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"Look over there," Chen Mixin nudged Chu Yi, who was sipping water, gesturing towards the shore. "Isn't Senior Qiao in Grade 7? How come he has time for an outing like this when he's about to enter university next year?"

Chu Yi closed the cap of her mineral water bottle.

A line had been drawn on the beach, where senior students from Grade 7 were playing beach volleyball. Among the boys, Qiao Xing was noticeable.

Even while engaged in sports, his innate aura as a privileged heir set him apart from the other male students.

Qiao Xing scored another point.

The crowd erupted into applause and cheers from countless smitten fans.

Looking at the continuous applause, Chu Yi's large almond-shaped eyes filled with curiosity. She tugged at her braided hair, saying, "Who knows? Maybe the young master just felt like having some fun. But clapping for two whole minutes just for catching a ball – aren't they tired?"

"You wouldn't understand," Chen Mixin said, watching Qiao Xing, surrounded by applause, as she sat down by the tent, resting her chin in her hands in a daydream.

"Master Qiao is incredibly wealthy, even more so than your average affluent family. If you could become friends with Master Qiao and catch his attention, everything would be within reach."

Chen Mixin counted on her fingers, "From small things like dining and entertainment, to big things like helping friends' families invest..."

"An investment? He's really that wealthy?" Chu Yi picked up on a key point. "Aren't people with money supposed to be flashy? Just look at Ye Chuxue. Why is Qiao Xing more low-key then?"

Chu Yi considered another possibility.

"Perhaps he's not as rich as Ye Chuxue yet."

"Ah Yi, you little piglet," Chen Mixin chuckled. "Do you know how prominent the Qiao family is? They're one of the three major financial powerhouses in Hong Kong. Compared to them, Ye Chuxue's family is just a small fry. You'll see if you don't believe me."

Chu Yi followed Chen Mixin's gaze.

To her surprise, Ye Chuxue was standing beside the player, chatting and laughing with the group. When Qiao Xing scored, she couldn't help but cheer excitedly.

During the break, Ye Chuxue even offered a sweet smile as she handed water to Qiao Xing.

Ye Chuxue was known for her arrogance at school, a princess who never did any manual labor. Yet, she was giving water to Qiao Xing?

Stunned, Chu Yi rubbed her eyes vigorously. "Did I see that wrong?"

Chen Mixin pulled her hand away from her eyes. "You didn't. Which girl in this school wouldn't want to be Young Master Qiao's girlfriend?"

Qiao Star didn't take Ye Chuxue's water. Drawn by Chu Yi's constant wiping of her eyes, he approached with a playful expression on his handsome face. "Chu Yi... sister?"

"Cough." Chu Yi patted her chest frantically and shot him a withering glance. "Don't call me that. When did I become your sister? I can't handle it."

"What can't you handle? We have the same older sister," Qiao Star said, propping himself up on the sand and extending his hand toward Chen Mixin with a smile. "Can you sell me a bottle of water?"

Chu Yi blinked. "How did you know we have water?"

Qiao Star pointed at their classmates. "I heard many people talking about it as soon as I arrived. I guessed it was you when they mentioned selling mineral water."

Indeed.

Chu Yi wouldn't miss such a great business opportunity.

"Cough." Chu Yi spoke matter-of-factly. "I'm providing a service to my classmates. Otherwise, they'd have to walk a long way to buy water from a convenience store. Having it right here is much more convenient, don't you think?"

Chen Mixin never imagined that Chu Yi would be so familiar with Qiao Star. She was so astonished that she covered her heart with both hands. Seeing Qiao Star smile at her again, her delicate face flushed red as she scrambled to her feet. "The... water is still in the teacher's car. I'll go get it."

With that said.

Chen Mixin covers her face and runs away.

Qiao Xing finds it odd and nudges Chu Yi. "Is your friend not feeling well? Her face is as red as a steamed shrimp."

Chu Yi sighs and looks up at the sky, shaking her head. "Straight men are hopeless."

Qiao Xing remains oblivious, giving her a glance. "For the sake of Sister Goddess, remember to find me if you need anything at school."

"Thanks, but I don't have any issues." Chu Yi, noticing his constant use of 'sister,' feels annoyed and reminds him again. "Also, she's my sister, not yours. You're not allowed to call her that."

Qiao Xing insists, "Sister, sister, she won't mind if I call her that in front of Sister Goddess."

"Aaaaah, you're driving me crazy!" Chu Yi stands up and swings her fists at Qiao Xing.

"Hey! Little devil, be gentle!" Qiao Xing, hit by a few punches, quickly jumps up.

The two engage in a playful chase, causing chaos on the beach.

In the distance, Ye Chuxue watches with a cold expression.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Qiao Xing had just ignored her without even a glance. Not only that, he had gone to talk to the very village girl she looked down upon the most at school.

Ye Chuxue was fuming with anger.

She glared at the two of them with resentment throughout their conversation.

When Qiao Xing left, Ye Chuxue approached with her entourage. She scanned Chu Yi from head to toe with disdain.

"You don't have a single branded item on you, and your manners are far from ladylike. I wonder what could possibly attract Young Master Qiao to you."

"Let me warn you, country bumpkin, stay away from Young Master Qiao!"

"Are you kidding me?" Chu Yi was speechless. "I'm the one annoyed by him. Why don't you ask him to stay away from me?"

She was truly at a loss for words.

Qiao Xing had clearly come to vie for the position of her elder sister.

Would she be delighted by this?

Is there something wrong with Ye Chuxue's way of thinking?

"If he truly stays away, I'll genuinely thank you."

Provoked on purpose, Ye Chuxue gritted her lower lip in anger, now hating Chu Yi thoroughly. However, Class 7 where Qiao Xing was located was not far away, so she couldn't afford to do anything that would damage her image.

"Just wait and see when we're back at school!"

She would definitely give Chu Yi a taste of her wrath!

As night fell, the sky was adorned with a blanket of stars.

The students from Class 3 gathered around a large bonfire for a barbecue. Away from the academic setting, they chased each other, filled with laughter and song.