From Trash to Treasure: The Sinclair Family's Beloved Genius

The moment the bell rang to signal the end of class, Chloe Sinclair bolted out of the room.

The students who were still preparing questions were left speechless. "..."

"Does Chloe Sinclair have somewhere urgent to be?"

"She’s so fast. It’s a real shame she’s not on the track team."

"That explosive burst of speed is just insane!"

"Ahhh! I just went to check—Chloe Sinclair ran off to the cafeteria to chow down!"

"Pfft—" Many of them thought they had misheard.

They quickly scrambled to the windows and looked down, only to see Chloe Sinclair was indeed sprinting toward the cafeteria.

Under the watchful eyes of her classmates, Canteen Champion Chloe Sinclair finally reached the cafeteria.

But the cafeteria was already packed.

By the time she got her food, every seat around was taken. Even the spot from yesterday was occupied.

She was hesitating, wondering if she should check the floor above, when she heard a familiar voice from the crowd.

Chloe Sinclair glanced back and saw Gideon Lawson waving at her.

"Hey kid, want to come sit over here?"

Beside Gideon Lawson sat a few other guys who all gave off the vibe of being young punks.

She hesitated for a moment but still carried her tray over.

"See, kiddo? I’m good to you, right? Even saved you a spot. How are you gonna thank me?"

Gideon Lawson spoke with a roguish swagger, and as he did, he made a large space for Chloe Sinclair.

"Thanks."

Chloe Sinclair knew Gideon Lawson had saved the spot for her on purpose, so she didn’t think much of his teasing.

As soon as Chloe Sinclair sat down, she glanced at Gideon Lawson’s meal—it was all vegetables.

Gideon Lawson, however, was eating with gusto.

Every now and then, he would even place some food on the plates of the young boys next to him.

These boys didn’t look like they were from Emberfall University. They were quite young, probably just starting high school.

Chloe Sinclair’s curiosity grew, but she felt it wasn’t her place to say anything, so she just lowered her head and ate.

The guys around her were clearly eating much faster than Chloe Sinclair. She was only halfway through her meal when the young boys were already getting up for a second bowl of rice.

After finishing that, the boys went for a third bowl.

Chloe Sinclair decided to go to the cafeteria window and buy a few fried chicken cutlets, one for each of them.

The young boys were a bit flustered, unsure if they should accept.

They all looked to Gideon Lawson.

Gideon Lawson saw their hesitation, took a bite of a chicken cutlet, and said, "Go on, eat. Your big sister Chloe here bought them specially for us."

The boys were very obedient. Once they got Gideon Lawson’s permission, they started eating enthusiastically.

Once everyone was more or less finished, Chloe Sinclair finally asked, "Are they your friends?"

’It wasn’t that Chloe Sinclair was looking down on them, but she had noticed that the boys seemed unfamiliar with Emberfall University. Every time they went to the window to get more rice, they went to the exact same spot.’

’You could tell they were being extremely cautious.’

Gideon Lawson nodded openly. "Yep, these are my little brothers. They all go to one of the city’s top high schools. I brought them here to check out Emberfall University today. Who knows, in three years, they might test in."

Hearing this, Chloe Sinclair was a little surprised.

It wasn’t the fact that the boys attended a top high school that surprised her, but Gideon Lawson’s use of the words "my little brothers."

The boys all had distinctly different features; it was obvious they weren’t related.

Chloe Sinclair quickly formed a bold guess.

Sure enough, as if he knew what she was thinking, Gideon Lawson raised his eyes and said with a grin, "We’re all orphans."

Chloe Sinclair froze for a moment.

"Then you’re amazing. And your brothers are too."

"What?"

Chloe Sinclair’s words left Gideon Lawson a bit confused.

He had originally wanted to get on good terms with Chloe Sinclair, so he could look out for her at school.

That’s why he hadn’t planned on hiding his background from her.

In the past, he had told many people about his background, and without exception, he’d always received a guilty, "I’m sorry."

Gideon Lawson never felt there was anything to be sorry about.

His parents abandoned him, but maybe that was a blessing in disguise.

All these years, he’d been like a weed. Whether growing in the crack of a rock or in a muddy swamp, he still managed to struggle and grow.

This was the first time he’d ever heard a different response.

And it came from a young woman.

Gideon Lawson raised his eyebrows. "Why do you think I’m amazing?"

Chloe Sinclair replied, "Because you got into Emberfall University on your own, became Professor Sloan’s star student, and on top of that, you’re supporting your younger brothers and sisters from the orphanage. How is that not amazing?"

’She truly thought Gideon Lawson was incredible.’

’During class, she’d even been thinking about it. As Professor Sloan’s star student, the professor must know about Gideon Lawson’s situation.’

’Professor Sloan was famously a nice guy who secretly sponsored many students. It was almost certain Gideon Lawson was one of them.’

’For Gideon Lawson to still be struggling so much under these circumstances, he must be giving most of his money to support his younger brothers and sisters.’

’If it were her, she probably couldn’t have done such a good job.’

After listening to Chloe Sinclair, the corners of Gideon Lawson’s eyes reddened, but he quickly put on that roguish grin again.

"I used to think you were hard to get along with."

’Who would’ve thought this kid was so good at making people happy?’

Chloe Sinclair was about to speak when she suddenly saw someone.

The smile on her face instantly froze, and a flash of disgust crossed her eyes.

Seeing Chloe Sinclair suddenly go silent, Gideon Lawson raised his eyebrows and followed her gaze.

"Wyatt Thorne?"

The next moment, Wyatt Thorne walked over.

But if you looked closely, you could see that Wyatt Thorne’s leg wasn’t moving properly.

’Chloe Sinclair suddenly recalled the rumor she’d overheard in the private dining room yesterday.’

’Wyatt Thorne really got hit?’

Chloe Sinclair wasn’t surprised at all; in fact, she was gloating.

’I didn’t think karma would strike so fast.’

However, the approaching Wyatt Thorne saw Chloe Sinclair’s expression and misunderstood.

He thought Chloe Sinclair was smiling at him.

So he started walking over even faster.

Despite the excruciating pain shooting up his leg, Wyatt Thorne was in an excellent mood.

And so, everyone watched as the legendary heartthrob of the computer science department limped along like a big goose.

Seeing the direction Wyatt Thorne was headed, another thought immediately popped into everyone’s minds.

Wyatt Thorne wasn’t a goose at all; he was a toad.

A toad lusting after a swan’s flesh.

Everyone’s hearts were filled with contempt.

By now, Wyatt Thorne had limped over. A confident smile on his face, he said gently, "Chloe, I didn’t expect to see you here. We meet again."

Chloe Sinclair replied, "I don’t think it’s a coincidence. I think you came here specifically to corner me."

With that, she glanced at Wyatt Thorne’s leg, her voice dripping with mock surprise. "What, not crippled yet?"

Wyatt Thorne: "..."

The broad smile on his face vanished, replaced by a dark, terrifying expression. He couldn’t keep up the facade any longer.

"Chloe, did Yuna do something to offend you before? Can I apologize to you on her behalf?"