Chapter 13 His Heart Thumps Rapidly

• Is ‘Okay’ his only response? So is he buying my story?
• Dumbfounded, Erin lightly bit her lower lip while staring at Arthur.
• Arthur lowered his head and glanced at her. “What’s wrong?”
• Erin immediately shook her head. “Nothing.”
• At the gate of Angelwood High School, Erin watched as the chauffeur’s car disappeared from sight before immediately taking her cell phone out of her pocket. Then, she dialed Isabelle’s number, saying, “I’m at the school gate, Isabelle.”
• “I’ll be there right away,” Isabelle replied.
• Erin hung up the phone. As she stood by the roadside with her head down while waiting for Isabelle for the next few minutes, the expression Arthur had when she told him this morning that she had to go to school to study by herself kept crossing her mind.
• His face was inexpressive as if there was nothing peculiar, but there seemed to be something…
• Just then, she heard Isabelle’s voice from afar. “Erin!”
• Erin looked up and turned to see Isabelle speeding toward her on a motorcycle.
• She watched with a twitch in the corner of her mouth as Isabelle stopped the motorcycle in front of her.
• Isabelle proudly slapped her motorcycle’s dashboard before asking Erin with a raised brow, “How is it? Do I look cool?”
• “Haha.”
• Tsk. Isabelle rolled her eyes before handing a helmet to Erin.
• Erin wore the helmet, lifted her legs, and straddled the motorcycle.
• Isabelle started up her motorcycle. “The school bus that our class took is on the way to the destination of our autumn trip. I called our class monitor just now, and he said that they’re almost there.”
• “Alright.” Erin nodded. “Isabelle, I didn’t bring anything with me. Should I buy something?”
• Isabelle’s loud and clear voice came with the wind. “It’s not necessary. Our class pooled some money and bought some food to do a barbecue ourselves, so you don’t have to bring anything except yourself.”
• Erin blinked. “Alright then.”
• The students had started the barbecue when Erin and Isabelle reached the destination.
• This was the first time Erin took part in such an activity, so she was a little excited.
• “Let’s go.” Isabelle took Erin by the arm while running down the tarmacked road to the stream.
• Erin’s eyes brightened.
• As soon as they came down, Jude, dressed in a white shirt and a pair of black pants, trotted up to Erin with a smile. “Hey, you’re here.”
• Tilting her head to one side, Erin stood in place while looking at Jude’s fine and delicate features with lustrous black eyes that looked like two sparkling obsidians.
• Isabelle gave her a nudge before letting go of her to help with the barbecue.
• Erin’s ears reddened slightly as she glanced at Isabelle.
• Jude merely looked at her. “Let’s help with the barbecue.”
• Erin looked back at him before she couldn’t help nodding under his eager gaze.
• Jude grinned, revealing two cute canine teeth. As they walked side by side toward the barbecue set, he scratched his head and looked at Erin, asking, “Why are you dressed in your school uniform?”
• Uh… Erin pursed her lips while looking at him. “Can’t we wear school uniforms for the autumn outing?”
• Speechless, Jude looked Erin up and down meaningfully before fixing his eyes on her. Then, he said seriously with a note of feigned maturity in his voice, “Yeah, I think you can.”
• “Pfffft…” Erin snorted with laughter after being amused by the way Jude looked.
• Jude’s heart thumped rapidly as he looked at Erin’s eyes, which seemed to shine with a brightness that could put one under a spell. He suddenly whispered, “You look pretty when you smile.”
• Erin’s slightly reddened ears became even redder when she heard Jude saying so.
• Meanwhile, a black SUV was parked on the tarmacked road up ahead. Sitting in the vehicle, a man with a stony and inscrutable expression gazed silently and coldly with glacial eyes at the young man and lady who walked side by side along the river.