"Sure, there are three books in the Dragon Race series, and I've got all of them," Lina Sharp said proudly. She was clearly happy that Tony Snow had taken an interest in the novel. After all, she loved the series, and being able to pull someone new into her literary world gave her a quiet sense of satisfaction.
Tony didn't immediately dive into reading. Instead, he examined the front and back cover, read the synopsis, and looked at the author's bio.
Lina, seeing this, leaned back in her chair and offered some background: "The author actually graduated from the Chemistry Department at a top university, then went abroad to study. If you like this book, I've also got Dragon and Youth Journey, his collection of essays. It's over there on the shelf."
Tony chuckled. "A chemistry major turned writer? That's an unexpected career turn. Interesting." Then he raised his head and gave her a half-serious look. "Now stop looking over here and focus on your work. I'm keeping track of time."
Scolded lightly, Lina rolled her eyes but obediently turned her attention back to her assignments. From then on, she quietly worked through her homework, only asking Tony questions when she got stuck.
Nearly an hour passed. Lina suddenly stretched, her back arching as she let out a small groan.
"I'm tired of writing. I'm taking a break," she said, standing up.
"Mhm. But remember, I'm being paid for my time, not yours. Once my session ends, I'm out of here," Tony said without looking up from the book.
"I know, I know," Lina replied, brushing off his reminder. "I'm just getting some water. Want a glass?"
Tony looked up and smiled. "I'll get it myself. Where do you keep the water around here?"
Before long, the two of them were seated in her study again, each with a glass in hand. The tutoring session had temporarily turned into a quiet, unspoken truce.
Then Lina spoke again—her tone more subdued this time.
"Do you know why my grades started tanking during my junior year?" she asked casually, swirling the water in her glass.
Tony shrugged. "Let me guess: you lost motivation, stopped caring?"
It was a line he had heard dozens of times from teachers and parents. Now he found himself repeating it.
"You're a smart kid, you know. If you just focused a little, I bet you'd have no trouble getting into a top-tier university."
That line, too, was borrowed from adults who used to say the same to him—though none had ever predicted he would make it into a top university.
"Tch. You sound exactly like one of our teachers," Lina replied with a scoff. "Yeah, I didn't care. I didn't want to study. But the question is—do you know why I didn't care?"
Tony hesitated. He had suspected something the last time he visited, but hadn't been sure if it was appropriate to bring up.
"Come on," Lina urged, her voice teasing. "Spit it out. You standing there all hesitant, acting like some bashful little girl."
Tony exhaled. "Is it because your parents got divorced?"
"Superficially, yes," Lina said, surprisingly candid. "But that's not the whole truth. I actually found out they were divorced right after junior high. The only reason they kept pretending until the summer after my sophomore year was because they couldn't keep up the charade anymore."
Tony stared at her, surprised by how calm and composed she was.
"So... why are you telling me all this?" he asked, honestly confused. He wasn't her friend. He wasn't even her teacher. Just a part-time tutor she'd only met twice.
"Because there's no one else to talk to," Lina said, her voice firm but not bitter. "I can't talk to my parents about it—they wouldn't understand. And my classmates? Please. They'd either pity me or turn it into gossip. But you? You're just a temporary person in my life. Once you're done tutoring me, we'll go our separate ways. I don't care what you think."
Despite her youthful appearance, Lina spoke with a maturity that Tony hadn't expected. The contrast between her face and her words was jarring.
"I tanked my grades on purpose," she continued. "So they'd have to deal with the consequences. So they'd feel guilty. That way, I'd have leverage. If they feel indebted to me, they'll do what I want."
Tony felt a chill run through him.
So manipulative, he thought. And from someone so young…
But then he remembered classmates from his own teenage years—kids who seemed simple on the outside but had complicated motives and dark strategies. Children weren't always innocent.
"You mentioned your dad..." Tony started, but Lina cut him off.
"What I said last time was true. My mom gave up the act because my dad found someone else."
Tony paused. "You… don't hate him?"
"They were already divorced. They were pretending for my sake. If he wants to date someone, that's his business. He's still nice to me. As long as he keeps her out of my house and doesn't mess with my life, I don't care." She sipped her water, then added, "I'm his daughter, not his wife. It's not my place to monitor him."
Tony stared at her in silence, unsure of how to respond.
Lina glanced sideways at him. "Now you see why I don't talk about this with my friends? They wouldn't understand. Most people only see the surface of others. No one really knows what's going on inside."
She stretched again and placed her cup on the table with a satisfied sigh. "Phew~ That felt good to let out."
Tony didn't ask why she wasn't worried he might tell Mr. Sharp. Instead, he just nodded and told her to get back to her homework, then picked up the novel he had set aside earlier.
When the two-hour tutoring session ended, Tony gathered his things and left the Sharp residence.
Back on campus, he didn't mention Lina to Clara.