Chapter 5

Staring at the smiling, uncomplicated face across from her, Chloe ran a quick mental audit.

Choosing Ryan came with perks.

First, he was simple-minded, an easy mark to manipulate.

Second, he was clean, young, wholesome, with a known quantity.

Third, they were former gaming buddies, which meant some built-in chemistry.

Fourth, everyone avoided him, so being seen with him wouldn't draw suspicion.

Fifth, his heart belonged to someone else, meaning he wouldn't demand emotional labor.

The downsides?

First, questionable intellect.

Second, he talked too much.

After weighing the scales, Chloe grudgingly filed Ryan away as a "relatively suitable candidate."

Since gaming had stopped curing her insomnia, Chloe had vanished from the server.

Left without his star carry, Ryan's resentment had piled up, and his passion for the game had mostly fizzled out.

Then, out of the blue, an invite to meet up landed in his inbox. His eyes lit up instantly. Snatching his jacket, he tore out of the house and sprinted to the cafe.

But when he realized who was sitting at the table, Ryan's eyes widened in sheer shock.

Public consensus painted Chloe as an icy, untouchable machine, someone who didn't socialize, didn't have hobbies, and didn't have feelings.

That person was his ultimate gaming duo, "Cleo"?

The math didn't add up.

Ryan racked his brain, trying to reconcile his ruthless, calculating in-game partner with the quiet scholar in front of him.

Cleo was a commander who issued orders with lethal precision. Looking at Chloe's aloof expression now, he couldn't make the two images overlap.

"You're really 'Cleo'? The Almighty study genius actually games? Doesn't tank your grades?" he asked.

Suspicion was written all over his face, and he wasn't shy about double-checking.

Chloe offered a calm explanation. "I suffer from insomnia. I used to game to decompress."

Ryan wasn't buying it. "I don't believe you. Prove it."

Without a word, Chloe logged into the account and shoved the screen in his face. "Get online. I'll carry you."

One match later, Ryan had morphed into a total fanboy, clinging to her for another round.

Chloe intended to use the "soften him up with bribery" approach, so she swallowed her impatience and indulged him for one more game.

With her at the helm, Ryan's gaming addiction was reignited. His MOBA soul burned brighter than ever; he was ready to fight until dawn.

Yet, when he begged for a third match, Chloe shut him down flat.

"I thought you said gaming relieves stress and cures insomnia?" Ryan blinked, his puppy-looking eyes swimming with pathos. "Why are we stopping?"

"Because it stopped working," Chloe replied.

Chloe pocketed her phone and cut straight to the chase. "Ryan, the reason I'm here today is to make a deal."

"A deal?" Ryan parroted, looking dumbfounded.

She had originally planned to use gaming as leverage, but now she decided to switch to a condition that saved more time, required less effort, and would undoubtedly thrill him more.

"I'm Maya's roommate. I can help you win her over," Maya said.

Ryan froze for a second, totally caught off guard.

Rule number one for chasing someone: win over the people close to his crush, and he was already halfway there.

He knew they lived together, but Chloe was an even tougher nut to crack than Maya. He had never found an opening. To think she was knocking on his door, offering to be his wingman?

"You'll really help me?" Ryan took the bait instantly, delight written all over his face. "That's amazing! Name it, I'll do anything."

"I just need you to help me fix my insomnia," Chloe said.

"Me?" Ryan pointed at himself. "I'm not a doctor. How can I possibly help?"

Chloe's gaze was steady, her voice candid as she stated, "It's simple. Sleep with me. Use your body to treat me."

A direct, no-nonsense request left him completely dazed.

His mouth hung open, sound failing him for a long moment before he stammered, "I-Is that what I think it is? You mean... that?"

Chloe stared at him and nodded with perfect composure.

The cafe wasn't crowded, but Ryan still glanced around in a panic.

Leaning in like they were conducting a shady underworld deal, he lowered his voice to a hiss. "D-Do you have any idea what you're saying? Saying things like that in broad daylight... have you no shame?"

"Have you never slept with anyone?" Chloe raised a brow.

Ryan jerked his head away.

That ear, instantly red enough to bleed, caught Chloe's eye, making her pause.

Logically, a wealthy playboy like Ryan, constantly surrounded by other rich heirs, should have plenty of experience.

Yet, a voice as small as a mosquito buzzed from his lips. "No."

Immediately, his pride flared up to patch the hole. "But once I win Maya over, maybe I-I can..."

The middle word was too faint to hear.

Before Chloe could analyze it, he added with mock seriousness, "My mom said chastity is a bride's most precious gift to a man. Only for his wife."

"Alright, pretend I never said anything," Chloe said, standing up to leave.

She paused, then added, "But just so you know, Maya's not really the type to be all hung up on saving herself or anything like that."

The whole world assumed Ryan was a player, but he turned out to be the most innocent one.

Ryan looked like he'd been struck by lightning, his lips trembling. "What do you mean?"

Chloe's tone was clinical, as if she were analyzing experimental data. "The whole school knows she likes Ethan. And Ethan has had a girlfriend for three years.

"Plenty of people have seen them being intimate. That's enough to prove that Maya doesn't mind if a man has a past."

Ryan was dumbfounded. "You mean... Maya likes guys with romantic experience?"

"I'm not sure of her preference I'm just offering a possibility."

What Chloe didn't say was that Maya frequently thirsted over Ethan's body in their dorm. Chloe had heard it more than once. Maya didn't just crave the romance; she craved the physical reality.

Maya likely wasn't a "pure love" kind of girl; she was definitely a "lust" kind of girl.

The coffee on the table lost its last shred of warmth, turning completely cold. Chloe had intended to seal the deal and proceed with the "treatment" immediately, but now that seemed doomed to fail. She decided to head back and read.

When she stood up to leave for the second time, Ryan grabbed her wrist.

Everything in the world has a duality. Just as some preferred an innocent beginning, others preferred skilled confidence.

If Maya really did prefer experience, and Ryan was still a blank sheet of paper, wouldn't he be despised? Compared? Dumped?