Chapter 10: Tsundere Girl

The next day, Michaela Looske handed Reid Quinny a bank card. "Reid, there's a hundred thousand in here. That's your living money for school in Eastown. Spend it carefully." "I already spoke with aunt Pauline. Once you're in Eastown, she'll help me look after you." "Oh, and aunt Pauline has a girl at home, too. She goes to Eastown First High. I hear she's excellent in both character and grades. You should learn from her." Michaela leaned in and lowered her voice like she was sharing a secret. "And between you and me, that girl is a real beauty." Then her expression hardened. "I'll allow you to chase girls if you want, but it can't affect your studies, and you'd better not cross the line. Got it?" Reid took the card, swung his backpack onto his shoulder, and gave a helpless smile. "Mom, are you sending me to school, or sending me to find you a daughter-in-law?" "What kind of kid talks to his mother like that?" Michaela rolled her eyes. "Shut it. I'm doing this for your own good." "Don't think I don't know how kids are these days. You all grow up too fast. I'm warning you early so you don't go messing around out there." "Fine. I'm leaving, then." Reid looked at his family, reluctance flickering in his eyes. "Brother, take good care of yourself in Eastown!" Destiny Quinny kept a stern little face, trying to sound grown-up. "When I get into middle school, I'll go to Eastown to see you!" Alberto Quinny said, "Reid, you're a man now. Have backbone and responsibility. Think before you act, and don't let your temper make decisions for you." "I know," Reid answered casually. Then he lifted a hand. "Dad, Mom, sister… bye." Eastown Bus Station. It was summer, and the sun beat down like fire. Under a tree near the exit stood two striking beauties, one older and one younger. The older woman looked around forty. She wore a white chiffon blouse with loose sleeves and black wide-leg pants. Her short hair fell in soft waves, and she carried herself with a gentle, graceful poise that only made her more captivating. The younger girl was seventeen or eighteen, tall and slender, easily around five-seven. Her fair skin contrasted with oversized sunglasses perched on a delicate oval face. Her jet-black hair was tied into a high ponytail, and a white floral dress skimmed her figure. Her small, soft-looking feet were set in apricot-colored heels. She was youthful and dazzling, with a cool, arrogant air that kept people at a distance. They kept glancing toward the exit. "Mom, why isn't this Reid Quinny here yet?" the girl complained, one grumble after another spilling out. "This sun's brutal. I'm going to get tanned." "And I spent over a thousand on those high-end skincare products. What a waste!" Waiting itself wasn't the worst part. What bothered her was the way her mother clearly meant to set her up with some boy she'd never even met. Girls her age were sensitive, prickly, and full of rebellion. The more adults pushed, the more she wanted to push back. And that resistance spilled over onto Reid, even before she'd seen his face. Pauline Luet frowned slightly. "You child, we've only been waiting two minutes and you're already impatient." "Reid's mother is my closest friend from school. She asked me to take care of her son for the first time. Of course I'm going to do it properly." A few more minutes passed. The girl stamped her foot in place, anxious and irritated. "Mom, I promised Della and Wanda I'd go get Häagen-Dazs with them today. You can't make me break my word!" "How about I go first and you stay here to wait for him?" Pauline shot her a glare. "Reid is coming to our home as a guest for the first time. Can you show a little manners?" "If we don't pick him up today, you're not going anywhere." Jada Thubron puffed out her cheeks, rolling her eyes so hard it looked like they might stick. She didn't dare talk back to her mother, so she dumped every ounce of resentment onto Reid instead. "Hmph. I want to see what's so special about this Reid Quinny. Making me wait for him in person like I'm his chauffeur." Reid got off the bus with one hand steadying the backpack strap on his shoulder and the other tucked into his pocket. As he walked to the exit, he spotted Pauline Luet and Jada immediately. They stood out far too much to miss. "You're aunt Pauline, right?" Reid stepped up beside Jada and greeted her politely. "I'm Reid Quinny. I've seen your photo on my mom's phone." "So you're Reid." Pauline's eyes warmed. "Handsome and well-mannered. Just as I expected." She turned slightly, drawing him in. "Let me introduce you. This is my daughter, Jada. You're the same age, just a few months younger than you. She also studies at Eastown First High. You'll be classmates from now on." Then she nudged her daughter with her gaze. "Jada, say hello." Jada tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, openly sizing Reid up. *So this is him?* she sneered inwardly. *Cheap street-market clothes. Not handsome, either. No vibe, no looks.* *And he's got one hand in his pocket like he thinks he's cool. He's not cool. He's just tacky.* *Compared to Alejandro, he's not even in the same world.* When Jada kept staring without a word, Pauline lowered her voice. "Jada, what are you doing?" Only then did Jada force a smile and extend her hand. "Hi. I'm Jada Thubron. Just call me Jada." Reid had already sensed her hostility, but he didn't care. He had seen far too many spoiled, willful rich girls in the Celestial Realm to be bothered by one more. He reached out, shook her soft hand briefly, and let go at once. "Hello," he said. "I'm Reid Quinny. If sister Jada ever runs into trouble, come find me." "Sure," Jada replied brightly. Inside, she laughed coldly. *My dad's a city official. My mom's an executive at a public company. Like I'd ever need your help.* *Still… he looks clean enough. And he didn't try to cop a feel when we shook hands. At least he doesn't have that small-town, never-seen-the-world vibe.* *Fine. For Mom's sake, I'll be friends with him. Barely.* In her heart, she had already handed Reid a nice-guy card. Pauline smiled. "I've already found you a place. I'll take you to see it first, then we'll go to my house. We'll give you a proper welcome." Reid nodded politely. "Thank you for the trouble, aunt Pauline." The three of them got into a red Audi. Reid knew that car cost several hundred thousand. Not just any family could afford to drive one. His mom's old classmate was clearly well-off. The car drove into a residential complex near Cloudtop Mountain. "We're here. Get out," Pauline said after parking. She unfastened her seatbelt and smiled. "Mm." Reid and Jada got out from opposite sides. Reid swept his gaze across the area. The environment was excellent, and he could feel it. The Heaven and Earth Energy here was richer than in the city. Pauline introduced it with an easy smile. "Reid, this is Cloud Lake Estate. Cloud Lake is just a short walk outside, and Cloudtop Mountain is right ahead. The scenery is great. It's also not far from Forest Brook Estate, where we live. You'll stay here from now on." "It's perfect," Reid said sincerely. "You've really gone to a lot of trouble, aunt Pauline." He meant it. He could tell she genuinely cared, unlike the kind of people who smiled to your face and stabbed you behind your back. Jada stared toward Cloudtop Mountain in the south and asked curiously, "By the way, Mom, did Cloudtop Mountain Villa sell yet?" Pauline laughed. "Silly girl. That villa is the best in all of Eastown, bar none. It's ten billion. Who could afford it?"