CHAPTER 13: CHAPTER 13: DECLAN HAWTHORNE, BE MY BOYFRIEND

On the first day of school, Poppy Hale got caught by the director of the academic affairs office for driving a sports car into campus and was scolded.

She saw Declan Hawthorne, who was there to verify the list as the freshman representative.

At that time, Declan was wearing a white shirt, gray sports pants, and a pair of worn-out Converse sneakers. His youthful spirit and just his side profile had already captured half of Poppy’s heart.

The academic affairs office asked her to write a review. She didn’t bargain; she just wanted to go out and see if he was indeed a side profile killer.

As a result, when she chased after him, she saw a few guys hanging on Declan’s shoulder, inviting him to play basketball.

One of the guys, Poppy recognized, was Mason Rivers.

Before school started, in the freshman group chat, someone suggested playing games, and Mason was always joining forces with Poppy. Over time, Mason and Poppy had added each other as friends before school even began.

That night while playing games, Mason got badly beaten by Poppy.

Unable to hold it in, he went to ask Poppy.

Poppy: "If you want to date someone, introduce me to the most handsome guy you know, and sis will elevate your game."

Mason: "?"

You want to date, why bully him?

Mason: "The most handsome person I know, of course, is me. You want to date me?"

Poppy: "..."

Ridiculous.

The next day, Poppy got Mason’s class schedule and attended nearly all his classes.

Sitting next to Declan, Poppy raised an eyebrow and smiled brightly, "Hey, classmate, you look a lot like my future boyfriend, want to consider me?"

Declan glanced at her coldly.

The girl in front of him, with bright eyes looking at him, spoke shamelessly as if she didn’t know the meaning of the word ’shy’.

Declan ignored her, so Poppy came back the next day.

Over time, everyone in the academy knew Declan Hawthorne was being pursued by Poppy Hale.

Many liked Declan, but none were as thick-skinned as Poppy. Many thought Declan would eventually get fed up and tell Poppy to get lost, but surprisingly, they ended up together.

During that time, only Poppy knew how humble she was.

Declan had a poor stomach, so every morning, whether she had classes or not, she would queue up to buy breakfast for him.

In return, he casually told her he was used to not having breakfast, and she didn’t need to touch herself with such acts.

At that time, Poppy didn’t think caring for her boyfriend was humble. She even felt sweet inside when she saw Declan frown but still eat everything she bought.

Perhaps genes and inheritance are truly amazing things.

The things Declan didn’t like to eat, Florence Lynch also didn’t like to eat.

Florence’s appetite was just as delicate as Declan’s, needing careful maintenance.

But at least Florence would kiss her cheek every day and say, "Thank you, Mom."

Declan wouldn’t do that.

He would only look at her with reproachful eyes, questioning why she didn’t prepare for exams and wasted time around him.

He didn’t understand that Poppy liked him so much; just being by his side gave her peace of mind.

She wasn’t ambitious. She relied on her intelligence and talent, along with Mr. Hale’s generous spending on one-on-one tutoring, to barely get into Arvum University’s Academy of Fine Arts.

When Declan reproached her, Poppy would even think it was because he cared about her.

Otherwise, why didn’t he say that to others?

In hindsight, he found her annoying, always surrounding him.

They dated for more than three years.

Poppy was a fool for more than three years.

Countless times, she believed Declan was struggling financially and wanted to help him but feared hurting his pride. So, she even had others hire him for jobs and transferred the money afterward.

When buying things, she would tear off the tags.

It turned out that Declan’s cold gaze back then wasn’t because he thought the things she bought were too expensive, but because he thought they were too cheap.

How could gifts worth thousands or tens of thousands catch the eye of the Eldest Young Master Hawthorne?

Her love was cautious, as if their affection was fragile porcelain that would break if not maintained.

When it shattered, every shard pierced deeply into Poppy’s heart, making her limbs numb, leaving her body weak, with all her strength drained.

She thought, no matter what, he must have liked her, even if just a little bit.

Little did she know, that tiny bit was all a luxurious fantasy of her own making.

Poppy sank down by the balcony door, staring at the bulb in her hand, as tears silently welled up from the corners of her eyes, burning her cheeks with a stinging pain.

During dinner, Mrs. Hale attended to Florence’s meal, looked at Poppy, and said, "If there’s a suitable young man in your company, you should date him."

Poppy smiled slightly, "Who would want to date me like this?"

Mrs. Hale put on a stern face, "If you have a date after work, I’ll pick up Florence, what’s the problem? Our days are tough right now, but your conditions are good!"

Poppy put a serving of stir-fried baby bok choy on Mrs. Hale’s plate.

"Mom, you’re seeing me through rose-colored glasses. What makes you think I’m so well-off? I’ve got a kid, and I’m still in debt."

"Your dad’s company has some financial issues, but you don’t need to worry about that for now. Your mom’s still alive."

Poppy paused, "Issues?"

Mr. Hale’s company ran into some trouble, but around that time he was already in the late stages of cancer. Poppy was busy seeking treatment everywhere and had no time to deal with the company matters.

Mrs. Hale nodded but didn’t elaborate further.

Their daughter already had her hands full with work and taking care of them. Laden with such burdens, Poppy hadn’t been handling the Hale family’s company affairs, and bringing it up now would only add to the pressure.

Mrs. Hale intended to handle these matters herself.

She wanted to hold on, at least leaving something behind for her daughter and granddaughter.

Mrs. Hale vaguely said, "Don’t concern yourself with it. Eat first, be a good girl, and go to the arranged meeting this weekend!"

Poppy had reasonable doubts.

Mrs. Hale had laid all this groundwork just to push her to meet someone over the weekend.

"If it doesn’t work out, can you try getting in touch with that boyfriend you had back in college?"

The college boyfriend.

It could only mean Declan Hawthorne.

Poppy feigned a sigh and said, "He’s probably married by now, right? In such a vast sea of people, where would I even begin to look for him?"

"Do any of your college friends not have his contact info? I can’t believe my beautiful daughter can’t find a boyfriend!"

Poppy teased, "Mom, with my circumstances, I can only find someone who’s divorced with kids. Are you okay with that?"

Mrs. Hale wasn’t okay with it.

In her eyes, her daughter was still among the unmarried, and though she had a child, Florence’s adorableness was the sole emotional pillar for her and Poppy these past years.

If it weren’t for new life entering their family during Mr. Hale’s passing, Mrs. Hale believed she wouldn’t have made it, feeling she might as well have left together with him.

If Poppy were to marry a divorced man with kids, what if his child bullied Florence?

Just the thought made Mrs. Hale shake her head.

"No way!"

Poppy looked at Mrs. Hale, feeling amused in her heart, yet also a bit bitter.

In the past, she hadn’t been close to Mrs. Hale.

In fact, because Mrs. Hale was busy with her career and quite controlling in dealing with Poppy, forbidding her to be picky with food and rarely listening to her, their relationship had been strained.

None of Poppy’s requests were ever permitted.

She had a poor relationship with Mrs. Hale and deliberately acted close to her grandmother just to spite her mother.

Mrs. Hale resented not having a son and refused to have a second child after Poppy, and since Poppy took her mother’s surname, her relationship with her mother-in-law was terrible, harboring postpartum resentment for a lifetime.

Poppy’s closeness with her grandmother was tantamount to betrayal for Mrs. Hale.

The relationship between mother and daughter worsened; every beating young Poppy received came from Mrs. Hale’s hand.

After her grandmother passed away and her father fell ill, Poppy and her mother naturally became allies, reconciling silently.

Poppy then realized how much Mrs. Hale had gone through.

Conversely, Mrs. Hale also recognized how much her past actions had hurt her child.

In Mrs. Hale’s eyes, Poppy was the best, and she believed that even with Florence, Poppy could find a good partner.

She only felt like a burden to Poppy.

Understanding Mrs. Hale’s thoughts, Poppy playfully feigned displeasure and said, "Don’t overthink it, with you and Florence, I have a home."

"Understood."

-

Late at night, the rain started to fall gently outside the window.

At midnight, Declan Hawthorne dreamed of Poppy Hale.

In the dream, it was back in college.

Poppy Hale was wearing the gray dress she had on earlier today. It was form-fitting, hugging her body’s curves and highlighting her figure completely.

Sitting next to Declan in class, a sidelong glance from him caught the slenderness of her neck, the elegance of her collarbones, followed by the rise and fall akin to wind over wheat fields.

It made him unhappy.

Who knew how many people were staring at her in the classroom?

Poppy seemed never fully aware of her allure, always eager to show off her newly bought clothes to him.

Declan shrugged off his shirt jacket and draped it over Poppy, "Put this on."

Poppy looked up, eyes filled with coyness and immeasurable delight, even a hint of being sweetly surprised. Hidden under the desk, she pulled his hand to rest on her stomach.

Through the thin knitted fabric, Declan’s palm lay fully on her flat belly, warm, searing.

Poppy whispered, "Am I a bit chubby?"