Edward Clark didn’t respond to his harsh words, just shook his hand and returned to the previous topic: “So you don’t charge, right?”

　　“No charge!” Eric Bennett looked impatient. “What do you want?”

　　“Can you do a reading for me?” Edward Clark stretched out his left hand in front of him.

　　“No.” Eric Bennett said.

　　“You don’t do readings for strangers?” Edward Clark smiled.

　　Eric Bennett squinted at him, saying nothing.

　　“Not familiar enough to bluff?” Edward Clark said.

　　“You just had a breakup,” Eric Bennett brushed his hand away and looked at him, “within the past week.”

　　Edward Clark looked back at him.

　　“Did I guess right?” Eric Bennett asked.

　　“Half right.” Edward Clark answered honestly.

　　“Unrequited love failed.” Eric Bennett said.

　　“Yeah.” Edward Clark nodded. “You can guess that without even looking at my hand?”

　　“I already said I was just guessing, so what’s the point of looking at your hand?” Eric Bennett curled his lip disdainfully. “Still want to hear more?”

　　“No.” Edward Clark replied crisply.

　　He really didn’t have anything he wanted to ask. If he wanted to know something, he’d find the answer himself; he didn’t need a stranger to tell him, especially when he couldn’t verify if it was true.

　　If he did have something to ask, it would just be to make conversation, to chat a bit more with Eric Bennett.

　　But it was getting late. If he headed back now, he’d get to school just as evening study ended, and wouldn’t be able to buy barbecue.

　　A bit disappointed.

　　Eric Bennett stayed in the little park until almost 11 o’clock. Only when there was hardly anyone left did he jump down from the steps.

　　It wasn’t the weekend, so Da Dong and the others singing didn’t have much of an audience. Liu Jinpeng went with them to another spot.

　　Rather unkindly, he just sent a message to let him know.

　　When Eric Bennett looked over, everyone was already gone.

　　He stretched, time to go home. Dad was probably still at Grandma’s, but if he didn’t go back soon, Grandpa and Grandma would worry.

　　But when he got home, he was surprised to find Dad had already left.

　　In the house, only Grandpa was still awake, holding a teapot and watching TV.

　　When he saw him come in, Grandpa poured tea into the cup in front of him. “Back?”

　　“Yeah.” Eric Bennett sat down next to him, took the tea and drank it in one gulp, then slouched into the sofa.

　　“Didn’t expect that, did you?” Grandpa said with a smile. “Regret not coming back earlier?”

　　“What’s there to regret? I was having so much fun I didn’t want to come back.” Eric Bennett said.

　　“Your dad went home because I told him to,” Grandpa patted his leg, “You haven’t been to school for two days, right? Go to class tomorrow, and come straight home after school. Don’t mess around before exams, focus on your revision.”

　　Eric Bennett didn’t say anything.

　　“Your parents aren’t trying to control you,” Grandpa said, “But you’re such a smart kid, your studies…”

　　“Don’t say that,” Eric Bennett interrupted, “If I were really smart, I wouldn’t be like this.”

　　“Well, you’re such a dummy then,” Grandpa switched words without a second thought, “How can you not study hard and revise properly?”

　　Eric Bennett laughed and sighed, “Alright, stop going back and forth, drink your tea, I’m going to bed.”

　　He definitely had to go to school; he hadn’t picked up the new worksheets for the week yet.

　　And he actually got there pretty early. When he arrived, the school gate wasn’t even open yet.

　　Eric Bennett frowned and took out his phone for a look. He’d still been a bit groggy from sleep, but now he was wide awake.

　　“What the—?” He stood by the window of the guard’s room, exclaiming in shock.

　　“What’s wrong, got the time wrong?” The security guard uncle leaned over to the window and smiled.

　　“Yeah.” Eric Bennett sounded a bit deflated, switching his phone’s lock screen clock back to digital.

　　And this is called smart? Can’t even read an analog clock.

　　“Had breakfast yet?” the uncle asked.

　　“Yeah.” Eric Bennett replied sullenly.

　　“Go on in,” the uncle opened the door, “A lot of you seniors who board are already up and heading to the classroom.”

　　“Nice, uncle,” Eric Bennett looked at him. This uncle had only been on the job for two months. “How’d you know I’m a senior?”

　　“I know you, Mark Bennett,” the uncle said, “There’s a photo of you in the display case on the bulletin board.”

　　Having his name called wrong didn’t bother Eric Bennett at all. Since elementary school, he’d had lots of names: Mark Bennett, Ding Yuqi, Ding Wen, Ding Something, and even someone with bad eyesight called him Ding Lin.

　　He smiled at the uncle and went through the gate.

　　The last three rows of the classroom were a strange space.

　　Even in a school like No. 3 High, always competing with the Affiliated High for the top college entrance rate, the last three rows had their own vibe.

　　For example, right now, Eric Bennett’s deskmate Andrew Stone was putting a piece of cake on the desk, trying hard to cut it into small pieces with a knife.

　　Cutting it over and over, apparently aiming to get each piece down to a diameter of one centimeter.

　　In reality, that size was hard to achieve; the cake was already crumbling apart before then.

　　Anxiety.

　　That’s what Teacher He called it.

　　There were always a few in the back rows who refused to switch seats, so anxiety tended to build up back there, and you could see it to the left and right.

　　He didn’t feel like dealing with the one on the left biting their nails for now.

　　“Let me ask you a question.” Eric Bennett pulled a physics exercise book out of his backpack.