Zoe Quinn was just about to leave.
But as she turned around, she caught sight of Aiden James handing the rice noodles she had personally brought him, to someone else, without the slightest hesitation.
For a moment, she froze. Then, a wave of discomfort surged through her chest.
For as long as she could remember, boys had always treated her like a goddess.
A single smile, a kind word and they'd melt, utterly captivated.
She had thought Aiden was the same.
Sure, he was rich and confident, but deep down, she believed he'd be no different from other men, easily charmed, easily swayed.
But now? He didn't even seem to care.
In his eyes, she was no different from Emily Rose or Ivy Mae.
Zoe hated that feeling.
Her steps quickened as she turned sharply and left, her beautiful face darkened with irritation.
"Dude, I think Zoe Quinn's mad," Ryan said, shaking his head. "You seriously gave away the breakfast the campus belle brought for you? If I were her, I'd be angry too."
"Exactly," Jason added, giving Aiden's shoulder a firm pat. "Even a straight-laced guy like me can see what's going on. Bro, you're great and all, but don't throw away your shot at happiness!"
There was a teasing smirk behind his words, but also a bit of truth.
Daniel chimed in next, half-joking, "Boss, haven't you had a crush on Zoe for ages? You just gonna hand her gift to someone else like that?"
"Bullshit!" Aiden shot back. "Brothers are like limbs, women are like clothes, I'm not that kind of guy!"
Jason snorted. "Yeah, right. You sure you're not just pretending because you know you can't get her?"
Aiden glared. "Get lost, man. Can't you let me keep a little dignity?"
The dorm room erupted with laughter.
After Zoe stormed off, Emily Rose and Ivy Mae quietly followed suit.
It had been the first real confrontation between the three women and though it seemed Zoe had come out on top, in truth, no one had won.
The reason was simple: Aiden James's ambiguous attitude.
No one could tell who he truly cared for.
Since learning Aiden's true feelings the night before, Emily Rose had steeled her heart.
No matter what he did, she'd decided she wouldn't back down.
If he could chase her for three years, then she could chase him for three years too.
She was determined to win back what she had lost.
What she didn't realize was that her persistence was slowly turning into obsession, the kind of blind devotion she once despised.
As for Ivy Mae,
She was convinced Aiden had feelings for her.
Otherwise, why would he so casually lend her five million dollars?
A man like Aiden wasn't lacking women, he was wealthy, smart, and talented.
To her, that made him even more desirable.
After all, a man admired by many women was proof of his worth.
And since even Zoe Quinn liked him, there was no way she would back off.
Retreat was for the weak.
A strong woman faced her rivals head-on.
Later that morning, Aiden arrived in class.
He was still adjusting the brand-new iPhone Zoe had given him when several WeChat messages suddenly popped up on the screen.
> Emily Rose: "Aiden, let's watch a movie tonight. I already bought the tickets for the 10 p.m. show. We can grab some snacks afterward. I've been feeling down lately… Can you keep me company?"
Her message was soft, yet bold enough to spark endless imagination.
A late movie at 10 p.m.? It wouldn't end until midnight…
Another midnight snack after the movie?
Wouldn't that push it to one or two in the morning?
The school gates would be locked by then.
So what would they do? Find a hotel room?
And come on, a man and a woman checking into a hotel late at night...
Book two rooms? That'd be a waste of money!
One room would be just fine, to talk about life, talk about dreams, talk about ideals.
Yeah, right. That classic routine.
Why did it sound so familiar?
Aiden chuckled wryly.
Aiden James: "No, I have to review my lessons tonight. I'm graduating next year, and I'm also preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam."
He didn't believe that excuse himself, total nonsense.
Still, he sent it anyway.
Emily Rose: "You're taking the postgraduate exam? I knew you were hardworking! If you want, I can study with you!"
Aiden: "I was just saying that. I'm really not up for a movie tonight."
Emily: "That's okay. Tomorrow's fine too."
Emily: "Or the weekend!"
Emily: "Why aren't you replying?"
Emily: "Aiden, please reply to me!"
…
Message after message poured in.
Aiden didn't respond.
And at that moment, Emily finally understood, the torment Aiden had felt back when he sent her dozens of messages that went unanswered for hours.
It was pure torture.
---
Then another notification popped up.
Zoe Quinn: "My number one, see you in the livestream at 8 p.m.!"
Aiden: "Got it."
He sent the reply casually.
Moments later, another unread message caught his eye, from Ivy Mae.
Ivy Mae: "Brother Aiden, I'll be cooking at home tonight. Thank you so much for helping me. Would you mind coming over for dinner?"
Ivy Mae: "Oh, and I printed out the loan agreement today. Even though it's your help, I can't accept five million dollars without a signed document. Otherwise, I won't feel comfortable!"
Aiden: "You're cooking yourself? Then I'd love to try your food!"
Ivy: "I promise to make sure you're satisfied!"
Aiden smiled, closed WeChat, and began downloading his usual apps, TikTok, ChitChat and Alipay.
It was a brand-new phone, so everything had to be installed from scratch.
But with blazing 5G speeds, it only took a minute.
Feeling bored, Aiden opened TikTok.
He originally wanted to watch a gaming stream but his thumb lingered on the beauty section instead.
That's when he noticed a familiar name: MiaStar.
She was live.
Out of curiosity, he clicked in.
This time, Aiden wasn't a low-level nobody anymore.
He was level 120, a top-tier boss.
Even without activating the "Emperor" status, his name alone caused a stir.
> [Holy crap, Boss OneOfAll is here!]
[Welcome, Boss OneOfAll!]
[The legend has returned!]
[Boss, why not activate the Emperor badge? Show them how it's done!]
[Ha! The Emperor is for wannabes. Boss OneOfAll doesn't need to show off.]
On-screen, MiaStar blinked in surprise before smiling sweetly.
"Brother OneOfAll! You ignored my private message last time, I even said I wanted to add you on WeChat!"
The chat went wild.
And then,
> [Whoa! Boss OneOfAll just opened the Emperor!]
[ The Emperor has descended!]
[All hail Boss OneOfAll!!!]