s biological mother or somebody else who swapped the two children while they were still in the incubator.


    Afterward, they began to look for their biological daughter, Maureen.


    At the time, they thought they would never find her, and the family felt defeated.


    They decided to raise Bianca as their own daughter.


    They even changed Bianca¡¯s birthday from October 24th to her actual birthdate, October 14th.


    Unexpectedly, after they made the change, they found Maureen.


    Then they faced a problem: should they change Bianca¡¯s ID card¡¯s date again to match Maureen¡¯s, or should they ask the newly found Maureen to accept the change according to Bianca¡¯s date?


    At that time, Bianca was only fifteen years old, about to have her birthday changed for the second time.


    She feared that the Smith¡¯s didn¡¯t want her anymore and cried her heart out.


    Mrs.


    Smith, feeling soft-hearted, asked Mr.


    Smith to change Maureen¡¯s instead¡­


    At that time, Mrs.


    Smith thought that Maureen wouldn¡¯t mind, after all, they would celebrate her birthday a second time on the 24th at home.


    The date on the ID card was just a number.


    Now, Mrs.


    Smith was filled with regret.


    She could clearly see how she had, unbeknownst to herself, pushed Maureen further and further away just because she wasn¡¯t willing to push Bianca away.


    Mrs.


    Smith stood outside in the rain, half of her body drenched. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was pained right to her organs, in her heart.


    She glanced subconsciously at the silent Maureen and asked in an almost pleading tone, ¡°Maureen, have I completely lost you?¡± A tiny hope that Maureen might return still lingered in her heart.


    But to her surprise, Maureen met her glance and said calmly, ¡°Yes, you have lost me.¡± It seemed that Maureen had truly given up¡ª she no longer dwelled upon the past, and no longer begged for the love of their family.


    In an instant, Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s vision blacked out temporarily.


    Her fingers were pried open by Laurel.


    The Donald family car roared off into the distance.


    Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s legs gave out, bringing her to her knees in the rain.

 Chapter 77 - 77 He might as well drop Dead

    ?Chapter 77: He might as well drop Dead Chapter 77: He might as well drop Dead She was hoisted up by the driver and Chris, one on her left and one on her right.


    Mrs.


    Smith was weeping uncontrollably, asking over and over, ¡°Why did it turn out like this?¡± But nobody understood the reasons better than she did, deep in her heart.


    She realized that she was the executioner responsible for all of this.


    ¡°C-can we, if we can restore Maureen¡¯s birthday, will that work?¡± Mrs.


    Smith, tears streaming down her face, asked Chris.


    Hearing these words under the restaurant eaves, Bianca¡¯s face changed suddenly.


    ¡­


    ========= Donald family¡¯s return to the country at least brought some amount of confidence to Maureen, at least she could face the parent-teacher meetings in future.


    No longer would there be gossips questioning her if she was just the adopted daughter of the Smith family, asking why the handsome elder brother of the Smith family always picked up only Bianca from school and not her.


    From then on, Aunt Donald would come to pick her up.


    Who knows how grateful Maureen was for the return of the Donald family in this lifetime. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Because dinner delayed her a bit, Maureen made herself do several more test papers after returning to the school at night, only hitting the bed at twelve o¡¯clock.


    The next day early in the morning, Maureen was still the first to rise from the whole dormitory building.


    Upon entering the classroom, she saw that Drake had already returned to school.


    He sat on the other side of the room, surrounded by a few girls.


    When he saw Maureen come in, he raised his peach blossom eyes and gave her a look.


    Maureen raised her hand in greetings and headed for her seat.


    If Liam does not like her taking advantage of Drake¡¯s fortune, she would stop doing so, after all, the two percent didn¡¯t make much difference to her.


    But afterward, Maureen felt something was off, Liam didn¡¯t show up.


    Niel was casually lying on the table reading magazines.


    Seeing her arrive, his expression was mysteriously weird.


    He quickly greeted her and then continued reading his magazine.


    But the weirdness wasn¡¯t there, it was on Liam¡¯s table ¨C how come everything was gone?


    His noise-cancelling headphones were gone, so was the disorderly thrown jacket.


    The pillow- his favourite this month, one she bought for him, was also gone.


    She was aware that Liam often skipped class in the past, with a ¡°three days of fishing, two days of drying the nets¡± routine.


    However, for the past month, he had been diligent in attending school every day.


    Hence, seeing his belongings gone, Maureen was somewhat taken aback.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Liam?¡± Maureen couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°It¡¯s not the weekend, why are his things missing?¡± Niel said?


    ¡°He took a leave for two days; probably will return the day after tomorrow, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Why did he suddenly leave?¡± Maureen recalled the sudden thunderstorm and cold snap last night and couldn¡¯t help being anxious.


    ¡°Is he sick?¡± Niel looked at Maureen, his emotions were rather complex, and vaguely said, ¡°He got a bit drenched in the rain while returning home after school yesterday.¡± ¡°Did he catch a fever?


    Is it serious?¡± asked Maureen.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just a minor cold,¡± replied Niel.


    Maureen could only sit down.


    Liam didn¡¯t show up the whole day.


    In preparing for the interscholastic competition, Maureen had been doing problems until she saw stars, thus she didn¡¯t put much thought into it.


    But each time she raised her head during a break, and saw the empty seat beside her, she would feel a bit unnerved.


    For the first time, Liam had not attended school without letting her know.


    With his voice absent, everything seemed substantially quieter.


    Finally, near the end of school, unable to hold back, she sent him a text message.


    ¡°Liam, Niel said you caught a cold.¡± ¡°Do you have a fever?


    You should have a private doctor at home, right?


    Have you seen them?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your body temperature?¡± ¡°Do you need anything?


    I can bring it over for you.¡± Maureen clutched her phone, her mind unsettled.


    Seeing that Liam didn¡¯t reply, she couldn¡¯t help but send another message: ¡°Did you fall asleep because you¡¯re feeling so bad?


    Reply me when you see this qaq.¡± After sending it, there was still no reply from the other side.


    Without realizing it, Maureen started flipping through her previous chat records with Liam.


    In the past, in an attempt to ride his luck, she would only send him three messages a day, almost all of which were just three periods.


    This was the first time she sent Liam five messages with substantial content.


    Maureen was worried.


    Mainly because after the incident of Liam being afraid of dogs happened, she often found glass burst scratches on him.


    Although he said it was from a blowout of a glass bowl when cooking noodles, Maureen always felt that something was off.


    As soon as school ended, she started packing her backpack, planning on visiting Liam¡¯s house.


    She turned to Niel and asked, ¡°You know Liam¡¯s home address, right?


    Can you give it to me?¡± Niel was taken aback, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t want it before?!¡± Maureen said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid he might get more sick if he stays alone, didn¡¯t you say he lives alone most of the time and there¡¯s no adult in his house?¡± Maureen had gotten the address from Niel.


    Carrying her backpack, she bought fever relief medicine and patches and, holding her umbrella, hurried towards Liam¡¯s address.


    On the other side, after she left, Niel quickly sent a message to Liam: ¡°Liam, it¡¯s over.


    I couldn¡¯t resist the temptation.


    I told Maureen your address.


    It¡¯s your own apartment address, not the one for your mom¡¯s villa.¡± After suffering a breakup, the desolate Liam, curled up in his bed, was still staring at the WhatsApp message from Maureen.


    His feelings were complicated and sorrowful, his mind already playing out a hundred-episode TV drama plot about life and death.


    Seeing the pop-up message from Niel, he exited the chat to read it and immediately sat up.


    What the hell?


    Little Mask is coming over?


    But he hasn¡¯t washed his hair yet!


    Liam was despondent.


    Why was she still caring for him when she had clearly said she didn¡¯t like him?


    He might as well drop dead!

 Chapter 78 - 78 Visiting Liam at his home

    ?Chapter 78: Visiting Liam at his home Chapter 78: Visiting Liam at his home Maureen held the address and arrived at a high-end residential area by the riverbank.


    From the outside, it looked like a CBD office building.


    Only after entering did she discover that it was a multi-level, ¡°jump¡± floor apartment.


    She went to the security guard and explained the situation.


    After possibly speaking with Liam over the walkie-talkie, the guard escorted Maureen to the top-level duplex.


    Maureen stood outside the door, holding a bag of fever-reducing medicine, and rang the doorbell.


    After a moment, the door was opened from the inside.


    Liam¡¯s red hair was wet and scattered messily at his forehead.


    He was wrapped in a blanket when he opened the door.


    At the entrance, the light was not switched on and the gloomy light from the thunderstorm outside made his lips appear pale and peeling, his face flushed in an abnormal way.


    At first glance, he looked exactly like someone who was sick and unattended.


    Maureen raised her head to look at him and exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Liam, why is your hair wet?


    Are you trying to wash your hair while you have a fever?


    Are you trying to kill yourself?¡± Liam rubbed his forehead.


    Instead of answering, he coldly asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Maureen did not notice his unusual demeanor, she directly leaned in to take a look inside, ¡°Niel said you were sick, is there anyone at home ¡ª¡± Taking a quick look inside, Maureen confirmed that there was no one in Liam¡¯s house.


    The interior of the duplex was too desolate; the curtains were drawn, the living room was bare and completely devoid of any furniture.


    The TV background wall was empty, with only a couch and white walls, it seemed like the two-hundred square meter space only had a floor.


    The marble table at the open-concept cooking area looked like new, and the warranty sticker on the refrigerator wasn¡¯t even peeled off yet.


    She was fortunate to have come.


    Otherwise, what would Liam eat for dinner ¡ª would he still eat take-outs while sick?


    Before she had time to see clearly, Liam pushed her away with a finger pressed to her forehead.


    The finger on her brow felt hot.


    Liam did not let her in.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have the inter-school competition to prepare for?


    Shouldn¡¯t you be seeing others that you want to see?


    You still have time to find someone as insignificant as me?¡± Liam coldly inquired, his voice hoarse.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Maureen was confused, ¡°I have already finished my day¡¯s revision, now that school¡¯s over I have free time.


    I heard you were sick so I¡ª-¡± Liam mournfully interrupted her, ¡°What¡¯s it to you whether I¡¯m sick or not?


    Do you even care?¡± Maureen: ???


    What was this all about?


    Was he delirious from the fever?!


    One day apart and his talking was strange.


    Fearing his mind was actually affected by the fever, Maureen anxiously rolled the medicine bag onto her wrist, and pushed him inside, ¡°Hurry up, dry your hair!


    Go lie down in bed!¡± She accidentally pushed a little hard, Liam staggered, and his hot breath pressured over.


    Maureen quickly steadied him.


    ¡°How much do you weigh?!¡± Maureen asked strenuously, feeling like she was shouldering a weight as heavy as a mountain, almost being pushed down, her five-foot-seven height trembling like a Stick in the wind, on the verge of breaking, ¡°You usually look so thin¨C¡± ¡°I am six feet two, alright?!


    Go ask how much other guys who are six feet two weigh!¡± Liam retorted angrily, ¡°Plus, the quilt weighs about 20 kg!¡± He was filled with indignation, thinking to himself, so what if Richard was slim, so what if he was slender.


    Disliking him was one thing, but to even mind his weight?


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to hold me.¡± Liam, engulfed in the flames of anger, shrugged off Maureen¡¯s hand and turned to walk inside.


    Maureen: ¡± Closing the door behind her, Maureen removed her backpack, glancing around.


    In Liam¡¯s large duplex apartment, surprisingly, there was no coffee table.


    She had no choice but to drop her stuff on the floor.


    Liam plopped himself heavily onto the sofa.


    As Maureen went over to him, she could feel the heat radiating off his body, even through the blanket wrapped around him.


    Reaching out to touch his neck, she quickly pulled her hand back after feeling the heat.


    She thought to herself, ¡°This is bad, we need to get to a hospital.¡± Maureen hastily said to Liam, ¡°Hasn¡¯t a private doctor been here?


    Otherwise, I can accompany you to the hospital?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital.¡± Liam glanced at her, his eyes red and swollen.


    His facial expression was complex for some reason, filled with anger, irritation, solitude, and hurt.


    He peremptorily turned his head away: ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Maureen: ¡°¡­¡± Maureen thought he must be delirious from the fever and had no patience to squabble with him.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go, then we won¡¯t.


    It¡¯s raining outside and it wouldn¡¯t be good to catch a cold.


    Let¡¯s try to bring down the fever at home first.


    Do you have boiling water here?¡± While speaking, Maureen switched on a light near the entrance, then went to search for water near the kitchen counter.


    After discovering there was no hot water, she tiptoed to find a kettle from the cupboard and started to boil water.


    Maureen, while skillfully heating up water, urged, ¡°You should hurry and dry your hair, then put on a fever patch, drink some hot water, take medicine and go to sleep on the bed.


    You will feel better after sweating a bit.¡± A few minutes later, the water began to bubble and boil.


    Maureen thought Liam had also gone to the bathroom to dry his hair.


    As she turned around, to her surprise, he was still sitting on the sofa, casting a forlorn look on her with a pale face. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With red eyes and gasping for breath, it seemed as if he had experienced an apocalypse.


    Maureen: ¡°¡­¡± Isn¡¯t it just a cold?


    Why is he acting like he¡¯s heartbroken?!


    However, Maureen remembered the last time she got drunk and vomited on him, suddenly she lost the confidence to scold him.


    Maureen fetched a glass and poured a cup of hot water.


    She then went to the bathroom to get a towel and a hairdryer ¨C the water on the bathroom tiles was not yet dry.


    Had Liam just washed his hair?


    Maureen couldn¡¯t comprehend his thought process.


    Why would he wash his hair when he was sick?


    She walked over to Liam and handed him the hot water, telling him to hold it with both hands: ¡°Have some water, your lips are very dry.¡± Liam took the water, his head hanging like a frost-stricken eggplant.


    Meanwhile, Maureen picked up a towel and draped it over his head, attempting to dry it haphazardly.


    The shampoo Liam uses has a unique scent.


    It was a light pine fragrance mixed with some Gardenia flower aroma, very refreshing and pleasant.


    However, while drying his hair, feeling his feverishly hot forehead under her fingertips, Maureen had no energy to care about other things.


    She was wholly focused on helping him dry his hair quickly to get him into bed to sweat it out.


    Liam stared at the ground with a bitter feeling in his heart.


    He was nice to her, treating her like his girlfriend.


    But she didn¡¯t like him even one bit.


    How good could Richard possibly be?


    Was he taller than him?


    Was he wealthier?


    ¡± Mr.


    Williams, is this towel meant for drying hair?


    I just grabbed it at random.¡± Maureen thought about it only after almost drying off.


    Liam lethargically opened an eyelid to take a look.


    ¡°It¡¯s for feet.¡± He said, despairingly.


    Maureen questioned, ¡°¡­Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± Liam, who was no longer in the mood to deal with such trivial matters, merely said, ¡°Stop calling me Mr.


    Williams.¡± The hand that Maureen was using to dry his hair paused, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, should I call you Boss?¡±

 Chapter 79 - 79 Dont call me

    ?Chapter 79: Don¡¯t call me.


    Boss Chapter 79: Don¡¯t call me.


    Boss The dreadful term boss!


    He thought she liked him, but she merely saw him as a boss!


    His presumption was deeply embarrassing.


    Unable to contain his anger, Liam blurted out, ¡°Don¡¯t call me boss!¡± ¡°Then, what should I call you?¡± Maureen had finished drying off his red hair and tossed the towel aside.


    She picked up the hairdryer and began drying his hair.


    With a sorrowful tone Liam said, ¡°I was too young and impulsive, making you my underling was my aloofness, and now you are not my underling anymore.¡± Maureen was at a loss for words, ¡°¡­¡±.


    Was he acting younger within just a month?


    Liam lowered his voice, saying, ¡°You can continue calling me Liam.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After drying his hair until it was fluffy and dry, Maureen turned off his hairdryer.


    She raised her eyes to meet Liam¡¯s gaze.


    His eyes were red.


    She didn¡¯t know whether it was due to his fever or something else.


    His fair complexion seemed paler than usual, and the small mole at the corner of his eye became more noticeable.


    Maureen had always found his features exceptionally handsome.


    However, after drying off his hair, Maureen was particularly drawn to him.


    His messy short hair, his straight nose, and his expression of vulnerability after being sick were especially attractive.


    Even her eyes seemed watery.


    Maureen, staring at his face, was inexplicably stunned, still holding the hairdryer.


    Coming back to her senses, Maureen heard him saying something.


    Agreeably she said, ¡°Huh?


    Oh, okay, Liam, have you taken your medicine?


    Literally the medicine.


    If not, I brought some cold medicine.¡± Liam: ¡°She really doesn¡¯t love him!


    She directly calls him Liam in such a cold way!


    Maureen took out two pills from the medication she had brought, handed them to Liam, and put a white fever-reducing patch on his forehead.


    ¡°Take the medicine and go to sleep.


    I¡¯ll prepare some porridge.¡± Liam¡¯s gaze followed her, staring at her as she left to cook the porridge.


    Maureen was searching everywhere for rice, but Liam¡¯s home had nothing.


    She had no choice but to use her phone to order some takeout: asking the grocery store to deliver some millet and vegetables.


    The convenience of living in an affluent neighborhood was displayed when, in less than ten minutes, a delivery guy was at the door.


    Maureen took the things and walked over to the open kitchen to start cooking the porridge.


    She noticed that Liam hadn¡¯t gone to sleep.


    Instead, he sat on the sofa, not blinking as he watched her with a white pad on his forehead.


    Maureen didn¡¯t think much of it.


    As long as he drank the medicine, the cooling patch should work soon.


    It was no different whether he was wrapped in a blanket in the living room or not.


    The duplex villa quietened down for a moment.


    Liam suddenly spoke with a hoarse voice: ¡°You¡¯ve been transferred here for a while, yet I¡¯ve never heard you talk about anyone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know Josephine?¡± Maureen responded without turning her head.


    ¡°Then there are some people I used to know, people you wouldn¡¯t want to meet.


    Even if you met them, you won¡¯t remember their names, like the class captain of class six, Nolan¡­¡± Maureen mentioned a lot of names, but Liam noticed that she didn¡¯t mention Richard.


    ¡°What about the members of the school¡¯s competitive team?


    Do you know any of them?¡± Maureen heard Liam¡¯s hoarse voice from the direction of the sofa.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the competitive team?¡± Maureen thought Liam couldn¡¯t sleep and started chatting with her.


    ¡°Well, I actually know a few.


    They¡¯re a group of youthful and spirited people who often win awards, very impressive.¡± Liam asked, ¡°Is it the type that girls usually like?¡± Thinking about the number of love letters Richard used to receive, where the letters stuffed in his table drawer could fill a trash can by the end of the weekend, probably ranking him first in the school with no second in line, She responded, ¡°Most girls probably do.¡± There was silence from behind. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The spaghetti is almost ready.


    Maureen squatted down to find bowls and Spoon and found two sets of bowls in the disinfection cabinet.


    She lifted her head and asked Liam, ¡°There¡¯s a black one and a red one.


    Which bowl do you want?¡± Liam: ¡°Whatever.¡± Without thinking, Maureen chose the black one and started to serve the spaghetti.


    The hand Liam had concealed in his blanket suddenly clenched tightly.


    Anger, embarrassment, dejection, heartache, these emotions all surged in his heart at once.


    He was so jealous of Richard.


    He was terribly sad.


    Seeing him suddenly hanging his head listlessly and standing up to walk to the room, Maureen spoke while holding the porridge.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?


    Drink some porridge before sleeping.¡± Maureen looked at him as she said.


    Liam didn¡¯t make a sound, walked into the room, crawled onto the bed with his blanket wrapped around him, turning himself into a bear-like bundle, and buried his head inside.


    Maureen carried the porridge in and contemplated that he might be feeling unwell, and might be drowsy from the medication.


    Therefore, she put the porridge aside on the bedside table and said, ¡°When you feel better, get up and have a bite.


    There is still some left in the thermos.¡± Liam: ¡°Hmm.¡± Seeing the situation, Maureen didn¡¯t feel it was appropriate to stay any longer.


    She gently closed the door, turned around and left the room, turning off the light, then picked up her backpack, ready to leave.


    Before she left, she saw Liam¡¯s phone lying on the ground.


    She went over to pick it up for him and took it into his room.


    Maureen suddenly noticed that Liam¡¯s phone didn¡¯t have a case anymore¨C Isn¡¯t it just a phone case from the sect?


    How come it was discarded so casually?


    ¡­


    Maureen felt childish, just like Liam, for caring about something as trivial as this.


    But she couldn¡¯t help but to take a second look at his phone case, which was no longer matching hers.


    She unexpectedly felt a twinge of loss.


    It might have been her imagination, but it seemed like Liam was more distant than usual today, even going so far as to ask her to call him Mr.


    Williams.


    Maureen soon thought, perhaps it was because he was feeling unwell due to the fever?


    That¡¯s just how people are, when you¡¯re used to being close with someone, even a slight change could throw you off.


    Before you can even process why, your emotions have already involuntarily reacted.


    Maureen found herself feeling melancholic, mirroring Liam¡¯s low spirits.


    She shook her head, telling herself not to overthink, and left Liam¡¯s multi-storey villa.


    As she descended the stairs, contemplating how to get home, a car slowly pulled up in front of her.


    Daniel, the lawyer whom she had met previously, popped his head out from the driver¡¯s side, saying, ¡± Maureen, it¡¯s raining outside.


    Mr.


    Liam asked me to drive you home.¡±

 Chapter 80 - 80 Liam is getting better

    ?Chapter 80: Liam is getting better Chapter 80: Liam is getting better Mrs.


    Smith and Chris came home from the restaurant on that day, and both felt a bit under the weather as they got caught in the rain.


    Chris, being a boy with a good physique, was just fine after having a bowl of pepper soup made by the nanny that night.


    However, Mrs.


    Smith fell seriously ill.


    It seemed like a disease borne from external factors, but in fact, it was heartache.


    The Smith family knew why, but they were powerless.


    Maureen was almost eighteen years old.


    They couldn¡¯t possibly force her to come back.


    Moreover, even if she did come back, they couldn¡¯t return to the past.


    Maureen would despise them even more.


    The Smith family finally soberly realized this point.


    Regardless, they didn¡¯t give up, believing that bloodline ties are the most unbreakable things in the world.


    Maureen might be angry and resent them for one or two years, but she couldn¡¯t possibly discard them forever.


    Moreover, they now understood regret and compensation.


    With time, wouldn¡¯t the relationship gradually improve?


    The current problem is how to ameliorate it.


    Just as Mrs.


    Smith and Chris saw outside the restaurant, Maureen wouldn¡¯t give them a single glance when she saw them, let alone exchange pleasantries.


    Direct confrontations had no effect.


    She would certainly turn and leave as she had always done in the past.


    She probably wouldn¡¯t even utter half a sentence, just annoyingly futile.


    They must think of other methods to soften her gradually.


    Each member of the Smith family was pondering their own strategies.


    Mr.


    Smith remained outside of the situation.


    Even though he was told what had happened by Oliver, he still believed that Maureen was maybe just momentarily upset and that the situation could be turned around.


    Maureen felt dejected due to the small biases her family, especially towards her and Bianca.


    These disappointments accumulated over time, causing her to ultimately decide to leave home.


    So where did it all begin?


    It started with the bias.


    Mr.


    Smith had a private talk with each family member, emphasizing that from then on, Bianca and Maureen must be treated evenly, whether Maureen was present or not, they must be fair and impartial.


    Indeed, the incident at the last birthday feast, where Mrs.


    Smith gave Maureen¡¯s dress to Bianca, which should never happen again.


    He particularly lectured his son, Mike: ¡°Watch your mouth.


    It¡¯s okay to chatter away, but when the situation is serious, you should act accordingly.¡± He also told his wife, ¡°You have the most significant influence on Maureen.


    Henceforth, you must treat them equally.


    But considering our situation, it will not hurt to be more partial to our own daughter, Maureen.¡± Oliver also had individual talks with Mike and his mother.


    Addressing Mike, he criticized, ¡°In all honesty, if you had waited for me that day before impulsively going to find Maureen, we might not have ended up in the police station.


    You¡¯ve messed up the situation.¡± Mike roared with anger, ¡°So now for a little girl, this whole family is putting up a big show, taking turns to discipline me?


    How was I supposed to know that day-¡± Before he finished, a smack on the back of the head by Mr.


    Smith interrupted him, ¡°I already told you!


    Change the way you speak!


    Can¡¯t you use the word ¡®sister¡¯ instead of saying ¡®little girl¡¯?


    This current dilemma is all because of you!


    If you wish to stay in this house, go to the study right now and write ¡®sister¡¯ a hundred times!¡± Mr.


    Smith¡¯s face turned livid.


    He always maintained the image of a stern father; every family member feared him.


    Mike was boiling with fury, but he held it back and went to the study to study his script.


    Oliver¡¯s conversation with his mother mainly focused on analyzing the reasons leading to the current situation.


    The two of them began to reminisce about some past events, and the more they recalled, the more they began to acknowledge certain details they had overlooked in favor of Bianca, often at the expense of Maureen¡¯s feelings.


    Mrs.


    Smith¡¯s face turned pale and she started to weep.


    Oliver was quite frustrated with the whole situation and reminded his mother, ¡°From now on, we need to pay extra attention to these details and consider Maureen¡¯s feelings.¡± With those words, he hurriedly left.


    Additionally, Mr.


    Smith held a meeting with the household staff, emphasizing that Maureen was their biological daughter and should not be neglected in any way.


    It was made clear that if there were to be a repeat of the incident like Mrs.


    Daniel, that person would be fired immediately.


    ¡­


    The private conversations among the Smith family naturally excluded Bianca.


    It was not because they were intentionally keeping her in the dark, but because these were matters related to blood relatives.


    It was actually more harmful to Maureen if Bianca got involved.


    So, it was better if she remained absent.


    The Smith family also somewhat took into account her feelings.


    However, Bianca started to feel as though something was off.


    She started to notice family members frequently sneaking off to the study in pairs, as if they were deliberately avoiding her.


    And it wasn¡¯t just the family; the servants too.


    The gardener started ordering seeds for the flowers that Maureen liked, the cook began looking up recipes for Maureen¡¯s favorite dishes from before, and the driver occasionally asked her classmates for information on Maureen.


    She even saw Chris up late at night, trying to replicate the dishes that Maureen used to cook, hoping to bring them to school for her¡ª Bianca understood, of course, this was a guilt-ridden compensation attempt.


    They had all taken for granted the meals Maureen used to cook, but now that she was gone, they felt an emptiness, a need to make amends.


    But seeing this only filled Bianca with a sense of restlessness and anxiety.


    Although Maureen had left this home, her presence could still be felt everywhere.


    Even more so than when she first arrived two years ago.


    Bianca was both afraid and jealous.


    People¡¯s energy and love are limited.


    Once more energy is focused on Maureen, the members of the Smith family inevitably overlook her.


    Not to mention that Oliver, although still gentle on the surface, had been avoiding her for a while.


    And Chris¡¯s relationship with her had always been strained.


    Even Mr.


    Smith no longer personally taught her to play golf on the weekends, but only let the coach teach.


    Mike, who was not often at home, always looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze, totally lacking the protection he used to offer before Maureen¡¯s arrival.


    Bianca felt a burning anxiety, understanding she could not allow this situation to continue.


    ¡­


    She called Aunt Daniel.


    Aunt Daniel, the nanny, was still hoping that Bianca could bring her back.


    But under current circumstances, after being bluntly rejected by Mrs.


    Smith, Bianca had absolutely no way to ask the Smith family to rehire Aunt Daniel.


    When aunty Daniel heard Bianca crying aggrievedly, she was also anxious and quickly comforted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss.


    The matter of arranging my return is not urgent.


    You should take good care of yourself first.


    You must stay steady, and you cannot slack off in your studies and exam competitions, especially the upcoming one ¡ª¡± Bianca said, ¡°The Inter-school League.¡± ¡°Yes, especially this league.


    You can¡¯t fall short of Maureen.


    You have to show your family that you are better than her,¡± Mrs.


    Daniel strategized, ¡°In addition, you also need to think about how to get along with the Smith family.


    You must take the initiative.


    Now that the situation has changed, you can¡¯t just sit and wait.¡± Bianca, frustrated and confused, said, ¡°I understand.¡± Taking the initiative is easier said than done.


    For the past fifteen years, as the only girl in the Smith family, Bianca has always been spoiled like a little princess.


    It was only when Maureen arrived that she felt a sense of crisis.


    Being spoiled led to her only knowing how to be loved, and not at all good at pleasing others.


    In her mind, she only needed to be beautiful and well-behaved.


    How would she know that now because of Maureen¡¯s running away from home, the whole family would be like this?


    Bianca thought for a while and came up with an idea.


    Recently, Oliver has been troubled by a matter in his company.


    His company intends to acquire a piece of land, but the other company has always set a high price, hence hindering Oliver¡¯s acquisition.


    Bianca remembered that company Rolly, was owned by Ryan Rolly from the evergreen group.


    Ryan courted her once.


    She could assist her brother in this matter in this way, and her brother would surely view her in a different light.


    Thinking of this, Bianca opened her Whatsapp, pondering over how to persuade Ryan willingly to handle the situation.


    ¡­


    ========== All of Thursday, Liam didn¡¯t come to class.


    Maureen felt at a loss, looking at the seat beside her three hundred times in a day.


    She counted her little sprouts, she already unconsciously had one hundred and eighty of them.


    There¡¯s still a long way to reach five hundred, but Maureen is not so eager now.


    After all, the injuries on her face have healed, and she wasn¡¯t so unlucky during the exams.


    The stolen luck has already brought her a lot of good fortune.


    As for the rest, as long as she stays by Liam¡¯s side, she should be able to gather five hundred sprouts by the time they graduate from senior high school, right? S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This resulted in Maureen not seeking Drake for Good Luck whenever Liam was absent.


    It was only on Friday that Liam came to school.


    His phone and pillow had been hastily thrown on the ground when he rushed into the bathroom for a shower on Wednesday late afternoon, due to an aching head.


    The phone case was cracked, the pillow drenched, and he could only leave them on the balcony.


    Having been raining continuously these few days, they couldn¡¯t be dried.


    Hence, Liam could only abandon them at home.


    The moment Liam arrived ¡ª perhaps due to his two days absence from class, Maureen¡¯s gaze couldn¡¯t resist but linger on him.


    Consequently, Maureen, who wasn¡¯t one to pay attention to details, noticed that Liam didn¡¯t bring his small pillow.


    Ever since she had given it to him, he has always kept it by his side.


    What exactly happened in these two days?


    Due to her curiosity, Maureen¡¯s gaze couldn¡¯t help but keep lingering on Liam¡¯s handsome face.


    Watching him walk into the classroom with a straight face, pulling out a chair and sitting down.


    Maureen could feel his emotions obviously lowered, exuding a low pressure.


    He was wearing noise-cancelling headphones when he entered, his face pale and expressionless, quickly took off his coat and started napping the moment he sat down.


    Without uttering a word, and without greeting herself, Niel and Drake.


    Staring at the silent and seemingly lifeless red hair of Liam, Maureen felt a pang of concern.


    ¡­


    What happened exactly?


    If it wasn¡¯t for her previous conversation with Niel, Maureen would have thought that Liam was upset because she forgot about his birthday.


    Yet, only she and Niel knew about this secret.


    However, he is not someone who would be petty about this.


    Maureen guessed it might be due to him falling ill and thereby in a bad mood.


    Being sick is indeed troubling.


    Maureen did not disturb him, allowing him to sleep through half of the morning undisturbed.


    During class, when a gang of little brothers passed by, she gestured a ¡°shush¡± to remind them to be quiet.


    During the break of the third period, seeing that Liam was still silent, Maureen couldn¡¯t help but buy a packet of candies from the convenience store.


    ¡°Do you feel a bit bitter in your mouth?


    Have some Candies¡± Maureen softly woke him up.