《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鈥檛 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."