Autumn James quietly sat next to Vlad Bundy.
She took off her school uniform jacket, draped it over her head, and let her gaze sink into the dimness, ready to sleep.
Her mind wandered drowsily over the events at the cafeteria earlier, when she ran into Ethan James and his group.
The more she thought about it, the more disgusted she felt, unconsciously furrowing her brows.
Her last thought before drifting off: she must move out as soon as possible in the next two days! The farther from them, the better!
Then she sank into a deep sleep, oblivious to Vlad Bundy's gaze behind thick lenses, which was burning intensely on her…
The first class in the afternoon was White Miller's.
Autumn James barely woke up when the bell rang.
As soon as her eyes opened, White Miller walked in with a stack of papers.
Seeing Autumn James sitting next to Vlad Bundy, he couldn't help but feel gratified. Finally, another talented student!
But this seat… might need to be adjusted.
He looked around, and an idea formed in his mind.
Clearing his throat and raising his voice, he announced,
"Before we start class, I want to introduce a new student…"
But he was interrupted before finishing.
"No need! We all know her already!"
"The new student is a beauty!"
"Class beauty! Class beauty!"
Someone had started the commotion, and the class erupted in excitement.
Everyone chanted "class beauty," leaving White Miller both frustrated and amused.
"You all better not scare away this promising student I worked so hard to bring in!"
"You only see Autumn James' appearance, but you don't know her grades are far beyond yours! If you don't study hard, you'll never amount to anything!"
"Alright, now I'll rearrange the seating."
The moment he spoke, the class fell silent, all eyes fixed on him, hoping Autumn James would sit beside them.
White Miller smiled, realizing just how popular she was. He had worried she might struggle to adapt, but now it seemed completely unnecessary.
Clearing his throat, he said, "Summer Lin, sit with Autumn James. Li Zixu, switch seats and sit with… Meng Yanche."
Meng Yanche was out competing and hadn't returned yet. His desk remained empty.
The other students reluctantly moved aside, while Summer Lin happily helped Autumn James move her things, dimples lighting up her face.
Throughout, Vlad Bundy never lifted his head once.
Once seating was settled, class officially began.
The afternoon passed quickly.
When the bell rang, Autumn James packed her bag, slung it over one shoulder, and prepared to leave.
She still had to go home and pack.
Summer Lin quickly called out,
"Hey! Autumn James! I'll go with you to buy physics, chemistry, and biology textbooks!"
Autumn James paused.
She turned and focused her clear gaze on Summer Lin.
If Summer hadn't mentioned it, she might have completely forgotten about the textbooks.
Seeing Summer Lin's sparkling eyes, Autumn James pressed her lips into a small smile.
"Sure, thanks."
Summer Lin nodded enthusiastically, her dimples showing, utterly adorable.
"Wait for me! I'll be ready in a sec!"
Autumn James didn't speak, watching Summer Lin rush about amusingly.
"Take your time," she said.
Once ready, Summer Lin stood beside her.
"Let's go, James!"
The two left the classroom building together. At the intersection, Summer Lin tried to head toward the bus stop.
Autumn James didn't move.
Summer Lin was confused: "Come on, James, the bus is leaving soon."
Autumn James' gaze fell on a Mercedes with flashing hazard lights nearby.
"That's my car. Let's go to the library together."
Seeing the familiar license plate, Summer Lin's eyes widened: "That Mercedes at school the other morning was yours?!"
"So, you know Ethan James?!"
Thanks to Ethan, the commotion at school had been widely noticed. Many knew about the feud between him and Autumn James, and perhaps their prior acquaintance.
Autumn James had no reaction to Ethan's name.
She just found Summer Lin's reaction odd—she seemed to know Ethan James too?
Perhaps from sharing the same physics teacher, Autumn James thought.
Softly, she replied, "Yes, we know each other. Let's go; we can't stay here long."
Summer Lin's jaw nearly dropped.
After all, the physics teacher for Science Class A was the same as theirs.
Ethan James' name was famous—known as an all-round top student.
Though he didn't excel in any single subject, his grades consistently ranked in the top ten.
His character, however, was another story.
From what Summer Lin knew, Ethan James had a bad temper and a sharp tongue…
Yet Autumn James was different—she was kind-hearted.
Settling her thoughts, she followed Autumn James into the car.
"Uncle Wang, on the way home, let's stop at Xinhua Bookstore first."
Uncle Wang saw Autumn James had brought a friend and smiled happily.
"Sure, miss! Rare to see you bring a friend."
Summer Lin shyly smiled and stole a glance at Autumn James—hehe, she's Autumn's good friend now.
He then stepped on the gas, taking them to the bookstore and parking to wait.
Inside, Xinhua Bookstore was large, roughly three floors.
The first floor held newspapers and magazines, the second floor textbooks and study guides, and the third floor novels.
The two went straight to the second floor.
After selecting their textbooks, they headed for supplementary materials, moving quickly and purposefully.
"Summer Lin?"
A clear, elegant voice called, tinged with curiosity.
Summer Lin stopped and turned, surprised and delighted: "Cousin? When did you get back? Is the competition over?"
Peter Edward nodded, eyes smiling.
"It ended yesterday. I just arrived in Yun City this morning."
"Are you here to buy study materials? And this is…"
His gaze fell on Autumn James' face, as if recognizing something, lifting an eyebrow.
Summer Lin took Autumn James' hand: "This is my classmate and friend, Autumn James."
"This is my cousin, Peter Edward from Science Class A, Senior Grade Three."
Autumn James was slightly surprised.
Peter Edward was Summer Lin's cousin?
If she remembered correctly, in her previous life, Peter Edward was a business prodigy running a large company.
Curiously, he had always clashed with Ethan James in the past, their companies being fierce rivals.
Autumn James silently stared at Peter Edward's refined, handsome face, lost in thought.
Summer Lin froze—why was Autumn James suddenly daydreaming?
Peter Edward, on the other hand, lightly smiled, fists resting near his lips, teasing but not overstepping.
"Autumn James, are you deep in thought? Why are you staring at me like that?"