Chapter 2

When I got home, I gave the dog a bath and blow-dried its fur.

It actually looked quite handsome once it was clean. Its golden fur shone. It looked very energetic.

I named it “Champion.”

My phone kept vibrating on the table. It was all messages from Jace.

[Xena, don’t be mad. I spoke badly today.]

[I know you picked up that dog just to make me angry. Throw it away. It’s dirty.]

[Want to eat late-night food? I’m downstairs. I brought your favorite snack.]

Then a series of bank transfer notifications came in.

[Bank transfer received: $500]

[Bank transfer received: $1,000]

The notes all said: My dear Xena, don’t be mad. Use it to buy something nice.

I looked at the numbers and raised my eyebrows. I had never accepted his money before. I used to think that our connection couldn't be measured by money. I thought we had a pure childhood friendship.

But it looked like I had really been naive.

If he wanted to use money to distract me and make me lose focus, then I had no reason to refuse. Not only did I accept it. I accepted it confidently and made him feel the loss. My fingers moved quickly across the screen. I confirmed the transfers one by one.

In less than ten seconds, over $1,500 was safely deposited in my account.

Jace clearly had not expected me to accept. He paused for a few seconds. Then, his thoughts came through again.

“Good. She accepted it. That means she has forgiven me. She is still the same clueless girl. Give her a little affection, and she loses focus. As long as she focuses on eating and having fun, she’ll definitely rank at the bottom again in the next mock exam.”

I sneered and sent a message.

[Not enough.]

Jace replied right away. [What?]

I sent another message. [I’m still in a bad mood. This little bit of money is not enough to make up for my emotional damage.]

[Send another $5,000. I need to buy imported dog food for Champion.]

There was silence for a full minute.

Jace was probably cursing me in his head.

But he held it in for Winnie and for his so-called grand plan.

[Bank transfer received: $5,000]

Jace sent another message.

[Alright, Xena. The money is sent. Come downstairs now. The food will get cold.]

I looked at my balance and felt much better.

[I'm good. I’m making a bed for Champion. Eat it yourself.]

After I sent that, I muted my phone and threw it aside.

I pulled out the problem set that I had hidden under my pillow.

Jace thought I was a useless girl who only scored 20 points.

But on that exam, I had only done the multiple-choice questions. I had even avoided the correct answers on purpose.

That day, Winnie had come crying to me and told me that if she did not get first place in the grade, her gambling father would beat her to death.

I gave in.

So Jace and I both handed in blank papers and played along with her act as failing students.

What happened after that?

She stood on the stage with the first-place award. She smiled shyly and said, “I didn’t really try that hard. I guess I’m just talented.”

Right after that, she started making out with Jace in the woods behind the school.

She called me a fool who only knew how to follow boys around.

This time, I would not give in again.

I opened the workbook. My pen scratched across the paper.

Downstairs, Jace was still waiting like a fool.

In his head, he kept cursing.

“Damn it, when did this girl get so hard to deal with? She ditched me just for a stray dog? Whatever. As long as she is not going out to study, it’s fine. Her brain is useless anyway.”

He had no idea that on the second floor, behind the curtain, I was solving the hardest math problems while eating the takeout he had paid for.

Honestly, it was pretty tasty.