A tall, handsome man stood before Miranda. He was offering her a bouquet of yellow roses, but her expression didn’t look pleased.
Yasmine clicked her tongue. “Pretty girls really do have the advantage. It’s only been a few days since school started, and someone’s already going after her?”
She added, “By the way, Willow, you’re not bad-looking yourself. How come no one’s giving you flowers?”
Willow simply smiled, unfazed by Yasmine’s attempt to provoke her. “Is that even comparable?”
“Hmph! Acting all indifferent, huh? I don’t believe for a second you’re not jealous!” Yasmine scoffed.
Willow’s smile remained unchanged.
Yasmine threw one last jab before walking off. “If you pretend too much, it just turns into hypocrisy.”
As Yasmine strode away, Willow’s smile slowly faded.
A short distance away, two male students stood together. Joli asked, “Did you remember everything I just told you?”
Theodore scratched his head, scanning the scene ahead. Suddenly, he exclaimed, “Oh!”
Following Theodore’s gaze, Joli saw the moment Hansel handed Miranda the flowers. He frowned slightly. “If you want to go further in academia, don’t let trivial things like relationships distract you.”
“Right, got it, Joli!” Theodore nodded vigorously.
However, he couldn’t help but add, “That girl seems to be one of Dr. Young’s students. She’s really impressive. She had managed to shut Hank up completely and even had the audacity to publicly mock Sophie, saying that corruption in leadership trickled down or whatnot. It was pretty cool!”
But Joli showed little interest. Apart from that initial glance, he didn’t look in their direction again. “Come on, I’ll take you to a nearby supermarket to buy some essentials.”
Theodore quickly waved his hand. “No, no, I’ve brought everything I need.”
Joli’s lips twitched. “You mean the toothbrush that’s already losing its bristles or the face towel with a hole in it?”
Theodore’s dark complexion flushed in embarrassment. “I–I figured I could still use them, so I didn’t get new ones.”
Joli sighed, seeing a reflection of his past self.
The two of them came from the same town, but Joli had left earlier, attending Bedford College for his undergraduate studies. Theodore, on the other hand, went to a regular university for his bachelor’s degree and had to work hard. He had to take the graduate exam twice before finally getting into Bedford College.
As they were both from the same hometown and had known each other since they were kids, Joli felt a responsibility to take care of him. For kids like them who came from rural areas, warmth and care were luxuries in this unfamiliar environment. Having once endured hardships himself, Joli couldn’t help but want to shelter others from them.
“I’ll buy them for you,” Joli offered.
“No need.” Theodore quickly waved his hands. “I’ve got money. My folks stuffed a bunch into my pocket before I left.”
In his excitement, his accent slipped out.
Joli didn’t say anything more and simply led him toward the supermarket. Things like confessions, men, or women had nothing to do with him.
For someone who would hesitate to buy a toothbrush, seeing others spend hundreds or even thousands on a simple bouquet was a stark reminder of life’s inherent unfairness.
Miranda once again sidestepped the bouquet Hansel extended and calmly said, “I have things to do. I’m leaving.”
She walked directly toward Madison and Sebastian.
Hansel stood there with the roses in hand, a bitter smile creeping across his face. He stayed rooted for a long time, even as the onlookers dispersed and Miranda’s figure faded from sight.
Finally, he approached a trash can, letting the vibrant yellow roses slip from his grasp and fall into the filth.
Then, he turned and walked away.
Willow, who hadn’t left yet, observed him with curious, thoughtful eyes. After taking in his retreating figure, she clutched her books and walked away as well.