Since arriving at Savannah's home, she could sense that Brooke was not very welcoming to her, the unexpected younger sister, or perhaps just indifferent.
Last summer, Savannah sent a video asking him to take her out during the break.
Rachel stood behind the door, clearly hearing the voice from the screen.
The boy's voice had a subtle magnetism with a pleasant London accent:
"Miss Savannah, you spent all these years wanting a daughter, and now you finally got one. Why should I be the one taking care of the child?"
"I'm an adult now, can't I have some peace and quiet in my own life?"
The tone was sarcastic and impatient.
Savannah was furious. "Brooke, can't you focus on something important for once? Shouldn't a big brother take his little sister out during the break?"
The boy's voice remained calm and lazy, perhaps even yawning, as he said, "Attending college is my priority, not babysitting for you."
Savannah ended the video call in anger.
Rachel suggested to Savannah that she needed to study at home and didn't have time to go out.
She knew he didn't like her.
Truth be told, she wasn't even sure if he could recognize her.
Moreover, that evening she stumbled upon his hidden secret, so he probably didn't want to make their relationship public, right?
In this situation, it would be foolish for her to eagerly try to "get to know" him.
At these words, Rachel finally looked up at him. With curled eyelashes fluttering slightly, her gaze gentle, she meekly spoke, "Oh, I was just worried you didn't want to show that you knew me."
The implied meaning was to avoid trouble.
Brooke raised an eyebrow, his gaze lazy and casual. He chuckled with a sigh, his expression open and carefree, "Have I made a mistake?"
Seeing this exchange, Ariana, like an acquaintance, leaned in and asked softly, "My dear Rachel, do you know the campus heartthrob... the senior?"
"Not very well."
The situation was complex, and a few words wouldn't explain their relationship. Rachel could only explain it that way for now.
Suddenly, Brooke stood up and waved to Gabrielle, "Come over here for a moment."
He then gestured for Rachel to follow him, saying, "Come with me."
This statement quieted everyone around for a moment, all eyes turning towards Rachel.
Rachel was momentarily puzzled, but quickly realized it might be something Savannah asked her to fetch.
However, some girls in line behind them were not pleased, murmuring softly.
"What should we do now?"
"We've waited so long to get here."
"We came just to see you."
Brooke raised his eyelids, glanced back at the queue, and then faced the girls directly with a shameless and direct look mingled with shyness and excitement.
He said to the line, "Sorry, something came up."
Brooke headed towards the boys' dormitory, and Rachel hurried to catch up with him.
She noticed the occasional curious glances and perhaps even envy from the onlookers.
This was the first time she walked alone with him, realizing for the first time how popular he was at school.
He seemed to naturally thrive in the limelight, effortlessly attracting attention no matter what he did and handling any situation with ease.
Finally out of sight from the crowd, Rachel dared to look up at him.
He was tall, wearing a black t-shirt and pants, and he effortlessly widened the gap between them with each step.
Rachel silently followed behind him, watching the sunlight cast a long shadow over him.
She had to quicken her steps to keep up with the moving shadow.
"Aren't you well-behaved at home? Why don't you call me 'brother' outside?" The boy suddenly stopped his steps, as if intentionally waiting for her, his tone questioning.
She recalled how every time they met at home, she would address him as "brother" as instructed by Savannah.
However, he always just nonchalantly responded with a simple "yeah," seeming unwilling.
When the voice above her head descended, she urgently hit the brakes on her steps. Though she didn't bump into him, the scent of sandalwood and cedar, crisp yet gentle, was already close to her.
She looked up abruptly, meeting a pair of narrow and deep eyes, his handsome face appearing somewhat sharp.
Rachel felt a tightening in her chest, concealing all emotions. Like she did when she saw him at the Jiang family's home, she put on a meek look and exclaimed, "Brother."
As usual, he responded with a simple "yeah," his slender and well-defined hand reaching into his pocket to press a button, producing a notification sound.
He then walked over to a black-gray motorcycle, took out a small pouch from the storage box, and casually tossed it in the air, drawing a beautiful arc.
Rachel swiftly caught it in her palm without even opening it, then quickly averted her gaze.
Her rationality reminded her that he wasn't someone she should like, as she didn't want to be another one of his escapades. But as she looked at his face, enveloped by his presence, Rachel couldn't help but feel moved. She feared her feelings might be betrayed with a single slip.
After mechanically thanking him, she turned and walked away.
"Hey," Brooke called out, his gaze still on her.
He always thought this girl appeared meek, but those cold eyes seemed to hide a brewing storm.
His casual demeanor toned down slightly, as he casually asked, "What did you see that night?" with a somewhat perplexed expression.
Her hidden thoughts had been revealed, and Rachel couldn't hide anymore. She spoke firmly, as if making a promise, "I didn't intend to see anything that night. But rest assured, I won't mention it to anyone."
"Mention what?" Brooke was intrigued, eager to see what this girl could say.
"The term 'cheating' is too embarrassing," she couldn't bring herself to say it directly, only hinting gently, "Although I don't know how many girls you're seeing at once, if you continue like this, it'll be discovered sooner or later..."
Her voice grew softer as she spoke, but Brooke still understood.
He licked his lips, looking at the girl with radiant skin in front of him. He found it intriguing, and with a mischievous smile, he asked following her lead, "Why don't you guess how many girls I'm seeing at once? When do you think it will be discovered? And what will happen when it is?"
Rachel thought he would feel guilty at that moment, but to her surprise, he smiled. With his jet-black thick hair falling on his forehead, his flirtatious peach blossom eyes lazy and alluring, he seemed like a carefree and charming playboy, bold and shameless.
She turned and left, berating herself for why she had said those things to him just now. Suddenly, she saw a girl approaching her, the one in the red shorts and short red T-shirt from that night, her gaze fixed on the girl's face.
It was Bailey.
Rachel felt embarrassed for a moment, her cheeks reddening. Hearing Bailey greet her, she put on a composed smile and politely greeted her as "senior."
A gust of wind blew, prompting her to quicken her pace. She faintly heard the conversation behind her.
The girl's voice was cheerful and soft, "Hey, you know our department's younger sister?"
The boy seemed to pause for a second before casually responding, his tone indifferent and devoid of emotion, "Just a sister."
Later on, at the AI club's booth, Rachel asked Ariana to go eat lunch together.
They quickly picked out their desired food and found a spot by the window. Soon, they heard the whispers of girls behind them.
"Brooke is so handsome! The wait in line today was worth it."
"Ah, it's a shame we only get to look at such handsome guys. It's so hard to pursue them."
"What if you try?"
"Don't be silly, he has a girlfriend."
"So what if he has a girlfriend? They'll break up anyway. I heard he changes every couple of months on average."
"If you start pursuing him now, by the time he breaks up, maybe you'll be next in line."
Ariana, picking up on the girls' gossip, asked Rachel, "Hey, my dear Rachel, how do you know the campus heartthrob? Why did he give you something?"
"It's not from him," Rachel thought of the recent misunderstanding, feeling like her heart was stuffed with cotton. She casually replied, "My mom asked him to bring it for me."
"Your mom?"
Rachel saw the confusion in her eyes and explained, "She's a woman who has no blood relation to me but is like a second mom to me, and she's Brooke's mom too."
She didn't shy away from sharing her personal life with close friends.
Ariana knew Rachel's parents were no longer around but didn't delve too deeply into it for fear of causing her pain.
Previous doubts were clarified, and Rachel's response unlocked the puzzle for Ariana. "So you're basically family then."
Rachel nodded, "Yeah, he's like my brother."
In the afternoon, while studying at the library, Rachel overheard girls discussing Brooke's video. She couldn't help but think about her own misunderstandings of him.
She opened her phone app, retrieved the deleted notes from the recycle bin.