Celine spent over an hour solving two problems. Just as she stepped out of Rowen's room, Katherine came up to call them for lunch.
In the afternoon, Rowen indeed had plans with Jayden and Irving.
Meanwhile, Celine memorized Ustranasion vocabulary. With nothing else to do, she chatted with Harper on WhatsApp. As the conversation continued, she gradually fell asleep with her phone in her hand.
When she woke up, it was already past five in the evening. She washed her face and took her literature textbook to the balcony to recite the classical poems she had to memorize.
The breeze on the balcony was incredibly soothing. There was a lounge chair on which Celine was lying. She swayed gently on the chair while reciting a book. It was quite a delightful scene.
Inside Jadeborough Gymnasium's basketball court, Rowen's final three-pointer determined the game's outcome.
Consequently, Irving's anxiety was dispelled because their opponents were quite formidable. Two of them were specifically preventing Rowen from making the shot, while another two were on Jayden. Every time Rowen and Jayden got the ball, shooting was extremely difficult.
Irving's skills in the game were far inferior to his friends, not to mention those two had practiced together before. The last two members were just randomly picked to make up the numbers.
The team Irving and his group were against for that match was different. Two were from the city's worst teams, and all five were part of the school team. They had been training together for over a year, and their coordination was much better than Irving's hastily assembled group of five.
It could be said that the basketball game was won by the skin of their teeth, thanks solely to the cooperation between Jayden and Rowen. Before Rowen's three-point shot went into the basket, they were two points behind. Irving, watching the countdown on the big screen, had already resigned himself to a loss.
Unexpectedly, at the crucial moment, Rowen scored, and it was a three-pointer.
Irving sprang up immediately, rushing to Rowen's side. He reached out, intending to embrace Rowen, but was promptly kicked away by the latter. “Scram,” Rowen said.
Rowen was drenched in sweat, feeling incredibly hot.
After leaving the court, he twisted open a bottle of sports drink and began to gulp it down heartily.
Jayden walked over and asked, “Shall we have dinner later?”
Upon hearing his words, Rowen tilted his head slightly. “You go with Irving.”
Irving, who was standing by, chimed in, “Rowen needs to go back and tutor his wifey!”
“Wifey?” Jayden realized something and looked at Rowen with a smirk. “Celine?”
Rowen's pinky trembled slightly as he held the bottle, but he quickly regained his composure. He scoffed. “Do you seriously believe Irving's nonsense? My godmother and godfather are going on a business trip tomorrow, so I need to go back tonight to have dinner with them.”
Irving seemed a bit disheartened and aggrieved. “I'm not talking nonsense. Rowen, you've been taking such good care of Celine. If that's not because you like her, then what is it?”
“I've been taking good care of you, too. Could it be that I've liked you for a long time?” Rowen rolled his eyes.
Jayden laughed. “You never used to explain yourself.”
Rowen glanced at Jayden. “Believe it or not, it's up to you.”
He spoke as he picked up his shoulder bag from the side. “I'm heading back now. You guys sort out your dinner.”
Jayden waved his hand, staring at Rowen's departing figure, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Irving could not help but vent to Jayden. “I swear I'm not talking nonsense, Jayden! He's hated girls since he was a kid. He hasn't shared a desk with a girl since junior high school. If Celine is only his deskmate, I wouldn't have batted an eye. When we were changing seats on Friday, Celine chose to sit with Harper. Yet, later on, the teacher came over and told them that she hopes they could learn from each other and make progress together. And just like that, he agreed to continue sharing a desk with Celine!”
Irving spoke until he was thirsty before taking a sip of water. “That's not all! Rowen isn't usually one to teach others, but now he's answering Celine's questions every day. When I asked him to do the same for me, he just told me to look it up in the book myself. After listening to what I've said, don't you agree he's such a hypocrite? If he doesn't like her, does it mean he sees her as a little sister?”
Jayden lightly clicked his tongue. “Perhaps that really is the case. In any case, it doesn't matter how he sees her because they aren't related by blood.”
Concurrently, Rowen had no idea about the numerous things Irving had been discussing in front of Jayden. He left home a little after noon to play a game of basketball. When he returned to the Lewis residence, it was just a little past five.
Katherine and Joshua were flying abroad tomorrow and wouldn't be back for half a month. For their dinner, Katherine asked Joshua to cook personally, hoping to make up for their upcoming absence.
He indeed didn't lie.
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