"Please, do this for me," the advisor pleaded. "Shanley is probablying


    specifically to see you, the student with the perfect score. If you say no, I won''t know how to exin it to the administration. How about... I buy you dinner?"


    Juniper paused for a beat before finally relenting. "Fine. But you''re writing the speech."


    "Deal, deal!" The advisor let out a breath of relief. If only she''d known a free meal was all it would take, she could have saved herself the trouble.


    "I''ll send you the draft tonight. Just get familiar enough with it to read it smoothly." "Okay." Juniper nodded obediently.


    After saying goodbye to her advisor, she pulled out her phone and sent a text to Shanley.


    Juniper: [Are you reallying to the Era University opening ceremony?]


    Shanley: [It''s the only chance I have to stand by your side openly. I have to take it, don''t I?]


    Was heining?


    Juniper: [Perform well, and there will be more chances to be open about it in the future.]


    Shanley chuckled at his screen. [Alright. I''ll do my best.]


    He''d won the girl, but then again, maybe he hadn''t won her overpletely. It seemed she was still testing him.


    Shanley: [Get your things packed. I''ming to pick you up.]


    Juniper: [Ok.]


    She put her phone away and was heading toward the dorm when she ran straight into a familiar face-Ynda.


    Juniper couldn''t understand it. Ynda was like a persistent ghost, appearing everywhere she went.


    "Juniper," Ynda said, stopping in front of her with a triumphant smirk. "I heard you have a boyfriend."


    Juniper''s eyes narrowed, a knowing smile touching her lips. It seemed Shanley''s ''PR campaign'' was working if even Ynda had heard the news.


    "Which prominent family is he from?" Ynda asked, assuming Juniper''s boyfriend must be from a low-status family. If he were anyone impressive, she would have been showing him off by now.


    Juniper nced at the path Ynda was blocking, her expression hardening with annoyance.


    "I''m just worried you''ll get


    scammed," nda continued, believing every word was a dagger to Juniper''s heart. "Why don''t you tell m@which family he''s from? Jerrold and I might know them. After all Ynda''s face broke into a radiant, innocent smile. "Jerrold and I have been mingling with Era City''s high society since we were children, unlike you,ing from the mountains and all..."


    She let the sentence hang, watching Juniper''s reaction. Her boyfriend was a socialite, while Juniper''s was probably some nobody, maybe even a low-life thug she was too ashamed to introduce.


    Juniper pressed her lips together, not answering. Instead, her eyes scanned the surroundings.


    "Juniper, why aren''t you saying anyth—"


    Before Ynda could finish, she saw Juniper walk over to arge tree and pick up a brick bigger than her face.


    "What are you doing?" Ynda stumbled back, her face draining of color. Had she hit a nerve? Was sheshing out in anger?


    "Are you going to get lost on your own, or do I have to send you?" Juniper had no patience for this. She advanced with the brickin hand, if send you, your destination night be the underworld."


    Seeing that Juniper wasn''t joking, Ynda spun around and fled.


    Juniper tossed the brick back on the ground and took a deep breath, looking up at the sky. That girl had rocks for brains. Was she really Grandpa''s flesh and blood?


    Ynda didn''t stop running until she was sure Juniper wasn''t chasing her.


    Juniper''s reaction confirmed her suspicions: her boyfriend was a total loser, nothingpared to Jerrold. Finally, there was something she had over her.


    Better yet, on Monday, she would be the one shining on stage as the freshman representative in front of the whole school.