"W-what do you want to do?!"
Imogen instantly tensed.
She instinctively took half a step back, clutching the sides of her blouse, looking utterly vulnerable.
Hmm, if Arden really made an excessive request, it wouldn't be entirely out of the question to consider it...
Strange, rebellious thoughts bubbled up in her mind.
However, the next moment, Arden said something completely unexpected:
"How about I upgrade your setup too? That way, you'll have a better experience when you boost for me in the dorm."
"...Is that the bold idea?"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing!"
Imogen felt inexplicably annoyed, biting her lip, looking foolish.
She was mad at herself for letting her mind go there!
Arden was clearly completely respectful.
"So what do you think? Open up Amazon and pick something. A desktop definitely won't work with the dorm's power limits, and you need portability..."
"Um, I..."
"Don't say you don't need it. Same thing as before: I'm doing this to satisfy my own emotional needs. Think about it—if you lag when boosting for me, I'd be super annoyed, right? Isn't that the logic?"
The logic was sound.
But what Imogen was conflicted about wasn't actually that.
Seeing Arden sincerely trying to pick a laptop for her, Imogen couldn't suppress her intrusive thoughts and blurted out:
"Arden, do you not like playing games with me in the duo lounge?"
"Huh?" Arden was confused. "What does that have to do with the duo lounge..."
"Then buying me a new computer—isn't that so I play with you in the dorm as much as possible, meaning you don't want to see me offline?"
"Damn, what kind of galaxy-brain interpretation is that?!"
Arden was both amused and exasperated. "It's not like you're free to come play with me in person every day. Isn't this so you have good equipment to use anytime, anywhere? Your laptop has quality control issues, and support won't replace it. Sometimes it lags for no reason—you told me that yourself."
"..."
"Wait, Imogen, do you mean you actually prefer playing in the duo lounge with me?"
Arden's lips curled into a knowing smile.
It made Imogen feel uncomfortable all over. She dropped a quick "I have something else to do, gotta go!" and fled the JW Marriott's river-view suite in a panic.
Oh man, not bad. Ice Queen's shy little look.
A maiden's shyness surpasses all words.
Arden gained a profound understanding of that phrase through Imogen.
"Babe, I'm back!"
At six PM, the graceful Scarlet reappeared before Arden.
Not much time had passed since Imogen's escape.
Scarlet had gone back to campus for an afternoon class—a subject she'd failed and was retaking senior year.
Some professors were strict with retakers, so she had no choice but to attend.
Arden had precisely used this time gap, preventing a "Imogen and Scarlet meeting" scenario.
Perfect timing!
It seemed like a masterful play, but honestly, it was just a lucky guess.
Arden didn't even know these two were roommates.
Scarlet had never discussed her roommate situation with him.
And Arden's knowledge of the infamous "Goddess Dorm" was limited to Chloe and Imogen.
Seeing a very "flashy" computer added to the suite, Scarlet asked curiously, "Babe, did you go buy a computer this afternoon?"
"Yeah, built one I'm super happy with."
"Hehe, gaming must be amazing on that. Too bad I don't really know how to game. If you don't mind, you could teach me."
As soon as Scarlet saw Arden, she clung to him like velcro.
She still seemed to enjoy teasing him, loving to see him struggle to maintain composure under her charm.
Arden keenly noticed this—she'd always been like this, craving acknowledgment of her allure, but deep down, she was a very traditional, self-respecting woman.
That's why some people called her a tease.
Only now, her desire for validation was firmly fixed on Arden alone.
That feeling of happiness was self-evident.
***
Scarlet traced her fingertips along the edge of Arden's new gaming monitor, her nail polish a deep crimson that matched her lips. "This rig must've cost a fortune. Bet it runs at max settings without breaking a sweat." Her hips swayed as she rounded the desk, stopping directly in front of his chair.
Arden leaned back, the leather creaking under his weight. "You want to test it?" He navigated to the library, but Scarlet's hand closed over his wrist before he could click.
"Later." Her palm slid up his forearm, pushing the sleeve of his hoodie to his elbow. "Right now I'm more interested in benchmarking something else." She dropped to her knees between his legs, the plush hotel carpet muffling the motion. Her green eyes locked onto his, pupils dilating in the dimmed suite lighting. "Mind if I run a stress test?"
He chuckled, low in his throat. "Be my guest." His fingers tangled in her red hair as she unbuckled his belt with practiced efficiency. The rasp of the zipper seemed unnaturally loud.
Scarlet nuzzled the growing bulge in his jeans, inhaling deeply through her nose. "Missed this." Her breath warmed the denim. "Missed you." She mouthed him through the fabric, tongue tracing the outline of his erection. When he groaned, her lips curved against him.
She worked his jeans and boxers down just enough to free him. Her thumb swiped over the head, spreading the bead of moisture already gathered there. "Look at you." Her voice dropped to a husky register Arden felt in his sternum. "All ready for me." She didn't tease for long. Taking him into her mouth in one smooth glide, she hollowed her cheeks.
Arden's head thumped against the headrest. "Fuck, Scarlet." His grip tightened in her hair, not guiding, just anchoring. She hummed approval, the vibration traveling straight to his groin. Her technique had evolved from tentative exploration to devastating confidence. She knew exactly how much pressure to apply with her tongue along the underside, when to let her teeth graze lightly, how deep she could take him before her eyes watered.
One hand braced on his thigh, the other cupped his balls, rolling them gently. Her rhythm started slow, languid sucks punctuated by the wet sounds of her mouth working him. Every few strokes she'd pull off completely, swirling her tongue around the tip before diving back down. Her eyes never left his face, watching his reactions like a strategist studying battle maps.
"You keep looking at me like that," Arden managed, voice strained, "and this stress test is gonna end early."
Scarlet released him with an obscene pop. A string of saliva connected her lower lip to his glistening shaft. "Then don't look at my face." She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, smearing her lipstick. "Play your game." She nodded at the monitor where the racing sim's title screen glowed. "I'll play down here."
He barked a laugh. "Seriously?"
"Seriously. See how long you last." Her tongue flicked out to clean the smear of crimson from her knuckle. "Loser buys dinner."
Arden grabbed the controller. "You're on."
The game loaded, engine sounds roaring through the headset he'd left on the desk. Scarlet took him back into her mouth, deeper this time. Arden's knuckles whitened on the controller. He forced his eyes to the screen, selecting a track—Nürburgring Nordschleife. Brutal choice. The Countach's digital engine screamed as he slammed the accelerator.
Scarlet set a punishing pace. Her head bobbed steadily, taking him to the back of her throat with each downstroke. She'd learned to suppress her gag reflex, breathing sharply through her nose when she hilted him. The contrast was surreal: the high-octane visuals on screen, the roar in his ears, and the wet, molten heat enveloping his cock. Her free hand slid under his shirt, nails scraping lightly up his abs.
He missed the first turn. The Lamborghini smashed through a guardrail in a shower of pixels. "Cheating," he gasped.
Scarlet pulled off just enough to murmur against his skin. "Just good…" She sucked hard. "...multitasking." Her tongue ring clicked against his frenulum.
Arden barely registered the next three turns. The car careened off cliffs, plowed through hay bales. Scarlet's mouth was relentless. She varied her suction, fluttering her tongue when he seemed close, backing off to lick long stripes from base to tip. Her thumb pressed firmly behind his balls. The dual assault—her mouth and the impossible track—unraveled him faster than he'd admit.
He dropped the controller. It clattered onto the desk. "Scarlet." Her name was a warning growl.
She doubled down, swallowing him whole, throat muscles fluttering around the head. Her eyes watered, but she held him there, nose pressed into his pubic hair. The vibration of her moan traveled straight to his spine.
Arden came hard, hips jerking off the chair. Scarlet took every pulse, throat working to swallow. Only when he finished, trembling, did she ease back. She licked him clean with kittenish swipes, her gaze triumphant. A strand of saliva-thickened hair stuck to her flushed cheek.
On screen, his wrecked Countach burned in a ditch. "Dinner's on you," she rasped, wiping her mouth. "I win."
***
Feeling refreshed, he lay on the couch and cracked open a drink from the mini-fridge.
Scarlet, meanwhile, was studying a small glass bottle of Evian mineral water—the kind that always appeared in artistic depictions of luxury lifestyles.
A 330ml gift bottle, priced at $30 a pop.
Taste-wise? Sure, it was good. Worth the money? Hard to say.
When they'd had their fill of affection, the two headed downstairs to find a nearby restaurant for dinner.
The past couple days had been a bit too greasy—time for a palate change.
Although the system eliminated the negative effects of indulgence for Arden, his taste buds still preferred trying different cuisines.
Well, honestly, Arden just liked to indulge. Foodies are like that—when they have money, they want to try everything.
While eating, Imogen sent a cat-peeking emoji.
Arden didn't say much, just told her they'd start playing at 8 PM.
Based on his estimate, Scarlet would definitely be back by then.
Sure enough, before 7:30, Scarlet said she needed to get back to the dorm to chat with her bestie and left.
Mainly, she was afraid if she stayed too late, she'd get lazy and not want to leave, and then she'd naturally end up with Arden...
Arden took a bath and logged on promptly at 8 PM.
Today, Imogen was relatively quiet in-game, not even using voice chat freely—only occasionally speaking brief sentences.
She was clearly still in self-isolation mode.
This was normal. According to the system, Imogen had completely fallen for Arden. For a girl with her personality, after falling in love, her entire mental state was bound to undergo intense turmoil.
Just give her time.
How does that saying go? Good things come to those who wait.
Arden genuinely liked this type—Imogen.
After two hours of gaming, as soon as they logged off, Imogen messaged on Discord:
[BlakeOutCurtains: Are you mad?]
[WestOfEden: No.]
[BlakeOutCurtains: Oh.]
[BlakeOutCurtains: I'm not mad either.]
[BlakeOutCurtains: Um, I wasn't mad at all today, I just had a sore throat, so I didn't talk much!]
[WestOfEden: Got it [thumbs up emoji]]
[WestOfEden: I ordered you a ROG Strix Scar 8 Plus. Shipping address is set to the campus package center closest to your dorm. Should arrive tomorrow morning. Remember to pick it up when you get the text.]
[BlakeOutCurtains: Okay.]
[BlakeOutCurtains: Thank you.]
Honestly, their aesthetics were perfectly in sync.
Although Imogen kept insisting the ROG brand was overpriced, the laptop Arden bought her was exactly the one she'd been lusting after all summer.
But the top-tier config cost over $4,000.
No need to spend that much—better to save it for her mom's treatment.
Arden was really, really good to her.
Plus, when Arden teased her at the hotel that afternoon, he clearly knew how Imogen felt.
Why does this guy feel like such a player... Ugh, but I really like him!
Imogen silently complained, then hugged her phone and got into bed to chat with Arden.
At that moment, all four members of the Goddess Dorm were rarely present.
Besides the two goddesses entangled with Arden, and Chloe entangled with Arden's roommate, the fourth member was Lily Everett from the broadcasting department.