Chapter 4 Pissed Off

Early in the morning, Snow had already freshened up and gone downstairs for breakfast.

The auntie's cooking was excellent-breakfast was especially hearty, with milk, toast, eggs, soy milk, and soup dumplings-a nice blend of Eastern and Western cuisine.

Snow now cherished her health greatly. She had suffered enough from the painful years of anemia. Getting a second chance at life, the most important thing to her was health-when the body fails, everything else becomes meaningless.

After finishing breakfast and grabbing her backpack to head to school, Rose came downstairs yawning.

Sally couldn't help saying, "Rose, look-your sister had a proper breakfast today. Why are you still lazing in bed?"

"Aww, Mom, I'm just sleepy," Rose whined sweetly.

Her mother lovingly ruffled her hair. "Then hurry up and eat something, you're going to be late."

"It's fine. I'll have Uncle Peter the driver take me."

Sally said to Snow, "Snow, wait for your sister. The driver will take both of you to school."

"No need, I'm biking," Snow replied, already wearing her white sneakers as she stepped out the door.

Sally watched Snow's departing figure and murmured to Rose, "Your sister seems... a little different lately."

Rose was too busy texting on Facebook to hear her.

Snow leisurely pedaled her compact folding bike-partly for the exercise.

While crossing the street, she spotted Richard on his mountain bike.

He wore a light T-shirt with a crossbody bag slung behind him. Because his bike's handlebar was level with the seat, he hunched over slightly-like a mountain peak.

He seemed about to cross the street too.

Snow quickened her pace, trying to avoid him.

Richard caught sight of her as well. She was pedaling furiously, ponytail flying-like she was deliberately avoiding him.

But her bike didn't even have gears. How could she outrun his mountain bike?

He easily caught up and rode alongside her.

Turning lazily, he looked at her.

The girl was panting heavily, cheeks flushed with a healthy red.

"What's your name? Forgot to ask last time."

"Snow."

"How the hell am I supposed to know what characters that is?"

"......"

His way of talking was always pretty cocky.

Morning sunlight sliced across his sharply defined features. His dark eyes sat deeply beneath bold brows.

He stared at her, clearly waiting for a response.

Snow patiently clarified, "S-N-O-W."

Richard rolled the name on his tongue, about to suggest they ride together when Snow suddenly braked. "Why don't you go ahead? I just remembered-I need to stop by the stationery store for a pen."

Richard braked too, casually replying, "I'll go with you."

"No need." Snow hesitated, pushing her bike slowly. "I'm also... waiting for a classmate."

Richard's expression instantly darkened. A sharp glint flickered in his black eyes.

He was too perceptive not to notice she was dodging him-clearly didn't want any entanglement.

Without another word, he turned his bike and rode away.

A gust of wind spun fallen leaves around as Snow watched his figure disappear, sighing softly.

Whether in love or hate, Richard was always extreme. In their previous life, after learning of her death, he had stormed into the funeral home and stolen her body before cremation...

This time around, Snow didn't want to be the source of Richard's madness.

The school wasn't far now, so she simply walked the rest of the way, pushing her bike.

...

Richard slung his bag over his shoulder and walked into the classroom. A few boys at the back fell silent and exchanged glances when they saw him.

On his desk sat a delicate Napoleon cake, with a dolphin-shaped colorful sticky note attached-

"Richard, for you."

Adam said, "Angela from Class 1 gave it to you."

Without even glancing at it, Richard sat down, picked up a book and casually swatted-the cake flew straight into the back trash can.

"Damn."

"That aim-10 outta 10."

"Man, if you weren't gonna eat it, you could've given it to me! What a waste!"

Richard slammed his bag down hard on the desk, radiating frustrated anger.

The boys immediately shut up.

After a long pause, Adam cautiously asked, "Who pissed you off?"

Richard didn't answer. He stuffed the bag into the cubby and laid his head down to sleep.

During morning reading, the Chinese teacher scolded him. Richard didn't even lift his head and kept sleeping with a cocky attitude, completely ignoring the teacher.

This was the teacher's first semester-clearly not used to such defiance. Furious, she said he had to stand outside the classroom.

Richard finally looked up, eyes cold and fierce, "Get lost."

The teacher flinched at his intensity, muttering as she stormed off to complain to the homeroom teacher-who could only shake his head after hearing the name "Richard."

"Others I can manage. Him... no chance."

Richard was the kind of student no teacher could handle-whether they used discipline or love.

He knew exactly what he wanted, and no one could change that.

...

Between classes, Snow saw Angela crying at her desk, surrounded by concerned girls.

"What happened?"

Ann crossed her arms. "She gave Richard breakfast, and not only did he toss the cake into the trash, he even blew up at her!"

Snow knew Richard's moods swung unpredictably. Falling for someone like him was basically asking for trouble.

Yet people still liked him.

Unlike most polite, well-mannered boys raised under strict discipline, he was untamed, full of masculine intensity.

Even female teachers would sneak glances at him in passing.

Those high school years were when Richard was at his wildest.

**

Virtuous High School was a private institution with excellent teaching quality and facilities-even the cafeteria was spacious and elegantly European in style. That's why many students stayed for lunch.

Snow sat down next to her best friends with her tray. Not far off, Rose was also eating with her clique.

Rose was not only an online influencer, but also well-known at school. Many girls wanted to be her friend. Though she smiled politely at everyone, her actual friends were all rich heiresses.

Snow's friends came from more modest families. They didn't get into Virtuous by paying high tuition-they earned it with top grades.

Birds of a feather flock together. The school had many cliques, each with different goals and standards for making friends.

Even as sisters, Rose rarely interacted with Snow at school. If they met in public, Rose would put on a friendly front, but otherwise, their relationship was distant.

"Hey, did you hear? Maya, the famous alumna, is coming to visit next month."

"You mean the opera singer Maya? Performed in Vienna? Wasn't she on the Spring Festival Gala last year?"

"Yep! She graduated in '98. She's coming to select students to perform in the city. The student council's art department already posted an announcement. Winners can even get bonus points on the college entrance exam."

Ann shook her head. "I'm out. Can't sing, can't dance. I can only play 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' on the flute."

"Rose will definitely sign up, right? She danced at last year's Christmas show."

Of course she would. Snow remembered how, in her previous life, Rose asked her to play cello as accompaniment for a classical dance-and got selected for the city performance.

Rose's dance wasn't anything special, but as a hemophilia survivor, she was seen as an inspirational role model. Maya broke the rules and gave her the opportunity.

The judges also awarded Rose third prize mainly because of her illness-earning her bonus points that got her into a top university.

That performance was a major turning point in Rose's life.

Snow, who played cello to enhance her act, went unrecognized.

It wasn't all Rose's fault-back then, Snow's cello skills were mediocre.

But now? Snow was at level 10.

This time, she didn't want to be Rose's background music-she wanted to shine in her own right.

After lunch, the girls dragged Snow to the snack section. She bought an egg waffle filled with ice cream and strolled out with her friends, happily eating.

The plane trees lining the basketball court swayed gently in the summer breeze-so relaxing.

"Snow, are you entering Maya's audition next month?"

Snow nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to perform on the cello."

Ann laughed. "C'mon, your cello skills are on par with my flute."

Kate chimed in, "Don't flatter yourself. Snow's cello sounds way better than your flute."

Ann patted Snow's shoulder. "It's okay, babe. The spirit of participation is what counts."

Clearly, no one had high hopes. And understandably-if she were still her old self, Snow wouldn't have dared sign up either.

Spoon in hand, Snow calmly ate her ice cream as the girls chatted away about school gossip.

The breeze brushed her cheeks. Having died once, she now truly cherished life-and her friends.

Just then, a boy on a bike whizzed past. Whether intentional or not, he brushed right past Snow.

He swerved wide enough not to hit her, but she was still startled and fell.

Her waffle splattered onto the asphalt with a splat.

The girls rushed over to help, asking if she was hurt.

Snow sat on the ground, waving them off. "I'm fine, really."

Richard stood with one hand on his mountain bike, gazing down at her with a raised chin.

Sunlight lit his amber eyes with a glassy glow.

His cold expression chilled the air.

Snow took her friend's shoulder and stood up, brushing it off. "Let's go."

Ann was actually a little mad but didn't dare say anything. These guys were notorious-teachers didn't even dare cross them.

She muttered, "Don't you watch where you're going?"

Adam looked helplessly at Richard, not understanding what was going on.

There had been other girls ahead-they all steered away. But Richard deliberately rode straight at Snow.

If they didn't know her, that'd be one thing. But they'd even shared hot pot before. This was just awkward.

"Sorry," Adam said, "Brother Richard's in a bad mood. Didn't see the road. You okay? Want to go to the nurse?"

"No need."

Snow didn't want to make a fuss. She turned and walked away-never once looking at him.

Richard's face remained blank, but his gaze grew colder.

Adam's heart sank. Crap. He's pissed.

Before anyone could stop him, Richard rode toward Snow-again.

The boys shouted-

"Bro! Calm down!"

"Watch out!"

This time, Snow heard it, and dodged swiftly. Richard's bike whooshed past, kicking up a gust of wind and the faint scent of minty tobacco from his clothes.

Ann was nearly in tears. "What did we even do to you?! Why are you picking on us?"

Richard stopped his bike and glared at Snow, his gaze dangerous like a beast's.

Snow thought in despair-Great. I really pissed him off.

Finally, she shouted, "Richard, what the hell do you want?!"

Richard coldly replied with one word,

"You."