Sure enough, just a few days later, rumors about Mike and Regina spread across the entire school.
Gossip about a handsome guy and a beautiful girl was always a hot topic among students. And of course, Regina had played no small part in pushing that narrative.
She was waiting—confident that, with a little guidance from public opinion, Mike would eventually come knocking on her door himself.
But a full week went by. Every morning, Mike showed up to class on time. Every afternoon, he trained seriously to build up his stamina. There wasn't the slightest sign that he planned to chase after Regina.
During that same week, Katie managed to resist going to see Mike again. Strictly following the "best friend rulebook," she successfully worked her way into the Plastics.
The weekend arrived again. This time, without Katie getting in the way, Lina managed to secure another date with Mike.
To deepen the chemistry between them, Lina dressed especially sexy that day.
The two of them wandered around the bustling shopping district for a while. When the moment felt right, Lina deliberately stumbled and fell straight into Mike's arms.
"What's wrong?" Mike asked as her perfume washed over him. He steadied her by the arm.
"I think I twisted my ankle…" Lina looked up at him, putting on a fragile, helpless expression.
Girls really were born actresses. The way Lina looked right now—soft and pitiful—would make anyone want to protect her.
Mike glanced at the eight-inch stiletto heels on her feet, then looked around and suggested, "Let me help you over to the fountain so you can sit down and rest for a bit."
At the center of the shopping district was an artificial fountain where people could relax and cool off.
They found a quiet spot near the fountain. Mike took off her high heel and gently checked her ankle, but didn't find anything wrong. "Does it still hurt?"
Feeling the warmth of his hand, Lina blushed, her eyes turning misty as she murmured, "It feels a lot better. If I rest for a bit, I should be fine."
"That's good," Mike said, watching her shy expression. He seemed to understand something and casually sat down beside her.
"Mike… no one's home at my place today. Do you want to come over and hang out?" Lina asked, clearly embarrassed but finally making her move.
"Oh?" Mike turned his head and saw that even the tips of her ears had turned red.
As a gentleman, with an invitation practically being handed to him, there was no reason for Mike to turn her down. He smiled and replied, "Sure. Once you've rested enough, I'll walk you home."
With their feelings out in the open, Mike relaxed. The two of them moved closer and closer, eventually leaning against each other.
At the same time, Katie was out shopping with the Plastics as part of their weekend routine.
Katie had changed a lot that week—her clothes, her expressions, even her overall presence felt completely different.
She had transformed from a small-town farm girl into a striking beauty.
In the shopping district, four pretty girls like them drew attention wherever they went.
Still, Regina clearly remained the leader of the group. The three girls behind her, all carrying shopping bags, looked more like personal assistants.
"It's way too hot. Let's find somewhere to sit down," Regina said, shading her eyes with one hand and issuing orders.
Behind her, the three girls burdened with bags all let out a sigh of relief.
Katie wiped the sweat from her face and scanned the area, looking for a place to rest.
Suddenly, she spotted a familiar figure—sitting together with a pretty girl.
Katie didn't even know what she was thinking. She quickly stepped in front of Regina and said nervously, "This spot isn't great. I saw a milk tea place down the street earlier. Why don't we go there to rest?"
Regina wasn't that easy to fool. She had already looked past Katie and spotted Mike and the girl beside him.
A moment later, Regina curled her lips into a half-smile and muttered, "That little bitch…"
"Give me your phone," Regina said, holding her hand out behind her.
Karen rummaged through her bag and handed over a phone.
"You're calling Mike?" Katie asked, still trying to defend him. "As far as I know, he doesn't even have a cell phone…"
"Heh." Regina let out a cold laugh as she flipped through the contacts and dialed a number.
"Hello, is this the emergency service center? … Oh, could you transfer me to another line?"
Using the public service system, Regina had the call redirected to Lina's family.
"Hello, this is the OB-GYN testing center. Is Lina there?"
"Oh, you're Lina's mother? In that case, please contact Lina as soon as possible and have her call us back. Her test results are in…"
Out on the farm, Lina's mother was busy working when she suddenly heard that her daughter had been to an OB-GYN clinic. Her head practically exploded.
Before she could ask any questions, the call was disconnected.
Furious and panicked, Lina's mother immediately called her daughter to chew her out.
In a small town like this, a high school girl being pregnant was the kind of thing that ruined reputations.
Meanwhile, Lina was still cuddled up with Mike when her phone rang.
"Sorry, I need to take this," Lina said, blushing as she stepped aside.
Within moments, her expression grew worse and worse as she listened.
Even Mike could hear the angry shouting coming through the phone.
"What happened?" Mike asked when Lina walked back over, looking crushed.
"I don't know…" Lina said, having just been yelled at without any idea why. "My mom says she's waiting for me at home and wants me back immediately. I guess I can't invite you over today."
"If you've got something to take care of, go handle it," Mike said, then glanced at her foot. "Your ankle…"
"It's fine now," Lina shook her head, then added reluctantly, "Next time… I'll ask you out again."
With that, she hurried off.
From a distance, Regina—who had just enjoyed the whole spectacle—felt thoroughly satisfied. "Come on. Milk tea's on me."
Watching Regina act like nothing had happened, Katie felt a chill run through her.
This was the first time she'd truly seen what the Queen Bee was capable of. She glanced at Mike, sitting alone by the fountain, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Regina, I just remembered I have something else to do. Could I maybe—"
She actually wanted to go check on Mike.
Even though she'd acted indifferent toward him all week, she'd never stopped paying attention to him.
Regina looked at Katie and put on a fake smile. "What could be more important than hanging out with your friends? Come on, let's go get milk tea. After that, I'll take you back to my place."
Katie tried to push back, but when she noticed Regina's gaze growing more dangerous, she could only give in.
Elsewhere, Mike headed home alone, bored.
He'd originally planned to train by himself, but suddenly he thought of Aaron.
As the football team's quarterback, Aaron had contributed plenty to Mike's stamina during training sessions.
Grinding stats off Aaron was way faster than training alone.
And if Mike remembered correctly, Aaron had promised they could train together on the weekend.
So Mike gave him a call.
Not long after, a beat-up pickup truck pulled up in front of Grandma Connie's house. Aaron, who had accepted the invitation, climbed out of the truck.