Joseph grimaced at Rylee while Rylee was amused by Joseph’s expression. She then looked behind
Joseph at the three enchanted boys and realized what was happening.
“Oh, haha, I get it… I get it. Yes, you did not see me today. That was yesterday.” Rylee bit her lips and
scratched her head.
Joseph thought that he was about to be teased by the three seniors when suddenly one of them
became exceedingly polite and said, “Joseph, why nitpick? She looks very good in jeans. It’s very
casual!” He said to Joseph as his eyes fixated on Rylee.
“Yes yes, with such a great figure, she looks good in anything! Ha ha.” Another senior praised.
Damn you, surely you meant that I look even better if I don’t wear anything? Rylee thought angrily and
glared at him.
The last boy rubbed his nose and sounded upset, “You two jerks. Why did you push me backward and
stole my words? Hey girl, don’t listen to them. They are both hooligans. I’m the only decent one. I will
never look at a pretty girl and think of sleeping…”
The other two seniors jabbed this chap with their elbows.
Hmph, of course, not sleeping with me, but fucking at any random location. Rylee thought and rolled
her eyes.
Joseph wanted to cover his face. Why did these dudes behave so shamelessly?
Rylee coughed and adorably narrowed her eyes to look at the three boys, “Oh, these three seniors are
tall, handsome, and talented. I’m so honored!”
The three seniors were captivated by Rylee.
However, Joseph understood Rylee and noticed her mischievous smile.
“Hey, Rylee.” Joseph tried to hold back Rylee but was pushed aside by the three seniors.
Joseph sighed heavily at the side and thought, "Go ahead if you wish to be fooled by this insane gal."
Rylee stuck out her tongue impishly but sexily, “I really wish that I can socialize more with you seniors
and get to know you better. But how? How can I split myself into three and date you separately? Why
don’t the three of you discuss and choose one of you to go on a date with me? Once you’ve decided,
I’ll come and look for him.” After saying these, Rylee waved goodbye to them and walked off.
The three of them were stunned for a moment and then started to bicker.
“I’m the oldest, I should go!”
“Why should it be you? You are the ugliest! I should go!”
“Both of you are perverts. That’s why you both pushed me away. I should be the one!”
Joseph observed from the side and before he could say anything, the three of them started to fight for
the chance to date Rylee.
Joseph sniffed and said, “I knew that the three of you would be tricked. Damn fools.”
Joseph tidied his hair, stuck his hands into his pockets and whistled away as he walked in Rylee’s
direction.
After school, Joseph and Rylee walked together and suddenly saw many people gathering around the
notice board.
“What happened there? Shall we take a look?” Joseph asked Rylee as he stretched to look.
Rylee continued to walk forward and said, “What’s there to see? Unless it’s an announcement that the
aliens had landed, there’s nothing interesting. Let’s go.” Rylee grabbed onto Joseph’s hood and walked
on.
At this moment, someone ran over and said to Joseph as he panted, “Joseph, Joseph! Go and take a
look! The noticeboard is filled with news concerning Rylee…” He stopped when he looked at Rylee.
Rylee’s expression changed immediately.
“Damn it! I’ll go and see what’s happening!” Joseph turned around and ran towards the notice board.
Rylee took a deep breath and walked over as well.
“Wow, the campus bell is an illegitimate child!”
“Daughter of a bar hostess, what a life story.”
“Could it be she doesn’t even know who her father is?”
A group of people gathered around the noticeboard, murmuring. Joseph pushed them aside until he
was right in front to have a look at it. There was a photo of Rylee with several large words aside:
Campus Bell Is An Illegitimate Child!
Mother Is A Bar Hostess!
Father Unknown!
Boom! It was as if Joseph’s brain had exploded.
“Damn it! Who did this! This is baloney! Who the hell did this? Lies! All these are lies! This is slander! I
will rip the one who did this into a million pieces!” Joseph raged as he tore down the pictures.
A small hand stopped him and Joseph snapped around only to see a calm Rylee.
“Rylee?” Joseph tried to quickly cover up the noticeboard, “Rylee, don’t look. This doesn’t concern you.
Don’t look.”
Rylee smiled but her gaze was cold, “My life story can be made into a TV series. Joseph, look, this
picture is well taken. I didn’t know that I look so photogenic. Well.”
Joseph was livid with rage. He understood Rylee very well. The angrier she was, the more she would
put up a front and act as if nothing mattered. When she was hurt, she would look for a place where she
would overcome it by herself.
“Rylee, I will kill the person who did this!” Joseph swore.
Rylee smiled wryly and turned around, “I’m famous!”
“Rylee…” Joseph quickly tore the rest of the notice and threw them into the dustbin. He then ran after
Rylee but could not find her.
“Shit! Where did she go?” Joseph tried to trace the road that Rylee normally took.
Rylee narrowed her eyes and hunched forward as she rode the bicycle quickly. She did not know
where she rode, which street. She just rode aimlessly.
‘Why must I be hung out in the open for everyone to see? Why are they so cruel? I’m illegitimate but I
have a father! My mother wasn’t a mistress. She was just stupid. Stupid enough to give her life to a
man whom she should not have loved’ Rylee thought to herself.
Eventually, she found herself at her mother’s grave. The soil was recently tilled, the grass was freshly
grown and the tombstone was new too.
Rylee sat in a daze beside her mother’s gravestone as if she was in her mother’s embrace.
“Mom, I’m here. Rylee’s here to see you. Are you angry with me?” Tears flowed and Rylee sniffed. She
did not bother to wipe her tears. She did not have to pretend in front of her mother.
“Mom, I miss you. I miss your hug when I was bullied. I miss you, mom.” Rylee started to wail
sorrowfully.
The day began to darken and the wind picked up. The place seemed more remote and desolate.
Rylee’s cries tapered to sobs and her tears dried up. She finally composed herself and stood up. With
her fingers stoking the gravestone, she said calmly, “Mom, I’m leaving. Rest assured that I’ll have a
good life. I’ll come again to see you.”
Rylee walked away slowly out of the cemetery and could not find her mountain bike. Rylee sighed and
exclaimed, “Damn it, bad things happen in threes, why am I so unlucky?”
How did she go back? Walk? How long would it take to walk back? Damn it!
“Are you looking for your bicycle?” A man said.
“What bicycle? Mine’s a mountain bike!” Rylee looked over angrily to see who the person was.
“Manfred? Why are you here?” Rylee saw Manfred who was smoking.
She did not expect a gentleman like Manfred would smoke. However, the way Manfred smoked was
very elegant. Rather than smoking, he looked like he was romancing the cigarette.
Manfred tossed away the cigarette and walked towards Rylee. He appeared to take pity on Rylee.
Rylee could not be sure if that was an expression of pity.
“You rode recklessly along the road and did not even bother to stop at the traffic lights. I saw you riding
wildly and followed you here.”
Rylee was shocked, “You waited for over an hour here?”
“What?” Manfred gave a thin smile. “I wouldn't be so silly to just wait for you here. I was playing my
games! I didn't come here to wait for you.”
Rylee was touched.
Manfred tucked Rylee’s hair behind her ears and took out his jacket to put it on Rylee. “It’s getting cold.
Why didn’t you wear more clothes? Are you freezing?”
“No…” Before Rylee could finish her words, her hands were grabbed by Manfred. He cupped Rylee’s
small hands in his large hands and started rubbing. “Still won’t admit to it? Look at how cold your hands
are! Come, get into the car. I’ve turned on the heater.”
Rylee looked down and did not dare to look at Manfred. Sometimes a person who had been keeping
others at bay would not easily accept the warmth from others. Because they were afraid of losing it
again…
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