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Novel Catalog
Wanda returned to the classroom just before class started, and Carlisle couldn’t help but notice that she had changed into a different set of clothes. As a day student, Wanda had to go home to change after school hours.
“Thank you, Carlisle,” Wanda murmured, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she spoke. She looked adorable, almost too shy to meet his gaze.
Carlisle grinned, his eyes warm. “If you really want to thank me, just help me with my studies!” His tone was light and playful, but he couldn’t hide the small, genuine smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Wanda pursed her pink lips thoughtfully. “As long as you’re willing to study, I’ll help you!” she replied softly, her eyes sincere.
Carlisle was touched. In a class where few people ever took him seriously, Wanda’s willingness to help felt like a breath of fresh air. Wanda came from a well-off family, had great grades, and yet, she didn’t look down on him at all. Instead, she offered her support without hesitation.
In that moment, Carlisle couldn’t help but wonder—had Wanda chosen Riverland University just because of him?
But quickly, he pushed the thought away. He didn’t have anything extraordinary to offer, besides maybe his looks. There were plenty of other people in their class who were better suited for someone like her—more successful, more capable. How could someone from a wealthy family, like Wanda, be interested in a guy like him?
During their self-study session, Wanda patiently tutored Carlisle. He found himself more focused than usual, more eager to absorb everything she taught him. Whether it was because of his reincarnation or not, his mind seemed sharper than before. Concepts that had once been confusing clicked into place with her explanations.
Wanda handed him a math test paper. “Complete this,” she instructed.
“Okay!” Carlisle took a few sips of water from the bottle on the table before setting it down.
Wanda blinked, her eyes widening in disbelief. “Carlisle…”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, looking up at her, slightly confused.
“That’s… that’s mine,” she said, her face turning a deeper shade of pink.
Carlisle looked down at the bottle. “No wonder it’s so sweet…” he said with a teasing smile, licking his lips.
Wanda’s face flushed even more, and her heart skipped a beat. The realization hit her: he’d drunk from the same bottle. Wasn’t that like an indirect kiss? She buried her face in her arms on the desk, too embarrassed to look at him.
Carlisle, noticing her reaction, smirked as he filled out the test paper. It was amusing to him how easily she got embarrassed.
As the school day ended, Carlisle handed the completed test paper to Wanda. She glanced through it quickly, her eyes widening in shock. “Did you cheat? Did you somehow figure out the answers when I wasn’t looking?”
Carlisle raised an eyebrow at her. “Uh, you gave me the test paper. Shouldn’t the answers be with you?” He teased her, giving a playful smile.
“But you learned so quickly!” Wanda looked at him in disbelief.
“It’s because your tutoring is excellent!” Carlisle said, nodding seriously as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Wanda blinked, almost fooled by his convincing tone. “Is that so?” she asked, her voice soft.
“Yeah, that’s how it is!” Carlisle grinned, fully enjoying the playful banter.
Meanwhile, Sarah had been watching the exchange from a distance, her eyes narrowing with frustration. She clenched her fists, furious. She could see exactly what Carlisle was doing—he was trying to get close to other girls to provoke her. Did he think she’d get jealous?
Quentin, sitting nearby, pushed his test paper toward Sarah with a hesitant smile. “Sarah, do you know how to solve this?”
“Get lost,” Sarah snapped, her voice sharp.
“Oh,” Quentin replied, quickly retreating. He didn’t dare challenge Sarah’s mood again.
After school, while Carlisle was packing up his books, Wanda received a phone call. Her face fell as she listened, and Carlisle noticed the change in her expression.
“Wanda, I have to go abroad for a while,” her father’s voice crackled through the phone. “The driver can’t pick you up today, so you’ll have to take a car back yourself.”
Wanda sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Oh, I see,” she replied, her voice soft and dejected.
Carlisle noticed and, with a raised eyebrow, asked, “Why the sudden change in mood?”
“My dad’s going abroad again,” Wanda said with a resigned sigh, not meeting his gaze.
Carlisle, trying to lighten the mood, grinned. “You use the word ‘again’ so well! Unlike my dad, who has never even been abroad in his life!”
Wanda blinked, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. “It’s not that bad… It’s just that today, the car’s unavailable, and I have to get back home myself.”
“Would you mind giving me a ride home?” she asked, her voice a little quieter, almost shy.
Carlisle’s eyes sparkled. “I’d be honored!”
“But my house is quite far,” Wanda warned.
“No problem,” Carlisle said with confidence. “I’m good at riding bikes!” He gave her a playful wink, and they walked out of the classroom together, chatting and laughing.
“Ugh, Carlisle,” Sean muttered as he prepared to sweep the classroom. “You’re putting love over friendship! I’ll be waiting here while you’re off with her!”
Carlisle and Wanda reached the parking lot, where rows of bikes were parked. Carlisle’s bike was an old mountain bike that his dad had bought for him after quitting smoking.
Riding bikes wasn’t allowed on campus, so Carlisle pushed the bike toward the school gate, with Wanda walking beside him. The pair of them looked like an innocent couple, strolling casually together.
“Sarah,” Sienna said, eyeing the pair as they walked away. “Do you think Carlisle might be falling for someone else?”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “How is that possible? Wanda’s a good girl—nothing like me. She’s rich, and that’s about it. Besides, how could she compare to me?” Her words were full of confidence, but beneath the surface, she couldn’t shake the unease gnawing at her.
Since yesterday, Carlisle had been acting differently—avoiding her, almost as if waiting for an apology. But what had she done wrong? She couldn’t figure it out.
Wanda’s house was three miles from school, in the city center. Carlisle pedaled as fast as he could, the bike chain clicking with every rotation. It took him over forty minutes to get her to the neighborhood, his clothes soaked with sweat under the hot summer sun.
“Thank you, Carlisle,” Wanda said, her cheeks flushed as she dismounted.
“No problem,” Carlisle said with a grin. “I’ll head back now.”
Wanda hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Do you want to come to my place and cool off for a while?”
Carlisle shook his head politely. “No thanks. I need to head back before my parents worry.”
Wanda watched him ride off into the distance, unable to tear her eyes away.
When Carlisle finally arrived home, it was already dark. His father, Gordon, was smoking on the balcony, a troubled look on his face, while his mother, Hilda, sat on the old sofa in the living room, working on some handicrafts.
“Mom, Dad, I’m home!” Carlisle announced, his voice cheerful despite the exhaustion he felt.
“Why are you back so late?” Hilda asked, raising an eyebrow. “Did you go on another date with that girl?”
Gordon walked in with a stern look on his face. “What girl? Is my son already dating?”
Carlisle sighed. “I just stayed longer at school to revise. Don’t jump to conclusions!” But he noticed his dad’s worried expression. It was hard to miss, even though Gordon was trying to hide it.
Carlisle knew that things weren’t going well at home. His father seemed to have lost his job, and his grandmother was battling uremia, needing constant care and dialysis. They were barely scraping by, and Carlisle felt the weight of the responsibility to help out.
That night, Hilda set the table, bringing out the warm dishes with a smile. “Let’s eat first. Your dad made your favorite lemon butter fish!”
The fish was perfectly prepared, tangy and zesty, with no head or tail left—the best pieces always reserved for him. Carlisle’s heart swelled with gratitude, and for a moment, he felt a lump in his throat. He quickly picked up his bowl, trying to hide the emotion welling up inside.
“Eat slowly, you brat!” Gordon joked, though his voice held a hint of warmth. “Be careful not to choke on the fish bones!”
Hilda looked over at him. “Have you filled out your college application form?”
