novelraw Chapter 135 - 133: The Puppy’s Heart Flutters
Chapter 135 - 133: The Puppy’s Heart Flutters
Ian Sinclair, along with everyone else, focused his gaze on Mia Grant.
To be precise, his eyes had never left Mia in the first place.
He just didn’t dare to be too obvious, afraid someone would notice something was up.
He could only use this opportunity to shamelessly drink in the sight of her.
And so, in that fleeting instant, he was almost certain Mia had glanced at him.
It was so brief, it felt like his imagination.
Mia awkwardly scratched her cheek, seeming to ponder how to begin.
She wanted to just make something up.
But then someone piped up:
"No lying! Liars will be broke for the rest of their lives!"
That was a low blow!
Mia felt her weakness had been completely exploited. She thought back carefully, then said, "It was when he walked me home after school."
"Does that count?"
"That’s too vague! Details, details!" everyone chorused, their faces alight with gossip.
Just from that one sentence, not only did the others not know who she was talking about, but even Felix and Ian Sinclair were clueless.
"It was on a rainy day. The power went out at school, so we were dismissed early. No one came to pick me up, and I didn’t have an umbrella. He walked me home."
"Ooooh~"
Everyone automatically assumed she meant Felix. It sounded quite ordinary, but if it was Felix, then it made sense.
Besides, school days were a time of pure, innocent crushes. It was perfectly normal to have a flutter of feelings for someone like Felix.
Everyone was busy hooting and hollering, their teasing gazes flitting between Felix and Mia. As a result, no one noticed a stunned Ian Sinclair.
The puppy froze in place. The puppy tilted his head. The puppy was confused.
’This story... it sounds a little familiar.’
The puppy racked his brain.
He sifted through dusty memories, trying to piece together the fragments.
Summer.
Jynsia was hit by a torrential downpour. The sky turned gloomy, lightning streaked through the clouds, and darkness fell upon the city prematurely.
The school’s power went out, and everyone was dismissed early.
Mia was a day student. She packed her things, slung her backpack on, and slowly made her way down the stairs.
The lobby on the first floor of the academic building.
She stood under the eaves, frowning repeatedly as she stared at the curtain of rain.
She stretched out a hand, and huge raindrops quickly pelted down, soon leaving red marks on the back of her hand.
She sighed and pulled out her phone to call her family’s driver.
No one answered.
She tried the butler next, with the same result.
Her fingertip hovered over her parents’ numbers. She hesitated, unable to press the call button.
"What are you doing standing here? Admiring the rain?"
Someone suddenly bumped her shoulder from behind. The girl staggered, and her finger slipped, dialing a number.
It wasn’t until the call connected and an impatient voice came through that the girl hurriedly put the phone back to her ear.
As if afraid of someone overhearing the harsh voice on the other end, she covered the receiver and shuffled to the side.
Ian Sinclair didn’t know what the person on the other end said, only that Mia kept her head down and replied in a tiny voice, "I’m sorry, Mom, I dialed the wrong number."
"I didn’t skip class, the school..."
"Okay."
She never got to finish a single sentence of explanation, constantly repeating, "Okay." "I know."
"..."
After a long moment, she hung up.
Ian watched her back. Her shoulders visibly relaxed, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
He couldn’t help himself and moved closer to her.
Mia turned, startled by him, and nearly fell again.
He laughed. "What guilty deed did you just do? You look so scared."
Having just been berated, Mia looked at him with a hint of resentment.
She realized the phone call was somewhat his fault. As she stared at him, Ian Sinclair grew sheepish. He rubbed his nose awkwardly. "I didn’t do it on purpose. I just bumped you a little..."
Mia shot him a look, then ignored him and walked right past.
It seemed she wasn’t going to wait for the rain to stop.
She lifted her backpack over her head, about to make a run for it.
"Hey!" Ian reacted instantly, grabbing her by the wrist. "Where are you going?"
"To the bus stop. I’ll miss the bus if I’m late."
Her mom had told her to hurry home.
Ian’s eyes widened. "Your family isn’t coming to get you?"
Mia was irritated. She shook his hand off. "Stay away from me."
"..."
The puppy froze for a moment. Seeing her about to run off again, he hooked an arm around her and pulled her back.
This time, before Mia could get angry, he tossed his jacket at her.
Her vision suddenly went black. Mia froze, her senses filled with the minty scent from the boy’s jacket.
When she came to her senses, she fumbled to pull the jacket off her head.
Her vision returned. Before she could get a clear look at the boy, he opened an umbrella he had seemingly snatched from somewhere.
He waved her over, looking back at her. "It’s on my way. Don’t get all emotional. Hurry up, what are you dawdling for?"
"..."
The umbrella was blown about by the wind, barely shielding them from the rain.
But once they were on the bus, Mia realized her upper body was almost completely dry.
He, on the other hand...
"Why did you get on too?"
"Oh, so your family owns the bus company? It only goes to your front door, does it?"
"..." She had glimpsed the luxury car with the sequential license plate parked outside the school gate. It was the Sinclair family’s driver.
After a moment of silence, she said nothing.
The boy sitting next to her suddenly shook his head, splashing rainwater all over her face.
Mia really wanted to curse him out, but she stopped herself when her eyes fell on his soaked clothes and the rainwater constantly dripping from his cheeks to his chin.
She took out a tissue and handed it to him.
He took it and wiped his face haphazardly.
"..."
Mia took a deep breath, snatched the tissue back, and cupped his chin with one hand. "Don’t move."
She frowned, helping him wipe his face clean.
Her movements were meticulous, her heart completely calm the entire time. When she finished, she looked up and fell into his eyes.
After they stared at each other for a moment, he was the first to look away.
That wasn’t all. He got up, moved to a seat behind her, and put some distance between them.
When her gaze followed him, he turned his head away and muttered, "I don’t want to sit with you."
In reality, he was just shy.
He was also afraid the rain on his clothes would get hers dirty.
The two were silent for the rest of the ride.
When Mia got off the bus, she glanced back at him and quickly said, "Thank you."
When Ian realized what was happening, he immediately followed her off.
The rain had lessened, but the ground was still covered in puddles, the deepest of which came up to her calves.
Mia held the battered umbrella, wondering how to get across.
’Oh, well. If I get dirty, I get dirty. I’ll have to take a hot shower when I get home anyway.’
An unfamiliar yet somehow familiar presence quietly approached from behind. She was lost in thought for a moment, then glanced to the side and saw the boy standing next to her with his hands on his hips. He shot a disdainful look at the puddle, then gave her a look.
"?" She blinked.
’I don’t get it.’
The puppy curled his lip in disdain, his expression seeming to call her an idiot.
Mia frowned.
’What’s with this guy?’
"What are you doing?"
The puppy walked in front of her and crouched down.
"Hurry up and get on."
"I’m in a hurry to get home and play video games."
"..."
From that day on, Mia’s opinion of Ian Sinclair changed.
The cocky, arrogant, and proud puppy she remembered... maybe he wasn’t so bad after all.