Mr. Trent rushed to the classroom door so quickly his glasses nearly slipped off. He pointed inside like he had discovered a criminal.
"Principal! It's Jade Quinn! She didn't take the exam properly—and she even took my seat!"
A ripple of murmurs spread across the classroom.
Jade Quinn's name was notorious at Pendale University. Even the principal, who rarely interacted with students, had heard of her.
Still, as the principal, he had to remain neutral.
He looked at Jade, who was calmly working through her paper as if none of this concerned her.
"What happened?" he asked.
"There wasn't an empty desk," Jade replied, head down, voice soft but steady. "I assumed this one was assigned to me."
Her pen never stopped moving. Each answer she wrote was quick, clean, and almost lazy—like she wasn't even trying.
Mr. Trent, however, looked as though steam would burst from his ears.
"Principal, look at this student's attitude!" he barked. "This is unacceptable!"
The principal pushed his glasses up with a thoughtful frown.
"Is there a problem with the school's funding?" he asked.
Mr. Trent blinked. "Funding? N-No, sir."
"Then why," the principal asked, voice cool, "is your class missing a desk?"
The entire room froze.
Even Jade paused for half a second—surprised by how reasonable the principal was.
Maybe she should give him some respect. She looked up for the first time, meeting his eyes politely.
Mr. Trent swallowed.
Then—realizing the situation was slipping from his control—he quickly launched his complaint:
"Well, Jade hasn't come to school for a whole semester. When she does show up, she hangs around boys in Class Five. So I moved her desk there. It seemed appropriate."
Jade blinked slowly.
He moved her desk because she didn't attend?
"Principal, don't you think this situation requires… expulsion?" Mr. Trent asked eagerly.
Expulsion?
The word spread through the classroom like a spark thrown into dry grass.
Students who were pretending to study immediately sat up straighter. Heads turned. Eyes widened.
"Expulsion would be great," someone whispered.
"If she's gone, Class One might finally get first place."
"No more dragging down our results because of Jade."
"Honestly… she's weirdly pretty today. Why is someone expulsion-worthy this cute?"
Even the principal seemed taken aback.
Jade slowly tucked loose strands of hair behind her ear and gave the principal a sweet, harmless smile.
"I haven't reached expulsion requirements yet," she said lightly. "The rules at Pendale University say: three missed exams or three last-place results equals expulsion. And this is only my third exam."
Everyone paused.
They counted in their heads.
…She was right.
"Hmph. What does it matter?" Mr. Trent snapped. "You will still be last place, and then our class loses face again. You should drop out yourself!"
He didn't even hide his disgust.
The principal's expression hardened.
"Mr. Trent," he said coldly, "mind your identity."
A hush swept over the room.
Even if the principal disliked underperforming students, he would never tolerate teachers insulting them publicly. It harmed the school's reputation.
He turned to Jade. "Jade, your understanding of the rules is correct. This is your third exam. Whether you remain depends entirely on your score."
Jade nodded casually.
"I understand. Can I take the exam now?"
"Hah! Look at her arrogance!" Mr. Trent sputtered. "Where does a last-place student get such confidence?!"
"Enough," the principal snapped. "The school will follow its own rules. Mr. Trent, fetch a desk and chair for Jade immediately."
He shot the teacher one last warning glance before leaving.
Every student in the room immediately ducked their heads and pretended to work. No one wanted to be caught in the crossfire.
Mr. Trent stomped to the back of the room, grumbling under his breath.
"You're good, Jade Quinn," he muttered bitterly. "Using tricks in front of the principal…"
Without even lifting her head, Jade sighed.
"Mr. Trent, you're too noisy. You're disturbing my exam. Should I call the principal back? I'm sure he'd love to resolve this further."
Her brows knit together impatiently.
Mr. Trent's mouth slammed shut.
He glanced at her nearly empty paper and smirked internally.
Just endure her for one exam, he thought. She'll be last place again. Then she'll be gone.
Feeling victorious at the thought, he walked back to his desk.
Meanwhile, Jade ignored him completely, eyes focused on her paper.
The rest of the class, seeing the drama was over, reluctantly returned to their work. This was Class One—grades meant everything. After a few minutes, the room was silent except for the scratching of pens.
Jade's hand moved quickly.
Too quickly.
Ten minutes later, she set her pen down and stretched lazily.
Everyone else was still writing as if their lives depended on it.
Leaving now would attract too much attention…
So she laid her head down and went to sleep.
She had been reborn only that morning. So much chaos for one day—she deserved a nap.
Mr. Trent, returning from his walk around the room, saw her sleeping and sneered.
As expected.
Same Jade Quinn.
Same useless student.
Same behavior.
This time, she would definitely be expelled.
Students glanced up, stunned she could sleep so peacefully during an exam, but… it was Jade. Sleeping in the middle of class was her unofficial talent.
---
Junex Group Headquarters
"Mr. Ford… Miss Quinn has escaped. She climbed out the second-floor window."
The guard's voice trembled.
Ethan Ford froze.
The pen in his hand snapped between his fingers.
A bone-deep chill swept through the conference room. Executives stiffened immediately.
Had someone offended him?
Was it the quarterly report?
A rejected proposal?
No one knew.
They just feared the cold man sitting at the head of the table.
Ethan leaned back, jaw tight.
"Next," he said flatly.
The meeting continued—if barely.
Director Lane swallowed a lump in his throat. It was his turn to speak.
"CEO, regarding the proposal… I believe the partnership with Pendale University isn't worth it. The profit margins are too low. At most, we'd earn a hundred thousand. Not worth Junex Group's energy."
Ethan's gaze lifted—slow, lethal.
"You think," he repeated.
The pen he had snapped earlier clattered onto the table, the sound sharp enough to slice through air.
Everyone flinched.
In Junex Group, there were two things people feared most:
Losing bonuses.
And Ethan Ford.
Director Lane stammered, "C-Correct. Based on our normal projects—"
"What if I think it's worth it?" Ethan's voice was quiet. Too quiet.
A flock of executives instantly raised their hands.
"I agree!"
"Partnership with the school is strategic."
"Very forward-thinking!"
"The school has potential. Excellent idea!"
Director Lane was the only one still sitting rigidly, sweating through his shirt.
Ethan tilted his head slightly.
"Director Lane," he said softly, "what do you think?"
Lane nearly fainted at the use of you instead of we.