"He's my boyfriend."
A single sentence left the onlookers stunned, their mouths agape in disbelief.
They couldn't fathom how a gentle, humble, and shy girl like her could utter such a deadly phrase.
The boys' faces turned bright red, unable to accept that their ideal girl had become someone else's private property. Even the few teachers present were preparing to have a talk with Sophia Mercer. As she said, she was still a student, and with the high school entrance exam looming, she should focus on her studies and not get distracted – "He's my boyfriend," oh, what a bold declaration! The teachers couldn't help but touch their own faces, feeling embarrassed.
As they escaped the deadly gazes of their classmates, Ethan Wraith pulled Sophia Mercer away, with two little tails following behind.
When they finally stopped in a safe corner, Ethan released Sophia's hand, scolding, "Sophia, how could you say that?"
"Why not?" Sophia asked innocently, smiling.
"That's too... explicit. People might think we're... you know. If Uncle Mercer finds out, he'll kill me. And those boys at school, they're all staring at me like I've stolen their treasure."
"Tang Jia Yi is their treasure," the chubby girl who followed them chimed in, laughing.
"Sophia, you're their treasure, along with Evelyn Hartwell, known as the White Rose and Red Rose."
Ethan rolled his eyes. "No chest, no butt, and yet you're crowned the school flower. Your school's boys have questionable taste, ah, painful."
Ethan turned to glance at another girl wearing black-framed glasses, asking, "Why did you pinch me?"
The girl's mouth twitched, but she didn't laugh. "Although I don't care about those comments, I must tell you, I'm the one you called 'no chest, no butt' – Evelyn Hartwell."
"Oh, nice to meet you." Ethan's gaze swept over the girl's face, surprised. He thought to himself, "This little kid has some taste." He couldn't believe he had overlooked her initially. As a high-level player in the flirtation world, it was an unforgivable sin.
However, he couldn't blame himself. According to his years of observation, beautiful women rarely wore glasses. Even if they did, they were usually invisible frames that didn't affect their overall appearance. This girl not only wore glasses but also had a wide, black frame that covered half her face. Her hair wasn't stylishly done like the other girls, and her school uniform was very ordinary...
Now that he was reminded, Ethan took a closer look, and the situation was different. Under the wide-framed glasses, her eyes were bright and beautiful, her eyebrows were slender and elegant, her nose was round and smooth, and her skin was extremely fair. According to Ethan's brief observation at the school gate, her skin was comparable to Sophia's. Her face was serious, giving off a cold, elegant aura...
"But I didn't say anything wrong," Ethan argued, looking at Evelyn's chest and then her butt.
"Hmph. Idiot."
"You think I'm an idiot? This is absolutely slanderous. Don't you see how tall and handsome I am?"
Evelyn was about to retort, but Sophia intervened, laughing. "Ethan, why did you come to school to see me? This is the first time, right?"
"What first time? Three years ago, on a rainy night when your parents were away, Grandpa Tang asked me to bring you an umbrella – you forgot?"
Ethan looked wronged.
"Hmph, you're still talking about that? You only came once, and you're speaking as if it's a matter of course."
"Hehe." Ethan smiled awkwardly. "Actually, I feel guilty about it too. Let's make up for it – I'll treat you to a nice meal."
"Okay..."
Ethan's "nice meal" turned out to be a small, sour fish restaurant near the school, with only a few tables. It wasn't that Ethan was stingy, but he had accidentally discovered that he only had a few dollars left in his pocket. He had spent 5.5 USD on breakfast, 2 USD on the bus, and 15 USD on the ticket...
The chubby girl stared at the steaming sour fish on the table. "This is what you call a nice meal?"
"Yeah, sour fish is great – we only have it during the New Year's celebration in our hometown."
"Where's that?"
"The mountains."
"Oh, that's why." The girl nodded understandingly, looking at Ethan with a hint of amusement.
"Ethan, I haven't introduced you – they're my best friends, Alice and Evelyn Hartwell. You can't hit on them, okay?"
"Cut it out, do you think I'm some kind of person? I, Ethan Wraith, am a talented, charming, and chivalrous man who brushes his teeth every morning and washes his feet every night – such a stylish man wouldn't need to hit on anyone. I wear a belt on my underwear every day, just in case someone tries to harass me – you're the one who rushes back home every day, wanting to peek at me taking a bath, aren't you?" Ethan said, his face reddening as he looked down, embarrassed.
"Ha! So that's why you rush back home every day, huh? Tell me, what's Ethan's body like?" Alice teased, hugging Sophia's arm.
Even Evelyn perked up her ears, listening intently.
"No way – it's all because he's been peeking at me!" Sophia whispered to her friends, her face red.
"What? I've been peeking at you? You're slandering me – I didn't even know you had a mole on your left chest!" Ethan defended himself, his face red with anger.
"Ethan, have you found a job?" Sophia Mercer asked, putting down her chopsticks with concern.
"Of course. Who am I, Ethan Wraith, to be rejected by a headhunting company? I felt it was too easy, so I politely declined. Then, after careful consideration, I found a job that suits me." Ethan spat out a fishbone and continued eating.
"Really, Ethan, you're amazing. What kind of job did you find?"
"A service job."
"What kind of service job?"
"Uh, it's like... a bartender." Ethan thought for a moment, trying to recall the company name. He had to dig out the job offer letter from his pocket to remember that he was going to work at the Kai Xuan Restaurant and Entertainment Company.
Sophia rolled her eyes at this clueless guy.
The girls didn't mind Ethan's humble treat and enjoyed their meal. They finished the entire pot of sour fish soup. After lunch, they still had some time before class, so they ordered a pot of iron goddess tea and continued to chat in the small restaurant. At least it was cooler in here than outside.
"You should be careful around Thomas," Evelyn Hartwell said, playing with her ordinary blue ceramic cup.
"Thomas? Who's Thomas?" Ethan didn't react immediately.
"The annoying guy we met at the school gate today," Sophia explained.
"Oh, him." Ethan's mouth curled up in disdain. "What's so special about him?"
"Nothing," Evelyn shook her head. "But his father is Mayor John Bush."
Ethan remembered the Audi car's license plate and nodded knowingly. He pretended to be worried, "Oh no, I'm doomed. I stole a woman from the mayor's son. I'm dead meat. Maybe I should go tell him I surrender."
Ethan's words earned him several white eyes. What kind of man was this? In novels, when the poor male protagonist encountered a rich kid, he would throw down a pair of white gloves and challenge him to a duel. This guy was too shameless. Sophia gave Ethan a hard pinch on the waist.
"Thomas has only one son, and he's extremely spoiled. Thomas isn't a broad-minded person either. Last year, he got into a fight with a classmate, stabbed him, and even got the victim imprisoned. The victim's parents kneeled in front of Thomas's house for three days and three nights, but not only did they fail to rescue their son, they were also beaten up by Thomas's family, who accused them of tarnishing the mayor's reputation. The husband was left crippled, and the wife became deaf. The whole family is now unaccounted for."
"Thomas is a very ruthless person. You provoked him in front of so many people today, and he won't let it go. You should be careful, and your family should be careful too. He won't just target you alone." Evelyn's face was filled with worry as she told the story. Her fists were clenched, and her voice trembled with anger. Then, she forced a laugh: "Haha, what's the point of telling you all this? It's painful to know too much about the dark side of the world. It's better to be ignorant and live happily, believing that the sky is blue, the moon is round, and people are kind."
"You're right," Ethan comforted her softly. He suddenly felt a liking for this somewhat cynical girl.
"I used to believe that too. I thought bad people would get their comeuppance, that they would go to hell. But now I don't believe it. Hell is just like the human world, where bad people reign supreme. Good people don't live long, and bad people live forever. Good people are killed by bad people, and bad people get away with it. We always say that we should repay kindness with kindness, but what do we use to repay kindness?"
"Your point is that everyone should become bad people?"
Evelyn nodded firmly. "Yes. As long as we keep our conscience in check, what's wrong with being bad? My father is honest and upright, a true good person. But he's always been outdone by Mayor John Bush. It's a pity that he's corrupt and gets away with it. I don't admire my father; I admire those who kill thousands and become heroes. Of course, they need to have a charitable heart." Ethan's interest was piqued. "Who's your father?"
"Governor Gorage Hartwell."
Not only Ethan, but also Sophia and Alice were shocked.
"You're the governor's daughter? Why didn't you tell us?"
Evelyn smiled faintly. "It has nothing to do with me. He's the governor, and I'm just your friend, no connection whatsoever."
Ethan nodded in admiration. This was a very independent girl. Nowadays, it was rare to find someone who didn't flaunt their parents' influence. Some people would proudly display their parents' titles on their foreheads if they had a high-ranking official as a parent.
"Haha, nice. The governor is higher than the mayor. Why don't you ask your dad to educate Mayor John Bush, and then let him discipline his son?"
"Although my dad's position is higher, in this city, Thomas's father is the one in power. My dad is an outsider who came to be the governor, while Mayor John Bush has been climbing the ranks in this city. He has deep roots. My dad can't do anything to him."
"Haha, don't worry, Sophia. They can't do anything to me. I'm a martial arts expert, you know." Ethan smiled at Sophia's worried face.
"Can you ask your dad to help Ethan, Evelyn?" Sophia asked Evelyn in a low voice.
"I can ask, but it's hard to guard against hidden arrows. They haven't made a move yet, so what reason would my dad have to find them?"
"I'll go talk to Thomas this afternoon," Sophia said, trying to sound brave, but tears welled up in her eyes.
Ethan knew this little girl was serious, and she was afraid that Thomas would treat her like he did his classmate. She was preparing to surrender.
Ethan gently wiped away Sophia's tears with a paper napkin. "Don't worry, Sophia. I was just joking. I won't let you go talk to Thomas. We're like a rose among a pile of dung – we can't be tainted by them. Don't worry, I've thought of a way to deal with them."
"Really? What's the plan?" Sophia asked, her eyes still worried.
"Haha, it's a secret."