Lily Everett wasn't tall, but she had a delicate, doll-like face that could stir any guy's protective instincts. With Long brown hair
Having trained in dance since childhood, Lily's demeanor carried an extra graceful charm.
Her petite, slender figure with modest curves perfectly complemented her overall vibe, making her exceptionally captivating.
She wasn't just a pure innocent type—she was the currently most popular "innocent yet seductive" archetype.
"First love face" and "girl next door energy" were common descriptions classmates used for Lily.
A bright smile always graced her features, and every gesture radiated youthful charm—like a delicate anime heroine come to life.
Among the three goddesses in the dorm, Lily actually had the most admirers.
Imogen was too cold, Scarlet too intense.
They gave off "high maintenance" vibes.
Only Lily—even the most average guy couldn't help fantasizing: what if she noticed something special in me and sparks flew?
Right now, Lily had just finished a club activity.
Technically, Pennbrook clubs only started recruiting after fall break, but as a performing arts student, Lily had joined the Animation Club with an upperclassman from broadcasting, mainly doing amateur voice acting. She was pretty popular.
"Ugh, I'm exhausted... Wait, what smells amazing?"
Dressed in a pleated skirt and small wedge heels, Lily entered to find the room filled with delicious aromas.
Chloe said, "Scarlet brought food back again! Come share it with us."
"Wow, she's so sweet! She just brought us snacks yesterday."
"Mhm, this time it's fried food, but made with special healthy oil, so it won't make you gain weight."
Scarlet spoke with a hint of showing off. After all, like yesterday's snacks, these were from a trendy Bayside food spot, and prices were beyond typical student budgets.
Now she was loaded—$15,000 monthly allowance plus various expensive luxury items Arden bought her.
Occasionally treating her roommates to snacks to maintain good relationships was just smart.
After all, jealousy was real, and if it festered too long, it could turn into malice.
People with high EQ knew how to dissolve that before it became a problem.
"Then I won't hold back, thank you, Scarlet~"
Lily had been craving these but was usually very conscious about maintaining her figure—she generally didn't dare indulge at night. What Scarlet bought was perfect.
Honestly, even with the low-fat prep, the taste was genuinely good.
She'd wanted to try this place forever, but it was pretty far from Pennbrook—in a more upscale commercial district—and seriously expensive.
Like, fried mushrooms—super common ingredient—would only cost maybe fifteen bucks at a regular spot, but this place charged almost twenty.
Come to think of it, since starting college, Lily's impression had been that Scarlet was actually pretty frugal. Why the sudden style change?
While pondering internally, Lily's face showed no emotion.
Occasionally, some girls would trash-talk her, calling the new campus belle a "fake sweet girl."
But most classmates thought she was genuinely nice—after all, Lily wasn't stringing guys along.
The truth? Lily's thoughts just ran deeper than your average "fake sweet" act.
She wasn't ordinary manipulation—her ambitions reached much further!
So before encountering a man truly worth "conquering," Lily had to maintain her persona:
An innocent yet seductive 2D beautiful girl!
Right then, Chloe gossiped, "Lily, let me tell you—our Scarlet found her Mr. Right."
"Eh? Scarlet's actually in a relationship!" Lily exclaimed in surprise.
"Yeah... she met someone she really likes. You could say it was love at first sight."
Speaking of love at first sight, Imogen—lying in her bed—couldn't help glancing over.
What a coincidence. She'd also experienced love at first sight. Seemed like everyone in the dorm had good luck recently.
"Lily, look—this LV bag was bought for Scarlet by her boyfriend."
"Wow, it's gorgeous. Must've been pricey, right?"
Lily put on her innocent, clueless act—completely unaware of luxury goods.
Sure, it matched the persona she'd carefully crafted.
In reality, she was internally screaming.
AHHHHH, Louis Vuitton x Murakami Takashi collab Speedy Bandoulière 25!
Whether it's the design, the rarity, or the price—it's literally any young woman's dream!
When Chloe revealed the bag's $2,300 price tag, Lily appropriately displayed shock.
Her eyes widened, lashes fluttering.
"Oh my god, Scarlet, your boyfriend is so good to you!"
"Mhm, he's pretty great..."
Scarlet felt a bit embarrassed by the praise.
If they knew Arden bought me three bags at the same price in one go—spending over $7,000—they'd lose their minds.
Honestly, Arden's financial power was pretty absurd.
It completely satisfied Scarlet's vanity.
It also made her even more certain how correct her choice was.
She'd only known Arden for a few hours before giving him her first kiss.
Sounded a bit like throwing herself at him, but for a man as exceptional as Arden, girls should throw themselves at him.
The three girls chattered excitedly.
Imogen watched in silence.
She genuinely couldn't understand why a bag could be worth that much money—felt like a pure "idiot tax."
However, such absurd spending habits inexplicably reminded her of Arden.
If Arden bought her a bag, she'd definitely rather exchange it all for graphics cards.
Wait, what am I thinking—"Arden buying me a bag"? We're... well, we're soulmates, not a couple.
With that thought, Imogen opened Amazon and found the page for the $4,000 laptop.
Tomorrow. I'll get it tomorrow.
She still felt delighted, because she genuinely loved all kinds of electronics.
If she didn't have to support her mom's treatment and had money on hand, Imogen would definitely buy all sorts of gadgets and tinker with them in the dorm.
"Scarlet, when are you introducing us to your boyfriend?" Chloe asked.
She was genuinely curious what a rich guy looked like.
"We'll see when there's a chance. We're not official yet, and he's pretty low-key—doesn't like showing off everywhere."
"Oh~ I get it. Scarlet's afraid with so many beauties in our dorm, we'll try to steal him after meeting him~"
"What are you saying? Don't talk nonsense!" Scarlet blushed.
Lily teased, "Don't worry, Scarlet. We're all good friends—we definitely won't steal him."
"Exactly, exactly! Scarlet, you're being paranoid!" Chloe grinned. "I already have a boyfriend, Lily's not planning on dating yet, and as for Imogen... she has Arden."
"Huh? Me?" Suddenly pulled into the conversation, Imogen was confused and immediately denied, "I'm not, I don't... Arden and I are just ordinary friends, um..."
"Wait, what else happened that I don't know about!" Lily got a bit excited. Could the ice queen academic Imogen also be getting into a relationship?
"Today, Imogen sat with a guy during class—which is unprecedented! I even heard about it from people in the CS Department."
"Oh~ Seems like there's something going on..."
"Nothing's going on. Don't listen to their nonsense."
Imogen stiffly defended herself, then burrowed under her blanket, isolating herself.
Right then, Scarlet's expression subtly changed. She asked, feigning casualness, "The Arden you're talking about—which Arden is that?"