In the corner by the window on the third floor, Mary Woods started daydreaming at the sky after helping William Clark get his meal, the sorrow on her face adding to her air of maturity. She was responsible for William Clark's lunch every day, and of course, she paid for it. It wasn't that William Clark was unwilling to pay, but simply that Mary Woods's daily allowance was several times his. Even though a meal cost at least a hundred yuan, she didn't care at all. Everything she wore was bought from Fifth Avenue in New York, the world's top shopping destination, where the annual rent per square meter is 74,000 yuan—a place that burns money. Even William Clark, who usually had no interest in money, was curious about what her family actually did.

Today, William Clark's behavior made her heart race and left her at a loss. Although she knew all about William Clark's countless misdeeds, she still didn't feel the slightest aversion; instead, she was a little infatuated with his roguish decadence, always thinking about his bad side. It was precisely because she knew how bad he was to the core that Mary Woods was captivated by the occasional tenderness he unintentionally showed her.

William Clark swaggered over to his seat, eating the most expensive food in the cafeteria with a clear conscience. When he looked up, he suddenly noticed Mary Woods's increasingly attractive face gazing at him. From those beautiful eyes, which hadn't yet learned to hide her inner thoughts, William Clark smugly saw a subtle affection. This was a good sign. William Clark quietly took her hand; Mary Woods's face instantly turned bright red, but she obediently didn't pull away, instead lowering her head and eating without knowing what to do.

For some reason, the usual server wasn't there today, and William Clark felt a bit disappointed. At that moment, several beautiful girls were sitting across from him, the most stunning of whom was his little woman, Ethan Murray. The little elf gave him a mischievous smile, her eyes saying, "I brought you all these beauties—how are you going to thank me?" William Clark replied with a look that said, "Tonight, I'll give myself to you." Ethan Murray spat lightly, turned her head, and started chatting with her girlfriends, but the glances she occasionally shot at William Clark made it clear she was watching him the whole time.

The tacit understanding between these childhood sweethearts was almost as if they were one person. Sometimes, Ethan Murray could completely predict William Clark's next move just by thinking the way he did. He and she simply couldn't live without each other.

Looking at the table full of beauties around Ethan Murray, William Clark couldn't help but sigh that birds of a feather flock together. Four or five girls, each either charming and seductive, youthful and innocent, plump or slender—apart from the always outstanding Ethan Murray, the others were no less beautiful than Mary Woods, all worthy of being called class belles. So, there was a whole crowd of guys like William Clark eyeing them lustfully—such a feast for the eyes, who could bother eating?

Mary Woods gave a little snort, shook off his hand, turned her head away from William Clark, and stabbed her poor food with her fork. William Clark chuckled softly and whispered in her ear, "No matter how much I look around, you're still the prettiest. They say wildflowers smell better than home flowers, but I think home flowers are the sweetest."

This line was full of hidden meaning. First, it gave him a perfect excuse for his earlier lecherous behavior—he was just proving how pretty Mary Woods was. Second, it flattered Mary Woods—she was the "home flower" that outshone all the "wildflowers." Most importantly, it indirectly emphasized one thing: Mary Woods was already his "home flower," his girl!

Sure enough, Mary Woods's expression immediately brightened. She took out a beautifully wrapped gift box from her pale pink purse, held it out to William Clark with both hands, and said sweetly, "This is the first time I've skipped class, and I picked it out just for you!" William Clark opened it curiously, only to find a Kunlun Corum meteorite series watch. If a rich relative had given it to him, William Clark could have accepted it, but a gift worth over a hundred thousand from Mary Woods was a bit much for him to handle.

Seeing William Clark's hesitation, Mary Woods's face grew worse and worse. She had finally worked up the courage to skip class and buy him a gift, and her first time giving someone something was rejected. Her first crush on a boy was turning out so awkward. Tears welled up in her eyes. Just as William Clark reached out to take it, Mary Woods threw the gift box to the ground, left her purse behind, and ran off crying.

William Clark cursed himself for being an idiot, picked up the watch and her bag, and chased after Mary Woods. So even geniuses could make such rookie mistakes—maybe it was because he was afraid of hurting the girl who had always taken care of him. When did he start acting like such a good guy? William Clark kept reminding himself that he was a villain beyond redemption.

Watching William Clark's figure, Ethan Murray smiled gently, with tolerance, concern, and just a hint of jealousy toward Mary Woods.

Chapter 9: The Hardest Kindness to Repay Is a Beauty's Favor

A beautiful woman is God's gift to mankind. What reason is there not to admire them? Not to accept them devoutly? To ignore beauties is truly a waste of heaven's bounty, and the greatest disrespect to the divine.

—William Clark's aphorism—

Mary Woods ran alone to the rooftop of the teaching building and cried in secret. Behind her, William Clark watched the girl squatting there, weeping in sorrow, and felt a heavy sense of guilt. He walked over, squatted down, lifted her chin, and showed her his wrist. "It may not look that great, but I really like it—because it was given to me by a girl named Mary Woods!"