"Isn't it all because of that Grace?" Clara retorted, unwilling to back down, and stood up to snap back. "She's a complete joke at school now, bragging about donating four top-of-the-line astronomical telescopes to the Astronomy Department. Eric, wake up! What's so unforgettable about someone like that?"

  "Do you want to be laughed at alongside her? Auntie did all this for your sake, and here you are, still stubbornly obsessed. How can you face Uncle and Auntie like this?"

  Neither of them controlled their volume for a moment, and their heated argument was witnessed by many passing students.

  Eric already felt his situation was a complete mess. He had done one ridiculous thing after another in front of Grace and truly didn't want any more complications or trouble to arise.

  And Clara was a huge, inescapable nuisance.

  "Who I let down is none of your business. I'm telling you again, don't interfere with me."

  Eric said this in a low voice, but it was full of force.

  Right now, he only wanted to mend his relationship with Grace. His heart was only set on Grace.

  Meanwhile, when Grace received Scarlett's message, she had just woken up in her sixty-square-meter bedroom. However, she didn't plan on avoiding school.

  You can avoid something for a while, but not forever. Besides, she had no reason to hide from Eric; she hadn't done anything wrong.

  Most importantly, she wasn't afraid of facing Eric at all.

  She returned to school around noon. Grace went straight to the campus cafeteria to find Scarlett for lunch, but right after getting out of the car at the school gate, she ran into Leo and Jonathan.

  "Grace?"

  Jonathan saw Grace and waved excitedly.

  Grace smiled and nodded, her gaze settling on Leo. Unlike the previous times she'd seen him always wearing basketball jerseys, today Leo had on a clean white T-shirt and gray sweatpants. He looked less wild and a bit more well-behaved.

  "Coming back from off-campus?"

  Grace asked naturally.

  Leo nodded. Jonathan jumped in, "Don't even mention it. This guy dragged me out of bed at five in the morning to queue at New Light Mall. By the time we got there, the line was already snaking around two blocks. A complete waste of effort."

  Hearing this, Grace asked curiously, "What were you queuing for? So many people!"

  "Sneakers! This guy is obsessed with shoes. It was the new Nike x James collaboration, a global limited release. The money you gifted us with those 'Carnivals' during the live stream—this guy saved it all up just to buy those shoes today!"

  "Jonathan!" Leo glared at him angrily, signaling him to shut up immediately.

  Jonathan then belatedly covered his mouth, realizing he had gotten carried away and spilled the beans.

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  Leo was also extremely embarrassed. If not for his skin tone, his face would definitely be bright red right now.

  Grace, on the other hand, showed no peculiar reaction. Instead, she asked with a somewhat surprised smile, "You knew that was me?"

  Leo thought about how he had even shown off his abs for the top tipper then, and wished the Earth would just end right now.

  Jonathan cautiously pointed at Leo. "He recognized you!"

  Grace became even more curious. Looking at Leo, she pressed, "How did you recognize me?"

  Leo felt his ears burning, so hot they itched. He said with an unnatural expression, "I just... accidentally came across a post you shared once. But you deleted it pretty quickly. I just remembered it."

  "Your ID was ‘Light from the Luna’. His name is Leo. So he remembered it very clearly," Jonathan added.

  Leo shot him a warning look, scaring Jonathan into immediately closing his mouth.

  "I'm not being presumptuous or anything. I just remembered it subconsciously," Leo hurriedly explained.

  Seeing his flustered and awkward look, Grace smiled even more happily. She nodded and said, "I know. My ID was because of a song called 'Sunshine Baby'. I really like it."

  "Oh," Leo nodded.

  Grace found him adorable but didn't continue teasing him. Instead, she steered the topic back. "So, you didn't get the shoes?"

  Jonathan didn't dare speak anymore. Leo himself said, "Getting them at retail price is definitely impossible now. We'll have to try earlier next time."

  The obvious disappointment was clear in his tone.

  They chatted as they walked into the cafeteria before going their separate ways.

  Finding Scarlett, she had already gotten food for Grace in advance. As soon as they met, Scarlett couldn't wait to ask, "Did you go back to the dorm? Is Eric still there?"

  Grace shook her head. "No, I came straight here as soon as I got back to school."

  Scarlett's pretty face scrunched up like a bun. "He seems possessed. He really waited for you all night downstairs. What did you do to him this time?"

  "I did nothing!" Grace quickly shook her head to distance herself!

  Not wanting to discuss any topic related to Eric further, Grace turned and asked Scarlett seriously, "Scarlett, you know a lot of people. Do you know any sneaker resellers?"

  "Sneaker resellers? What shoes do you want to buy?" Scarlett asked, blinking in surprise.

  "The new Nike x James collaboration. I heard a lot of people started queuing last night."

  "Basketball shoes?" Scarlett looked slightly shocked and instinctively lowered her voice to blurt out, "Buying them for Eric?"

  "I'd rather buy him a coffin!" Grace immediately rolled her eyes hard.

  "Then... then why are you buying basketball shoes?" Scarlett was puzzled for three seconds before her eyes suddenly widened. "Do you have a crush on a guy?"

  "Seriously? Can't I just buy a pair of sneakers for no reason, inexplicably?"

  "Normally, not really."

  Grace: ...

  Sighing and thinking there was nothing she couldn't tell Scarlett, Grace simply said frankly, "Leo has helped me out several times. I was thinking of buying him a pair of shoes to thank him. It's purely to express gratitude, absolutely no ulterior motives. Of course, if he's willing to let me feel his abs, that's fine too."

  Hearing this, Scarlett exclaimed, "Grace, your heart is ruthless! Eric is miserably waiting for you downstairs like a homeless child all night, and here you are telling me you want to feel Leo's abs? If you had any conscience, you'd at least take me along. I want to feel them too!"

  "That's why we're such good sisters," Grace laughed. "So, can you help me with this or not?"

  Scarlett picked up her phone with an air of pride and said with a smugly raised eyebrow, "What your sister lacks in other things, she makes up for in connections. Wait, let me ask around for you."

  Seeing this, Grace nodded with satisfaction. Just then, her own phone rang. She slid to answer.

  "Is this Miss Grace? This is Swift Delivery. The four astronomical telescopes you ordered have arrived. We are at the UST main gate. Where should we deliver them to?"

  Grace was shocked. So fast?

  "Please wait a moment. I'll come out to meet you right away."

  Grace hung up and hurriedly got up to leave, but unexpectedly, when she looked up, she saw Eric approaching quickly from not far away, with Clara following closely behind him, looking resentful.

  Seeing her move, Eric thought she was trying to avoid him again. He stepped close, stood firmly, and grabbed her wrist agitatedly, his eyes red. "How long are you going to keep avoiding me?"

  Clara, standing to the side, turned red-eyed the moment she saw Eric tightly gripping Grace's hand. Seeing the surrounding students casting curious glances, she directly raised her voice and declared loudly, "Eric, she's not avoiding you! She's just too ashamed to show her face because of her big talk!"