Chapter 9

Jonathan and Michelle arrived at the building just as the principal, Benjamin Houston, descended the stairs. Upon seeing Jonathan with a pretty female classmate, his eyes twitched in response to the early signs of romance. Jonathan released his grip, his black jacket completely soaked through. He took it off, revealing a white short-sleeve school uniform underneath. Michelle's face turned bright red from embarrassment. Seeing this, he instinctively asked, "Are you running a fever?" "Y-Yes," she stammered, quickly running up the stairs. "Jonathan, I'll head back to class first." He was left puzzled. Why the rush? As he stood there wondering, he suddenly locked eyes with Benjamin. Benjamin's face was full of suspicion. "Jonathan, you scored first in the entire school on your entrance exam in your first year, but your grades have been dropping steadily since then. Is it because you're too busy falling in love?" Jonathan almost choked. "Mr. Houston, you're mistaken. We didn't bring an umbrella." Still suspicious, Benjamin advised kindly, "You scored full marks in every subject during your entrance exam, which surprised the whole school. Jonathan, you're in your third year now. You can't afford to slack off." "Mhm, I know." Jonathan nodded. Benjamin let out a sigh of relief. Everything else could be discussed as long as it wasn't about teenage romance. … During the break in the afternoon, Frederick bought spicy chicken wings for everyone in the class. He placed a non-spicy one on Stella's desk first and said, "Stella, you don't like spicy food, so this one's for you." Amid the cheers of the class, Stella accepted the chicken wing. The class had a favorable impression of Frederick and believed in the future of his relationship with Stella. While listening to everyone praise him, he shot a victorious smile at Jonathan. However, seeing Michelle chatting with Jonathan made his chest boil with anger. Once he won Stella over and secured the title of heir to the Campbell family, Michelle would be his too. Frederick walked over with two spicy chicken wings, but his frail body began to cough violently after just a few steps, his eyes red as if on the brink of tears. To the onlookers, he appeared pitiful yet resilient. His classmates couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "Frederick, you were kicked by Jonathan yesterday, and your body still hasn't recovered. Don't go near him again. Jonathan is a selfish, ungrateful brat who is blind to your kindness." "Exactly! Why should he eat the food you bought? He didn't even pay! He's just freeloading off you!" "Frederick, you're really tough! My protective instincts are going wild!" He slowly made his way over, his face becoming paler with every step and his coughs unrelenting. "Jonathan, the others were just joking. Don't take it to heart." With that, Frederick handed one of the chicken wings to Michelle. "Michelle, this is for you." She hid behind Jonathan, her long eyelashes trembling, too afraid to speak. Knowing she had a cold, Jonathan ignored Frederick and took a cold medicine from his black bag. He placed the back of his hand on her forehead, frowning. "You're running a bit of a fever. Take some medicine." She nervously shook her head. "No thanks, Jonathan." She wasn't sick, so why take medicine? She couldn't tell him that she was embarrassed. Michelle felt awkward. "Really, it's fine." Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "Fine, but if you feel unwell, tell me immediately." Frederick's smile froze. The feeling of being ignored by both Jonathan and Michelle was more painful than being confronted head-on. "Jonathan, I know you don't like me, but you don't have to pretend I don't exist," he said, tears welling in his eyes. "I really thought of you as a brother." He was utterly aggrieved, drawing the class' sympathy. The next moment, the two spicy chicken wings in his hands suddenly fell to the floor, smearing his white shoes and leaving noticeable stains. He stared in disbelief, his eyes filled with disappointment and sorrow. "Jonathan, do you hate me that much? What do I have to do for you to stop bullying me?" The entire class' attention was now on them. Owen, his head still wrapped in bandages and in obvious pain, seethed with hatred for Jonathan. He was the first to stand up for Frederick. "Jonathan, if you don't like the spicy chicken wing he gave you, you could've just rejected it. Do you really have to throw it on the floor? "Just because you can fight doesn't make you impressive! If it weren't for Frederick always accommodating your arrogance, do you think you could take on the strong bodyguards of the Campbell family? "This time, you're at fault first! You can't use the code of conduct to pressure us anymore! I'm going to report this to Ms. Osborne!" Finally, seizing the chance, Owen was overjoyed. Jonathan smirked, letting him report. However, Frederick hurriedly pulled him back, showing magnanimity. "Owen, forget it. We're classmates, and Jonathan is my brother. Let's just let this go. I'm fine with it. Jonathan was just impulsive; he didn't mean to hurt me." Owen was seething. "Frederick, people say that kindness is often mistaken for weakness. Jonathan even hit you in public at the birthday party, and you think he'll change? You want to get along with him, but all he cares about is your family's wealth!" he said, furious and upset. At that moment, Stella walked over, visibly displeased. Frederick took the opportunity to step forward, but in the next second, he suddenly leaned back as if pushed by Jonathan and fell to the floor. His elbow hit the nearby desk, and a large bruise appeared immediately. His eyes welled up with tears, and with a pained expression, he lowered his head, struggling to stand up on shaky legs. To the onlookers, it looked like Jonathan was bullying him. Stella saw the tears in Frederick's eyes, her own eyes reddening as she bit her pale lip, looking utterly pitiful. She frowned slightly, turning her gaze to Jonathan. "You pushed him into the water yesterday, and today, you pushed him to the floor. Jonathan, don't go too far. "You can't even compare to Frederick in anything, so why keep bullying him? What's the difference between you and a powerless fool with anger issues?" She was convinced that Jonathan was the one bullying Frederick. The other students felt the same. To them, Frederick was kind, generous, and had good character, while Jonathan was just a troublemaker holding back the class' progress. Jonathan didn't bother to look at them; he was arrogant and defiant. "Who's blabbering here? What a bunch of useless idiots, throwing a tantrum like that."