"How… is this possible? How could Zoe Quinn be delivering breakfast to Aiden James? This can't be real, this must be an illusion!"
"Senior Zoe is the goddess of our campus! How could she do something like that? No! I don't believe it!"
"What kind of sorcery did Aiden cast? Why are three gorgeous girls, Emily Rode, Ivy Mae, and Zoe Quinn, all trying to please him? He's not that handsome! And he's not rich either! I literally saw him delivering packages last week!"
Most of the boys had question marks swirling in their heads.
Ryan, Daniel, and Jason were equally dumbfounded.
Zoe Quinn, the campus goddess they'd secretly admired for three years, actually brought breakfast to their roommate?
Was this really the same Aiden James they lived with?
Had he been possessed by a "Love Saint"?
Otherwise, how could he possibly be this awesome?
Unlike the other confused boys, Emily and Ivy Mae knew exactly why Zoe was suddenly acting so friendly toward Aiden.
Come on, he'd gifted her over 10 million dollars worth of presents!
Bringing him breakfast for a month was nothing compared to that.
If Zoe could maintain a good relationship with Aiden and gain his support, her livestreaming career would skyrocket. She'd become an internet sensation in no time, earning millions every month would be effortless.
That morning, Zoe Quinn had just made it onto trending searches.
The reason? Same as MiaStar a few days earlier: she had been showered with extravagant gifts by the mysterious online tycoon known as "OneOfAll."
Her popularity exploded overnight.
In just two days, her follower count had surged by millions.
Across Tiktok , discussions about her skyrocketed, screenshots, reaction clips, and fan edits were going viral nonstop.
Sometimes, fame on TikTok comes like a storm, unexpected, wild, and unstoppable.
The more people talked about Zoe, the hotter she became.
The hotter she got, the more people talked about her.
Under that perfect cycle of hype, she was on the verge of becoming the next big superstar.
Of course, Zoe was already blessed, beautiful, elegant, and talented. Her rise was inevitable.
Aiden's extravagant gift-giving was merely the spark that ignited her explosion.
Even without his help, Zoe's streaming career would have done well… just not this fast.
"By the way, Aiden," Zoe said softly, reaching into her bag, "I have another gift for you. I noticed you're still using your old phone, so I bought you a new one. Do you like it?"
She handed him a brand-new, unopened phone box.
"Oh my god… that's the latest iPhone 16 Pro! That's very expensive!"
"Zoe Quinn gave Aiden James a phone?! What does this guy have that we don't?"
"Why? Why her? Is the goddess blind? What's so special about him?"
"No way! I can't stand it anymore. I'm going to the campus forum to expose this shameless guy! He's a bootlicker! A scammer! A player!"
As jealous glares stabbed him from every direction,
Aiden calmly accepted the phone without a shred of embarrassment.
A new iPhone? Worth ten thousand?
Of course I'll take it! Who wouldn't?
He bit into his fried dough stick, took a long sip of soy milk, and grinned with satisfaction.
Awesome.
Receiving a gift from a goddess really was something else.
It proved an age-old truth,
It's not that beautiful women never take the initiative,
It's just that you've never seen it happen before.
Zoe Quinn: Favorability +5.
After accepting the gift, Zoe's favorability toward Aiden rose again, now reaching 45.
Aiden blinked in mild surprise.
So… receiving gifts could raise favorability too?
Interesting.
And as for Zoe Quinn…
Emily Rose and Ivy Mae had both prepared exquisite breakfasts for Aiden James, but he didn't eat theirs, instead, he handed their carefully made meals straight to his roommates.
In contrast, Aiden ate several mouthfuls of the soy milk and fried dough sticks that Zoe Quinn had casually bought for him.
He even accepted the gift she gave with a bright, happy smile.
That moment said it all, her place in Aiden's heart now clearly surpassed Ivy Mae and Emily Rose.
A smartphone worth just over ten thousand dollars.
It wasn't that Aiden couldn't afford it.
What made him so delighted wasn't the Apple logo on the phone, it was the person who had given it to him. He felt her thoughtfulness and warmth, and that made his heart lighter than the price tag ever could.
At least, that's what Zoe Quinn thought.
But she misunderstood Aiden.
He wasn't that noble, nor did he overthink things. The truth was, he was pretty straightforward.
A phone worth over ten thousand was still a luxury for him.
How could he not be excited to receive something that expensive?
"Zoe, thank you for the gift. I really love it!" Aiden said, grinning.
"As long as you like it," Zoe replied softly. "I've got to run, I have a live-stream sales event tonight. It's my first time doing one. I hope you'll come support me."
Only then did Aiden understand the real reason behind the sudden gift.
So that was it, she wanted him to show up and give her some support during the stream.
It made sense. Zoe's affection toward him wasn't deep enough to be love.
The breakfasts and the phone, they looked like flirting, but in reality, she was using him to build momentum and exposure.
This woman was calm. Calculated.
She wasn't the type to lose herself to romance.
Her surprise visit today had not only left Emily Rose and Ivy Mae stunned into retreat, but it also created an illusion for Aiden, one that made him believe he was special.
If Aiden hadn't seen the 45-point favorability score floating above Zoe's head, he might have thought she was truly in love with him.
But she wasn't. She was just testing the waters.
If he took the bait and started pursuing her earnestly, he'd lose all initiative, turning himself into yet another admirer.
High-level play. This woman was no pushover.
Aiden suddenly snapped back to reality.
So this was the so-called campus belle, stripped of her goddess halo, she was just another woman.
Beautiful, yes, but still human, with vanity, ambition, and desire.
Seeing that 45-point favorability score again, Aiden felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over his once-warm heart.
A woman's heart is like a needle lost in the sea, he thought.
If you only judge her by what she shows on the surface, you'll never know how she truly feels inside.
"Don't worry, Miss Quinn. I'll definitely come to support you," Aiden said lightly.
Then, picking up one of the breakfasts that Emily Rose and Ivy Mae had made, he took a bite.
"Hey, this actually tastes pretty good too. You know what? I'm not really in the mood for rice noodles anymore. Anyone want some?"
Aiden turned and offered the rice noodles Zoe had given him to Jason, his dorm leader.
"Bro, that's from the campus belle herself…" Jason said, surprised.
"It's fine, it's just breakfast," Aiden said casually. "No big deal."
His calm tone made it seem as if the goddess's personal gift meant nothing to him.
"Boss, I actually like rice noodles. Mind if I take it?" Daniel asked quickly.
"Get lost," Jason said with a grin. "I'm not sharing either, I want to try it myself!"