Dumb Jock? No, He's a Genius

Everyone at Crestling High notices that Harvey Nord, the hopeless romantic, has been acting strangely lately. He used to be all brawn and no brains, spending every day chasing after Taylor Burke. But suddenly, he stops showing up wherever she goes and begins taking his studies seriously. At his sudden change in behavior, everyone laughs at him. "What's the point of studying now? The college entrance exam is just around the corner. It's way too late!" After all, as far as everyone at Crestling High is concerned, Harvey is nothing but an idiot. What nobody knows, however, is that he's been pretending to be one all along. Throughout all these years of high school, he's deliberately kept his exam scores just above the passing mark, making sure no one suspects his true abilities. But now, with the college entrance exam finally here, he's ready to stop hiding what he can really do. A month later, when the results are released, Harvey stuns everyone by earning the highest score in the state. His results secure him admission to one of the top universities in Matosia. What he never expects, though, is that Taylor, the very girl who once told him to stop bothering her, suddenly goes to great lengths to find him, searching everywhere for him. Chapter 1 Everyone at Crestling High had noticed that Harvey Nord, the hopeless romantic, had been acting strangely lately. He used to be all brawn and no brains, spending every day chasing after Taylor Burke. While the other students attended morning study sessions, Harvey would be busy waiting in line to buy breakfast for her. During class, he'd get into fights with other guys over her, and while everyone else worked through practice problems, he'd spend his time writing love songs for her. But lately, he hadn't been seen anywhere near the honors classroom where Taylor studied. Instead, he'd been spending all his time in the library, arriving first thing in the morning and staying until everyone else had left. On the day the college entrance exam finally came to an end, Harvey happened to run into Taylor. He froze for a moment before turning to leave, but she stepped in front of him, blocking his way. "Harvey." The setting sun bathed her delicate features in a warm glow, but her expression remained cold. "Are you avoiding me?" Harvey clenched his fists. He had first met Taylor during the fall semester of his sophomore year. He'd heard rumors that a stunningly beautiful top student had transferred to their school. Apparently, she'd been known as an untouchable beauty at her previous school, where more than half the boys had tried and failed to win her over. Excited by the news, Harvey had dragged his buddy to the honors classroom. That was when he first saw her sitting in the front row. Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a soft glow over her. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, revealing her long, graceful neck, and her profile was so beautiful that she looked like she'd stepped straight out of a painting. Though she sat quietly, there was an unmistakable air of distance about her. Harvey couldn't take his eyes off her. He was completely mesmerized. From that day on, Harvey began pursuing Taylor. Every morning, he'd ride his bike behind the bus she took to school. Whenever he won first place at a sports meet, he'd shout her name for everyone to hear. He even took his guitar to the girls' dorm and serenaded her with love songs. He made no effort to hide his pursuit, and soon, everyone knew about it. But like all his previous pursuits, it had initially been more about the thrill of the chase than any genuine affection. He simply wanted the satisfaction of winning her over. That changed one winter day. After getting into a fight with students from a neighboring school, Harvey headed straight to buy Taylor a cup of coffee without even bothering to tend to his injuries. He then carried it all the way to her dorm. As luck would have it, Taylor was returning with a few classmates when he spotted her. With a cocky grin, he held up the cup. "Taylor! Didn't you post on social media yesterday that you wanted to try this new flavor? I stood in line for a whole hour to get it!" Harvey grinned triumphantly, but Taylor's gaze fell on the bleeding cut near his eye. A moment later, she sighed softly, pulled a bandage from her pocket, and rose onto her tiptoes to place it over his wound. "Next time you get hurt, make sure you clean the wound and cover it right away," she said calmly. "Otherwise, it could get infected." The cool touch of her fingertips against his skin sent a faint tingling sensation through him. Harvey froze. As snowflakes settled on Taylor's long, delicate eyelashes, a realization suddenly struck him. He might have actually fallen for her. From that moment on, he made up his mind to attend the same university as Taylor. But shortly before the college entrance exam, Harvey accidentally witnessed representatives from Briarford University's admissions office visiting Taylor. They told her that, given her outstanding performance in the mathematics competition, she was eligible for an early admission offer. Taylor, however, had one condition. "I'll accept the offer, but only if you admit my classmate, Jacob Nord, too." Harvey went rigid. He could only stand there and watch as the Briarford University representatives left. Moments later, several of Taylor's close friends gathered around her. "Wow, I never saw that coming! So, Jacob is the one you like, Taylor! We honestly thought you had feelings for Harvey. After all, he's been chasing you for so long, and you've never outright rejected him." "But if Jacob is the one you're interested in, why don't you just get together with him? Why keep stringing Harvey along?" another friend asked. Despite their teasing, Taylor's expression remained unchanged. "I don't want to distract Jacob before the college entrance exam," she replied coolly. "As for Harvey, he's just a cover to keep the teachers from suspecting there's something going on between Jacob and me." Standing outside the classroom, Harvey felt every last bit of color drain from his face. Everyone said Taylor was an untouchable beauty, but he'd always believed she treated him differently. She would coldly warn him to stop bothering her, yet whenever he got hurt, she'd personally put a bandage on his wound. She turned down the roses other guys gave her on Valentine's Day, yet she'd accepted the Valentine's Day card he'd given her. Those little gestures had given him just enough hope to fall deeper and deeper for her. But all along, he'd been nothing more than a convenient cover she used to keep people from discovering the ambiguous relationship between her and Jacob. That night, Harvey never returned to his dorm. Instead, he sat alone on the school's track field until dawn. As the first rays of sunlight appeared, he made a promise to himself. He was done falling for Taylor. From that day forward, he would never chase after her again. He never expected that the girl who had once coldly warned him to stay away would now be the one standing in his way. His fingers curled unconsciously into his palms. Lowering his head, he replied calmly, "I'm not. I've just been busy preparing for the college entrance exam." Taylor studied his lowered gaze, suddenly remembering how he used to look at her whenever they crossed paths. Back then, his eyes had always been fixed on her, as though he couldn't bear to look away. But now, the young man who once couldn't take his eyes off her was staring at the ground, making no effort to meet her gaze. For some inexplicable reason, a flicker of irritation stirred inside her. "Preparing for the college entrance exam?" she scoffed. "With grades like yours, what kind of college do you think would even accept you?" Harvey froze. By the time he looked up, Taylor had already walked away. Everyone at Crestling High thought Harvey was an idiot, all brawn and no brains. What nobody knew was that he'd been pretending to be one all along. Throughout all these years of high school, he'd deliberately manipulated his exam scores, keeping them just above the passing mark. But now, with the most important college entrance exam finally arrived, he'd stopped holding back and shown everyone what he was truly capable of. And just as he'd expected, a month later, when the results were released, Harvey received a call from Briarford University's admissions office first thing in the morning. They wanted him to enroll at their university. "I'm sorry," he replied politely. "I've already applied to Harcox University in Matosia. They've promised me a full scholarship as long as I rank among the top ten students in the state on the college entrance exam." Harcox University was one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Although the admissions officer was disappointed, she congratulated him and wished him all the best. Around the same time, Harvey also received an email from Harcox University confirming that his exam results had been verified. As promised, the university had booked his flight for three days later so he could arrive early and get settled into his new surroundings. Harvey had just replied to confirm the arrangements when a teacher called him to the academic affairs office. Apparently, the school had also heard about his extraordinary exam results. Every teacher was stunned, and some even suspected he'd cheated. To put their doubts to rest, Harvey agreed to take an even more difficult exam right in front of them. Only after finishing the last question did he finally speak. "Teachers, do you know what a rusty needle tastes like? I do." He paused before continuing, his voice steady as he recalled the past. "When I was in eighth grade, my mother died. My father brought Jacob home, and that's when I found out I had a half-brother who was the same age as me. Later, Jacob's mother moved in with us, too. The following month, after I scored one grade higher than Jacob on the final exam, he put 50 needles in my food." Harvey lifted his head, his voice completely devoid of emotion, "The needles pierced my esophagus. I needed surgery that lasted all night to get every single one of them out. From that day on, I promised myself that I would only allow myself to excel academically one more time. That would be on the college entrance exam." After that incident, he began deliberately manipulating his scores. He learned how to fight and deliberately cultivated the image of an irresponsible troublemaker who cared about nothing but chasing girls. It was the only way to ensure there was always a hot meal waiting for him. It was also the only way to endure his father's furious tirades while listening to his stepmother put on a show of defending him. "He's just a child. He didn't mean to do anything wrong." The teachers couldn't help but feel moved by his story. His homeroom teacher, Jennifer Williams, patted him gently on the shoulder. "You're a good kid. Once you get to college, you'll finally be free." Harvey gave a bitter smile. She was right. He'd get to college, and soon he'd be leaving the country. It was all finally coming to an end. When Harvey returned to the classroom, he hadn't expected everyone to turn and look at him with such strange expressions the moment he walked through the door. What surprised him even more was seeing Taylor there. She strode straight up to him, her expression cold. "Harvey, did you get a call from the admissions office at Briarford University?" Chapter 2 Harvey was confused until he noticed his phone lying on the desk behind Taylor, its screen already unlocked. He immediately realized Taylor had gone through it. On her birthday the previous year, he'd prepared 18 presents for her. He'd proudly arranged them in front of her before holding up his phone with a grin. "Taylor, these 18 gifts are to make up for the 18 birthdays I wasn't there to celebrate with you. I've even changed my phone password to your birthday. From now on, I want to spend every birthday for the rest of my life with you!" He had never imagined that Taylor would actually go through his phone. A flicker of displeasure crossed his mind at the invasion of his privacy, but before he could say anything, Jacob stormed over, his eyes red with anger. "Harvey, I know you don't like me, but no matter how much you hate me, you shouldn't contact the admissions office at Briarford University and spread lies about me just to keep them from admitting me!" "What the hell are you talking about?" Harvey asked, completely baffled. "They called me because—" Before he could finish, the surrounding students began shouting over him. "Harvey, drop the act! We already know everything. You found out that Briarford University's admissions office had contacted Taylor before the entrance exam and agreed to admit both her and Jacob. You got jealous, so you sent them a letter reporting Jacob and making up lies about him, didn't you?" "Exactly! But what you didn't expect was that Taylor would score among the top 20 students in the state. Curwell University's admissions office contacted her, too, and she's already agreed to attend Curwell University with Jacob!" "That's right! They're a perfect match, practically made for each other. There's no way a useless loser like you, who can't even get decent grades, could come between them!" Only then did Harvey understand what had happened. Apparently, after reconsidering the matter, Briarford University had decided it couldn't make an exception and admit Jacob just for Taylor's sake. Somehow, however, rumors had started circulating that Harvey was responsible for the decision, prompting Taylor to go through his phone in search of evidence. The call from Briarford University's admissions office had become the so-called evidence against him. Harvey opened his mouth to explain, but Taylor cut him off, her voice cold and distant. "Harvey, don't you dare contact anyone at Curwell University. If you do, don't expect me to show you any mercy." Her words silenced him, leaving every explanation he'd been about to make stuck in his throat. His gaze flickered, but after a moment of silence, he finally lowered his head and replied, "Okay." Explanations were only worth giving to people who mattered to you. But now that he no longer cared, there was nothing left to explain. Harvey's reaction caught Taylor slightly off guard. She had expected him to deny everything, get angry, or come up with some excuse, just as he always had. Instead, he didn't say a word. An inexplicable sense of unease crept over her, but before she could figure out why, a teacher walked into the classroom and called everyone outside to take their graduation photos. After the photos were taken, Taylor was immediately surrounded by a crowd of boys, all eager to get their hands on her school badge. It was a tradition at Crestling High School. Supposedly, if a girl gave her school badge to the boy she liked on graduation day, they would stay together forever and never be separated. But to everyone's surprise, Harvey, who had once been the most persistent in pursuing Taylor, didn't join the crowd this time. Instead, he simply stood where he was and opened his palm. A delicate bracelet lay in his hand. It was the only keepsake his mother had left him. "Mom," he whispered. "Can you see this? I'm going to your alma mater soon." His mother had been an outstanding graduate of Harcox University. But after falling in love with his father, she'd given up her career to become a full-time housewife. In the end, all her sacrifices had been repaid with his father's betrayal and her tragic death. Now, Harvey was determined to fulfill the dream his mother had never gotten the chance to pursue. Just as Harvey was silently making that vow to himself, a girl's hand suddenly appeared in front of him. A cool sensation brushed against his palm as a silver school badge dropped into it. Harvey froze and looked up, only to find Taylor standing right in front of him, her beautiful face just inches away. "Here. This is for you," she said softly. Harvey glanced at the now-empty spot on her uniform where her school badge had been pinned, then looked back at her in confusion. "For me?" Taylor awkwardly turned her face away, the tips of her ears turning a faint shade of red. "Don't get the wrong idea. I did promise you, after all." Only then did Harvey remember. Two months before the college entrance exam, on the anniversary of his mother's death, Harvey had been unable to leave school to visit her grave. Overwhelmed by grief, he headed to the basketball court and threw himself into the game, shooting basket after basket as if trying to work through his pain. He hadn't expected to run into Taylor, who was just returning from the library. She noticed that his clothes were completely soaked with sweat, yet he kept shooting with an almost frantic intensity. She stopped in her tracks. "Harvey, what are you doing?" For once, Harvey didn't answer. He simply kept shooting until his body finally gave out and he collapsed onto the court. Only then did Taylor panic and rush over to him. "Harvey! What the hell is wrong with you now?" But Harvey struggled back to his feet, determined to keep going. Taylor grabbed him, finally losing her patience. "Harvey! If you stop right now, I'll grant you one wish!" That finally made him pause. He looked up at her. "I can ask for anything?" Taylor let out a helpless sigh. "Anything you want, as long as you stop torturing yourself." Only then did Harvey break into a sudden smile. "Then I want your school badge on graduation day." He'd never expected her to actually remember that. Harvey stared at the school badge resting in his palm, lost in thought. He didn't even notice the dark look that crossed Jacob's face as he watched the exchange. The next moment, Jacob let out a bitter laugh. "Harvey, I admit defeat. You win. I'll go run 20 laps around the track right now." He turned to leave, but Taylor caught his arm. Her brows furrowed. "Jacob, what are you doing?" Jacob lowered his voice. "Last night, Harvey challenged me to a bet. We wagered on who you'd give your school badge to today. The loser would have to run 20 laps around the track." Harvey stared at Jacob in disbelief. "Jacob, what the hell are you talking about? When did I ever make a bet with you?" Jacob, however, put on a wounded expression. "Harvey, you were the one who suggested it. How can you deny it now? I never wanted to make a bet with you in the first place, but you threatened to shave off all my hair if I refused. I was scared and had no choice but to agree. "But don't worry, Harvey. I always keep my word. It's only 20 laps. I'll do it." He turned to leave again, but Taylor stopped him once more. She looked up at Harvey, her voice turning ice-cold. "Harvey, did you do this on purpose?" Chapter 3 Harvey froze as the realization hit him. Taylor thought he'd known all along that she would give him her school badge. She assumed he'd deliberately made the bet with Jacob just to humiliate him. "I didn't." He started to explain, but as soon as the words left his mouth, something suddenly occurred to him. Why would Taylor believe him over Jacob? Why would she ever doubt Jacob? After a moment's thought, he simply opened his palm and held the badge out to her. "If you don't believe me, you can have it back." Taylor froze, barely able to believe what she'd just heard. "What did you say?" She still remembered how Harvey had reacted when she'd first agreed to give him her school badge. He'd jumped to his feet so excitedly that his aching muscles had made him wince, but that hadn't stopped him from grinning as he shouted, "Taylor, I'm finally one step closer to winning your heart!" And now, he was willing to give the badge back just like that? For a moment, Taylor's mind went completely blank. Harvey, however, took her silence as a sign that she was still unhappy. He frowned slightly. "Is that not enough? Do you want me to run those laps, too?" Before Taylor could respond, Jacob subtly signaled to one of his friends, Steven Walker. Steven lunged forward, snatched the school badge from Harvey's hand, and snapped, "You've already gotten your grubby hands all over it! Who'd want it now?" With that, he hurled the badge into the manmade lake. "No!" Harvey's expression finally changed, but not because of the school badge. Steven had thrown it with such force that the bracelet in Harvey's palm—the only keepsake his mother had left him—flew into the lake along with it. Taylor and the others left right after, but Harvey rushed straight into the water, desperately searching for his mother's bracelet. For safety reasons, the school's manmade lake was no deeper than knee-deep. However, its bottom was covered in thick mud, making it nearly impossible to find such a delicate little bracelet. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Harvey searched until nightfall, but he still hadn't found it. His clothes and legs were caked in mud, and sharp rocks had scraped his shins until they bled. Yet he paid no attention to his injuries. Despite the ache in his back, he remained bent over, continuing his desperate search. But the search soon came to an end. "Hahaha! Taylor, look! Harvey said he didn't want your school badge, but he's been secretly searching for it this whole time! All that talk, and look at him now!" Harvey looked up to see Taylor and Jacob returning with several other classmates. Under the dim glow of the streetlights, half of Taylor's beautiful face was hidden in shadow, making her expression impossible to read. Harvey couldn't be bothered with them. He simply bent down and resumed searching for the bracelet. Then Steven called out with a laugh. "Harvey, stop looking! Whatever you're searching for is right here with me!" Harvey's head snapped up at Steven's words. Steven pulled something out of his pocket and opened his palm, revealing both the school badge and the bracelet. Only then did Steven seem to notice the bracelet. "What's this extra thing doing here?" He looked at it with disgust before tossing both the bracelet and the school badge onto the ground. Harvey's expression changed. He stumbled forward and hurriedly picked up the bracelet, carefully checking it for damage. The others burst into even louder laughter. "Taylor, look! He's so protective of your school badge!" "Too bad! What good is getting your school badge if you still haven't won Taylor's heart?" The group laughed as they walked away. Harvey clenched the bracelet tightly in his palm. The sharp pain finally brought him back to his senses. Steven had never thrown the school badge into the lake in the first place, and Taylor had known that all along. Yet she'd still stood by and watched him spend the entire day desperately searching through the freezing water. Fortunately, the bracelet was unharmed. As for Harvey, he'd finally stopped caring, too. Harvey didn't go home that night. Instead, he spent the night alone in the empty dorm. … The next morning, shortly after waking up, he discovered that the school-wide group chat was flooded with messages. Apparently, word had gotten out that Jacob had been offered special admission to Curwell University. Students from other classes were jealous and resentful, and some had started accusing him of using Taylor to get ahead. The rumors quickly spiraled. People claimed that Jacob wasn't just stringing Taylor along but was also keeping several other top female students in the honors class interested in him, all so he could use their connections to secure a place at a prestigious university. The accusations grew increasingly vicious until Taylor, who rarely spoke in the group chat, suddenly sent a message. "If I hear another one of these baseless rumors, I will get my family's lawyers involved." The entire group fell silent. Everyone knew Taylor wasn't just beautiful and academically gifted; she was also a member of the Burke family, the wealthiest family in Havenport. And the family's legal team was certainly not one anyone wanted to cross. Harvey felt nothing as he read through the messages. He simply got up and headed to his tutoring job. His stepmother regularly withheld his allowance, so Harvey had always been short on spending money at school. To make ends meet, he spent his weekends tutoring an elementary school student at the family's home off campus. The family had always treated him very well, and since he would soon be leaving the country, Harvey naturally wanted to say goodbye before he left. The girl's mother personally offered to drive him back to school. She was warm and friendly throughout the ride, but just as Harvey stepped out of the car, he heard someone call his name. "Harvey?" He turned around and saw Jacob standing there with Taylor and the others. Jacob's gaze shifted from the luxury car behind Harvey to the middle-aged woman sitting inside. He immediately covered his mouth in shock. "Harvey…" His face twisted with apparent anguish. "How… How could you sell your dignity for money?" Chapter 4 That one sentence was all it took to change everyone's perception of Harvey. Harvey knew exactly what Jacob was trying to do, but with a clear conscience, he saw no reason to defend himself. Without another word, he turned to leave. However, Taylor suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the wrist. He looked up and met Taylor's icy gaze. "Harvey." Her voice was cold. "Are you really that desperate? You would actually settle for any woman?" Harvey froze, staring at Taylor in disbelief. He'd expected others to doubt him, but he'd never imagined she would be one of them. After all, for over a year, she had been his angel, the only girl in his heart and the only one he'd ever had eyes for. He had thought that even if his affection couldn't melt her icy exterior, she would at least recognize how sincere his feelings were. Yet after more than a year of devotion and pursuit, all he got in return was one question: " You would actually settle for any woman?" Suddenly, he remembered how Taylor had defended Jacob in the group chat that morning. His hands instinctively curled into fists. When others accused Jacob of something, she hadn't even bothered to ask what had happened before rushing to his defense. But when someone accused Harvey, all she had to say was, "Are you really that desperate?" Harvey felt something deep inside him crack open once more. The heart he had thought was long numb split open again, beyond his control. Still, it was only a tiny crack. He quickly regained his composure and looked at the girl he had once loved so passionately. His voice remained calm as he replied, "If that's what you think, then so be it." Taylor's face suddenly turned pale. "Harvey." Her voice trembled almost imperceptibly. "Don't you have anything you want to explain?" He simply gazed at her in silence. "If I explain, will you believe me?" Taylor was stunned. Just then, the door of the car behind them swung open, and a middle-aged woman hurried out. Completely unaware of the tension in the air, she carried a bag filled with food containers and began speaking cheerfully. "Mr. Nord, Renee told me how much you love the choux pastries our housekeeper makes, so we prepared a fresh batch for you. I forgot to give them to you earlier." Everyone froze. "Mr. Nord?" Only then did the woman look up and notice their stunned expressions. "Yes. My husband hired Harvey as our daughter's private tutor. Is there a problem?" Silence fell over the crowd. Taylor's grip on Harvey's wrist suddenly loosened. Embarrassment flickered across Jacob's face. He waited until the woman had left before lowering his voice and sneering, "Harvey, with grades like yours, how can you possibly work as a private tutor? Aren't you worried about holding someone else's child back?" The others quickly recovered and joined in, eager to pile on. "Exactly! You only barely made it into our top high school because you did exceptionally well on the entrance exam. Now you're using the school's reputation to deceive people?" Another student chimed in, "That's right! Does that parent even know you're at the bottom of our class? You shouldn't be misleading someone else's child!" Harvey ignored their attempts to mock him. Without another word, he turned and walked away. But just then, a large truck came roaring toward them in the distance. "Watch out!" In the split second that followed, Harvey heard Taylor scream. Before he could even react, someone grabbed his wrist, sending him crashing hard to the ground. As the world spun around him, the last thing he saw was Taylor's panicked face, inches from his own. Then everything went black, and he lost consciousness. Chapter 5 When Harvey regained consciousness, he found himself in the hospital emergency room. The curtain beside his bed was drawn, but he could still hear Jacob's irritated voice from the other side. "Taylor, have you lost your mind? You nearly got yourself killed trying to save Harvey! Do you realize how close you came to being hit by that truck?" Several other classmates quickly chimed in. "Exactly, Taylor! Don't tell me you've fallen for Harvey. Why else would you risk your own life to save him?" A brief silence followed before Taylor's cool voice broke through. "You're reading too much into it. I only saved Harvey because we pulled that prank on him with the school badge before, and today we misunderstood him again. I was worried he'd hold a grudge and find some other way to sabotage Jacob's admission to Curwell University." After a long pause, Jacob finally asked in a subdued voice, "Is that really all there is to it?" "What else could it be?" Taylor replied impatiently. "Do you honestly think I'd fall for someone like Harvey? Someone who's lazy, frivolous, and has no interest in studying?" Someone who's lazy, frivolous, and has no interest in studying. Her words cut straight to Harvey's heart. So, that was what she thought of him. Yet the same Harvey who had once lost an entire night's sleep simply because Taylor complained that he was too noisy felt nothing this time. His expression remained unchanged as he closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. So, that was why Taylor had saved him. Fine. At least he no longer had to feel indebted to her. Fortunately, neither Harvey nor Taylor had suffered any serious injuries, and both were discharged from the hospital shortly afterward. … The next day was the deadline for students to move out of their dorm rooms. With graduation over, even the usually strict dorm supervisor seemed to have softened. For once, she made an exception and allowed female students to enter the men's dormitory. Harvey and Jacob shared a room. While Harvey was halfway through packing his belongings, he noticed Taylor walking in with several other girls from their class. They looked around with undisguised curiosity. "Wow! So this is what the boys' dorm looks like? I've never been inside one before!" "Oh, my God! Whose stinky socks are these? Hurry up and put them away!" Harvey pretended not to notice them and continued packing. He was halfway through when one of the girls, Selena Lopez, suddenly let out a surprised gasp. "Wait! What's this?" Harvey paused and looked down, only to realize that he had just pulled a gift box containing a silk scarf from his wardrobe. It was a designer silk scarf from a prestigious brand, worth a small fortune. His roommate, Daniel Harrison, immediately recognized it and blurted out, "Wait a second, Harvey! Isn't this the scarf you were planning to give Taylor? My God, that must have cost a fortune!" Taylor stiffened. She suddenly remembered her birthday the previous year, when Harvey had prepared 18 gifts for her, only for her to reject them without a second thought. "Sorry, but I don't like cheap things," she'd remarked. She still remembered how the light in the young man's eyes had dimmed for a brief moment. But in the very next second, he lifted his head and smiled. "Okay, then! I'll get a part-time job and save up until I can afford something you'd actually like!" After that, Harvey started setting aside money every single day. Knowing that Taylor came from a wealthy family and wore nothing but designer clothes, he wanted to buy her something that would meet her standards. It had taken him six whole months to save enough to spend several thousand dollars on the silk scarf. He knew it might not seem like much to someone like Taylor, but it was a gift he'd chosen with all his heart. Taylor's fingers curled involuntarily, but before she could say anything, a scream suddenly rang out. "Ah!" Jacob cried out in pain, snapping her out of her thoughts. She immediately rushed over to him. "Jacob, what's wrong?" Apparently, he'd accidentally scraped his arm against a nail sticking out of the desk while moving his belongings, and blood was now streaming down his arm. "There's so much blood!" The other girls panicked, too, scrambling to find something they could use to stop the bleeding. But with the dorm room almost completely cleared out, there was hardly anything left. Then, Selena suddenly suggested, "Why don't we use the silk scarf Harvey bought?" Taylor froze and instinctively looked up at Harvey. She had expected him to refuse outright. Instead, he simply took the silk scarf out of its box and handed it over, his expression indifferent. "Do whatever you want with it." With Harvey's permission, the girl immediately took the scarf and moved to wipe the blood from Jacob's arm, but Taylor stopped her. Looking directly at Harvey, she asked slowly, emphasizing every word, "Harvey, didn't you spend months saving up for this?" She clearly remembered the determination in his eyes when he'd promised to buy her a gift. Yet now, he was agreeing so easily to let someone use that very scarf to wipe up blood? Harvey's hand paused. Before he could respond, another scream rang out. "Ah!" Jacob let out a muffled cry of pain. Taylor immediately forgot about everything else. Without a second thought, she snatched up the silk scarf and pressed it against his wound. By the time she realized what she'd done, the once-white silk was already stained a shocking crimson. Watching the scene unfold, Harvey let out a quiet laugh. He finished packing his remaining belongings, picked up his box, and headed for the door. "Ah!" But just as he reached the doorway, Jacob suddenly let out an even more agonized scream, his face turning deathly pale. "It hurts! It hurts so much! There's something on this scarf! It burns whenever it touches my wound!" Taylor froze. The next second, she sprang to her feet, grabbed Harvey by the wrist, and glared at him, her face livid. "Harvey, what did you put on the scarf?" Chapter 6 Before Harvey could respond, Selena and Daniel both jumped in, their expressions furious. "Harvey, so that's why you were being so generous earlier! That scarf was ridiculously expensive, yet you handed it over without a second thought. Turns out you'd secretly put something on it!" "Speak up! What exactly did you put on the scarf when we weren't looking? Were you planning to hurt Jacob all along?" Faced with their accusations, Harvey didn't bother defending himself. Instead, he set down his box, pulled out his phone, and dialed a number. Daniel grabbed his arm. "What are you doing? Don't just stand there pretending you can't hear us!" Harvey finally looked up, his expression perfectly calm. "I'm calling an ambulance. Since you're all so worried about Jacob, why not have the paramedics come and check what's actually on this scarf?" Jacob's expression changed instantly. He quickly backtracked, panic creeping into his voice. "I'm fine! I probably just bumped my wound earlier. It hurt so much that I must have misunderstood what was happening." Everyone fell silent, momentarily stunned. Taylor furrowed her brows slightly. "Jacob, are you sure you're okay?" "I'm really fine." Jacob forced a weak smile. "I was just making a big deal out of nothing. I shouldn't have made everyone misunderstand Harvey." His words left everyone feeling awkward, especially Taylor. Looking uncomfortable, she turned toward Harvey and finally released his arm. After a long pause, she murmured, "I'm sorry." In all the years they'd known each other, this was only the second time Taylor had ever apologized to Harvey. The first time had been when she'd lost a textbook. Everyone in their class had immediately accused Harvey, insisting he was the only one who had gone near her desk when he'd stopped by earlier to drop something off. It wasn't until Harvey insisted that the teacher review the security footage that they discovered the truth: a boy in their class who had a crush on Taylor had stolen the textbook. Back then, Taylor had also apologized to him. And how had Harvey responded? Taylor still remembered how he'd forced a smile and joked, "I don't want your apology. If you really feel bad, why don't you make it up to me by marrying me?" She'd secretly worried that Harvey might say something just as shameless in front of everyone today. But to her surprise, the young man simply bent down, picked up his box, and replied indifferently, "It's fine." Taylor froze. Before she could even react, Harvey had already turned and walked away. She stood there in a daze, watching him disappear down the hallway. For some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that something between them had changed. … That evening, every class held its own graduation party. Harvey hadn't planned on going, but his classmates kept pestering him until he finally gave in. Since he was leaving for Matosia the next day and had no idea when he'd see everyone again, he figured he might as well join them for one last celebration. However, when he arrived at the private karaoke room, he was surprised to discover that Taylor's class was there, too. His deskmate, Barry Dixon, excitedly pulled him inside. "Look at this! Good thing you decided to come! We ran into Taylor's honors class when we got here. They were planning to hold their graduation party at the same place, so we decided to combine the two and rent a huge private room. Don't say I never do anything for you, dude. I'm giving you one last chance to make your move!" Harvey took a seat and absentmindedly sipped his drink, barely paying attention to the chatter around him until someone brought up his college entrance exam results. He answered honestly, "I don't know." The exact scores of the top 20 students in the college entrance examination were kept confidential, meaning they couldn't access their individual results. However, judging by the calls he'd received from admissions officers at several top universities and the hints dropped by the academic affairs teachers, Harvey was almost certainly the top student in the state this year. Everyone was taken aback by his answer, but before anyone could respond, a sharp burst of laughter rang out from behind him. Turning around, they saw Steven, the boy sitting beside Jacob, wearing a mocking grin. "What's that supposed to mean, Harvey? The exam results had come out. The only people who still don't know their exact scores are the top 20 students, like Taylor. Are you seriously trying to tell us that you made the top 20, too?" The moment he finished speaking, the entire honors class burst into laughter. Eventually, Jacob spoke up, struggling to suppress a smile. "Alright, that's enough. Stop making fun of him. Maybe Harvey's just nervous and doesn't dare to check his results." He then turned to Harvey, putting on a concerned expression. "Harvey, you really don't have to be worried. Worst-case scenario, you can always repeat your senior year and take the exam again, right?" The laughter around them grew even louder, but Harvey couldn't be bothered to explain himself. After all, barring any unexpected developments, the school would announce the state's top student tomorrow and celebrate his achievement. The truth would come out soon enough. Unfortunately, his classmates had no idea what was going on. Realizing they'd brought up an awkward subject, they quickly suggested having some drinks instead, steering the conversation elsewhere. Most of the students in their class were already of legal drinking age, and with the college entrance exams finally behind them, having a few drinks didn't seem like a big deal. As the alcohol began to take effect and emotions ran high over their impending goodbyes, it wasn't long before someone let their feelings get the better of them. The most emotional of them all was Melissa Summers, who had harbored a crush on Harvey for years. Clearly drunk, she pushed her glass toward him, her eyes red. "Harvey, I know you don't feel the same way about me, but I've had a crush on you for three whole years! You have to drink this tonight. Otherwise, I'll take it as a personal insult!" The others immediately began cheering and egging them on. Harvey felt awkward, but he didn't want to embarrass Melissa by refusing, so he reached for the glass. Just then, a slender, soft hand suddenly reached out from behind him and pressed down on the glass. He turned around to find Taylor standing beneath the karaoke room's dazzling, almost hypnotic lights, her beautiful face clouded with displeasure. "You're allergic to alcohol, and you're still drinking?" she said coldly. "Harvey, are you trying to get yourself killed?" The room fell silent instantly. Only the music playing on the television continued as everyone watched Taylor pick up the glass. Without changing her expression, she turned to Melissa and said, "I'll drink Harvey's share." Chapter 7 Without hesitation, Taylor downed the entire glass in one gulp before placing a glass of water in front of Harvey. "Drink this instead." With those cold words, she turned and returned to her seat. Barry immediately hurried over, leaning close to whisper excitedly, "What the hell just happened? How did Taylor know you're allergic to alcohol? Even I didn't know that!" Harvey stared blankly ahead, his thoughts drifting back to the time he'd first fallen for Taylor. Back then, afraid she might genuinely mistake him for some chain-smoking, hard-drinking troublemaker, he'd gone out of his way to find her in the library just to set the record straight. "Taylor, listen. I know I might look like that kind of guy, but I don't smoke or drink. In fact, I'm severely allergic to alcohol. I can't drink any of it!" He could still picture her beautiful profile in the sunlight, her expression cool and focused as she listened to him. At the time, he'd assumed she hadn't been paying attention at all. But who would've thought she'd remembered every word? Harvey lowered his head and took a sip of orange juice, unable to make sense of the strange emotions stirring within him. The graduation party went on until well past midnight, by which time quite a few people were drunk. Taylor was one of them. She'd only had the single glass of alcohol she'd drunk on Harvey's behalf, but since she rarely drank, even that was enough to leave her intoxicated. Harvey, on the other hand, hadn't touched a drop, yet for some reason, his head was spinning terribly. As they made their way toward the entrance, he nearly stumbled and fell. Jacob had to support Taylor with one arm while steadying Harvey with the other. "You guys can head back first," Harvey heard Jacob tell the others. "Taylor drove here tonight, but she's been drinking. I'll drive her car and drop Harvey off at home." Someone immediately raised a concern. "Jacob, do you even have a driver's license? And didn't I see you drinking earlier?" "I only had a sip," Jacob replied with a smile. "Besides, I've already gotten my license. Don't worry." With that, he helped Harvey and Taylor out of the building. Harvey wanted to pull away, but for some reason, his entire body felt completely drained of strength. He could only let Jacob practically dump him into the car. After that, everything became a blur. Harvey's vision continued to swim, and he could barely make out anything around him. The only thing he remembered was the sudden sound of an impact, followed by screams. Then, everything went black. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in a hospital bed, with Jennifer standing in front of him, her expression grim. "Harvey, did you realize you were driving without a license last night? Under school regulations, that's grounds for a major disciplinary demerit!" Harvey stared at her in disbelief. "What?" As Jennifer explained what had happened, Harvey slowly pieced together the events of the previous night. While Jacob was driving him and Taylor home, they'd gotten into a car accident right outside the school gates. Fortunately, since the accident had happened on school grounds, the teachers were able to step in and handle the situation immediately, preventing the matter from escalating and avoiding police involvement. But for some inexplicable reason, according to Jennifer, Harvey had been the one behind the wheel and was now being held responsible for driving without a license. Harvey stared at her in disbelief. "Ms. Williams, I wasn't the one driving! It was Jacob—" "Harvey, stop making excuses!" Jennifer cut him off, looking thoroughly disappointed. "Taylor already told us everything. She said you were the one driving last night!" Harvey's words caught in his throat. Jennifer let out a helpless sigh. "Under normal circumstances, an incident this serious would absolutely warrant a major disciplinary demerit. But you're the top student in the state this year, so after discussing it, we've decided to let it slide this time. Still, you need to be more careful from now on. You can't put your own life or your schoolmates' lives at risk like that!" After giving Harvey a lengthy lecture, Jennifer finally left. A moment later, the hospital room door opened again, and Taylor walked in. Harvey looked at her, struggling to keep his voice steady despite the slight tremor. "Taylor, why did you lie to Ms. Williams and tell her I was the one driving last night?" Taylor stopped in her tracks. "Harvey," she began softly, "Jacob hasn't actually gotten his driver's license yet. If anyone found out he'd been driving, he could be charged with driving without a license and possibly drunk driving, too. This is a crucial time for him. Curwell University has made an exception to admit him, and I can't let him get a disciplinary record, much less put him at any further risk." "What about me?" Harvey shot back, his voice rising. "Did you even consider that I could get a disciplinary demerit? That it could affect my college admission?" "But it's not like you were going to get into any decent university anyway!" she retorted defensively. Harvey fell silent. He stared at the girl standing before him, unable to believe what he'd just heard. "What did you just say?" Taylor awkwardly looked away, then took out a document envelope and placed it in front of him. "These are admissions brochures from several second-tier universities in Aurelia. Though I doubt you'll be able to get into anywhere this year, either. You can repeat your senior year, work harder, and still have a chance of going to college in the same city as me." Harvey lowered his eyes to the documents, finding the whole situation utterly ridiculous. He had indeed told Taylor before, "Taylor, I'm going to make sure we go to college together." But he'd meant the same university, not simply attending college in the same city. He'd never imagined she'd interpret his words that way, much less that she'd make him take the blame for Jacob. Was his poor academic performance really a reason for them to accuse him of anything they wanted? If he hadn't been the top student in the state, the school might actually have given him a major disciplinary demerit. That could have ruined his chances of getting into any reputable university in the country and might even have jeopardized his ability to graduate. Yet Taylor didn't seem to care in the slightest. She'd sacrificed him without a second thought, then brought him brochures from a handful of mediocre universities and offered him an empty promise, as if that were enough to make up for everything. He found it absurd that she genuinely believed his feelings for her meant he would tolerate absolutely anything she did. Harvey's expression turned cold. "Taylor, actually, I…" Before he could finish, the hospital room door suddenly swung open, and one of her classmates rushed inside, looking frantic. "Something's wrong, Taylor! Jacob is awake, and he keeps saying his head hurts terribly. You need to go check on him!" Taylor's expression changed immediately, and she got to her feet. But just as she reached the door, she suddenly remembered something and stopped. She turned to Harvey and said, "We'll talk about you repeating your senior year when I get back." With that, she walked out without even looking back. Harvey let out a quiet, humorless laugh. Without a moment's hesitation, he tossed the envelope she'd given him into the trash, pulled out his phone, and called the police. "Hello. I'd like to report the car accident that happened outside Crestling High School last night." He knew the teachers had simply taken Taylor's word for it because they hadn't been able to access the security footage or investigate the incident any further. But once the police got involved, things would be different. By the time he finished the call, barely more than two hours remained before his flight to Matosia. His luggage had already been packed and shipped out, and his visa had been approved long ago. After making sure he had his passport, he got into a taxi. "Airport, please." The taxi sped off. … Meanwhile, the school finally published its official announcement online, celebrating the year's top student in the state.