Don't Mess with the Girl with Candy novel Chapter 361

He had been waiting for this day for over a decade. If it hadn’t been for Juniper’s reluctance, he would have announced her existence to the world the moment he found her.

Juniper: [Yeah, you can handle it. The news online is getting annoying.]

Jimmie: [Okay. You focus on your studies, and leave the rest to your big brother.]

Since they were going to announce it, he knew he had to pick the right time and place to give his sister the grand debut she deserved.

After their chat, Juniper opened Twitter and, after a few simple steps, registered a burner account. Then, she systematically replied to every comment that called Shanley an “old man,” tearing their arguments apart. Still not satisfied, she then quietly hacked and disabled all their accounts.

There. Much better.

Juniper was eager to check on her precious little plants at the lab, so she decided to ask for time off. She stood at the dean's office door, lips parted, ready to speak.

“Go ahead.” The dean didn't even look up, just waved her off, granting her leave.

“Thank you, sir.” Juniper silently pocketed her hastily written leave request and strolled out with her backpack.

As she passed the athletic fields, she ran into her literature teacher.

“Juniper, asking for leave again today?” the teacher asked, smiling at her.

“Ah, yes,” Juniper nodded, a bit embarrassed. “I’ll get my homework done.”

“No rush,” the teacher chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. “Have fun!”

“How are the plants?” Juniper asked, blinking as she put down her backpack and donned a mask and gloves. She led the way, and Dr. Landon followed dutifully, giving her a report as they walked.

The summary was simple: the plants were in very poor condition, and their chances of survival were extremely low. In just a week, more than half had died, and the rest were barely hanging on.

“I see,” Juniper said, unsurprised. She knelt in front of plant number 11, examining it closely. The stem was shriveled, and the leaves were withered.

“Throw all of these out…” Juniper began, and Dr. Landon immediately took out a pen to take notes.

“Ms. Payne, are you sure you didn't discard the wrong ones?” Dr. Landon asked cautiously, clutching his pen. “The ones you threw out looked better than the ones you’re keeping.”

“I know.” Juniper casually picked up one of the ten remaining plants, her delicate eyebrows arching slightly. “These were in this condition when they were first delivered,” she explained calmly. “The fact that they’ve held on this long without withering proves they have strong life force.”