Chapter 7 Just Money
Jessica took off the small microphone and camera, placing them in a box before returning Andrew’s call.
“Jessica, we have a problem. Just as Xavier arrived, he ran into Yasmine. He’s moved in with her. What do we do?” Andrew cried out, sounding frantic.
Jessica’s face darkened. “How did this even happen? Can’t you handle this small issue?”
She had thought that in this second chance at life, everything would go smoothly. She wanted to take over every part of Yasmine’s life. Instead, her useless family just kept holding her back.
“What are we going to do?” Andrew continued to panic.
“Let me think.” Jessica hung up and opened Twitter, hoping to find any clips from the show to figure out what was going on.
She couldn’t understand it. ‘I have already taken Yasmine’s place in the show. Why is Xavier still so drawn to her?’
Just then, a crew member knocked on the door. “Jessica, are you okay? We saw you were offline.”
Jessica quickly stashed her phone away, rubbed her eyes, and put her stuff back on. When she opened the door, she pretended to pout, her eyes a bit red. “Sorry, I was just feeling homesick.”
The crew member’s expression softened. “Do you want to call home?”
Jessica shook her head. “No, that’s not a good idea. My parents would just worry and think I’m having a hard time here, but it’s actually nice.”
[Jessica is so lovable.]
[I wish I had a daughter like her.]
[Aaaah, when will Mrs. Sanchez come home? Jessica even got a gift ready for her.]
Jessica couldn’t stop thinking about her painting, so she asked Francis if he could snap a photo to send to Rachel.
Francis nodded. “Sure.”
Meanwhile, Rachel was touring her newly opened gallery when her phone buzzed with a new message. She opened it to see a text from Francis: [The little girl made this for you. She’s really looking forward to you and Mr. Sanchez coming home.]
She opened the attachment. As a painter and true artist, she made a quick judgment—it felt a bit heavy-handed and too cliché for her taste.
*****
Jessica looked up at Francis, her eyes shining with excitement. “What did Mrs. Sanchez say?”
[Why does Francis look so pained?]
[Is Jessica’s painting not good enough? I think it’s awesome.]
[Well, Rachel is a world-famous artist. Maybe she won’t be impressed after all.]
The viewers fell silent.
Jessica sensed something was off, a tight knot of anxiety twisted in her stomach. ‘Am I really not good enough for Rachel? How did Yasmine impress her in her past life?’
Trying to mask her disappointment, Jessica forced a smile. “Maybe she is just busy? I shouldn’t bother her then.”
*****
Yasmine was strolling down the road when she suddenly sneezed.
Xavier looked over and asked, “Are you still feeling sick?”
“Yeah, it’s gonna take a bit to get better.” Yasmine sniffed。
Xavier continued, “How far is your school? Are we really walking there?”
Yasmine tilted her head, curious. “What else would we do if we’re not walking?”
Xavier fell silent. ‘Poor kid. She probably hasn’t been in a car.’
Yasmine added, “Well, we still have to walk…” She gently grabbed his wrist and pointed to the minute hand on her watch. “We go in a circle like this, then half.”
“An hour and a half?” Xavier was shocked. ‘No wonder she’s so thin. She must be exhausted from all that walking.’
Yasmine sighed. “If I’m late, I won’t get my star sticker.”
Finally, she started acting like a child. Xavier couldn’t help but chuckle. “What do you need that for?”
“I can trade it for candy with the teacher!” Yasmine beamed.
“Oh, you like candy?” Xavier’s curiosity grew as he leaned in, playfully poking the corner of Yasmine’s mouth. “Let’s check for cavities.”
But Yasmine shook her head. “I don’t eat candy.”
“Then why trade for it?”
“Because candy can be traded for money.”
Xavier was taken aback for a moment. He sighed, realizing how tough things must be for her—every penny was hard-earned. He reached out and said, “Let me carry your backpack for you.”
Yasmine looked down and muttered, “It’s just dirty.”
The dirt road was a mess. After all the rain, puddles had formed in the potholes, and she had to watch her step to avoid splashing water everywhere.
But being short, it was all too easy for her to get soaked, and that was how her little cloth bag ended up muddy.
“It’s totally fine. I don’t mind a little dirt,” Xavier said. “One time, I went to a concert, and it turned into a massive mud pit. I was covered in mud, but honestly, it just made the experience even better.”
Yasmine didn’t quite get it, but she nodded and handed him her bag.
The bag looked pretty worn, with a faded design and a blue patch stitched on. The strap was too short for Xavier to wear on his back, so he just carried it by hand, looking a bit like a young dad walking his daughter to school.
As they walked, each taking turns leading, Xavier fell quiet. ‘It’s just walking, right? If a little kid can do it, so can I.’
*****
Stone Elementary School was the only school around. It had just seven teachers covering all the grades. Five were locals, and two were volunteers from out of town.
There weren’t many students, either, since a lack of qualified teachers meant different ages often shared the same classroom.
“Wait, it’s only an elementary school?” Xavier was taken aback. “What grade am I supposed to be in?”
Yasmine looked up at him, a bit uncertain. “Are you going to take classes with me?”
Xavier chuckled. “Do you even know what grade I should be in?”
“Sixth grade?” Yasmine guessed, since that was the highest grade she’d heard of.
Xavier playfully pinched her cheek. “I’m a senior in high school.”
Yasmine was puzzled. “What’s that? I’m in third grade.”
Xavier laughed. “Senior year and third grade are worlds apart… Anyway, let’s get you to class.”
The classroom had a slight leak, and as Xavier stepped in with Yasmine, he felt a sudden urge to lash out.
“Oh, look who it is, the little liar!” someone shouted, sparking much more irritation within Xavier.
Since Yasmine was late, the first two periods had already wrapped up, and it was now recess. Inside the classroom were around nine kids, some smaller than Yasmine and others taller. They all turned to stare at her with disgust.
“She’s not a little liar,” a boy chimed in, then he added with a laugh, “My mom says she is a little bitch.”
Xavier’s anger boiled over. He stepped forward, grabbed the boy by the collar, and lifted him off the ground. “What did you just say?”
The height difference and Xavier’s intimidating presence made the boy tremble. “W-What are you doing? Who are you?”
Xavier shot him a cold grin. “Who I am doesn’t concern you. Didn’t your parents teach you that just because you can talk doesn’t mean you should say whatever pops into your head?”
[So cool!]
[Is Yasmine really the troublemaker? Xavier’s had to step in for her so many times now.]
[Are you guys crazy? They started it by insulting her.]
The viewers online began arguing again. Meanwhile, other students panicked, shouting, “An adult is hitting a kid!” They darted off to find a teacher.
Xavier found the whole situation absurd. The last guy he fought was the heir to Yost Group. Honestly, these kids weren’t even worth his time.
Just then, he felt a gentle tug on his sleeve. He turned to see Yasmine on her tiptoes. There was no fear or anger on her face. Instead, she looked at him seriously and said, “Edwin’s mom is really tough. She might make us pay for this.”
Edwin White, the boy in Xavier’s grip, struggled desperately, but Xavier stayed calm, focusing on Yasmine. “You know what I have plenty of?”
Yasmine shook her head in confusion.
“Money. I have more than enough to take him down a hundred times,” Xavier said with a grin, his eyes cold.
Edwin didn’t know “a hundred times” was just an exaggeration. Panic set in, and he thought to himself that his head might get knocked flat. He squealed, “Mom! Mom! Help me!”
The comments went wild. [Wow, Xavier is way too arrogant.]
