Adding to what she had just thought about—the upcoming high school entrance exam—students across the city would soon face a watershed assessment. With her grades, she would definitely go to the city's No. 1 High School, which was also a key provincial school. Compared to the No. 3 High School of Xiahai City, a second-tier school, the difference was like night and day.

As for Eric Bennett, whose grades in the class were always dragging everyone down, his life had already been swept downstream at the first watershed.

At sixteen, little Olivia Harris rarely felt such a sense of life's unpredictability, so she had no mood to mock others.

Of course, Olivia Harris had no idea that in the future, with the explosive development of information, the pressure of employment would become so severe that academic qualifications would gradually become secondary, and work experience would become the main focus for employers.

What surprised her most was that Eric Bennett was actually looking at her with a steady, intent gaze. You had to know that in class, because of her status and striking appearance, boys in that adolescent era hardly dared to look her in the eye like this. Usually, when some people met Olivia Harris's eyes, they would immediately look away, and some, feeling inferior, would even blush. Olivia Harris, used to others dodging her gaze, was, for the first time, at a loss when faced with such calm, direct eyes.

Especially since the owner of this gaze was Eric Bennett, who was usually lacking in confidence in class.

Looking back, Eric Bennett had to admit that at that time, he had a bit of a crush on Olivia Harris.

But that was hardly worth mentioning—back then, which boy in the class could guarantee he had no improper thoughts about Olivia Harris? But everyone knew the difference between a bird in the sky and a fish in the water. Especially when it came to the high school entrance exam, Olivia Harris had, without a doubt, entered the city's top No. 1 High School with excellent grades. It was said that even the homeroom teacher deeply regretted losing such an outstanding student from his class and school. What’s more, that year, all the top students flocked to the No. 1 High School, turning the No. 3 High School into a mere talent incubator for others. For a while, many veteran teachers became disheartened, and the No. 3 High School declined with each passing year. The high school division, in particular, fell into utter disarray, and before long, it was reduced to a third-rate school in the city’s education circles.

Now, having returned from 2009 to the present, Eric Bennett, though outwardly a sixteen-year-old, had a mind seasoned by eleven more years of experience. Not to mention, those eleven years had been the era of the information explosion, when all the world’s news and knowledge could be found through search engines—even some long-buried military secrets from years past.

With such experience, Eric Bennett, whose psychological age was already that of an adult, had no reason to be shy in front of little Olivia Harris.

But Olivia Harris’s feelings were quite different. Eric Bennett’s gaze was steady and calm, like a deep, clear pool—there was no immaturity or childishness. The faint arc of light brushed over his brown pupils, making them surprisingly beautiful. Instead, it stirred a strange feeling in Olivia Harris’s heart, a slight sourness, and her heart began to beat faster. Her face flushed, and, for the first time, she turned her head away.

William Clark and Linda Clark, the twin sisters with their noses in the air, were quick to pick up on the mood. Seeing Olivia Harris’s reaction, they couldn’t help but look at Eric Bennett with several shades of surprise.

“Ha, Xiaowu, so you’re here! You disappeared right after school, and I thought I wouldn’t catch you! I’m having trouble with this problem and was hoping you could help me solve it. How about I treat you to a drink? There’s a new Taiwanese bubble tea shop nearby, and it tastes great!”

A young man with short, stylish hair, a “Li Ning” shoulder bag slung across his body, and a slightly creamy air about him appeared at the entrance of the convenience store, looking at Olivia Harris with delight.

Chapter 3: The Obsessive Secret Manual

“Bubble tea!?” With exclamations from the twin sisters William Clark and Linda Clark beside Olivia Harris, Eric Bennett quickly recalled who the newcomer was.

At that time—well, right now, in fact—he was the class’s vice monitor, Ethan Foster. Back then, Ethan Foster was quite the big shot in class, a budding bureaucrat and a typical example of the type. Relying on his title as vice monitor, no one dared to cross him. Especially among the few students who didn’t care about studying and later became delinquents—at that time, their rebellious streak hadn’t fully developed, and to get Ethan Foster’s protection for their unfinished homework, they basically became his henchmen and lackeys.

This made Ethan Foster even more untouchable, and he was well-known even in the whole grade. Eric Bennett remembered that, starting from junior high, Ethan Foster had launched a fierce pursuit of Olivia Harris. As for whether he succeeded in the end, Eric Bennett had no idea after both Olivia Harris and Ethan Foster moved on to high school after the entrance exam.

Although, many years later, bubble tea would become a thing of the past, never regaining its former glory, for now, it was still a trendy and relatively high-end treat for students. Especially when the term “Taiwanese bubble tea” came from Ethan Foster’s mouth, it made both William Clark and Linda Clark quite tempted.

Olivia Harris was clearly not interested in Ethan Foster. Out of respect for his position as vice monitor, she frowned slightly. “Oh, I forgot. Which problem is it? Anyway, tomorrow is the last day before the holiday. How about I explain it to you at school tomorrow?”