Chapter 3: staying away from wicked family members

Twelve kilometers may sound a lot, but once you start running, it's just a matter of your legs nearly breaking and your lungs nearly bursting.

If it weren't for a matter of life and death, Maureen wouldn't know how she could be so determined.

She ran round after round, sweat pouring from her body.

A male student from the international class came over to take her place, but she ignored his offer.

The guy ran back and relayed the event to his classmates.

When class was over, the whole international class was buzzing.

By the time it reached Liam's ears, it had morphed into a story of how the new transfer student was running laps for him, willingly and cheerfully, while also wearing a smile of blissful hope.

Liam had lived for seventeen years, when had he ever seen such a fierce and ostentatious pursuer?

A small red bird in his heart stood tall and fluffed its feathers in satisfaction, but he maintained an extremely irritated exterior and slammed the desk, yelling,

"Enough of this gossiping? Are all of you grown men so gossipy?" When Liam lashed out, the noisy classroom finally quieted down a bit.

Drake had caught a cold these days and wasn't attending school. Informed by a gossiping junior on the phone, he couldn't stop laughing and coughing, he couldn't resist calling Liam.

"Impossible! Are you guys mistaken? Maybe the transfer student just needs a favor from you- You say she likes you?

Hahaha, what could she possibly like about you?

Your explosive temper and your sour face? Or perhaps, your bizarre hairstyle and a personality akin to a hound? Besides, apart from having a bit of a flush family..."

"Shut your mouth if you can't speak human language!"

As expected, Liam was pissed.

He hung up and tossed his phone into the desk drawer.

Yes, it was amusing, and the transfer student was indeed a fierce player.

But naturally, Liam didn't truly believe that this transfer student was setting her sights on him.

Eight out of ten times, it would be for the wealth. Grass, Liam kicked the chair beside him in frustration, intending to pay off the transfer student when she returned.

On the other hand, after running thirty rounds, Maureen was on the verge of collapsing.

She didn't return to the classroom, instead, she went straight back to the dormitory, took a shower and went to bed.

She woke up around half past eleven.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw that her potted plant had indeed sprouted three complete tender shoots!

They were shimmering green, swaying under the electric fan.

Along with the tender sprout embryo that she had cultivated by sitting next to Liam and inhaling some luck, she now had approximately three-and-a-fifth sprouts.

Maureen was so thrilled that she immediately climbed down from the top bunk and rushed to the bathroom to look in the mirror.

On her fair left cheek, the slightly darker spot of skin had noticeably faded a great deal.

Unless she looked closely in the mirror, it was almost imperceptible.

Maureen: "At this rate, I'll be able to take off my mask soon!" System: "Of course, all the misfortunes you've encountered are tied to your negative karma as the supporting female character.

Once you absorb the positive karma, everything will go much smoother for you."

Maureen felt a surge of excitement.

As long as she worked hard, she could change the miserable fate of the evil supporting female character!

Having run so many rounds and burned a lot of calories, Maureen was hungry.

As she walked towards the canteen, she racked her brains, thinking about what she could do to absorb more karma in the shortest time.

This Williams family's young master was indeed ruthless and daunting.

It was only because the class teacher had punished him with running laps today that he didn't have the time to move her books away.

If it wasn't for this interruption, her textbook might have already been mercilessly discarded into the trash can.

Maureen, however, wasn't angry; after all, she was the one who needed assistance.

She only felt a headache - what should she do to get closer to him?

Maureen quickly thought of one of the things she excelled at, cooking.

For the first fifteen years of her life, before she was found by the Smith family, she had always been the one to cook and tend to her grandmother.

She often received some vegetables from the neighbors in the town's street, then cooked delicious meals as a form of gratitude.

As early as when she was seven or eight, people were already raving about her dishes.

And for the past two years, having arrived in the Smith family, she often cooked several of her signature dishes to put on the dining table in order to assimilate more quickly.

Mrs. Smith loved to nitpick, but she had nothing to say against the dishes Maureen cooked.

As for Chris, not to mention, he always ate as though he couldn't get enough, even sometimes pleading her to cook a few more dishes so he could take them to school for lunch the next day.

It seemed that she would have to visit Josephine's store to prepare ingredients after school today.

With a plan in mind, Maureen's steps became much livelier.

The incident in the international class this morning also reached the ears of Bianca and her friend Ann.

Chris came over from Class 1 to have lunch with Bianca and sat next to them.

Upon hearing about the situation from Ann of Bianca class, the siblings, although surprised, didn't think that Maureen was actually switching her affection to someone else.

"What a joke, it's well known that she likes Richard."

Every time Richard comes to their house, she bolts down from the second floor all dressed up with sparkling eyes, it's not like they haven't seen that.

"Are you deliberately trying to upset Richard?" Chris was messing with the food in his tray and struggling to swallow,

"The canteen's food is so bloody awful."

Bianca picked up some meat from her own tray and passed it to him, slowly chewing while she sighed,

"Maureen can be very childish sometimes, just like with this argument she's having with Richard.

Also, her sudden decision to leave home and stay at the school dorms, our mother is really worried--Chris, has she told you when she's planning to come back?"

"What does it matter to me? She can come back or not!"

Chris retorted angrily,

"How many times has she pulled this stunt?

Didn't she always come back in the end?"

"Don't be angry."

Bianca advised,

"You have the best relationship with her. Why don't you try to convince her?

If it doesn't work, we'll simply wait until she comes back and then clarify to her that my allergy has nothing to do with her."

Chris replied annoyed, "I won't bother this time.

You shouldn't either. I checked her wardrobe last night, all her clothes are there.

Including those that mom bought for her, she hardly took anything.

This clearly shows she doesn't plan to stay at school for long.

I won't believe that she won't come back shamefully after a few days!"

Although he said all this, looking at the colorless food in the canteen's tray, Chris felt deeply annoyed and upset.

Before this, he either used to jump the school wall to eat out, or he'd eat the lunch box Maureen brought from home.

Maureen's cooking is really delicious.

During the fourth period every morning, Chris would rush toward the canteen, longing for her delicious food.

One could say that without Maureen's lunch box, his day would be soulless.

In the past, even if they quarreled at home or if Maureen had an argument with him - no matter how severe the quarrel was, she would always bring him a lunchbox.

After their fights, they'd sit awkwardly and eat together, then by the end of the meal, all their irritation would vanish.

But today, Maureen unusually didn't show up! Chris kept looking out from the canteen in a barely noticeable way, but with the meal almost finished, he could not see a trace of Maureen!

"Where has she gone?" Chris thought to himself.

"Did something unexpected happen, or did she just forget to pack my lunch? Or maybe she remembered, but she's so mad at me that she deliberately didn't bring food?"

This is very unusual! Chris felt an ache in his heart, his Spoon almost piercing through the plate.

Ann was still laughing by his side:

"Word has traveled to our Evergreen class that she's running circles.

Is she trying to get Richard's attention?

But the line of people trying to approach Richard has extended to the neighboring school, she definitely doesn't stand a chance!

If she wants to chase after Richard, she needs to at least be as attractive as Bianca, or even just as good-looking as Elizabeth from the school next school."

"What nonsense are you babbling about?!"

Unable to suppress his anger, Chris suddenly slammed his Spoon down:

"You should take a good look at yourself first."

Ann was taken aback for a moment, only then did she realize that she had spoken out of line.

Although Chris and Maureen had an ordinary relationship, after all, he was still Maureen's younger brother.

"I'm sorry." Ann apologized quickly. Bianca also said,

"Please don't fuss about Maureen, let's eat."

Chris glared at Ann and stopped talking.

However, Bianca couldn't help but think of Maureen's face. Ann hadn't seen Maureen's face when she had just arrived at the Smith household two years ago.

She was far more beautiful than her.

Bianca was more of an innocent and pitiful kind of beauty, a delicate and precious gem.

Whereas, Maureen's beauty was pure and extroverted, with her brightly stunning features.

The day Maureen came to the Smith Family, the moment they saw her, nobody could take their eyes off her.

In that moment, Bianca felt an unusual sense of crisis in her heart. Of course, all of these were ended by that burn from a year ago.

Beauty was marked with scars, no longer flawless, which made Bianca feel somewhat balanced in her heart.

Just as her thoughts were scattering, Chris's voice suddenly came from her side: "Maureen?"

Bianca and Ann turned their heads. Maureen was walking in from the main entrance of the cafeteria, still wearing a disposable mask.

Chris guessed that she had been delayed because of running laps, so she didn't come to the cafeteria.

His gaze first landed on Maureen's hands—unusually, they were empty, with no lunch box.

Chris suddenly felt a bit sullen in his heart.

This was the first time that Maureen hadn't brought him lunch after they had an argument.

It seemed that Maureen was really quite upset this time.

Chris was hesitating, wondering if he should apologize first.

The things he said when Maureen left home yesterday were indeed quite harsh.

The two of them always had the best relationship in the family.

It was understandable that Maureen was angry because his tone was so aggressive yesterday.

As he was hesitating, Maureen had already come near.

Chris was an extremely stubborn boy, but he gritted his teeth, hardened his scalp, and still stood up. "

Maureen, sister."

He spoke out, "you---" But before he could finish his words, Maureen walked past him as if she had not seen him at all.

Chris felt as if he had been hit by a sudden blow. He was stunned for a moment and couldn't react.

Then he turned around only to see Maureen ignoring him, heading towards the window.

She took the plate of prepared food, and as she turned around, she met his surprised gaze.

But she quickly averted her eyes, heading towards a corner of the room to sit alone.

The expression on Chris's face instantly froze.

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