Chapter 18: The Price of Fame

Chapter 18: The Price of Fame

Ava Blue was engrossed in critiquing the fashion spreads in her magazine, clearly uninterested in engaging with Lydia. She responded curtly, "He's a junior." But then, as if something occurred to her, she looked at Lydia Moore with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Why are you suddenly interested in him? What, did you realize Aaron King isn't into you, so you're switching targets?" Despite gradually realizing over the past few days that Lydia wasn't that kind of person, Ava couldn't resist the urge to mock her out of habit.

"No, it's not that," Lydia Moore replied, unfazed by Ava's words. She playfully stuck out her tongue before explaining lightly, "I'm just really interested in guys who are great at playing the piano. Plus, I saw him on the bus last week, and I thought someone as talented as him would be well-known at Sakura. But why do I always hear you all talking about Aaron King and never about him?" Logically, someone like Julian Reed, who plays the piano, should be more popular with the girls, right? Or maybe her understanding of what girls liked these days was just too outdated.

Seeing Lydia's puzzled expression, Ava Blue rolled her eyes repeatedly before closing the magazine on her desk. She replied in an annoyed tone, "Julian Reed, like you, just transferred here this semester. He studied abroad since he was a child and came here as an exchange student from Vitans University in the U.S. this year. Not only is he academically outstanding, but his piano skills are also among the best of any university student, both at home and abroad. On his first day, he became the student council president and the lead pianist. With his refined looks and elegant demeanor, he quickly became the idol of the entire school. But since he prefers to keep a low profile and doesn't like to be talked about, people mostly admire him quietly without discussing him openly. Got it, you idiot?"

"Oh, thank you," Lydia Moore murmured to herself as if she had finally solved a long-standing puzzle. "No wonder no one mentions him—now it makes sense. It seems like he's definitely superior to Aaron King."

"What are you mumbling about? Did I just hear you mention Aaron King?" Ava Blue, always sensitive when it came to Aaron King, glared at Lydia Moore with suspicion and snapped, "Are you thinking about going after Aaron King again? Spill it!"

"I—I'm not!" Lydia Moore felt exasperated by her accusation. She had only asked about Julian Reed, so how had it turned into her supposedly targeting Aaron King? She had barely interacted with Aaron King a couple of times and didn't even know him well. Why did they have to link her with him? If they weren't just bored out of their minds, they probably had overactive imaginations. With her looks and figure, if Aaron King, who only loved beautiful women, were to fall for her, it would be the biggest miracle at Sakura.

"Hmph! It better be that way. Don't let me catch you being a hypocrite," Ava Blue finally stopped her interrogation, satisfied for the moment. She glanced around the classroom, her gaze landing on the curtains hanging by the window. A sudden idea flashed in her mind, and she couldn't help but grin.

She widened her eyes and smiled slyly. "If you've got too much free time, why don't you wash the classroom curtains? They've been hanging there for over a month, and it's about time they got cleaned." Of course, she didn't really care about getting the curtains washed; she just wanted to see how Lydia would react. Lydia Moore had always been patient, never getting angry even when bullied, simply smiling it off. But the more she behaved this way, the more Ava wanted to see what Lydia would be like if she got really mad.

Everyone in the classroom turned to watch them, curious about what Lydia's response would be. Although it was common for Judy and Ava Blue to pick on Lydia Moore every day after class, this was the first time they had made such an unreasonable demand. Normally, the class president would take the curtains down and send them to the school's laundry service for cleaning. The process of removing the curtains was a hassle, and thoroughly cleaning such large drapes was even more difficult. On such a hot summer day, would Lydia really be foolish enough to agree to Ava's request?

The chiffon curtains, once light-colored, were now tinged with dust and had a few faint stains. The long drapes hung from the floor-to-ceiling windows, reaching all the way to the floor. Lydia Moore glanced at them briefly, her expression remaining calm and unbothered. She wasn't oblivious to the fact that Ava Blue was trying to make things difficult for her. But in Lydia's view, it wasn't that big of a deal. In fact, if she looked at it from another angle, it could even be a good thing. With a light, airy smile, she said, "I think that's a great idea. Hand washing definitely gets things cleaner than using a machine. I'm happy to contribute to the class. Even though the weather's hot, don't worry—I'll make sure the curtains are spotless so our classroom looks fresh."

She made a goofy "V" sign with her fingers, a clumsy yet endearing gesture that made everyone chuckle. At the same time, their fondness for Lydia grew a little more. This girl from Qingli was indeed strange—not only could she deftly diffuse awkward situations, but she also had a way of gradually earning people's goodwill with her sincerity and kindness.

"Hmph!" Ava Blue huffed in disdain. She really couldn't understand Lydia Moore—how could she have no temper at all? She was even willing to wash the curtains. But… did Lydia think it would be easy for someone with no experience to take down the curtains without a hitch? Not to mention the height—did she think she could manage it all on her own? As she was smugly plotting Lydia's inevitable failure, a soft, indifferent voice suddenly interrupted the class.