Chapter 101

Although Ethan had been suspended from classes, with only 10 days left until final exams, Mr. Fox was worried he might just skip them altogether. He specifically instructed that when Ethan returned, they needed to talk. However, the person they expected to at least come back to collect his things didn't show up for two consecutive days. On Wednesday evening after self-study, Stella stayed in the classroom until the end as usual. After finishing her last exam paper, she rubbed her tired eyes. Just as she was about to pack up, she suddenly heard rustling noises from behind. Turning her head, she indeed saw Ethan, carrying his backpack and already out of his school uniform. After hesitating for a moment, she called out to him as he was about to leave. "Mr. Fox said if you came back, you should go to his office," she said gently. But Ethan seemed indifferent, continuing straight towards the door without even glancing sideways. Stella frowned, catching his sleeve and sighed softly, "Is it really that hard to apologize?" Anyone could tell that Mr. Fox was trying to give Ethan a way out. After all, the principal always valued students' competition results. Ethan lowered his gaze, looking at her loosened fingertips, his tone tinged with sarcasm. "What, are you playing the role of the peacemaker here?" "I'm just being practical," she replied calmly. "Really? Being practical means I have to go apologize to Aaron?" he retorted, still maintaining his casual demeanor. Stella clenched her fist slightly, her gaze serious as she looked at him. "Look, no one else is obligated to tolerate your lordly temper." The atmosphere hung tense for a moment. After a pause, Ethan lightly smiled, his gaze unusually calm as he looked at her. "Is that so?" With that, his indifferent figure left the classroom. Outside the teaching building, Jason heard familiar footsteps and immediately approached. "Did you get everything?" "Yeah," came the emotionless reply. Jason cautiously glanced at the person beside him, changing the subject. "By the way, Tobias is recovering well. It shouldn't affect the physical exams." Tobias and Brian were competing for the school's recommendation spot. If it weren't for Brian's deliberate move to injure Tobias's knee in the last match, things wouldn't have escalated into a physical altercation. Thinking about this, Jason couldn't help but add, "It was clearly Brian who started it first, but the principal is biased. Seeing Aaron also injured, he actually suspended your classes." Seeing the person beside him remained silent, Jason, despite his initial ignorance, understood that Ethan was in a bad mood. He sighed, patting his shoulder reassuringly. "It's okay. Consider it a vacation. Now Jessica has no reason to postpone the wedding." Kate: Are you coming to the Powers family's wedding tonight? Stella looked at the text message on her screen, her brow furrowing slightly. The seat behind her was still empty. She tried to ignore it, but found herself getting distracted anyway. Even though her relationship with Ethan couldn't be called "friendly," it wasn't as strained as it had been last time. Still, even with that in mind, she didn't think she had said anything wrong. Stella: Sorry, the school doesn't give us a break before exams. As she finished replying to Kate's message, she heard Tom's voice nearby: "I heard Brian got a demerit. In the last basketball game, Tobias got injured because of him, and that's why things got physical." The pen paused slightly as Stella looked at the exam paper in front of her. The uneasy feeling in her heart seemed to intensify. So, was he angry last time? As the thought crossed her mind, Stella sighed and absentmindedly reached for the red string around her neck, only to find it missing. The banquet hall was luxuriously decorated, filled with the clinking of glasses and mingling voices, feeling more like a party than a wedding. "What did Jessica mean just now? Is she trying to give you a little brother?" Jason looked towards Jessica, who was posing not far away, and couldn't help but admire her ability to put on airs. Jessica's methods of rising to power were far from honorable, and everyone knew it. Even though she had managed to salvage the wedding, it didn't necessarily earn her any respect. Moreover, Dylan had only one son over the years, and Jessica's relationship with her stepson was awkward. "Let her do as she pleases." Ethan, dressed sharply in a stylish suit, casually set down his glass as if unaffected by Jessica's earlier remark. He then lightly asked, "And you, why are you so late?" "I was called to the principal's office right after school to fetch you back for class. Then, outside the school gate, I was delayed a bit by the Carlson family's driver," Jason replied. The person in front of him hesitated slightly, pausing for a second before asking, "The Carlson family's driver?" Jason nodded and said, "Yeah, seems like he missed picking someone up." Upon hearing this, Ethan's expression darkened slightly. "Where are you going?" Jason quickly grabbed his arm as Ethan was about to leave, advising, "Even if you don't like Jessica, you should at least consider Dylan's feelings." Ethan lowered his gaze, looking toward Dylan, who was engaged in conversation not far away, and slightly raised an eyebrow. "Do you think he needs me to consider his feelings?" Upon realizing she had lost the jade Buddha, Stella's first reaction was that she might have left it in the equipment room yesterday when she was returning equipment. But when she heard the equipment room door being closed, she realized it had turned into an unfriendly prank. With poor signal and unable to make a phone call, her phone on the verge of shutting down, she overheard Ella and Aria talking outside the door, and only then learned that Ella didn't actually have the key. Luckily, Stella knew that if the driver couldn't find her and realized she hadn't gone home, he would surely come back to the school to look for her. All she could do was wait. However, the environment in the equipment room was indeed tough to endure. In January, Seattle was damp and chilly in the evening. Time passed bit by bit. The room was thick with dust. After a fit of intense coughing, her body seemed to gradually lose strength, and her mind began to feel heavy and foggy. Her vision grew darker and darker. After who knows how long, following a heavy sound, she finally heard a deep voice nearby. "Stella, don't fall asleep."