After they finished dinner, Grandma Lin let the two young people chat on the balcony. She claimed to be sleepy and wanted to sleep early.

Haoran quickly took a tray with two cups of tea for him and Emma and walked toward the balcony. Once he put the tray on the small table, he plopped himself on the chair and relax.

"Grandma Lin really trusts us, huh ..." the young man said with a happy smile. "Ahh ... I think she trusts me because my face looks innocent."

Emma could only smile faintly when she heard his confident statements.

"We don't have to go sailing this weekend," said Emma. She went to sit next to Haoran. "You can study again tomorrow for the exam on Monday. I also have a lot to do for the next few days. We can meet again on Monday to check your exam results."

"Alright, I agree. Besides, I'm very happy tonight that I could spend time with you and Grandma Lin."

The two then sat leaning their backs on their chairs and watched the small garden below the apartment building. Nobody said anything. Both of them just enjoyed each other's presence.

Haoran's hand slowly reached out to the side, and he took Emma's left hand. Once he reached her, Haoran clasped the girl's left hand with his right hand. And so, they sat side by side, holding hands while observing their surroundings.

***

Haoran and his friends took the summer school exam seriously. This would be their last chance to move from Class F. Emma had seen how strong their determination had been. For nearly two months, they were seriously studying and improving their previously poor grades.

Their mock exam scores all seemed to show great improvement. However, no one was lazing around before they could really confirm their grades were good enough from the final exam scores.

Emma was delighted to see her students' results when they met at Haoran's house every day after the exam and she checked their test answers. She happily concluded that they all did well.

On Wednesday and Friday, Emma also had to take the tests for all the four courses she was taking in NTU, so she could get the certificates. Just like her students, Emma studied hard. Although she was a genius, she never took anything for granted and still prepared seriously.

"Emma, Friday is the last day of the exam. Do you want to celebrate it by sailing with the boys?" Haoran asked.

"I will have two tests on Friday," Emma said. "The last one finishes at 3 pm."

"Oh .. we will finish ours at noon. Then I'll let the boys go to the marina first. Me or Eric will pick you up on campus. What do you think?" Haoran asked.

"That's fine. I'll bring clothes from home," Emma agreed.

Emma had to take two tests on Friday. The final test was the Programming test, which would be held from 1 to 3 pm. They were given some tasks to solve some complex programming assignments and were given 2 hours to complete it.

Allan, who was sitting next to Emma, looked anxious all day. This was the last day of the course, and next week he would not have another chance to see Emma. He was annoyed with himself for not being more aggressive and wasting two months without getting the girl.

He had hoped that their visit to the Cybersecurity conference last week could be his way to get to know Emma more closely and then ask her out. Apparently, it was all in vain. Emma went straight home after meeting Ren Hanenberg and didn't even wait for him to go home together.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Ah ... today he was determined to confess his feelings to Emma. He was confident that with his handsome face, his status as a medical student, and his wealthy family background, he would be able to make Emma his girlfriend.

After all, Allan was an idol in their high school. There were so many girls who wanted to be his girlfriend in St. Catherine. He predicted that Emma would be surprised to hear his confession, but after she got over her shock.. she must be flattered. Allan just needed to confess his feelings for her by today and soon they could go out together.

"Emma .. after the test, I need to talk to you. Will you wait for me?" he asked as they sat in class and started getting their laptops ready.

"Oh ..." Emma seemed hesitant to accept his request. "I have an appointment with my friends."

"I won't be long, really. There is something I want to talk to you about. This is important," Allan said again.

Emma thought for a moment and finally agreed. Allan did give her a favor by taking her to meet Ren Hanenberg last week. At least, Emma could spare some time for him.

"All right. Later after the test, I'll wait for you in front of the class."

Allan was very happy to hear that. His mood improved, and he smiled throughout the rest of the class.

Emma finished her assignments faster than the other students, and at 2:30 pm, she had left the classroom with her bag and laptop. She sat in front of the classroom while reading information about SpaceLab on her phone, waiting for Allan to come out of the class.

Fifteen minutes later, Allan finished his assignments and immediately followed Emma out.

"Hey .. thank you for waiting for me. Let's find a good place to talk," said the young man with a happy face.

"Hmm .. Let's just walk to the gate, okay... My friend will pick me up, and I have to wait for him there," Emma said.

"All right. It just so happens that my car is also parked near the gate. Let's just go to my car," Allan said, nodding in agreement.

Both of them then walked towards the gate. The time was 14.50. Haoran or Eric will come and pick up Emma soon.

"I have something for you in my car," Allan said, beaming. He brandished his car key and trotted towards the latest Nissan car in the parking lot. He took a small box from the dashboard and walked back to Emma.

"I have a gift for you ... I was walking around the mall yesterday and saw this. I thought of you and decided to buy it." He opened the small box and showed Emma a beautiful hairpin. "I hope you will accept it."

"Uhm .. thank you, Allan. But I can't accept your gifts," Emma tried to refuse his gift subtly. "You should give it to your girlfriend or your sister."

Allan's face suddenly turned red when he heard Emma's words. "I ... I don't have a sister.. or girlfriend."

"Oh ..." The atmosphere instantly became awkward. Emma knew that Bianca had been rumored to be Allan Wu's girlfriend for months. Were they not dating? Did this mean that Bianca's feelings were one-sided?

"Actually ... I ..." Allan looked at Emma deeply. "I really like you, Emma. I hope we can still meet after this course is over. I want to go out with you sometimes.. when you are not busy... and we can get to know each other better."

Emma frowned and looked back at Allan. "Sorry, Allan. I can't accept your feelings. I already have a boyfriend."

Right at that moment, Haoran's SMS came to her phone.

[Emma, I'm picking you up. Eric still has to take his sister to her ballet course. He will catch up with us later. I'm almost there.]

"You have a boyfriend?" Allan seemed unable to believe his own hearing.

"That's right. Sorry, I can't accept your feelings. I already have a boyfriend. Actually, he is coming to pick me up. He will be here soon. I don't want him to misunderstand."

Emma bowed her head slightly and walked out of the gate, leaving Allan, who stood transfixed on his spot. A few minutes later, Haoran's white Porsche pulled over, and Emma hurriedly walked toward him.

Before Haoran could get out to open the passenger door for Emma, the girl had walked to the other side and got in the car.

"Let's go. Allan Wu just confessed to me. I feel bad to linger here," Emma said. She put on her seatbelt and then turned to Haoran. "Why are you not driving?"

The young man widened his eyes at the girl.

"So he just confessed to you? Do I need to get out and talk to him?" Haoran asked.

Emma shook her head. "There is no need for that. After all, we'll never see him again. Leave him be."

"Hmm .. okay." Haoran finally drove his car towards the marina. Meanwhile, Allan was still standing in his place with a disappointed expression.

Ahh ... he should have guessed that Emma already had a boyfriend. The girl had always been indifferent to him. Her boyfriend also seemed to be a young man from a wealthy family.

Allan finally could only let out a long sigh. He looked at the beautiful hairpin in his hand with a wistful look.

What a waste.