𝘼 𝙂𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙨𝙚 𝙊𝙛 𝙁𝙖𝙩𝙚

Chapter 4

As the school day ended, the hallways buzzed with students storing their books and heading back to their dorms. I walked back to the girls' dormitory with Layla Lam since Tiffany was nowhere to be found, and Layla insisted on my company.

Layla couldn't stop talking about the celebrity guest at her mother's recent concert in Beijing. Her mother, Ranine Lam, was a world-famous Chinese singer who had just released an album that topped the charts on Spotify and several platforms in China.

"Eve, do you think your parents will buy tickets to my mom's concert? They were classmates and all," Layla asked, her eyes wide with hope. The presence of Henry Li and Alice Sun at the concert would undoubtedly generate significant publicity.

Knowing how busy my parents were, I doubted they had the time for a two-hour concert. "I'm not sure, Layla. They're usually pretty swamped, but I can ask them," I replied, trying not to raise her hopes too much. Despite my cautious response, Layla's face lit up with a beaming smile.

"Great! By the way, Eve, I noticed you're not following me back on Instagram. It's totally fine, just thought I'd remind you," Layla said, her cheerful tone masking a hint of impatience.

I had seen her follow me a few days ago but hadn't had the chance to follow back. My Instagram account, with 200k followers and a single post of me in the library, was mostly inactive. The only people I followed were Tiffany, my dad, and my mom.

Shooting Layla an apologetic look, I explained, "Oh, I'm not really into social media." Layla looked skeptical but quickly adjusted her expression when we passed a group of guys on our level.

As the guys walked by, Layla made a scene, twirling her blonde hair and batting her long eyelashes. "Hey guys! Calling it a day already?" she teased, adjusting her curtain bangs to frame her small face. Among the group, one guy stood out-Hugo Song, a teen actor who had recently debuted in the C-drama "4 Loves in High School." His father, Caz Song, was a renowned actor, and his mother, Eliza, wrote best-selling romance novels.

Hugo caught me staring and smirked, giving me a playful wink. With his tall, lean build, messy black hair, and striking features, he looked every bit the C-drama star. I gave him a small wave before noticing the guy next to him-Joseph, the bane of my existence.

Joseph's face twisted in disgust as he witnessed my interaction with Hugo. He playfully smacked Hugo on the shoulder, earning an eye roll. Layla, busy gawking at Joseph, missed most of the exchange.

"Hey, Joseph," Layla gushed, blushing and grinning. Joseph looked mildly horrified. It was no secret that Layla had a major crush on him, and rumors even suggested she had asked her parents to arrange a marriage between them. I stifled a snicker, poorly disguising it as a cough, which earned me a glare from Joseph while Hugo struggled to contain his laughter.

After an awkward silence, Joseph spoke up. "Hey, Layla... Nice to see you. What have you been up to?" Layla fidgeted, avoiding eye contact. "Just the usual-singing and homework..."

While Layla rambled about her life, I turned my attention back to Hugo, who seemed amused by the whole situation. Deciding to strike up a conversation, I introduced myself. "Hi, Hugo. I'm Evelyn."

"I know who you are. Everyone does," he replied, his tone flirtatious. His looks were mesmerizing, even in a school uniform. He resembled a Greek god, his eyes warm and kind, his hair perfect.

"I'm a fan of your mom's books. Any spoilers?" I teased, hoping to lighten the mood. Hugo looked momentarily surprised. "You read romance novels? That's unexpected..."

"What's wrong with romance novels?" I challenged, my tone more defensive than I intended.

"Nothing! I just thought you'd prefer non-fiction, like 'Five Ways to Success' by James Luo," he explained nervously. Relaxing a bit, I replied, "No offense taken. I do like that book, too."