Meanwhile, Madelyn had already left Skyrise Tower. There were very few buses at this hour, so she stood at the bus stop and shivered in the cold. The arriving bus stopped in front of the traffic light before the zebra crossing.It was currently peak hour in Ventropolis, and the streets were congested.Just as she was about to dig for spare change in her bag, she spotted a black car pull up in front of her from the corner of her eye. She lifted her head and saw its window roll down, revealing Zach's face. He said coldly, "Get in!"'Why isn't Yvonne in the car? Where is she?' Madelyn wondered.She pondered for a few moments before going to the back seat and shutting the car door. She always felt suffocated being alone in the car with him."How'd you come to know Yvonne Young?" Zach looked at Madelyn through the rearview mirror.Madelyn answered indifferently, "I switched classes, the two of us are classmates."Zach did not ask any more questions. He made a turn, and they arrived b
"Alright. Please come with me."Madelyn walked behind them and gave them some space.The waiter opened the door, and the room was covered with tatami and floor heating, so it was not cold to sit on the floor.Madelyn took off the scarf on her neck and hung it on the coat rack at the entrance."You guys can order first! I'm going to the washroom.""Sure! Go ahead," Yvonne replied. She grabbed the menu and moved to Zach's side, "Let's order together. What do you want to eat? I won't go easy on you this time.""Anything," said Zach.Yvonne had already subtly sat down next to Zach as they spoke. She ordered a few of the set meals she usually had."How about this? We'll add on the rest of it when she's back."Madelyn returned from the washroom and noticed that all the private rooms had a dedicated waiter. Since she had yet to order, the waiter by the door handed her a menu. Madelyn did not know what to eat. She did not like seafood and could not eat much, so she ordered a vegetaria
Yvonne was drunk, and Zach had left her in the private room. The restaurant staff would take care of sending her back later. With her status, even staying there overnight would not be a big deal for her.Madelyn leaned back in the seat, feeling dizzy and drained of energy, 'I only had three drinks, but I'm already this drunk. Initially, I didn't plan on drinking, but the wine was so rich and flavorful that I couldn't resist having a few extra glasses. If I hadn't kept my guard around Zach, I might have been as intoxicated as Yvonne.'Madelyn cracked the car window open, trying to sober up and let the alcohol smell dissipate from her body. However, the window was closed again after only a short while."What are you doing? Open the window, quickly," Madelyn pounded on the window. Her voice was as sweet as honey, exuding both flirtatiousness and softness."Stop it and sit properly," said Zach."You're so annoying! You won't even let me open the window. You're being so petty! Fine, I
Madelyn gripped Zach's wrist and said with a chilly tone, "Let's head back quickly. Jadie is still waiting for you at home. I'm tired and want to rest."The next moment, Zach pinched both sides of her cheeks and whispered creepily into her ear, "You're still young and don't know what love is. If you want to date, I won't stop you. In fact, I can even help you find someone better."Madelyn closed her eyes and held back the anger that had welled up inside her. 'It's not the time to argue with him now,' she thought."I-I got it."'It seems like I really can't have even a drop of alcohol in the future. After three drinks, I might get drunk and say something displeasing to Zach.'Madelyn was completely sober now. She remained silent and dared not to speak again along the way.It was almost eleven o'clock when they returned home. The living room was pitch-dark. Madelyn followed Zach slowly as they entered the foyer. She fumbled along the wall for the light switch and turned it on.Mad
The next day, Madelyn woke up after a dreamless night's sleep. She locked her room before leaving, preventing anyone from entering. After breakfast, she arrived at the classroom around eight o'clock.As soon as Yvonne entered the classroom, she found Madelyn and asked, "Madelyn, why'd you and Zach leave so early yesterday? When I got home, my mom was furious. I got a headache from her nagging, and she even set a curfew for me."Yvonne had a severe headache, likely from drinking too much last night and waking up early today. She had not slept well, with dark circles under her eyes. She felt light-headed, as if not fully awake yet.Madelyn said flatly, "I also drank too much yesterday. I don't remember what happened, but my brother specifically instructed them to take you home safely before leaving. Did anything happen on your way back?"Yvonne shook her dizzy head. "Nothing happened, but how could he just leave me alone at the restaurant? He's gone too far! He only cares about you a
Albert had already packed up and left the classroom at the last minute. Madelyn quickly picked up her books and said to Yvonne hurriedly, "You go ahead. I have something to take care of."Yvonne was about to say something but shrugged when she saw Madelyn leave in a rush.Madelyn quickly caught up with Albert, saying, "Mr. Newton, hold on, please."Albert stopped, "M-Madelyn?""It's me, Mr. Newton. I'd like to ask about the results of the last exam."Albert smiled and said, "You attended the classes, so why are you still worried about the results? It's quite obvious that you've earned your spot."Madelyn still insisted, "Can I look at my scores?""What's there to look at? I don't have your test paper with me right now, but you did very well. Especially in the final major question, you used three different methods. The second method involved university-level calculus knowledge. Honestly, I was quite surprised that you were able to write out that formula," Albert's eyes filled wit
The time passed quickly as everyone was busy studying. In the last academic session, other classes had meetings or arranged their own activities like watching movies and playing games. However, Class One still had two evening self-study sessions, lasting until 9:30 p.m.The top-performing class rarely enjoyed any recreational activities. Most students focused on their study plans, but there were also surprises, such as each of them receiving a Christmas fruit.Madelyn could not attend the evening self-study sessions. The homework consisted of two test papers, which she could only take home and complete later. After packing her things, she had to rush to her piano and dance classes.Class One was on the sixth floor. After Madelyn took the elevator, she happened to pass by Class Six. They had just finished their activities. Jadie was tidying his belongings and happened to catch sight of her."Madelyn."Madelyn stopped, "Jadie."They were talking through a window. Jadie smiled, "Tod
Serena agreed, "That's right! You guys are just jealous.""Jealous of Madelyn? That's ridiculous!" Timothy sneered.Even the usually quiet Adrian said unexpectedly, "Just because you can't do it, stop putting others down. Madelyn has changed. At least she's not as annoying as before.""What do you think, Forry?"Forrest tossed the apple in his hand. He was still dressed in a black short-sleeved shirt, revealing the green tattoos on his arms gave him a mysterious and wild appearance. "Stop mentioning her in front of me. It's disgusting!"No one dared to speak any more, and a strange vibe gradually spread among them.Madelyn walked out of the school gate, and Jordan happened to arrive as well. The traffic on the road was relatively smooth, but Madelyn was still a few minutes late when she arrived at the practice room.After two hours of piano lessons, the following two hours were the most difficult for Madelyn. She had not practiced for the past few days. When she warmed up and st