"Arden West—he's a freshman, same class as Imogen," Chloe said.
She didn't notice Scarlet's sudden tension.
However, Scarlet's heart practically stopped when she heard Chloe mention Arden's name.
She only knew Arden was a CS freshman, but she had no idea he was in the same class as Imogen Blake.
Even more concerning—she didn't know their relationship was close enough for them to sit together in class.
Logically, sitting together in a college lecture shouldn't mean much. They weren't middle schoolers making a big deal whenever a boy and girl walked together.
The problem was, Imogen wasn't just anyone.
She always kept her distance from every guy.
Plus, when Arden was mentioned just now, Imogen's visible shyness was undeniable.
No—not just visible. It was blindingly obvious. Even a blind person could've sensed it.
Logically, Arden kept a pretty low profile at school. Maybe some girls approached him because of his looks, but Imogen didn't seem like the simple, shallow looks-obsessed type.
Could it be that Imogen also discovered Arden's wealth?
Please, no.
Scarlet's mind was in turmoil, feeling deeply uneasy.
However, she didn't ask anything further. Pressing would be too obvious, and she didn't want people at school knowing her boyfriend was Arden yet.
"Oh, that Arden—even though he looks kinda broke, he's seriously hot. I wish my boyfriend Tyler was that good-looking," Chloe continued complaining. "Tyler's not only average-looking, but his personality sucks too. I just glanced at Arden a couple times while eating in the dining hall, and look how triggered Tyler got—so moody."
Lily said uncertainly, "Arden... and Tyler—aren't they roommates?"
"Yeah, and there's another rich kid too—also from CS—Evan Thornton. He's from Los Angeles. Lily, interested?"
"Haha, I don't have any plans to date right now."
Scarlet pretended to scroll through her phone while her ears perked up, listening intently to their conversation.
So Chloe's boyfriend was Arden's roommate.
That's good—I can subtly gather information about Arden through Chloe later.
What made Scarlet feel both amused and exasperated was that Chloe seemed to be a total Arden fangirl, constantly gushing about how tall and handsome he was. It was ridiculous.
It seemed that in this suite, besides the outsider Lily, the other three all had positive impressions of Arden.
Scarlet could practically smell gunpowder in the air.
After a while, silence fell over the suite.
Lily climbed onto her bed and drew the curtain.
After entering her private space, her bright, pretty face suddenly darkened with shadows.
"Arden... will you really end up with Imogen Blake?"
"..."
The next morning.
Arden vaguely heard someone swipe a keycard to enter the room, and then the familiar scent of Scarlet drifted over.
"Good morning, babe~"
Opening his eyes, Arden saw Scarlet's charming face right there.
Kiss.
After a light peck, Arden opened his arms and pulled back the covers. Scarlet naturally slipped in and nestled against him.
Scarlet was wearing a super casual fitted tee and denim A-line skirt today—a classic outfit for Bayside City college girls in late summer.
But her figure was so incredible that even a simple fitted shirt accentuated her ample chest and, by contrast, her particularly slender waist, making his blood run hot.
Early morning like this—it was honestly hard to resist.
Scarlet, held by him for a while, naturally felt his reaction and smiled mischievously. "Babe, need some help?"
"Yeah."
***
Scarlet's hand slid under the covers, her fingers tracing the waistband of his boxers with teasing lightness. "You're awake. Good." Her breath warmed his neck as she shifted lower, the denim skirt riding up her thighs. "Let me take care of this for you."
Arden's chuckle vibrated against her palm when she wrapped her hand around him. "Eager this morning."
"Just efficient." She nipped his collarbone before slipping beneath the sheets completely. The cotton settled over her like a tent, her movements creating soft rustling waves.
The first touch of her lips drew a sharp inhale from Arden. His fingers tangled in her red hair, not guiding, just anchoring. She took her time—slow, experimental licks that made his hips lift off the mattress. A low groan escaped him when her tongue swirled over the head.
"Scarlet—"
Her name came out strained. The sheets muffled her answering hum, the vibration traveling straight through him. She took him deeper, one hand braced against his thigh, the other working what her mouth couldn't reach yet. He felt the scrape of her teeth, feather-light, controlled. Precise.
The room filled with wet, rhythmic sounds. Arden stared at the ceiling, sunlight cutting sharp rectangles across the plaster. Every pull of her mouth coiled tension tighter in his gut. He nudged her head gently. "Eyes on me."
The sheets peeled back. Scarlet lifted, lips swollen and glistening. A strand of hair stuck to her cheek. "Demanding."
"I like seeing you work."
Her green eyes locked onto his as she bent again. This time, she took him fully, throat working around his length. Arden's breath hitched. Watching her—the flutter of her lashes, the pink flush spreading down her neck—undid him faster than the suction. His grip tightened in her hair. "Close."
She didn't pull away. Her fingers dug into his hips, urging him on. When he came, she swallowed, throat contracting around him until he shuddered. Only then did she ease off, licking her lips with deliberate slowness.
He rolled her onto her back, hands roaming under her shirt. Her skin felt feverish against his palms. "Returning the favor?"
She pushed at his chest, laughing. Her palm slid down his abdomen. "I already got what I wanted."
"Which was?"
"Seeing you lose control." She wriggled out from under him, straightening her skirt. "Go shower. You reek of sex."
Arden swung his legs off the bed. "You made me reek of sex."
"Details." Scarlet tossed his towel at him. It hit his chest with a soft thwap.
***
Arden washed up in the spacious, luxurious bathroom, feeling completely refreshed.
Through the mirror's reflection, he saw Scarlet leaning against the bathroom doorframe, watching him, so he asked, "Something on your mind?"
"Oh, you're so perceptive."
"Just say it. With me, you don't need to hold back."
"Okay... well, let me ask you—do you know Imogen Blake?"
"Yeah, I game with her," Arden said frankly.
"She lives in the same suite as me."
"Really? Makes sense for the 'Goddess Dorm.'"
So when he was gaming with Imogen last night, Scarlet was actually near her?
Damn. Thinking about it felt weirdly exciting.
Arden knew perfectly well he wasn't a monogamous guy.
After binding the God-Tier Rich System, his harem instincts had been further activated.
Wiping his freshly washed face, Arden looked at Scarlet playfully, waiting for her to continue.
Scarlet felt embarrassed under Arden's gaze, but she couldn't help wanting to say what was on her mind, so she burrowed into his arms again, nuzzling against him and saying in a spoiled tone, "If you want to game and carry girls, I can do that too. I can learn any game you like."
My God, look at this service attitude!
Those girls who get a boyfriend and then immediately ban him from gaming just because they don't like it? Come here. Learn from Scarlet Hayes!
Arden chuckled. "Babe, I'm genuinely touched you're thinking like this, but the problem is—it's not what you think at all."
"When I game with Imogen, I'm not carrying her. She's carrying me."
"Wait, what?"
"She's legitimately insane at gaming."
"...Oh."
Scarlet even saw admiration flicker in Arden's eyes.
Well, guys do admire girls who are good at gaming, right?
Especially since Imogen was gorgeous and a top student.
What's more, Arden's nickname for Imogen was "Imi" even her roommates in the Goddess Dorm didn't call her that intimately!
"What, are you jealous?"
"Yeah... just a little! Only a tiny bit jealous!"
Scarlet pressed her cheek against Arden's chest, her voice tinged with melancholy.
However, before Arden could say anything more, she looked up again, her emerald eyes as gentle as water, gazing at him.
"Actually, I've been mentally prepared for this. How could someone as amazing as you only have one woman... I just hope to occupy a unique place in your heart."
"You definitely have that. Babe, you were my first love."
"Really?"
"Really. My first love, my first kiss... they were all yours."
Arden suddenly remembered something and laughed. "And my first... that."
"That... what?"
Arden pulled out his phone and opened TikTok to show Scarlet his history.
"Babe, you were the first hot influencer I followed on TikTok. Your personal account wasn't super popular back then—you just shared your life normally and occasionally filmed a few dance videos. The suggestive content was pretty minimal."
"But I was young back then, and for some reason, I just found you incredibly hot. So, watching your videos, I made my first... mistake in life."
Arden's sincere confession left Scarlet stunned, her face flushing crimson.
After a long moment, she stammered, "Babe, you're so bad..."
"So the connection between us? It's fate. I'm your ideal type, and you're my... well, calling this a 'pure first love' doesn't quite fit."
Arden pondered for a moment, his eyes lighting up as he thought of the perfect phrase.
"Babe, you're my spicy first love ."
"...I hate you!"
Scarlet burst out laughing, her body trembling as she playfully wrestled with Arden.
When she came back to her senses, she'd already been carried to the bed.
The two looked at each other at close range, then simultaneously showed sweet smiles.
"It's truly wonderful having met you."