His expression was cold and harsh, his tone was brash, carrying a burst of unnamed rage.
Purple Summers was baffled and didnât know how she had managed to anger him.
But ever since the two had a frank conversation, Nathaniel Summers always spoke to her in this sarcastic and strange mannerâit wasnât surprising anymore.
After Nathaniel Summers finished speaking, his expression became even gloomier. He didnât even glance at Purple Summers before turning around and leaving.
Purple Summers stood still, watching his retreating figure, her thoughts in disarray and restless.
Something was gently rubbing against her foot, and when she looked down, she found it was Cleo, who had returned from swimming, snuggling against her ankle, leaving it damp.
She sighed softly and led Cleo back.
Because of Jade Carlsonâs death, for the entirety of Saturday and Sunday, Purple Summers was beside herself. Even if she intended to distract her mind, the oppressive and suffocating mood was constantly lurking.
Alexander Summers particularly made time to come back in the evening to keep her company.
âDo you want to go out and have some fun?â Alexander Summers coaxed her, âHow about we take a few days off and make another trip to the island? Iâve heard the number of rabbits there has increased again, letâs go see them and relax a bit at the same time.â
âI canât,â Purple Summers, nestled in his arms, shook her head, âItâs almost the end of the term, and schoolwork is crucial.â
Alexander Summers didnât persuade her further, but stroked her hair over and over, as one would pet a cat.
High school coursework was not difficult for Purple Summers; what was challenging was standing out among a group of elite students and consistently being the top scorer in every exam.
âIâve persisted for so long to secure this opportunity, if after getting it, I placed second or third, how embarrassing would that beâ¦â Purple murmured this concern in Alexanderâs arms before she fell asleep.
Actually, placing second or third at Grey would still be quite an achievement. However, after maintaining the top position for so long, if she lost it now, itâs likely that the teachers would think Purple had become arrogant.
When she went to school on Monday, the teacher, without any warning, arranged a pop quiz that caught everyone off guard, causing the whole class to wail in distress.
The quiz was so sudden that even Purple, a model student, felt she hadnât performed well.
When the teacher was collecting the test papers, a student couldnât help but say, âTeacher, please at least give us a heads-up next time, so I can review the night before.â
The teacher replied, âLife is like this, full of surprises, and not everything waits for you to be ready before happening.â
Everyone was torn between laughter and tears.
During lunch break, as usual, Purple Summers ate with Zara Jameson and Jane McCain, and the recent quiz inevitably came up in the conversation.
âPurple probably ranked first again,â Jane muttered.
âNot necessarily, I didnât do well this time,â Purple smiled and shook her head.
Zara said, âYou are not alone. I think no one did well; sigh, there were several questions I had never even seen before.ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Purple smiled, thinking these kinds of days were not bad. For students, exams were already the most significant events. Take care of the exams, and everything else is taken care of.
The three girls chatted while eating. Purple remembered Janeâs visit to the Douglas Family and couldnât help but probe further.
From Janeâs expression, it seemed that her stay at the Douglas family was pleasant, without any issues.
âIt looks like not every child prodigy is a prodigy at everything. Bastian really doesnât have a knack for baseball,â Jane said with a laugh, âOut of ten pitches, hitting two or three would be quite impressive.â
âReally?â Purple asked casually, âHow long has Young Master Douglas been learning baseball?â
âHe started learning when he was five. Norman Douglas was a baseball player for the school team during his student days, so he began teaching Bastian baseball quite early.â
Purple thought this detail was quite crucial and silently took note of it.
Just then, a classmate came over and said, âPurple Summers, you are here. Someone is looking for you. They are waiting at the school gate.â