Hearing the jeers, Hermione poked at her steak harder and harder, the plate making a dull thud.
Draco, seeing the commotion, knew that continuing would only make things worse, so he raised his hand to signal for quiet.
"Stop joking around, actually I have someone I like."
The moment he said that, the Great Hall fell into a deathly silence, and hundreds of eyes were fixed on him.
Hermione's movements abruptly stopped, her fork hovering above her plate, her eyelashes fluttering twice, as if struck by lightning.
She slowly looked at Draco, her eyes filled with disbelief and astonishment, and a hint of panic that she herself didn't even realize.
At this moment, Olivia's eyes gleamed with intense gossip, and she asked eagerly, "Who?! From Hogwarts? Or from outside? How come I don't know anything about them!"
Not only her, but the students around her were in an uproar.
The jeers turned into a barrage of questions.
"Who is it, Malfoy?!"
"Tell me quickly, which college does this beauty belong to?"
"Could it be one of our Gryffindor?"
The Gryffindor students were even more excited, speculating whether it was someone from their own house.
The Ravenclaw, however, whispered among themselves with a hint of regret.
Draco simply smiled and didn't answer.
Upon hearing Draco's words, the blush on Emock's face instantly faded, replaced by a look of disappointment.
Her eyes dimmed slightly, and she gave a soft "Oh."
Cho Chang was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then smiled gently, raised her hand and patted Emock's drooping shoulder lightly, comforting him:
"Don't be discouraged. Maybe the person they're interested in doesn't reciprocate at all. Emock, you still have a chance."
As soon as Cho Chang finished speaking, a Ravenclaw senior next to her laughed and teased her:
"Aren't you talking about yourself? You were the one who first got us to come here. I think you might not be completely uninterested in this Malfoy either."
Upon hearing this, the Ravenclaw girls at the table chuckled softly.
Even Cho Chang's fair cheeks flushed slightly.
She coughed lightly and said helplessly, "Senior, don't talk nonsense. I just want to ask you about Transfiguration."
While verbally defending herself, Cho Chang's fingers unconsciously brushed aside the stray hairs by her ear.
That flustered little face couldn't hide her true thoughts.
Emock was also brought back to her senses by the teasing, and the disappointment on her face lessened somewhat. She said to Cho Chang:
"Exactly, Qiuqiu, don't you also think Draco is amazing? I knew it! Someone as amazing as him deserves to be admired!"
Hermione, whose heart had been slightly fluttering at Draco's comment about having someone she liked, now frowned slightly as she glanced at Cho Chang, whose face was flushed, and then at the composed Draco.
She felt inexplicably choked up, but couldn't explain why, so she could only silently drink her Pumpkin Juice.
Sitting to the side, Harry looked at Cho Chang's slightly flushed cheeks and a sense of disappointment quietly crept into his heart.
In his eyes, Cho Chang Qiu was so beautiful that it made his heart flutter.
When I saw her approach and talk to Draco, I felt a pang of inexplicable envy.
Listening to the older female students' teasing, I couldn't help but think that it would be great if I could switch identities with Draco.
He gripped the fork tightly, the disappointment in his eyes slowly transforming into a resilient strength.
If I don't have Draco's talent, I'll make up for it with hard work; I'll always strive to become better.
As Harry secretly made up his mind, Olivia leaned over to Draco and teased, "Wow, you've got it all! Even the most beautiful girl in Ravenclaw has taken a liking to you. You're something else!"
Cho Chang was even more embarrassed by Olivia's words, and repeated, "I really came to ask about Transfiguration."
But as she spoke, her gaze unconsciously swept towards Draco before quickly looking away.
But to everyone else, these words sounded more like an attempt to cover up the truth.
The Ravenclaw upperclassmen exchanged smiles, and even Harry glanced at her discreetly before quickly looking down again, clearly unconvinced.
Hermione scoffed, took a sip of water, and curled her lips into a dismissive smile.
Emock, on the other hand, had completely lost his earlier shyness.
Instead, she leaned forward, nudged Cho Chang's arm with her elbow, and joined the crowd in cheering:
"Exactly! Draco is so popular! Qiuqiu, if you're shy, then I won't hold back!"
Emock knew her chances were slim, so she wanted to help her sister.
Cho Chang's cheeks flushed even more from Emock's words. She reached out and gently pinched Emock's arm, scolding him playfully, "Why are you getting involved!"
While playfully scolding, Cho Chang lowered his head slightly, avoiding the teasing gazes around him.
The atmosphere at the table was lively, and the cheers from the surrounding crowd grew even louder.
At that moment, the Gryffindor boys were shouting at the top of their lungs, " Malfoy, choose one! Malfoy, choose one!"
They shouted until their necks turned red, and it wasn't just because they were watching the spectacle.
Everyone saw Cho Chang as the most beautiful girl in Ravenclaw, and they were certain that Draco had no reason not to be attracted to her.
They were joining in the commotion now, hoping to take advantage of the current buzz and curry favor with Draco, who was now being treated differently by Professor McGonagall.
The shouts only made things worse in the Great Hall.
Hermione's face darkened instantly upon hearing the shout.
She'd already poked several holes in the steak, and now she'd stabbed the pudding on the plate hard, spitting out a "childish" remark.
But Hermione couldn't help but glance at Draco, wanting to see his reaction.
Draco thought to himself: Good heavens, this is quite a spectacle! Does this mean I've become emperor right here at Hogwarts?
They even openly called for the selection of concubines; this plot is just too outrageous.
Olivia was laughing so hard she was doubled over. She said to Draco, "Did you hear that? The Gryffindor are getting impatient for you. Why don't you actually choose one?"
As she spoke, she secretly observed Hermione's reaction.
Emock's eyes lit up even more at the shout:
"Listen to this! Even the Gryffindor are saying this! Draco, why don't you just give in to our Qiuqiu?"
Cho Chang's face was already bright red, both ashamed and embarrassed, and she glared fiercely at Emock.
But Draco didn't react at all. He simply picked up his water glass, took a sip, and said, "Let's eat. We've gone off on a tangent."
His tone was calm and even, showing no embarrassment at being teased, nor any sign of being agitated.
These words instantly dampened the lively atmosphere, leaving everyone greatly disappointed.
The Gryffindor boys who had been shouting and jeering shut up, and the other students who had been joining in the commotion also fell silent.
They were very disappointed, and even their gazes towards Cho Chang and Emock were tinged with regret.
Cho Chang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Hermione's grip on the spoon loosened subtly, and the inexplicable tightness in her chest quietly dissipated, but she still stubbornly muttered under her breath, "Finally, some peace and quiet."
In the vast Great Hall, the soft clinking of knives and forks slowly returned.
However, the countless eyes secretly watching Draco's table and the lingering gossip still hung in the air, not so easily dissipating.