Chapter 56: Already in Trouble "Why, though?" Xin asked, though he already had an inkling of why.
Tyler sighed and looked at Xin with pity while he scrolled through his phone and showed it to him. "From all the women that you have to ride with, why did it have to be Lady Seraphina?"
Xin saw on the screen images of him with Seraphina, and there were even videos showing the times when he rode in her car.
"Is that legal?" Xin only uttered, feeling overwhelmed by the invasion of privacy.
To which Tyler laughed. "Sadly, it is. The students are worse than the paparazzi! Especially when it comes to Lady Seraphina’s life. That woman is so popular here; she has her own fan base!"
"I could only guess," Xin said, glancing away.
"But anyway, what is your relationship with her?" Tyler asked, his eyebrows wiggling mischievously. "If Meilyn sees this, that poor girl would cry."
"Meilyn broke up with me," Xin replied calmly.
Tyler paused, and his smile faltered. "Oh . . . right . . . you probably know that she . . ."
"Yes, I know," Xin said, trying not to let the memories overwhelm him.
"And Lady Seraphina and I don’t have a relationship," Xin continued. "My mother works for her father, so she’s just being kind to an employee’s son."
Tyler forced a smile. "Of course. Ahahaha."
"Hey."
Both Tyler and Xin looked over and saw a handsome man in a Gucci suit with a lot of expensive jewelry adorning his hands. He had piercings in his ears and on his lip while a group of lackeys followed close behind him. Even from miles away, anyone would notice his arrogant presence.
"You’re that guy with Seraphina, right?"
Tyler’s smile fell, and his face turned serious.
A serious Tyler was intimidating because of his built. He was a football player before and Xin wondered if he still played football now.
"What do you want, Maximillian?"
"I’m not talking to you, big oaf," Maximillian retorted, narrowing his eyes at Xin. "I’m asking this guy what his relationship is with Seraphina. Or is the boy deaf?"
Before Xin could reply, Tyler stepped in, explaining, "Her mother works for Lady Seraphina’s father, so she’s only being kind to an employee’s son."
Maximillian’s oppressive expression suddenly shifted to an amiable one. "Is that right? Ahahaha. Of course, Lady Seraphina might be a harsh beauty, but she’s kind inside. Yeah, that’s it. That must be it. She took pity on an employee’s son. Ahahaha."
"Can you go now?" Tyler asked, his tone bored and uninterested.
Maximillian’s laughter faded, and he leaned in, staring intently at Xin. "It better be that way. And don’t get any weird ideas inside your head. Lady Seraphina would never fancy a guy like you."
Xin, unfazed by Maximillian’s arrogance, pointed out, "You have something stuck in your teeth."
Maximillian paused, quickly turning back and checking his teeth in the mirror he carried. With swift movements, he gracefully picked out the stuck meat before facing Xin again.
Honestly, Xin was more amazed that he carried a mirror with him. Not that he was judging him.
"That’s Maximillian, and he’s the leader of Seraphina’s fan club," Tyler explained with a serious tone in his voice. "I would steer clear from that guy or their group. They’re fanatics and would rip you to shreds just for talking to Lady Seraphina."
Xin remained silent, absorbing the warning Tyler had given him. He knew that getting involved with someone as high-profile as Seraphina could attract unwanted attention, but he also didn’t plan on getting too close to her in the first place.
"I know that it isn’t my position to tell you this," Tyler continued, looking at Xin with concern. "But . . . you shouldn’t get too close to Lady Seraphina if you don’t want this kind of trouble wherever you go."
". . ."
"You do know how popular she is, right? And I mean not just popular, but crazy popular! She has the looks and the money, and all men want her but can only dream of her. Just talking to her would get you in trouble or possibly even isolated. I don’t want that to happen to you, especially after what you’ve been through," Tyler expressed his concern sincerely.
Xin appreciated Tyler’s genuine worry and reassured him, "I don’t think I will have any encounter with her again. It was just a one-time thing. Both she and I don’t really know each other, and she brought me to the administration building because her father asked her. It was out of obligation than anything else."
Tyler looked at Xin intently. It was the first time that he heard him said so many sentence in one breath. He was awfully defensive.
"I hope that’s the case," Tyler replied before bursting out laughing. "Anyway, I have to go. The teacher will scold me for not returning sooner after I told her that I needed to go to the toilet."
Xin chuckled. So that’s what he meant by ditching. "Alright then, go before you get into more trouble."
They said their goodbyes, and after Tyler left, Xin didn’t linger long in the cafeteria and decided to head home before anything else might happen.
On the bus ride home, Xin’s phone started ringing, and he saw that it was Xiaxia calling. He contemplated ignoring it, but he knew his sister well enough to understand that she wouldn’t let it go so easily.
Reluctantly, he answered her call.
Xin could feel the frustration building up as Xiaxia bombarded him with questions and criticisms over the phone. Her voice was loud and agitated, making it difficult for him to get a word in.
"Xin! What the hell is this?! It’s only your first day in the academy, and you’re already in the school campus’s news!" Xiaxia shouted, her voice tinged with exasperation.
"Calm down," Xin tried to interject, but Xiaxia continued without pausing.
"How can I calm down when I saw your face all over the news? With Seraphina of all people! Don’t you know who she is?" she scolded.