Chapter 8: Miranda Thubron

Words : 1974 Updated : Jan 8th, 2026

Salvatore Casson returned to campus and saw several police cars parked at the gate. A crowd of students had gathered to gawk. Conrad Letherdale's face went red. He shouted, "Salvatore couldn't have stolen anything! Can't you investigate properly?" Suddenly, Braylon Linnit pointed at Salvatore and yelled, "He's back!" A few officers rushed over. A grim-faced cop asked, "You're Salvatore Casson?" Salvatore said evenly, "That's me." A middle-aged officer said, "You're suspected of stealing jewelry in an exceptionally large amount. Come with us to answer some questions." Salvatore asked, "Whose jewelry did I steal?" The officer frowned. "The complainant is Ruby Showyer. She said you stole jewelry worth millions from the Showyer family." "She filed a report, so that means I did it? Do you have evidence?" Salvatore asked. The officer faltered. All they had was Ruby's statement and a video of Salvatore entering and leaving the Showyer home. "Salvatore, please come with us and cooperate," the officer said. "No need. Call Ruby Showyer and ask her if I stole the Showyer family's jewelry," Salvatore said. The officer's face hardened. "If you refuse to cooperate, we'll have to use compulsory measures." Salvatore took out his phone and started a video call. It connected quickly. Ruby Showyer appeared on the screen. "Ruby, explain to this officer whether I stole your family's jewelry," Salvatore said. Ruby looked deathly pale and slick with cold sweat. She had just lived through ten minutes of hell. "No," she said quickly. "Our jewelry wasn't stolen. It was misplaced. Salvatore isn't a thief." The officer went quiet for a few seconds. Then he said, "Ms. Showyer, please come to the station to fill out a withdrawal form." Ruby said, "Okay, I'll be there right away." Salvatore asked coldly, "You heard her?" Braylon Linnit panicked and yelled, "Officer, Ruby must be under threat!" The officer also felt that something about her didn't add up. He frowned and said solemnly, "Ms. Showyer, if you're being threatened, don't be afraid. You must tell the truth." Ruby shook her head. "I'm not being threatened. I told you the facts. Please stop making things difficult for Salvatore." Braylon hurried closer and shouted, "Ruby, don't be scared. I'll always be on your side!" Ruby's face twisted in disgust. "Braylon Linnit, you nauseating bootlicker, stay out of my business. Get lost!" Braylon froze. Did Ruby really hate him that much? Salvatore hung up. Ruby also posted a notice in the class group to explain. Soon, the police cars drove off. Conrad Letherdale grinned. "That's better. The truth came out!" Then he remembered something. "Right, the department chair wants to see you." Salvatore had been missing for a month and needed to give the school an explanation. He nodded and went to meet the chair. Since the Showyer family's jewelry had turned up, the school didn't make things hard. They were relieved he was safe and encouraged him to catch up and aim to graduate with excellent grades. Back in the classroom, Salvatore returned to his seat and found his deskmate had changed-to the stunning Miranda Thubron. Miranda was every guy's dream girl, but she was too aloof. Plenty of great guys had chased her and failed, and eventually almost no one dared pursue her at all. As Salvatore approached, the long-slumbering King of Love Hex stirred awake, and a subtle aura spilled forth. At the same time, warmth bloomed lightly in Miranda's chest and belly, and a strange sensation rose up. She felt a flicker of unease but forced it down and said, "Sit. Looks like we're desk mates from now on." Salvatore sat, sensing a faint, mysterious bond between them. Did she have a Female Hex inside her? Curious, he asked, "Miranda, how did you end up sitting here?" Miranda smiled. "Everyone said you were dead. The classmate who used to sit here thought it was unlucky and changed seats. I prefer the quiet, so I took it." Salvatore felt helpless. He gave a wry smile, flipped open his textbook, and started cramming. With a single glance, he realized he could skim ten lines at once and retain everything. He sighed inwardly, knowing the cornea Samuel Looske had given him was working. He tried reading cover to cover. He could recite the entire book with ease, and the parts that were hard to grasp clicked quickly. Seeing him flipping pages nonstop, Miranda said, "No rush. Take it slow. We still have more than a month before finals." Before long, Conrad Letherdale pulled up a chair on Salvatore's other side with a book in his hand. He grinned. "Dinner's on me tonight. Let's have a drink." Salvatore was moved. His parents had told him Conrad had helped them a lot and had even been threatened and beaten for it. He smiled. "Sounds good. By the way, Conrad, that dark mole on your face-do you want it gone?" Conrad sighed. "Of course I do. But the doctor said it's connected to nerves. Surgery could cause facial paralysis." Salvatore searched through the medical arts Samuel Looske had passed down to him, studied for a moment, and said, "This kind of mole was called a ghost-face mole in ancient times. It keeps growing until it covers your entire face." Conrad's expression dimmed. "Yeah. When I was a kid, it was the size of a coin. Now it's ten times bigger. Salvatore, how did you know it's a ghost-face mole?" "I've read some medical books. They happened to mention it," Salvatore said. "Conrad, I'll help you cure it." Conrad stared. "Really? You're not messing with me, are you?" "When have I ever lied to you?" Salvatore said mildly. "I'll write a prescription. Follow it exactly. After you get the herbs, every night before bed, simmer them in a clay pot for ten minutes, then grind them into a paste and spread it on your face. Your face will itch like crazy, but you have to endure it. No scratching. In the morning, once the paste dries, peel it off, but don't wash your face. Do this for seven nights straight and the mole will disappear." Conrad had always trusted Salvatore. His eyes lit up and he nodded hard. "Okay, I'll try it as soon as I get home!" Salvatore wrote out a prescription, tore the page, and handed it to Conrad. "You need to buy genuine herbs. I've listed the regions they should come from. Go to a reputable pharmacy." As he wrote, he unconsciously mimicked Samuel Looske's hand. The man's experience and wisdom had passed to him-along with his calligraphy. Miranda caught a glimpse of his script and her heart fluttered. She couldn't help praising him. "Beautiful writing! Salvatore, your strokes carry an immortal grace." She had studied calligraphy since she was five. Her father and grandfather were nationally known calligraphers, and she had always taken pride in her own skill. Yet at that moment, Salvatore's script captivated her completely. Salvatore smiled. "I had nothing to do this past month, so I practiced. Your hand is good too, Miranda, but it's still at the intermediate stage-heavy on technique." Her eyes lit up. Her grandfather had said something similar. It seemed Salvatore had a deep grasp of calligraphy. She laughed softly. "What lies beyond technique is called the Dao. That's too hard. Anyone who reaches that realm was a master across the ages. All I can do is strive to get close." Conrad couldn't sit still. He slipped out to buy the herbs. Salvatore and Miranda kept talking about calligraphy and got on splendidly. The icy beauty even smiled. "Whoa, is Miranda smiling?" a boy whispered from a few rows away, eyes wide. He had been her classmate for four years and had only seen her smile once, and this was the first time in ages. Another boy beside him went slack and murmured, "She's stunning when she smiles. It's like all the light in the world gathers on her." "Salvatore, could you write me something?" Miranda asked suddenly, her gaze soft as water.

Chapter 8: Miranda Thubron

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