Chapter 114: Or was it a deliberate plan?

[Building 3-A: Star Section Class]

"Ta-da!" Ray stood in front of the huge classroom with only ten desks in it, but only eight students (including Ray) were present. He was holding some papers and posters with a happy grin. "Lo and behold, my dearest classmates. These are the signup sheets I got from Building 1. Please write your names."

The seven students sitting in their own seats looked at him with mixed emotions: some without any interest, others with curiosity.

"Very well! Top 2 will deliver it to you!" Ray announced as he happily approached the boy with glasses, sitting on the rank 3rd’s desk two meters from Ray’s desk. "Sign."

The boy with glasses gazed up at Ray nervously and then at the paper before him. "Ray, what is this sign-up sheet?"

"Hehe. Just sign."

"I’m not signing up anything without reading it," Kiara, the previous third rank, spoke coldly.

Cassandra, the top six of the class, nodded. "Ray, I will sign up if I know what it was for because if I didn’t, I’d get scolded by our family lawyers."

"We were all taught not to sign anything without reading it," said another student of the star section. "It’s only right if we know what it was for."

"It’s a sign-up sheet for Penny’s fans club, alright?" Ray grumbled. "I’ve signed up, so you should too!"

"Can I refuse?" the boy with glasses frowned, only to receive a deathly smile from Ray. "Fine. I’m signing up."

With a heavy heart, he reluctantly signed up to be in a fans’ club. Exchanging spots with Kiara was the worst decision he made in the name of love! If Kiara was still the third rank, she would be able to argue with Ray first and give all of them some time to think of an excuse.

"Ray, have you forgotten that girl threw a flowerpot at you and luckily missed you?" Kiara reminded Ray, in case he forgot. "Not only that, but you’re pursuing a thirteen-year-old girl. Are you a pedophile? Or a masochist?"

"Pedophile is a big word, little miss!" Ray gasped. "I’ve pursued Penny to distract her from her study! But I’m joining her fan club because I’ve become a real fan!"

"Ray, have you lost your mind?" Cassandra blurted out quietly. "You might miss One, but this is not how you should kill time."

Ray shook his head and ignored Cassandra’s remarks.

He glanced at the boy with glasses. "Good! Now you’re done!" he quickly pulled the sheet away from his classmate, so he wouldn’t change his mind. "Who else wants to sign up?"

Everyone looked at each other until one spoke.

"I will."

Slowly, all eyes landed on the last row and the last seat — the 10th chair of the class.

"Finn?" Cassandra furrowed her brows. "You want to sign up?"

Finn, a young teenage boy with a perfectly groomed haircut and a small face, smiled. "I am intrigued after everything I’ve heard about her. Moreover, I want to support Ray after the efforts he made for our sake."

"Great!" Ray clapped in satisfaction. "Cassandra, you should sign up too since your fiance is signing up."

Cassandra frowned and sighed. "Fine."

Kiara, who was seated right next to Cassandra, pursed her lips. However, she didn’t say anything and also raised a hand.

"I’ll sign up."

Cassandra’s brows rose as her eyes fell on Kiara, smiling subtly when Kiara winked at her. ’Thank you,’ she mouthed.

And just like that, five out of ten star students signed up in Penny’s fans’ club.

******

When the bell for lunch rang, Penny had decided to question Lily and Ginnie about it. But alas, Lily’s frustration toward Patricia hadn’t doused yet.

"About the fan —"

"Ginnie, tell me what else that girl did to you!" Lily fumed, eyes blazing intensely at Ginnie. "Tell me everything and I’ll teach her a lesson!"

Ginnie sighed helplessly. "Lily, it’s not like that..."

"The fan —"

"I thought you and Patricia were friends before, that’s why I didn’t step in." Lily frowned, stricken with remorse that something like this was happening under her nose. "I should’ve known. Why did I even believe Nina’s persuasion?"

Penny gave up on the fans’ club topic and just listened to the two, chewing her food while Lily lamented. Ginnie, on the other hand, just chuckled helplessly as she tried to comfort Lily. This was something Penny didn’t think she should step in.

From what she heard, Lily already stood up for Ginnie. Patricia might be a rotten piece of princess, but she wouldn’t be so foolish enough to fight with Lily. Lily’s family wasn’t just any other family the Millers would underestimate.

’Now that I think about it, that Keith jerk mentioned Uncle Haines and his grandfather...’ Her lips curved down, imagining the situation Keith blurted out while bragging. ’Why would Uncle Haines let others treat him like that?’

Initially, Penny thought Keith was just bragging and was riling up Slater. But now that this thought crossed her mind again, she was briefly distracted.

"Nina is just trying to help, but you see... Nina can’t really do anything because Patricia might get angry at her too," Ginnie’s remarks snapped Penny back to her senses.

"Nina is from the Bennet Family," Lily argued. "Hadn’t you heard that there are talks that the Bennet Family is going to cut off the Miller Family from any business partnership in the future?"

"What?" Penny gasped, surprising Lily with her reaction.

Thinking Penny’s father was well-involved in the corporate world, Lily magnanimously shared. "From what I heard, there’s some dispute with the head of the Bennet Family — Nina’s father. I don’t know what actually happened, but I think the Miller Family offended someone in the Bennet and it reached Nina’s father’s ears."

"All hell will soon break loose, so people are slowly taking sides," Lily dawdled. "That’s what my dad says. But this is a good opportunity as well."

Suddenly, Lily’s expression darkened as if something crossed her mind. "Ugh. My parents want me to be friends with Nina. It’s so bothersome."

What Lily said was like some alien words that Ginnie couldn’t understand, but Penny grasped the situation. Penny couldn’t help but smile, thinking her father got it under control. Well, her father might be easygoing at home, but he was a devil when he was working.

’I’m sure he heard about what happened to Uncle Haines...’ Penny’s thoughts trailed off when another thought crossed her mind. ’Or was it a deliberate plan?’

Her face twisted because Haines wouldn’t just sit still, nor would Charles take this long to take action if someone just spat at Haines. Her body shivered at the thought, throwing it at the back of her mind.

"Anyway, back to our main topic — Ginnie!" Lily slammed her hands on the table to get Penny’s and Ginnie’s attention. "If someone bullies you... I’ll ask my dad to stand up for us!"

Penny blinked innocently. "Okay."

Ginnie smiled helplessly, but she couldn’t deny she felt very warm inside. "Thank you. "

Having said that, the girls enjoyed their lunch and went on with their day.

**

When the class ended, Penny, Ginnie, and Lily casually walked toward their usual path. Even though Ray wasn’t outside their building, they somehow ended up using the longer route. On their way, their steps slowed down as they caught some students waiting ahead.

"Huh? Aren’t those... the ones who got kicked out yesterday?" Lily blurted out quietly, making Penny and Ginnie furrow their brows.

When the die-hard fans saw the three, their expression turned dark, and without a word, stormed to them.