Befriend with Lily

The day Lina arrived at the new classroom, she saw Sierra sitting upright in the front row, wearing a dress that Shelley had meticulously chosen for her.

Sierra missed the admission score for Northville Middle School by just three points.

Seeing that Jace didn't seem to have any intention of helping, Shelley, as Mrs. Lu, had to swallow her pride and plead with the principal of Northville. To her surprise, the principal turned out to know Jace's ex-wife. Not just know her, but they were quite close. Shelley faced quite a bit of sarcastic remarks from him, but she could only keep smiling, as she was the one asking for a favor.

That afternoon, after leaving the principal's office, she was so furious that she trembled, her lips turning pale. However, thanks to Jace's influence, the principal eventually agreed to admit Sierra. Shelley felt that her efforts and humiliation hadn't been in vain.

Sierra and Lina ended up in the same class. Lina, however, had no intention of interacting with her and went straight to the back of the classroom to sit down. In her previous life, Lina always preferred sitting in the relaxed entertainment area at the back, watching makeup videos with the girls or playing games with the boys.

A few familiar girls sat in the front, whispering among themselves—

"I heard that the youngest daughter of the Lu family is in our class!"

"Really? Talon's sister is in our class?!"

"Yeah, I wonder who she is."

"If we become friends with her, does that mean we'll get to see Talon often?"

"Hahaha, what's the point? You can see him, but you can't 'have' him."

"Hey! You're so impure! If we become friends with his sister, we might get to know him."

Talon was indeed a popular figure in school. With his handsome looks and outgoing personality, he was loved by many. Even some female teachers had a soft spot for him.

The girls looked around, trying to guess which classmate might be Talon's sister. Lina lowered her head slightly. She resembled Talon quite a bit but didn't want to be the center of attention. In contrast, Sierra craned her neck, looking like a swan, her expression screaming that she wanted everyone to know she was related to Talon.

Her best friend, May, saw right through her and deliberately said in a raised voice, "Sierra, I heard your brother Talon is hosting a music party tonight. I really wanna go."

Her voice was just loud enough for the surrounding girls to hear but not too obvious. The girls immediately turned their curious eyes to Sierra. Sierra adjusted her hair, lifted her chin even higher, and said in a soft voice, "As you know, my brother doesn't invite people from different circles. But if you want to go, I can talk to him."

May smiled and said, "Thank you, Sierra."

Sierra, with her deep-seated insecurities and obsession with appearances, didn't have many friends. May, her middle school classmate, always flattered and complimented her because she knew Sierra lived in the Lu mansion. This made them "best friends."

Thanks to May's "promotion," half of the class knew that Sierra was the sister of the school's heartthrob, Talon. Many girls moved closer to Sierra and started chatting with her, complimenting her dress and so on.

"The dress was bought by my mom. It's a brand from Paris."

"My brother doesn't come home often, so I don't see him much."

"He didn't drop me off today. You know how he is, aloof on the surface, but he really cares about me deep down."

Sierra reveled in the attention. Because Shelley had her out of wedlock, which was a huge scandal back then, Sierra faced a lot of cold shoulders growing up and desperately sought attention.

Lina just found it amusing. At home, Shelley tried every trick in the book to drive a wedge between Talon and Jace. But now, Sierra was acting like Talon's loving sister.

Of course, Sierra's newfound popularity wasn't just because she was Talon's sister. It was also because she was a daughter of the Lu Corporation. The Lu Corporation, a real powerhouse, had been around since the Republic era. Its prestigious reputation made Sierra's vanity swell.

Lina didn't want to listen to the chattering girls in the front, so she put on her headphones. Just then, a girl next to her leaned in and asked, "Is that your Walkman?"

Lina looked up to see a girl with beautiful skin and almond-shaped eyes that sparkled when she smiled. Lina handed over the Walkman, and the girl excitedly said, "I've always wanted one, but they're so expensive, and my parents won't buy it for me."

"My brother gave it to me."

Talon now spoiled Lina without limits. Bicycles, Walkmans, game consoles... anything she wanted, he'd get for her. In the past, getting their strict father to buy her a game console would've been impossible. Being a sister and being a daughter felt very different.

"Whose songs are you listening to?"

"Michael Jackson's."

"Ah! I love him too. Can I listen with you?"

Lina, seeing the girl's cheerful nature, handed her the headphones. Friendships between girls at that age were simple. After one song, they quickly became familiar.

The girl's name was Lily Ma. However, the boys in her previous class liked to tease her by calling her "Marilyn Monroe," which annoyed her. But she couldn't change the name her parents gave her.

Lina asked, "Do you know a girl named Jenna Yao?"

Leanne shook her head, "No, why?"

"She's someone important to me."

After all, that was her mother, whom she had never met.

Lina wanted to attend Northville Middle School for another crucial reason: Jenna Yao.

"Is she a student at our school?" Leanne asked.

"She should be."

"What grade?"

"I don't know."

Leanne, being the kind-hearted girl she was, thought for a moment and said, "I have friends from middle school in several first-year classes. I can ask them to keep an eye out."

"Thank you! If you find her, you'd be doing me a huge favor."

"No problem."

As they were talking, there was a sudden exclamation from a girl by the window, "Talon is here!" Almost half the girls in the class stretched their necks to look outside.