From first period that morning, Imogen had been texting Arden nonstop.
Dumb memes, funny videos, the latest game updates...
But Arden hadn't replied to a single one. She wondered what he was up to.
Then Imogen suddenly realized—she'd sent so many messages in a row. Did that look desperate?
She didn't dare send any more.
But she still wanted to talk to Arden.
It felt like such a relaxing, stress-relieving thing to do.
He was supposed to be just a client, her gaming partner—how weird was that? Imogen had never felt this way with any other customer before.
Even at lunch, Arden still hadn't responded.
Actually, Arden's roommates were sitting right there at the table. Imogen could've easily asked them what he was doing.
But she had social anxiety.
That's right—a lot of times it was just social anxiety, not the "stuck-up ice queen act" that so many girls accused her of.
Imogen fretted for a long time, then suddenly a brilliant idea popped into her head.
"Wait—if I can't figure it out myself and I'm too scared to ask Arden's roommates, why not ask AI?"
As a CS major with a perfect GPA, Imogen was very familiar with large language models.
So many little problems in daily life could be solved by feeding ChatGPT enough context.
Imogen opened a popular AI chatbot website.
She typed: "I'm a paid gaming companion and I have feelings for one of my clients. He hasn't responded to me all morning. What could be the possible reasons?"
After waiting about ten seconds, the response started scrolling across the screen:
"There could be various reasons why he hasn't contacted you this morning. Here are some common possibilities and suggestions:"
"1. Practical reasons: He might be busy; technical issues with his phone..."
"..."
Imogen's eyes widened as she read with extreme focus.
When she reached one particular line, her heart suddenly clenched.
"Different relationship expectations: He may only see you as a casual gaming partner and isn't aware of your feelings for him, so he doesn't feel the need to maintain frequent contact."
Oh god.
So that's it!
Maybe in Arden's eyes, chatting wasn't that important—it was just Imogen who liked it so much.
To put it bluntly, this was just a business transaction.
Arden had even said he had no other intentions—he just wanted to purchase emotional value from Imogen. Gaming companionship, that's all.
Actually, this was completely normal. With other clients, Imogen would totally appreciate this kind of clear-boundary attitude.
Business is business. Don't make it messy.
But why did she feel so... disappointed?
She actually wanted to be friends with Arden. She wanted things to be unclear with Arden!
Even though there was such a huge gap in their circumstances, the distance between their souls felt so close.
How did Arden really see her? They'd chatted so happily yesterday at the coffee shop, and last night after she got back to her dorm... Ugh!
Stuck in a mental spiral, Imogen radiated an aura of pure dejection.
Her roommate Chloe gave her a weird look but didn't think much of it. Was she reading a novel or something?
She remembered the aloof freshman sometimes read web novels. It was normal to get emotional over those these days—billionaire romances, domineering CEOs falling for ordinary girls. Chloe read them sometimes too.
Ryan said nothing, just kept grinding away at his boosting order.
Only Evan paid particular attention to Imogen's unusual mood, engaging in wildly elaborate mental speculation.
When the three guys from Harrison 510 finished eating and headed back to the dorm, Evan, who'd been silent the whole walk, suddenly said:
"Guys, don't you think Imogen was acting really weird today?"
"Didn't notice. How so?" Ryan temporarily exited his game to charge his phone and asked casually.
"I'm not entirely sure, but based on my years of studying relationship psychology, Imogen was probably being ignored by someone she really cares about."
Ryan: "..."
Tyler was shocked. "No way—your prep school also taught relationship psychology?"
Evan shook his head. "Not at all! I studied it in my spare time."
Ryan, who came from a state with nightmare-level standardized testing, was also shocked. "Wait—your prep school had spare time? The kind where you had enough energy to learn extra stuff?"
"Dude, that's not the point!" Evan waved his hand, his face filled with irritation and anguish. "The point is—who is that person?"
"It's her boyfriend. She's having a fight with her boyfriend," Tyler guessed.
"NO!!!" Evan covered his face. "Impossible. This can't be happening... How could a goddess as pure and flawless as Imogen be dating some guy?"
"In Greek mythology, goddesses not only date but also have kids. What's so weird about that?" Tyler said smugly. "I've always said—don't put the girls in the 'Goddess Dorm' on such a high pedestal. Imogen's human too. Isn't it normal for her to have emotional needs and date?"
"Tyler's right!" Ryan chimed in. It was rare for Tyler, that smug bastard, to say something sensible.
However, Evan clearly couldn't accept this answer at all.
He grabbed a copy of Comprehensive Relationship Psychology and retreated to his bed, yanking the curtain shut, and began studying it in secret desperation.
"This kid's obsessed. Man, that's what happens when you aim way too high with zero game. Better to be like me—pursue someone actually in your league. Haha, I'm taking Chloe out again this weekend. Think I'll be able to hold her hand this time?"
Watching Evan spiral, Tyler felt the annoyance from his insufficient sushi budget ease a little.
At a high-end sushi restaurant in Riverside Plaza.
Arden was enjoying his meal.
He had to admit, this premium seafood sashimi was incredible. That unique fresh, sweet flavor really couldn't be matched by cheap ingredients.
Plus it was super nutritious and healthy—even suitable as a staple for athletes... Of course, cost might be an issue, but cost was the least of Arden's concerns.
While Scarlet excused herself to the restroom, Arden scrolled through his phone and finally saw the string of messages Imogen had sent that morning.
Shit.
His morning schedule had been packed, so he hadn't had time to check his phone... Well, actually he had checked it a few times, but Imogen's messages had probably been buried under other notifications.
Just human nature.
Even though he'd had a really good chat with Imogen yesterday, Arden wasn't the type to get completely consumed by a pretty girl he'd talked to once.
He'd always been pretty detached by nature.
He did whatever he wanted and left things to fate.
[WestOfEden]: [scratching head emoji]
[WestOfEden]: Was busy this morning, didn't see it.
As soon as he sent it, Imogen replied almost instantly:
[BlakeOutCurtains]: What were you busy with?
[BlakeOutCurtains]:withdrew a message
[WestOfEden]: Picked up a car.
[BlakeOutCurtains]: [shocked cat emoji]
[BlakeOutCurtains]: It must be a really expensive car, right?
[WestOfEden]: Not bad. About $120k.
[BlakeOutCurtains]: I knew it!
[WestOfEden]: I'll check out the stuff you sent earlier when I have time.
[BlakeOutCurtains]: No rush, it's nothing important...
[BlakeOutCurtains]: Are we gaming today?
[WestOfEden]: Yeah, probably this afternoon or evening. I'll let you know ahead of time.
[BlakeOutCurtains] : Okay.
"Oh, so who are you texting so enthusiastically?"
Scarlet, returning from the restroom, saw Arden typing on his phone and asked.
"A roommate."
"Looks like you guys have a good vibe in your dorm. That's pretty rare, you know."
"Why is it rare? Dorm relationships aren't international diplomacy—there's nothing complicated about it, right?"
"Hard to say. Especially for someone with your kind of money—there'll always be people who get jealous."
"Let them be jealous. They can be jealous on their own, and I'll live my life. We'll stay in our own lanes."
"Then what if someone tries to screw you over behind your back?"
Scarlet's green eyes flickered, as if recalling some unpleasant memories.
Arden said coolly, "Then I'll find a way to get back at them. I'm not exactly a forgiving person."
"Mm, you're right. You've got the leverage anyway."
Scarlet nodded slightly, her gaze lingering on him, becoming even more infatuated.
Even Arden's personality was so much her type.
God, how could she make him fall for her?
Arden, however, didn't have such complicated thoughts. Seeing that they were both nearly done eating, he said earnestly:
"Hey, are you familiar with the rental market around here?"