b“/bAmberb, /bbit’s /bgreat hereb, /bright? bI /bknow all the best ces to eat and which rides are the most fun. Do you want to around, bire /bcarefully scooted closer to her and asked.

hang out together? I bcan /bshow byou /b

Amber, like a proud bpeacock/b, haughtily narrowed her beyes /bbat /bireb, /bdisdain shing in her pretty eyes. She scoffed coldly, “No.”

b‘/bbAs /bif I don’t know what she’s up to, Amber thought. “bThat /bscheming girl bis /btotally bup /bto no good, just trying bto /bget close to Sienna. No way!

ire put on a pitiful expression and looked at Siennab. /bb“/bSienna, I just don’t have any friends to hang out with. Even though my grades are top- notch at school, I’m still pretty much friendless.

b“/bYou’re so kind and gentle. I thought your sister Amber would be just as nice as you, but it turns out she can’t stand me eitherb./bb” /b

b“/bDon’t take bit /bpersonally,” Sienna exined gently. b“/bShe doesn’t dislike you, ire. Amber just bisn’t /bused to being around bnew /bpeople yet?

Amber butted in defiantly, b“/bbYeah/bb, /bI do dislike herb./bb” /b

After saying that, Amber quickly ducked her bhead/b, poking at the strawberries in her cup. She scooped one up and popped it into her mouth, her beyes /bcurving into happy bcrescents/b.

Sienna ruffled Amber’s hair affectionately. “Don’t be rude. ire bis /bba /blovely girl. I heard she’s ranked fifth in her gradeb.” /b

When Sienna mentioned her grades, ire was on cloud nine. She felt like she was walking on clouds, soaring high above the world.

“Siennab, /bI’m just a tiny bit better than averageb, /band that’s all. No big deal,” ire said with a bfalsely /bmodest smile.

Amber lowered her head, pausing mid–chew. ‘Does she like people with good gradesb?/bb‘ /bshe wondered,

Amber’s voice bwas /bsubdued bas /bshe looked up at Sienna. b“/bYou like top students, right?”

The bst /bfew words were so soft they bwere /balmost lost in the noisy crowd.

Sienna only caught the first part and nodded honestly. b“/bYeah, I do.”

The words struck deep in Amber’s bheart/b, and her bface /bfell.

Lana walked over, leaned down, and whispered something in Sienna’s ear. Sienna immediately stood up, her eyes shing with burgency/bb. /bb“/bbAre /byou sure? She’s really thereb?/bb” /b

“On the street ahead, Miss Enna. Are you going now?” said Lana.

Sienna nodded. “She’s hard to track down. I’ll bgo /bmyself. You stay here with Amber.”

b“/bUnderstood, Miss Enna.” Lana nodded.

Sienna reached out and gently pinched Amber’s soft cheeksb. /b“Amber, why don’t you stay and y with ire and Lana for a while? I have something to take care of, but I’ll be back soon.”

Amber nodded obediently. “Go ahead. I won’t wander off.”

‘I’m not some clueless kid, Amber thought. ‘Sienna must have had a good reason to leave.

ire slung an arm around Amber’s shoulders and grinned. “Hey Amberb, /byou heard Sienna. She wants you to hang out with me. All done eating? Come on, I’ll take you on the roller coaster. It’s super intense. Let’s go.”

“No way.” Amber struggled against ire’s grip, shooting her a furious re.

ire arched an eyebrow at her, shed a yful grin, and grabbed her hand. “No isn’t an option. Come on, I’m taking you out. Consider this an honor. Most people would kill for this chance.”

Amber turned her head away stubbornly. “Then go y with them. Like I care,” she huffed.

ire couldn’t resist. Amber bwas /bjust too cute. She reached out and pinched Amber’s cheek, ‘Wow, so soft and tender, she wondered. ‘No wonder Sienna loves pinching her cheeks so much.

Amber froze in stunned silence for a moment before exploding with rage, Her face flushed crimson as she snapped at ire, “What the hell, ire? Who said you could pinch my face?

“Don’t you know how annoying you are? You scheming old hag, I’m not ying with you. Get lost.”

ire wrapped her arms around Amber’s, batting her big eyes coquettishly. “Amber, don’t be mad,” she cooed, “I’m sorry. Let’s hang out together, okay? Look how pitiful I am, all alone. If we team up, we’ll make the perfect pair.”

Amber’s face burned crimson at ire’s sudden coquetry. Flustered, she shoved her baway/b. b“/bWho bsays /bI’d pair up with you, ire? I’m not forgiving you,” Amber bhuffed/b, turning away with a pout.

Amber nced at ire, a flicker of softness crossing her face before she hugged her arms tightly, putting on a cold, stern facade.

With an exaggerated huffb, /bshe said, “I’m only tolerating you out of pity. If you touch me again, I’m done with you.”

b“/bbGot /bit” ire grabbed Amber’s hand band /bpulled her along at ba /brun.

“Slow down. My water’s going to fall Amber protested.

Lana quietly picked bup /bthe water cup and followed behind them

Following Lana’s blead/b, Sienna stepped into Culturein Street, a trendy area lined with stall shops and graffiti–covered walls, clearly a hotspot for young trendsetters.

Shebed through several spots but found no btrace /bof the person she was looking for. Sienna asked the shop owner, but he shook his head with a frown and said he didn’t know the girl she was talking about.

The owner added. “There are just a bunch of delinquent teens here, always causing trouble, real bad ones.b” /b

Sienna nodded and said nothing more. Suddenly, she spotted a girl dashing bpast/b. Instantly, she grabbed the girl’s shoulder. “Winifred?”

The girl turned around. It wasn’t Winifred.

“What the hell? Let go of meb,/bb” /bshe snapped

“Sorry.” Sienna apologized and checked the time. Several hours had passed. It was time for her to head back.

Adrian was taking out the trash when he spotted a familiar silhouette. He wondered, ‘Could it be her?‘

He quickened his pace to follow. Sienna, sensing she was being tailed, deliberately slowed her steps and turned into an alley corner. Adrian lost sight of her and anxiously rushed forward.

Suddenly, Sienna was standing right beside him. ‘So, it’s him, she wondered.

“Why are you following me?” Sienna’s voice rang out suddenly, making Adrian jump. He spun around and found himself bface/b–to–face with her.

She wore a ck long–sleeved T–shirt that hugged her figure, paired with simple blue pants, an ordinary outfit, yet on her, it exuded an indescribable cool aloofness.

Even with a hat and mask onb, /bSienna’s imposing aura was impossible to hide. Adrian flinched at her ice–cold gaze, quickly stepping back to put distance between them before dropping his gaze in embarrassment.

Adrian stammered, his face flushing a little. “Sorry, I–I didn’t mean to follow you. I just wanted to thank you for helping me bst /btime. Really, thank you.”

Sienna studied the boy in front of her, wondering, ‘I remember he is sixteen.

His posture was straight bas /ban arrow. He looked undeniably handsome, and his mature eyes hid a sharp glint. If Sienna had to put it into words, the young man carried a brooding ferocity about him.

Thinking of what Lana said, Sienna wondered, ‘So, is he the Winslow family’s illegitimate son?‘

“No need.” With icyposure, Sienna brushed past him without a nce. Adrian held his breath, not daring to move until her retreating figure faded into the distance.

‘What’s her name?‘ he wondered, yet he couldn’t bring himself to ask.

Amber and ire had an absolute st together. By the end of the afternoon, both were drenched in sweat and just like that, they’d be inseparable best friends who could talk about anything.

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