Sarah Bennett's eyes sparkled with excitement as she said, "I've always felt a sense of guilt when reading this kind of book. I always feel like it's wasting my study time, but I just can't help liking it. My heart is always struggling. After hearing what you said, I think I should read more of them. It's just... the content in these books..." As she spoke, Sarah Bennett's face suddenly flushed red, unable to hide her shyness.

William Clark smiled slightly and said, "No matter what kind of book it is, no matter how good the writing, it has to be expressed through the story. Otherwise, it's just prose or poetry. And what moves people the most is, obviously, the eternal theme of love. You're still young, so it's natural to feel a bit embarrassed reading these kinds of books. But it depends on your perspective. If you look at how the author, Alexandre Dumas fils, brings love to its peak, then there's absolutely nothing wrong with it."

Sarah Bennett didn't answer. She lowered her head and thought for a moment. When she looked up again, there was a relaxed smile on her face. She said, "Thank you. You've made me feel much more at ease."

William Clark chuckled and said, "Reading more of these world classics is definitely beneficial. But you still shouldn't neglect your studies. After all, for most students, getting into college is a path you have to take. Even ten or twenty years from now, a diploma will still be very important."

"I never thought about these things before. You must have read a lot of books, right?"

"Not that many. I've read 'La Dame aux Camélias', 'Jane Eyre', 'Wuthering Heights', and 'Anna Karenina'. These are all classic love stories from world literature. Books like these have much more depth than those melodramatic novels written by Aunt Qiong Yao. Maybe the first time you read them, you'll find it a bit tough, but by the second or third time, you'll be completely captivated. You'll feel happy for the protagonists' happiness, and you'll shed tears for their sorrow. That feeling is something ordinary fast-food novels can't compare to."

"Fast-food novels? What are those?" Sarah Bennett looked at William Clark in confusion.

Only then did William Clark remember that "fast-food novels" is a term used later for online literature and some popular fiction. He gave a vague explanation, "It just means these kinds of novels are like eating fast food—once you've finished, there's nothing memorable about them. It's like the martial arts novels boys often like to read, but even martial arts novels have many classics. For example, the novels written by Jin Yong will probably still be talked about with relish decades from now."

"Oh my, just how many novels have you read? That must take so much time. I really don't know how you manage it." At this moment, Sarah Bennett's eyes were filled with strong admiration.

"Not that many, really. I just read whenever I have a bit of free time." This made William Clark break out in a cold sweat inside. With seventeen or eighteen more years of reading experience, if he didn't know at least this much, that would be pretty lame. But being admired by such a pure and lovely girl, he couldn't help but feel like a creepy uncle luring a little girl to look at goldfish—except his excuse wasn't goldfish, but the more dignified topic of literature.

But right now, there were a lot of things he wanted to ask Sarah Bennett, so playing the role of a slightly sleazy uncle for a while wasn't a problem. Most importantly, his current body was that of a seventeen-year-old in the second year of high school, so the guilt in his heart was much less.

"Heh... After all this talk, our bikes are still lying on the ground." William Clark laughed, walked over, and first picked up Sarah Bennett's light blue slant-bar bicycle, changing the subject.

Sarah Bennett blushed shyly, picked up her own bike, then put her backpack and books into the basket, and stood there waiting for William Clark. Clearly, she had no intention of leaving William Clark right away, which was exactly what William Clark had hoped for.

William Clark also picked up his bike, put his backpack and other things into the basket, and said, "Let's go." He said this partly because he didn't know whether they should go to school or head home, and partly because he wanted to talk more with Sarah Bennett and get to know the situation better.

"Mm." Sarah Bennett nodded, her delicate face once again flushing with a rosy glow. But as soon as she pushed her bike, it made a strange creaking sound—the wheel rim had actually become deformed. She could still push it, but it was clearly impossible to ride.

"Heh, it's fine. We'll just find a repair shop and get it fixed. It's all my fault—I wasn't watching where I was going." But inside, he was secretly happy. This way, the two of them could walk together and chat for a while longer.

A trace of grievance flashed in Sarah Bennett's eyes. Clearly, William Clark was absolutely right—it was indeed his fault that Sarah Bennett's bike ended up like this.

Chapter 003: Purification