My older sister is a villainous rich girl.

Ge Li paused, his hand holding the spoon still.

Sunlight streamed in through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows beside me, casting shadows around the desserts and glasses on the table.

"Why?" she asked.

Sofia looked up at the window, her expression slightly bewildered.

"Yes, why is that?"

Have you ever experienced the feeling of having something very important taken away from you?

Although she asked the question, Sophia didn't seem to care about the answer and continued talking.

"I feel like the craft club has taken away an important... friend from me."

"You can have as many friends as you want," Ge Li said nonchalantly.

"No, I'm not talking about someone who's dispensable like a lackey, but a true friend. Someone who won't treat you differently because of your status, nor will they have any ulterior motives towards you because of your family background."

As she said this, a faint smile appeared on Sofia's lips.

"Although she's clumsy and always does a lot of troublesome things, I feel relaxed and happy whenever I'm with her."

……

In the new school year, the academy, as in previous years, randomly assigned classes to the students.

Sofia was admitted to Class F of the sixth grade.

Since the classmates have changed, those courses that require group work will naturally need to be paired up with different partners.

This time, her life skills class partner was a girl with a short ponytail.

"Eh—the president of the Lily Society? She seems like a very important person!" the new partner said.

"Huh? No, the Lily Society is just an ordinary student organization." Sophia used this sentence every now and then, and she could recite it by heart.

"But, but, the work must be very hard, right? Just maintaining a club with only a handful of members is already exhausting. Sophia must have put in a lot of effort to handle everything so well!" The person exclaimed with genuine admiration.

You must have put in a lot of effort.

This is a completely unfamiliar phrase.

Although she was always surrounded by many people, Sofia believed that she had a good relationship with them because she was always outgoing and lively.

But whether it's teachers, family members, followers, or anyone else, they always say:

"Ah, no wonder she's the daughter of the Marquis Patrick!"

"Truly superior bloodline and extraordinary talent!"

"Geniuses really can do everything well!"

No matter how well she performs, it's all taken for granted by her.

When she finally achieved a good result after giving it her all and was overjoyed, all she heard was, "This is just a piece of cake."

Not recognized.

Unnoticed.

Not understood.

She gradually got used to hiding her embarrassing side, building a hard shell around her perfect facade.

But that was fake.

On one hand, she still tries her best to accomplish everything that makes her look excellent, while on the other hand, she can't help but doubt herself, wondering if she needs to work so hard to meet the expectations of others.

The more praise one receives, the more one realizes that this is not the case.

However, why is it that this complete stranger can see one's own efforts?

Sofia stared at her blankly, completely puzzled.

Because they often had to collaborate on course assignments, Sophia and her classmate, May Jones, gradually became acquainted.

"Just call me Meimei, that's what my family calls me!" the girl said casually.

A joy that even Sofia herself couldn't quite understand welled up inside her.

Does this mean that she considers herself like family?

Life skills classes are always the last period in the morning or the last period in the afternoon, and Meimei often stays in the classroom for a long time even after class is over.

"Why don't you leave get out of class?" Sophia asked her.

"Even after class, there's nowhere to go," Meimei said with a bitter look. "My club is usually deserted; it'll probably be disbanded soon."

"I see..." She pondered for a moment, "In that case, I'll stay and keep you company."

"Huh?" Meimei was very surprised. "No, no, no, I'm just staying in the classroom because I'm bored. There's no need for you to waste your time with me."

"Ah, I usually just listen to other people chat when I go to the Lily Club." She slightly curled the corners of her mouth. "To be honest, it's quite boring."

So, the two of them became good friends who "seemed absolutely impossible to get along with".

……

Listening to Sofia's heartfelt words, Ge Li felt inexplicably anxious.

"That's enough. I don't want to know more about your past and your friends' past."

Ge Li's fingers tapped unconsciously on the edge of the table: "So, what did the crafts department do?"

"The Crafts Club..." Sophia's smile faded slightly at the mention of the club's name. "The Crafts Club was originally going to be disbanded, as Kareem knows, right?"

Ge Li nodded slightly.

If Chris hadn't suddenly decided to join the craft club, this club would have been shut down due to insufficient members, just like many other unpopular clubs that existed in the academy in the past.

After all, activity departments and activity funds are limited and cannot be provided to useless clubs indefinitely.

"Before, Meimei only had time to spend with me because the craft club was practically invisible. But ever since Chris joined the craft club this semester, the club's activities have suddenly increased, and Meimei seems to have become a completely different person."

Sofia sounded somewhat downcast.

"No matter when, she always rushes to the craft club's activity room as soon as get out of class is over. When I try to ask her out, she always says she has other things to do..." Sophia couldn't understand. "She's not doing anything important in the craft club..."

"Is that the reason?"

Ge Li frowned and said, "Even if all the effort your friends have put into the club is wasted because of your interference, is that really okay?"

"It's okay."

Her voice was as gentle as ever.

"Because I hate... how she's so lazy, yet she's so enthusiastic about everything for others."

Sofia laughed self-deprecatingly, "Isn't that selfish of me?"

"Yes," said Ge Li, "absolutely terrible."

"There's nothing I can do about being told that. But you know, feelings are uncontrollable," she murmured. "Maybe I'm too possessive. I always think, 'I wish that friend belonged only to me.'"

"After this setback, maybe she won't like the craft club anymore? Besides, the leadership transition will start after this semester."

Sofia looked to the future.

"She will step down from her ministerial position and then move on to elementary school with me to join a new club that has more meaning."

"The craft club, in the long run, is just a childhood memory of fooling around."