Chapter 3

Ethan walked her all the way to the dormitory entrance. Just before they said their goodbyes, he reached into his pocket and produced a gift box.

His tone was gentle, yet careful, laced with a touch of perfectly timed awkwardness. "Your roommate left this behind earlier. I've already given her a call, so could you pass it along for me?"

The navy-blue box had been pressed against his chest all day, but the lingering warmth rapidly vanished into the night breeze.

Left behind? It was a polite euphemism for a rejected gift.

That was the true art of language: saying everything without admitting a thing.

Chloe took the box. Ethan flashed a quick smile, murmured a "See you tomorrow," and turned to leave.

Her gaze shifted from his retreating back to the lit window of her dorm room. Chloe suddenly recalled Maya's words from earlier in the day.

So apparently, prying into his personal life was considered too forward, but force-feeding him gifts was perfectly fine.

Upstairs, Maya was sprawled over her desk, completely absorbed in a drama. Suddenly, the familiar navy-blue box dropped into her field of vision. She let out a heavy sigh, shoved it into the drawer without a second glance, and slammed it shut.

The drawer was already overflowing with gift boxes of all sizes, each wrapped with exquisite care. That splash of navy blue disappeared into the collection instantly, indistinguishable from the rest.

These were all gifts Maya had sent to Ethan, and without exception, every single one had been returned.

In the beginning, she used to agonize over whether the presents were simply not to his taste. But now, a cruel clarity had settled in: it wasn't the gift that displeased him, but the person giving it.

On the iPad screen, the male lead of the melodrama looked livid, shouting at the heroine, "Do you like him that much?"

In reality, Maya echoed the line in a hollow murmur. "Does Ethan like his girlfriend that much?"

The character on screen bellowed, "Is he so amazing that looking at me makes you feel dirty?"

Maya mimicked his intensity. "Is his girlfriend so amazing that Ethan won't even accept a gift?"

The male lead asked aloud, "What did I lack? Was I not good enough for you? Not rich enough?"

Maya mimicked, sounding a little defeated. "Am I not passionate enough for Ethan? Am I not pretty enough?"

The male lead demanded, "What do I have to do for you to just look at me?"

Maya copied him, sighing, "What do I have to do for Ethan to be with me?"

Chloe listened as Maya recycled the lead actor's dialogue verbatim.

Silently, she put on her headphones and turned on white noise, effectively walling herself off from the romantic haze of her roommate's brain.

She had no desire to engage with a hopeless romantic, yet she couldn't stop one from gravitating toward her.

"Chloe, I really like Ethan. Please, help me. I'm begging you," Maya dragged her chair over, pleading with wide eyes.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" Chloe asked.

For the sake of the tiniest bit of roommate loyalty, Chloe paused her audio. But the very next second, she regretted wasting her time.

"What do you think Ethan likes about his girlfriend?" Maya asked.

Chloe shook her head slowly. "I don't know."

"Then who's better looking, me or her?"

"You both have your own thing going on," Chloe replied.

"Do you think they're really in love?" Maya asked.

"I think..." Chloe paused delicately. "You could like someone else."

Maya let out a long, disappointed sigh, her face falling as all her hopes crashed.

"Didn't the heroine in that drama you watched yesterday say something? Rather than chasing someone who doesn't like you, it's better to be with someone who actually likes you. It brings much more happiness," Chloe reminded her.

"That's easy to say, but none of the people who like me can compare to Ethan." Maya pouted.

Campus belles deserved campus heartthrobs. Magnificent looks must never settle.

"Why don't you think about it carefully? Not a single one catches your eye?" Chloe guided the conversation subtly. "There's only one campus heartthrob, but the university has so many departments. Over a dozen department heartthrobs. Surely one is worth a look?"

At the mere mention of "department heartthrobs," Maya immediately thought of that obsessive, unshakeable pursuer.

A layer of goosebumps rose on her arms. "Stop, stop. Any more and this turns into a horror story."

Some people shouldn't just be avoided in conversation; they shouldn't even be given the space of a thought. He was the living embodiment of "speak of the devil."

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Campus belle Maya, today's love delivery is here!"

A girl from next door squeezed in, as familiar as if she lived there herself, and thrust a bouquet of yellow roses into Maya's arms.

She snapped a quick proof-of-delivery photo, sent it to a group with a special tag for the admin, and marked the mission complete.

Then, pressing her palms together, she apologized sincerely, "I'm sorry! He pays way too much. To make it up to you, breakfast is on me for a week."

Maya waved her hand, looking helpless. "Get in line. My breakfasts are booked through next year."

The girl breathed a sigh of relief, smiling with understanding, "I'm glad you're not mad. I'll queue for next year, then. My number from last month is coming up soon. I'll bring you an extra yogurt then."

Maya was waiting in line for Ethan, and Ryan was waiting in line for Maya. It was the circle of life, wasn't it?

From the day he decided to pursue her, Ryan had been unshakeable, sending Maya a bouquet of flowers every single day.

When Maya refused to accept them, he simply switched to a system of mandatory receipt.

Executing this routine was a squad of girls from his specially created "Dorm Auxiliary Group." Ryan had pulled in students from the dorms nearby; anyone who joined got a small instant transfer, with the promise of a large cash reward for every successful flower delivery.

At first, everyone felt a bit awkward. But Ryan was generous. Even a ten percent cut was enough to cover a month's living expenses, so enthusiasm quickly ran high.

Terrified that accepting the benefits would tether her to him, Maya flatly refused to join the group herself. Thus, the flower deliveries evolved into a game of force-feeding the flowers.