Chapter 1
Just ten minutes before the bell was set to ring, Julian Thorne remained seated in the Council Chamber, reviewing her lesson plans. Although she had practiced her teaching skills during her internship at Ashford, the reality of becoming a full-fledged teacher was starting to hit her. As she sat there in the Council Chamber, waiting to face her first class, the nerves began to creep in. Class Ten of Eastfort Academy had a reputation for being the most academically challenged group, often seen as the "left behind" class. In the fiercely competitive environment of Eastfort Academy, their grades lagged far behind the others, cementing their status as the lowest ranked. “Julian Edward Wells, with five minutes to go before class starts, you might want to head over early,” said Isabella Grey, the most veteran teacher in the Council Chamber. Her gaze was warm and nurturing, reminiscent of a mother looking at her child. “Uh, okay,” Julian replied, not fully understanding why Isabella wanted her to leave early. Still, she quickly stood up, grabbed her materials and lesson plans, and said, “Lydia, Lydia, Isabella, I’m off then!” “Go on, go on,” Isabella Grey smiled, watching her leave. Only once Julian was out of sight did a flicker of pity cross her face. Having just secured her position, Julian was about to inherit Class Ten. If things went poorly and she were to quit, she might never find the courage to teach again... what a pity. As soon as Julian exited the Council Chamber, the preparation bell rang. She picked up her pace and quickly made her way towards the hallway. It was then that she realized Isabella’s intention of sending her early. Students from other classes were entering the lecture hall, but the only ones lingering outside the door of Class Ten were a few boys and girls seemingly indifferent to the bell, erupting in laughter over something someone had said. Julian hurried over, “Hey guys, the preparation bell rang. Let’s head into the lecture hall— we don't want to disturb the others!” “Oh look, the new homeroom teacher is here,” a girl said, surrounded by a few boys, wearing an oversized light blue school jacket over a short black skirt, her low-cut top drawing attention. She flashed Julian a dazzling smile, “Hi, I’m Evelyn Hart.” “Hi!” Julian responded, pleased that Evelyn had greeted her. “Let’s go inside now, okay?” “Sure!” Evelyn chirped cheerfully. “Let’s not make things awkward for our new homeroom teacher.” A couple of boys who had seemed ready to speak fell silent at her words, trailing behind her as they slowly made their way into the lecture hall. Inside the lecture hall, the ceiling fans buzzed loudly as they spun at full speed. As Julian entered, she met the curious and scrutinizing gazes of her students, taking a moment to gather herself before stepping up to the podium. “Hello everyone, my name is Julian Thorne, your new English teacher and homeroom advisor for Class Ten. If you have any questions about your studies or anything else, feel free to ask me,” she said, a line she practiced at least ten times in front of the mirror the day before. Her nerves finally eased when she didn’t stumble over her words, and with a sigh of relief, she turned to write her name on the blackboard.
Chapter 2
As Julian Thorne turned her back, Evelyn Hart tossed a wink at a boy in the distance, lifting her handheld fan and tossing it over. She watched as he caught it steadily, a triumphant smile spreading across her face. Once Julian finished writing her name on the board and turned around, the lecture hall was eerily quiet. This infamous class seemed different from the rumors she had heard, filling her with confidence. She set her book down and announced, "To get to know everyone better, let’s do a quick roll call." She had prepared a list in advance, but her voice faltered when she reached one name. “Sebastian Reed.” Silence. “Sebastian Reed, where are you?” Still no response. “Can I get a show of hands for Sebastian Reed?” Julian scanned the room, noticing no empty seats. Her gaze naturally fell to the last row where a boy was slumped over asleep. “Sebastian Reed,” she called out again, her instinct telling her that he was indeed the one napping in the back. She set the list down and made her way towards him. The lecture hall was still, all eyes were glued to her as suspense thickened the air. Julian’s heart raced a little as she approached. “Sebastian Reed? Are you feeling okay?” She lowered her voice instinctively, even though he had dozed off during class. “Do you need to see the nurse?” A gentle breeze from her fan lifted her skirt slightly. Today, she had chosen a modestly short dress to connect with her classmates, hoping to appear more approachable rather than intimidating. As she reached Sebastian’s desk, the hall grew quieter still. All eyes followed her movements, and she felt the weight of their anticipation, making her a bit anxious. "Edward Wells, I love your dress!" Suddenly, a voice chimed in from behind her. Julian barely registered the comment before feeling a rush of wind beneath her skirt. It was Sebastian Reed, narrowly opening his eyes to see the brief flash of her dress being lifted. The black shorts underneath may have hidden the color, but not the shape, and Julian's mind went blank for an instant. The eruption of laughter from the class shocked her back to reality, causing her to instinctively cover her skirt. “Edward Wells, your shorts don’t match your dress at all!” “Wow, Edward Wells, nice curves! You're totally rocking that look!” The boys, reveling in the commotion, continued to escalate the chaos, and Julian felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She was blushing furiously, unable to even muster a scolding, her eyes darting wildly around the room in a panic, wishing she could disappear. Evelyn Hart giggled a few times, then pulled out her phone to shoot a text to Lucas Bright: “You idiot! She was just about to wake up Sebastian Reed. Why did you have to stir up this trouble?” Lucas, not one to back down even when in the wrong, grinned and raised his phone in reply just as a notably annoyed voice broke through their banter. “What's all this racket about?” The sudden silence froze the class. Lucas jumped at the sound, turning cautiously to see Sebastian, who had straightened up, still groggy but with a fierce look in his eyes that cut like daggers in his half-asleep state. “Get a grip,” Sebastian muttered, locking his gaze on Lucas, who fumbled to put his phone down, aware of the tension in the room that had momentarily shifted to him.
Chapter 3
Lucas Bright's throat tightened as he met the gaze of Oliver Ashford, instinctively glancing over at Evelyn Hart. He opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words. The Lecture Hall fell into an eerie silence, with no one daring to speak or even look back at Sebastian Reed, who sported a typical grumpy expression that signaled he hadn’t gotten enough sleep. Evelyn quickly averted her eyes from Lucas’s stare and said nonchalantly, "Seriously, you guys are out of line for bullying Edward Wells like that." Sebastian ignored her, looking up just long enough to spot "Julian Thorne" scrawled across the blackboard. Julian Thorne’s handwriting was beautiful—one of the reasons she had excelled in the exams. There was an elegant strength in the way she formed her letters, beautifully pairing softness with impact. But Sebastian Reed couldn’t care less about that. He let his gaze drift past the board and onto Julian, who stood awkwardly blushing on the side before he laid his head back down on the desk. "Um..." It was clear that Julian recognized this kid, Oliver Ashford, had just put her through her first major crisis in her career. After a few seconds of internal struggle, she finally realized that the students at Eastfort Academy were much tougher than she'd initially thought. Shaking off her confusion, she returned to Edward Wells's plight. "Sebastian, are you feeling okay? Do you need to go to the nurse?" Even though Julian had learned in the Council Chamber about the Class Ten survival rule—turning a blind eye to certain things—she still felt that this kid, Sebastian Reed, wasn’t inherently bad. The school nurse. A hint of irritation crept into Sebastian's expression, and Evelyn found it somewhat amusing. It seemed their grade head could hardly find anyone competent enough to handle Class Ten’s mess, so they had to resort to this naïve new teacher. Seeing Sebastian completely ignore her, Evelyn let out a sigh of relief and shared a knowing smile with Oliver, offering her friendly advice, "Edward, I suggest you don’t bother him. He’s really not in the mood." Julian took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, calming her racing heart. She turned back to the board and resumed her lesson. She couldn’t tell how many were truly paying attention, but after the incident with Sebastian, nobody dared to interrupt or joke around. The class remained unusually quiet throughout. The first lesson finally passed without major hiccups, and when Julian Thorne exited Classroom Six, Oliver felt as if he had just escaped a near-death experience. He mentally vowed to wear pants to school tomorrow. In the Lecture Hall, after what felt like an eternity of napping, Sebastian began to stir, his eyes popping open just in time to hear Lucas Bright whispering to someone nearby. "Did you see when Oliver blew up Julian Thorne's skirt?" Lucas said, trying to stifle a laugh. Students in Class Ten habitually referred to Edward Wells by his full name, and the guy sitting next to Lucas nodded enthusiastically, "How could you miss that? I mean, seriously, that was something else. But I’ve got to say, her figure is incredible—round and perky. That’s what a woman should look like! Compared to the girls in our class, they’re like twig figures!” Round and perky. While Sebastian had indeed caught a glimpse of Julian’s skirt getting blown up, his exhaustion had blurred the details from his mind. "And the chest too, right? It’s big! Such a shame she dresses so conservatively. If only she'd wear something like Evelyn Hart’s outfits—now that would be a sight!"
Chapter 4
“Lucas Bright just kept going, his voice rising, ‘You know what? When I’m Ashford, I will definitely have those two stand next to each other and see who’s got the bigger bust!’” In broad daylight, talking like that, Sebastian Reed scoffed. He had finally gotten some decent sleep and wasn’t in the mood to deal with Lucas Bright. Stretching his arms, he noticed Professor Edward Wells at the front still droning on, too intimidated to interrupt. This class was the last before lunch, and with just five minutes to go, several students were already ignoring Edward Wells and heading for the door. Sebastian Reed glanced down at his phone, where a WeChat notification popped up. Evelyn Hart: “Are you guys going to lunch without me? Lucas Bright’s being a jerk and won’t take me!” Sebastian Reed quickly glanced around Ashford Hall but didn’t reply before locking his screen. The moment the dismissal bell rang, Edward Wells rushed out of the classroom faster than anyone, his notes fluttering. As Sebastian Reed prepared to stand, he noticed Julian Thorne waiting near the doorway, “Sebastian Reed, could you please stay behind? The rest of you can go.” Sebastian lifted an eyebrow, suddenly recalling Lucas Bright’s ridiculous comments about ‘bust sizes.’ “Professor Wells, why do you need to keep Sebastian?” Julian questioned, standing up first. “Did he do something wrong?” “Not at all...” Julian Thorne quickly waved his hands, “It’s just that I need to talk to him for a moment. It won’t take long, just five minutes.” “Everyone else can leave,” Sebastian said, genuinely curious about what this timid, bubbly person wanted to say. Feeling somewhat helpless, Evelyn Hart had no choice but to follow Lucas Bright and the others out of the now-empty lecture hall. As the door closed, Sebastian leaned back in his chair, his demeanor relaxed. “What’s going on, Professor Wells?” Mentioning Edward Wells eased some tension for Julian Thorne. “Actually, it’s not a big deal… I just wanted to thank you, Lydia. If you hadn’t spoken up today, I would have been totally embarrassed…” Sebastian was reminded of how he had almost lost his cool in class. He really wasn’t interested in saving her, not even a bit. But it was surprising to hear Edward Wells mention Lydia. “What did you say?” Julian’s face turned a bit red. After all, he had been the subject of ridicule by The Scholars earlier. He felt too embarrassed to repeat himself, “Um, it’s nothing. You should go eat. And, well, don’t sleep in class again…” After saying that, he turned to leave. “Wait.” Sebastian suddenly felt that Julian was different from those pretentious students sent by previous year heads. There was something intriguing about her. He swung his legs back onto the desk and waved Julian over. “Come here.” Julian felt Sebastian’s tone was reminiscent of how she spoke to her little Pekingese dog, but her legs moved before her brain could catch up. A sudden summer breeze filled the lecture hall, pushing against the door, which cracked open slightly. Julian instinctively stopped about three steps away from Sebastian. Even though she was standing and he was sitting, the aura around him felt overwhelmingly dominant, making her hesitate to draw closer. Later, Julian would realize that this instinctive reaction was merely the survival instinct of prey. “So you said you were here to thank Lydia?” Sebastian crossed his arms, and Julian finally noticed the sharp intensity in his gaze. “You really do want to thank her.” Julian nodded emphatically, “Of course I do.” “Your thank-you really just sounds like empty words.” “Um.” Julian hadn’t really thought about how to repay this kindness. After a moment of thought, she offered, “How about I treat you to lunch? What do you want to eat?” “No need for lunch,” Sebastian smirked, the corner of his mouth quirking up with a cocky allure. “Well…” Julian looked at his smile and suddenly felt a bad premonition. “Lift up your skirt and show me.” He just wanted to see what that oh-so-noticeable roundness was all about.
Chapter 5
Julian Thorne gasped, instinctively taking a couple steps back, her face flushed like a hot iron plate, leaving her momentarily dazed. “What did you just say?” she stammered. “I said…” Sebastian Reed’s smile took on a wicked gleam, “I want to see Edward Wells’ behind.” Now that she thought about it, her figure was indeed impressive—curvaceous with a refined waist. Sebastian couldn’t help but smirk inwardly, recalling Lucas Bright’s comment earlier: “Compared to her, the girls in our class look like scrawny little monkeys.” Julian Thorne’s eyes widened in shock. “Sebastian Reed, if you keep joking like this about Edward Wells, he’s going to get angry!” Clearly, the pressure emanating from Catherine was making Julian a bit flustered. While she warned him, she continuously reassured herself of her identity as Edward Wells’ student, even if it sounded a bit forced. However, looking at the rosy-cheeked girl, practically blushing all the way to her ears and trembling slightly, Sebastian felt no fear of retaliation. The atmosphere in the Lecture Hall was utterly tense. Watching Julian Thorne, Sebastian thought she resembled a startled little lamb, while his gaze turned predatory, like that of a wolf eyeing its prey. The tension finally broke with the buzz of his phone. He stole a glance at the screen. It was a WeChat message from Evelyn Hart. Evelyn Hart: She hasn’t finished talking yet. What did she say? What could that little lamb possibly say? Her face reddened, looking pitiful and adorable like a steamed shrimp. “Just kidding,” Sebastian said as he finally placed his feet back on the ground, the chair thudding against the floor. “So, can I head to lunch now, Edward Wells?” It was a seemingly respectful address, yet the way Sebastian pronounced Edward Wells made Julian Thorne feel as if her dignity was stripped bare, leaving her feeling thoroughly exposed. She kept telling herself not to overthink it; he was just a youthful kid who sometimes took jokes too far. “Go ahead, but don’t pull such mean jokes again, alright? Edward Wells won’t hold it against you, but if you say that to someone else, it might stir up some trouble.” “Oh.” Sebastian stood up, wearing a smirk that straddled the line between a grin and a sneer. Julian noticed only then how this boy had grown taller, making the desks and chairs around Catherine seem almost miniature. Julian couldn't read much into that brief response, so she stepped aside to let him pass. Feeling like she needed to keep her skirt safe from his potential mischief, Julian leaned back against the desk behind her, pressing her hands onto the front to brace herself. Sebastian noticed the wary look in her eyes—like she saw him as a thief—and suddenly got curious, stopping in his tracks. “Edward Wells, have you ever done strength training?” Julian had never heard of such a thing. Arching her neck, lost in thoughts of how to secure her skirt, she foolishly shook her head. Within an instant, Sebastian gripped her wrists in his strong hands, effortlessly lifting her up. As he observed her startled expression, he realized he felt like the evil, twisted wolf of fairy tales. “Then why would you think that hiding your skirt would keep me from looking, hmm?”
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