Chapter 116: Don’t Encourage Him!
Two days later.
The sky was a brilliant blue, with not a cloud in sight. Beneath the blazing early summer sun, waves of senior high school students filed into their examination centers one after another.
As in previous years, Ashford High School students had been assigned to take their exams at the Ashford Academy of Languages.
That morning, Old Hale drove the family over long before the first students arrived.
One school bus after another rolled through the gates, each draped with bright banners wishing the students success.
Luca Hale stood by the roadside, scanning every bus for the one carrying Ashford High School students.
Just then, someone lightly tapped him on the shoulder.
"Brother!"
A cheerful laugh rang out behind him.
"Hehe... didn’t expect me to sneak up on you, did you?"
Luca turned around to find Trish Hale standing there in her familiar blue-and-white short-sleeved school uniform with matching uniform pants. Her long hair was tied neatly into a high ponytail, giving her the energetic, youthful charm of a typical honor student.
The surprise on her face quickly turned into delight.
Although Luca had never promised he would come, he had still traveled all the way back just to cheer her on before such an important exam.
That alone made her incredibly happy.
"Come on."
Luca smiled, gently ruffling her thick ponytail.
"Mom and Dad are waiting. I’ll take you over."
"Hehe."
Trish happily slipped her arm through his and walked beside him.
"Oh, right."
Luca looked around the crowd.
"Where’s Rachel?"
Trish immediately stopped walking and looked at him with a meaningful smile.
"Brother..."
"You aren’t just casually asking about Sophie, are you?"
"..."
Luca coughed awkwardly.
Technically, Sophie should have been here supporting Rachel today since the sisters were close. Asking about Rachel just happened to be... a convenient excuse.
"Hmph. I knew it."
Trish wrinkled her nose.
A trace of concern quietly surfaced in her heart.
When did my brother become such a smooth talker?
He already had Naomi.
Now he was openly dating Sophie.
Who knew if there were even more beautiful sisters she hadn’t discovered yet?
If all of this explodes one day... he’s really going to be in trouble.
After walking a short distance, the siblings spotted their parents waiting beside the road.
Mother Hale wore a simple yet elegant dress and shaded herself beneath a floral parasol, carrying herself with effortless grace.
Old Hale, dressed casually with dark sunglasses, actually looked rather stylish from a distance.
"Mom! Dad!"
Trish broke into a run.
"I missed you both!"
Seeing their daughter rush over while still holding Luca’s hand, both parents smiled warmly.
"Come here."
Mother Hale stepped forward first, handing the parasol to Luca before gently cupping Trish’s face in both hands.
She looked her over carefully, as though checking whether she’d lost even a pound.
Old Hale patted his daughter’s shoulder.
"Just do your best."
"Don’t put too much pressure on yourself."
Trish had always ranked among the top students in her grade. As long as she performed normally, getting into one of the country’s elite universities would hardly be a problem.
Compared to Luca’s old report cards...
Her grades had left his far behind.
"Don’t worry, Dad."
She smiled confidently.
"We’ve practically been taking mock exams every day this semester."
"This one doesn’t really feel any different."
The couple had originally prepared a long list of encouraging words, but seeing how relaxed their daughter looked, they simply smiled instead.
After all, none of them understood the current examination system better than Trish herself.
Two people who hadn’t touched a high school exam in decades, plus Luca, whose knowledge was already outdated, trying to lecture an academic top student...
That would only be embarrassing.
"Trish!"
A bright voice suddenly drifted across the crowd.
"We’re gathering over here!"
Looking over, Luca spotted a cute young girl waving enthusiastically with both arms raised high.
It was Rachel Kennedy.
Standing beside her was another slender figure dressed in soft shades of green.
Sophie wore a light green floral dress today, and her shoulder-length hair had been braided neatly to one side. Her naturally fair skin seemed to glow beneath the morning sunlight.
Standing together, the Kennedy sisters resembled two blossoms blooming side by side.
Countless passersby couldn’t help stealing another glance.
Mother Hale noticed them immediately.
"My goodness..."
She looked genuinely impressed.
"That girl is so pretty."
"Is the one beside her her older sister?"
"She’s absolutely beautiful."
"Yep."
Trish nodded.
"That’s Rachel, the best friend I’m always talking about."
"As for Sophie..."
She glanced mischievously at Luca before nudging him sharply with her elbow.
"You should ask my brother."
"He definitely knows their family much better than I do."
"Right, bro?"
Without waiting for his response, Trish flashed him a sly grin before skipping happily toward Rachel.
The moment Sophie’s name left Trish’s mouth, Luca felt a chill run down his spine.
Sure enough...
Mother Hale slowly turned toward him.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Son."
"I feel like your sister’s words had a hidden meaning."
"Why don’t you explain it to me?"
"W-What hidden meaning?"
Luca forced an innocent smile while desperately looking toward his father for help.
Old Hale...
Immediately looked up at the sky.
Then he started whistling.
He had absolutely nothing to do with this conversation.
"You’re staying silent?"
Mother Hale folded her arms.
"Fine."
"I’ll ask directly."
"What exactly is your relationship with that beautiful girl over there?"
"We... were high school classmates."
Mother Hale gave him a look.
"That’s only part of the story, isn’t it?"
Luca could only smile awkwardly.
There was no fooling his mother.
She knew him too well.
If someone as beautiful as Sophie had merely been an ordinary classmate...
That would have been the real miracle.
Yesterday, while playing cards back in the old neighborhood, one of her friends had casually mentioned that Luca’s rumored girlfriend was extraordinarily beautiful.
Now that she’d seen Sophie in person...
She realized that description hadn’t even done the girl justice.
Compared with Naomi Monroe, whom she’d only met through video calls...
Sophie’s beauty wasn’t the slightest bit inferior.
Well...
Mother Hale silently compared the two again.
Actually, there are still some rather obvious... structural differences.
"Then what about Naomi?"
Her voice became noticeably calmer.
"Did you two break up?"
"Cough... no."
"We didn’t."
"Hah!"
Mother Hale poked him squarely on the forehead.
"You really are unbelievable."
She sighed heavily before waving him away.
"What are you still standing here for?"
"Go bring that poor girl over."
"Your father and I should properly meet her."
"What kind of manners are those, leaving a guest standing out there under the blazing sun?"
"Right."
"I’m going."
Watching her son jog away, Mother Hale rubbed her temples helplessly.
Years ago, if someone had told her a girl as stunning as Sophie would fall for Luca, she would have laughed herself awake from the dream.
Now...
All she had was a headache.
Seeing Sophie immediately slip her hand into Luca’s the moment he reached her, then remembering Naomi’s sweet, gentle smile...
She felt completely overwhelmed.
Just then, she glanced sideways.
Old Hale was quietly nodding toward Luca with unmistakable approval.
Mother Hale narrowed her eyes.
"What?"
"Are you encouraging him?"
Old Hale nearly jumped.
"Me?"
"Why would I encourage him?"
"No reason!"
"And it had better stay that way."
Only after she looked away did Old Hale quietly let out a long breath of relief.
Meanwhile, Luca gently held Sophie’s soft hand and led her across the lawn toward his parents.
As they stepped beneath the shade of the parasol, Sophie’s features became even clearer.
Her eyes sparkled beneath long lashes like stars scattered across the night sky.
Her nose was small and elegant.
Her lips were naturally rosy.
Most striking of all was her flawless porcelain skin, so delicate it almost seemed as though it would melt beneath the warmth of the sun.
Feeling nervous, Sophie instinctively lowered her head.
She hid half her body behind Luca’s shoulder, peeking timidly at his parents with shy, gentle eyes as she met them for the very first time.