Chapter 42

As Zinnia and Ethan approached the classroom, the rowdy noise inside instantly quieted as sharp-eyed students noticed them. Heads popped out of windows, and curious gazes turned their way.

“Hey, Ethan, where’d you pick up this little cutie?” someone teased.

“Stop messing around! We’ve got a new classmate. Don’t scare her off,” another called out, trying to calm the crowd.

One asked, “Where is the person?”

“Is it a transfer student? Is she pretty? Is she easy to get along with?” someone asked.

Another joked, “Didn’t the campus forum say she was big, clumsy, and from a small town? Is that true? Let me take a look. If she’s a monster, our class will be the talk of the school.”

One said, “Forums are full of half-truths and outright lies. Most of the time, it’s just someone spreading rumors on purpose.”

Upon seeing Zinnia, one girl exclaimed, “She’s gorgeous. It’s like we’ve got a real-life doll in our class!” Her expression softened into one of maternal affection.

Someone said, “I heard the new student is the Shaw family’s adopted daughter. She used to live in a small town before they brought her back.”

The Shaw family hadn’t revealed Zinnia’s true identity yet, officially introducing her as their adopted daughter.

“Adopted daughter? Which family would go to such lengths for an adopted child? There’s more to the story,” someone speculated.

Another said, “Who started that dumb rumor about her being big and clumsy? I’m gonna find them and set them straight. If she’s big and clumsy, then what am I? A horse pretending to be human?”

One exclaimed, “Oh my gosh, she’s so cute. I wanna take her home and raise her as my own.”

Someone chimed in, “My dream child looks exactly like her. Move aside, everyone, I need to go hug my future baby.”

The classroom erupted into chaos as students crowded together, their eyes shining with excitement as Zinnia drew closer.

Ethan said to Zinnia, “Zinnia, don’t worry. Our classmates are all… enthusiastic. If you ever need help, just come to me.” His words trailed off as he noticed the scene ahead.

Ethan saw the group of students crowding the doorway, their heads craning forward. He glanced at the window, where faces were squished against the glass, hilariously warped. A wave of secondhand embarrassment filled the air.

Zinnia looked at the packed doorway and the window plastered with faces. She pursed her lips in silence. She thought, ‘Are they trying to scare me off because they don’t want me here?’

Just then, one shouted, “She is here! Move aside, move aside! I want to be the first to hug her!”

Suddenly, the tightly packed crowd at the door was disrupted by a kick from inside the classroom. The people blocking the entrance stumbled forward, and the faces pressed against the windows disappeared as a group of students rushed out.

They stopped just a couple of steps in front of Zinnia, staring at her without blinking. Their eyes scanned every detail of her delicate and beautiful face.

Zinnia noticed their gaze but felt no malice. She wasn’t scared, just puzzled. Tilting her head slightly, she thought, ‘What are they looking at?’

Seeing this, it was as if Cupid had struck every heart in the room.

“She is so gorgeous,” someone in the crowd sighed.

“Zinnia, your name is Zinnia, right? What a lovely name,” another chimed in.

Completely bewildered, Zinnia was ushered into the classroom, surrounded by a flurry of excited chatter.

One said, “Our class just got an adorable cutie. The other classes are gonna be so jealous.”

All eyes sparkled as they fixated on Zinnia, who looked like a lost bunny that had wandered into a den of wolves.

Noticing that Zinnia seemed frozen in place, unable to respond, Maisie cleared her throat and rubbed her face to ease her stiff smile. She said, “Zinnia, don’t be nervous. You’re just so pretty. We couldn’t help but fall for you.”

“Thank you for liking me,” Zinnia replied with a small nod.

“Her voice is so sweet. I just want to smother her with kisses,” someone exclaimed.

Zinnia was stunned. Then she said, “No kissing! You can’t just go around kissing people. It might be dangerous.” Her innocent face was utterly serious as she spoke, genuinely concerned. She thought, ‘This class is kind of intense. Are they always like this?’

Her soft and sweet voice sent the entire class into fits of laughter.

Maisie finally managed to stop laughing like crazy, but Zinnia’s innocent comment had her cracking up all over again. She said, “You are so cute, Zinnia.”

Zinnia blinked in confusion. She thought, ‘What is so funny? Did I accidentally say something hilarious?’

Maisie stood so close to Zinnia that she got a full dose of Zinnia’s stunning looks. She could barely hold back the urge to scoop Zinnia up and smother her with affection. She thought, ‘Why didn’t Yannis mention Zinnia is so breathtakingly cute?’

Maisie said, “Zinnia, don’t look at me like that. You’re so adorable, I just want to pinch your cheeks. They look so soft and squishy.”

Startled, Zinnia quickly covered her face with both hands. Her eyes darted around nervously as she stared at Maisie. She cried inside, ‘I want to go home. Someone here actually wants to eat my face.’

The surrounding classmates couldn’t stop laughing. They thought, ‘Zinnia looks so adorably clueless, like she doesn’t quite understand what is going on. We have to protect her.’

One student said, “Zinnia, how can you be this cute?”

Another said, “We’ve got the sweetest little darling in our class now!”

A crisp voice accompanied by clapping hands broke through the noise, saying, “What are you all doing crowding around the door? Didn’t you hear the bell?”

The students turned their heads. Upon seeing the person, they greeted, “Mr. Baker.”

It was their teacher, William Baker. He was probably in his early twenties, with sharp, handsome features. He wore a white shirt and black casual pants, a book in one hand.

“Mr. Baker, you’re here. We got a new classmate. She’s like a little angel,” one of the girls called out enthusiastically, waving at William.

William said, “A new student has joined us?” His smile was warm, his tone gentle, exuding a scholarly charm.

The students stepped aside, revealing Zinnia, who had been surrounded in the middle.

Zinnia looked up at William.

Maisie quickly introduced, “Zinnia, this is our homeroom teacher, William. He’s super nice. You can call him Mr. Baker or William if you want.”

“Hello, Mr. Baker,” Zinnia greeted politely, her voice soft and sweet.

William said, “Zinnia, right? Welcome to our class. If you ever need anything, just let me know.”

William had been worried that Zinnia would be a troublemaker. His class was already chaotic enough. He couldn’t bear to have another naughty student. Seeing Zinnia’s polite demeanor, William felt relieved.

William never expected that the sweet Zinnia would cause the biggest headaches. Zinnia’s poor grades would finally make him crazy.