The following day was Monday, and Purple Summers got up for school as usual.
Alexander Summers was still asleep in bed.
He rarely had the chance to sleep in at home, so Purple didnât want to wake him. She quietly got out of bed, took off her pajamas, and changed into her school uniform.
But as she turned around, she found Alexander propping himself up on his elbow, eyeing her with interest.
Purple: ââ¦â
She silently adjusted her direction, put her long socks on properly, and covered her skirt.
âItâs not like I havenât seen it before,â Alexander teased, âIâve seen every inch of you. Why are you still so shy?â
With no good humor, Purple retorted, âYeah, yeah, itâs not like you havenât seen it. Then why do you still look!â
âI canât help it. My eyes automatically search for all things beautiful,â Alexander confessed.
Upon hearing this, Purpleâs lips slightly curled up, she glanced at him with a flirtatious twist in her eyes, exuding an enchanting allure.
âHmph, sweet talker,â she softly rebuked him.
Alexander felt a surge of warmth at that look of hers, and just as he was about to reach out and pull her in for a proper cuddle, Purple anticipated his move, ducked under his arm, and with a giggle, slipped out the door.
After washing up, she went downstairs, where Atra Blanc was setting the tableware.
Purple sat down to eat breakfast, picked up her chopsticks, but then she noticed there was an extra pair of chopsticks next to her bowl.
Purple was momentarily stunned, then quietly observed the table and asked Atra, âMom, did you place two pairs of chopsticks beside each bowl?â
âOh, did I?â Atra came to her senses, looked down at the table, and indeed realized she had put out extra chopsticks.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Atra laughed embarrassedly, retracted the spare chopsticks and said, âAh, Mom is getting muddleheadedâ¦â
She took the chopsticks and turned back to the kitchen.
Purple picked up a soup dumpling, stuffed it into her mouth, and while eating, pondered Atraâs behavior thoughtfully.
Atra was always meticulous. It would be bizarre for her to make such a mistake unless she was lost in thought.
Purple really couldnât understand it.
What the Summers Family had brought Atra were severed family ties, her children being abused, and the torment of being a mistress. To any normal person, this would be a place to escape from, yet to Atra, it seemed as though there were many attachments, reluctance to leave, as if there was something here she couldnât bear to part with.
After arranging the chopsticks properly, Atra returned to the dining room. Purple immediately withdrew her gaze and continued with her breakfast.
As she ate, she noticed Atra beside her starting to space out again.
Purple couldnât bear it any longer and called out to her, âMom?â
Atra came back to reality, looking at her puzzled, âWhatâs wrong?â
âIf you donât want to move, we wonât move,â Purple said. âIt was just a suggestion. Donât stress over it.â
Atra smiled, gently shaking her head, âNo, your brother is right. We must move out eventually. Youâre growing up, and youâll meet more and more friends. Itâs not proper to bring them home and have to explain why weâre not living in the big mansion up front but crammed in this small house instead. What would people think?â
âLet them think what they want. If youâre worried about gossip, I just wonât bring friends home,â Purple casually said.
A deep sadness crossed Atraâs face as she forced a smile: âIâm sorry, Purple, for making you feel embarrassedâ¦â
Purpleâs throat tightened, immediately realizing she had misspoken. Her previous comment, although seemingly considerate, was actually suggesting that Atraâs status was awkward and shameful, wasnât it?
Anxious to explain, Purple interjected, âMom, thatâs not what I meant! I just meant⦠sigh!⦠Please, donât get the wrong idea!â
âAlright, hurry up and eat. Donât be late,â Atra said with a smile, tenderly changing the subject.
Purple wanted to explain, but it felt like making things worse. Feeling dejected, the soup dumplings no longer seemed as tasty as before.
Upon arriving at school, Purpleâs mood was still gloomy.
During the break, she received a text message from Aria Jackson: âJade Carlson and Nathaniel Summers are getting engaged???â
At that moment, Purpleâs mood shifted from gloom to a nauseous disgust as if she had swallowed a live flyâ¦