Ethan stopped, turned around, placed his hands on her shoulders, leaned forward slightly, and met her panicked eyes directly.
His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, carrying a sly tone of fighting fire with fire: "It really matters! Didn't you just quote me? I don't like taking advantage of people — great, so do I! I lost your thing. If I don't compensate you, I'll be really upset! I don't want to owe you! You just laid out this principle, and you forget it that fast?"
"..." Nora was completely at a loss for words.
Ethan's words were like precise chains, instantly tightening the wall of "principles" she had built, leaving her with no way to argue.
She had just insisted on paying with that reasoning, and now Ethan insisted on compensation with the same reasoning.
Logically consistent and flawless.
While she was still dazed, Ethan had already let go of her and turned to walk straight toward a counter.
Ethan skillfully ordered a budget phone priced around a hundred bucks, then asked the clerk to bring a newly launched iPhone 6.
He got a plan set up for Nora, then loaded $200 onto it.
The clerk quickly packed, rang it up, and activated the order.
When the four-figure total popped up on the card machine, Nora finally snapped out of Ethan's "logical closed loop" and gasped!
She suddenly lunged at the counter, her voice changing anxiously: "Ethan! This is too expensive! There's really no need to pay me back! I..."
Before she finished speaking, there was a "beep" notification of a successful card swipe.
Ethan had already reacted swiftly, grabbing two shopping bags printed with logos, and like a successful thief, he turned and slipped away!
"Done! Let's go, let's go!"
"Wait for me!" Nora couldn't care about anything else and hurriedly chased after him, jogging behind Ethan, still trying in vain to talk him down: "Ethan! There's really no need for it to be this expensive! That old phone..."
Ethan kept walking without looking back, speaking in a casual tone, "Expensive? You're overthinking it. The phone I'm giving you is an entry-level model, costs next to nothing, really cheap. The expensive one is my iPhone 6, a newly launched flagship, got it?"
He raised the bag in his hand, which bore the mark of a bitten apple.
Nora's expressive eyes now widened wide, filled with three big words: Do. Not. Believe. A few hundred bucks?
Ethan continued, "You don't believe me? Then go find out for yourself what iPhones cost. The one I got you is a low-end model, dirt cheap."
"Alright, alright, stop dwelling on it. Hurry back and cook, your stomach's growling! If you dawdle any longer, the vegetables will spoil!"
His tall figure blended into the light and shadow of the mall exit, his steps resolute, leaving only the dashing silhouette of the girl behind him, clutching an expensive "entry-level phone" bag, anxious and helpless.
Nora looked down at the heavy new phone box in her arms. The smooth packaging and eye-catching logo felt so unfamiliar and heavy to her, as if she were holding a hot potato.
She looked up at Ethan's nearly disappearing figure, and in the end, could only purse her lips and jog after him.
...
The next morning, in Oak Ridge.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the oak leaves into the room.
Ethan was awakened by the continuous vibration of his phone. Squinting as he unlocked the screen, iMessage was filled with Marcus's roar:
Marcus: [Image: Empty seat]
Marcus: Ethan! Did you disappear again? Class is starting, bro! Professor's already in the room! Hurry up and get over here! @Ethan @Ethan @Ethan
Marcus: If you don't come soon, he's gonna call on everyone! I can't cover for you!
Ethan rubbed his brow, washed up simply, grabbed his keys, and headed out.
Outside Oak Ridge.
A sharply lined, bright orange McLaren P1 quietly rests beneath the greenery, creating a strong visual impact with the rustic surroundings.
Last night, when he returned from the supermarket, he happened to receive a call from the auction house. The "speed machine" he had previously won at the yacht auction had finally arrived and was delivered directly to the courtyard gate.
Ethan didn't return to the dorm last night and stayed directly in the small courtyard.
He swiftly unlocked the cockpit, sat in the low driver's seat, and the engine let out a deep, powerful roar.
The sports car turned into a streak of orange light and drove toward the teaching building.
In the end, it parked in a very low-key manner in a dedicated lot a little farther from the teaching building.
After locking the car, he headed upstairs to the classroom.
Damn, running late today — should've just crashed at the dorm.
Today was economics class.
When Ethan pushed open the heavy wooden door of the classroom, on the podium, the well-known professor, in his forties, was explaining marginal utility theory.
"Sorry, professor, I'm late." Ethan's voice wasn't loud, but it instantly drew the attention of the whole class.
The professor adjusted his glasses, and when he saw it was Ethan, a rare, almost tolerant expression appeared on his stern face. He nodded, "Ethan, it's fine. Go ahead and take a seat. Next time, if you're late, just come in through the back, no need to knock."
His tone was so gentle that the whole class was stunned.
"Thank you, professor." Ethan nodded slightly and, amid the curious and envious gazes of the crowd, walked toward the back row.
"Ethan! Over here!" Marcus waved mischievously, and sure enough, there was an empty seat nearby.
As soon as Ethan sat down, Marcus leaned in and whispered, "Damn, did the professor take the wrong meds today? So lenient with you?"
Ethan shot him a look: "Shut up, listen to class."
That said, the two quickly slipped into their familiar "break mode," lowering their voices to joke around, chatting passionately, completely ignoring the professor's glances from the podium.
Ethan was naturally not worried about failing a course, while Marcus was the typical "debt without worries" type, completely unaware that the shadow of failing at the end of the term was approaching.
During break.
As soon as the bell rang, the classroom instantly became noisy.
Nora stood up, head down, habitually trying to slip out through the aisle along the wall to use the restroom.
Ethan's seat was stuck right at the aisle entrance. He stretched out his long leg and naturally "blocked" it.
He deliberately teased her, not letting her get through.
Nora tried to squeeze past the blockade, edging slightly closer to Ethan, only to find she couldn't get through.
She couldn't help but lift her head, two red clouds instantly spreading across her face, her voice trembling with anxiety: "You... Please let me through! I need to get by, and everyone's watching!"
She could sense that classmates around her were already curiously looking over.
Ethan found it very interesting — even blushing over this, ha!
Seeing her so embarrassed she was practically steaming, he found it extremely amusing. He deliberately turned to the side slowly, smiling as he said, "Alright, alright, go ahead. Careful, don't trip."
There are 130 advance chapters ahead in my Patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
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