Henry Thompson suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed intently on his Chinese teacher Emily Harris, while a look of confusion appeared on his face, as if he had no idea why the teacher had suddenly called on him.

　　She was a very beautiful young woman, just over twenty, her well-tailored black suit and skirt accentuating her graceful figure. Her raven-black long hair was tied into a ponytail, the front straight and glossy, with just a hint of light purple curls at the tips, making her look even more fashionable and refined. Even just standing there simply, she gave people a sense of refreshing brightness.

　　Yes, that's right, she was still just a... girl!

　　She came from a family of educators; both her parents were veteran teachers at No. 13 High School. She herself was admitted to the Education Department of the National First Women's Comprehensive College at seventeen, and after graduation, returned to her alma mater to teach Chinese. She had been with Henry Thompson and Grace Miller's class since their first year of high school—ever since she came back, the title of "No. 1 Beauty of No. 13 High" had belonged to her and never changed hands. The only regret for the male teachers and students at No. 13 was that, according to rumors, she had been engaged since she was very young, and the wedding was said to be scheduled for next May. This news was really hard for anyone to feel happy about.

　　Especially for the previous Henry Thompson, Mr. Harris was ranked number one in his heart as his dream girl.

　　Don't be surprised— for a seventeen-year-old boy, no matter how much of a fairy a girl his own age might look, like Grace Miller, she could never be as attractive as a gentle, lovely older sister next door.

　　What's more, Mr. Harris was so beautiful. In the words of the current Henry Thompson, her looks were top-tier, at least in the 90-plus range. Especially her eyes—those black, shining pupils always seemed to be brimming with water, yet without any hint of seduction, just clear and bright like a sweet spring, making anyone who looked at her feel at peace. Meeting her gaze, even the dirtiest thoughts would vanish in an instant.

　　And now, Mr. Harris called out the distracted Henry Thompson in class, her watery eyes fixed on him as she said, “Henry Thompson, if you want to look at girls, wait until after class, okay?”

　　The whole class burst into laughter.

　　After nearly two years together, what secrets could anyone still have from the others?

　　The little childhood story of Henry Thompson and Grace Miller living across the hall from each other had long been spread throughout the class. Even the fact that Grace Miller's celebrity older sister Olivia Miller had once beaten up Henry Thompson was no secret.

　　Sure enough, before Mr. Harris could even say anything after calling on Henry Thompson, Grace Miller already guiltily lowered her head.

　　The classroom erupted in laughter again. Grace Miller buried herself on her desk, hiding her head under her textbook. From her cheeks to her earlobes, and from her earlobes down to her neck, she flushed red in an instant, as if she had just drunk alcohol.

　　Henry Thompson, on the other hand, wasn't embarrassed at all. Not to mention that his actual mental age was nearly forty now—even if he were only seventeen, there was nothing to be afraid of.

　　Besides, he and Grace Miller really didn't have any special relationship. Even if they did, the Marriage Law in this world clearly stated: girls at sixteen, boys at eighteen, are of legal marriage age. In fact, there were already quite a few high school and college students who were married! If you got pregnant while still in school, the school would even directly approve a year off for you to have the baby, and you could come back to continue your studies after the child was born!

　　As for "puppy love"... Henry Thompson couldn't even recall such a term! From the country to the schools to the teachers, it seemed everyone encouraged boys and girls to develop feelings from a young age. Many families of this era were indeed formed by junior high, high school, or college classmates, and those relationships often lasted for decades, a lifetime, with a depth of feeling that was beyond words.

　　So as he stood there now, not only did he feel especially clear-headed, but thinking back to his own high school days in his previous life, he even felt a spontaneous sense of happiness. He answered directly, “Mr. Harris, actually, I wasn't looking at Grace Miller, I was looking at you!”

　　Boom...

　　This line got an even bigger laugh than before; quite a few people were laughing so hard they were clutching their stomachs on their desks!

　　Mr. Harris was both exasperated and amused, glaring at Henry Thompson as she said, “So you don't want to pass the final exam, is that it?”

　　This time, the students in the classroom stopped laughing.

　　Henry Thompson said, “Mr. Harris, how can you do this? Don't you know that interfering with freedom of love is illegal?”

　　Someone couldn't help but snicker quietly.

　　Mr. Harris didn't bother saying anything more to Henry Thompson, simply put her textbook on the lectern, and the smile on her face gradually faded as she just looked at him quietly.

　　The two of them stared at each other for only a few seconds before Henry Thompson lowered his head in embarrassment, “Mr. Harris, I was wrong, I really was looking at Grace Miller just now.”

　　Boom...

Chapter 3: The Scent of Darkness

　　When the dismissal bell rang, before Henry Thompson could slip away, Teacher Emily Harris had already called his name, “Henry Thompson, come to my office after school.”

　　Amidst bursts of laughter, the students cheerfully headed home, and Henry Thompson had no choice but to follow behind Mr. Harris to her office.