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nWilliam hadn’t expected that yet another girl wanted to change him. After clarifying that everyone would be paying their own way, he probed further: “So, for this mixer, how much is each person’s share?”

nLucy replied with some uncertainty, “If it’s just for dinner, it should be around fifty dollars. But if there are other activities afterwards, it might cost more.”

n“That’s fine!” William thought that five hundred dollars per person was acceptable. After all, his roommates seemed eager to attend, and he could afford it.

nBy this time, Lucy had already returned to the dorm with Evelyn. Seeing William’s message, Lucy felt a bit helpless; it seemed that William had no intention of pursuing her.

n“Evelyn, do you know what William likes?” Out of options, Lucy turned to Evelyn for advice. She had asked Evelyn before, and since Evelyn had made it clear that she wasn’t interested in William, Lucy decided to chase after him.

nAfter pondering for a while, Evelyn replied, “He seems to enjoy reading.”

n“Reading? Is he some kind of genius?” Lucy was taken aback. William didn’t strike her as a bookworm.

nEvelyn nodded solemnly, “Perhaps. You could nickname him ‘Bookworm.'”

n“Ew!” Lucy blushed and playfully jabbed at Evelyn, “Are you suggesting I should call him ‘Bookworm’ in… intimate moments?”

nEvelyn rolled her eyes, “You’ve got a wild imagination.”

n“Who’s the naughty one here? It’s you who brought it up!”

n“I just said you could call him ‘Bookworm.’ Why did your mind wander so far? What’s next, thinking about what to name your future kids?” Evelyn was usually reserved in public, and many who didn’t know her well thought she was aloof. But around close friends, she was much more relaxed.

nLucy playfully tackled Evelyn onto the bed, saying, “You think I’m head over heels, don’t you?”

n“Isn’t that the case? You’re the one who can’t keep her eyes off handsome guys.” Evelyn fought back, surprisingly stronger than Lucy remembered. She pinned Lucy down and teased, “Come here, let me give you a health check.” 𝐞𝗻𝐨𝘃𝗹.𝐜𝐨𝗺

n“Oh my! They’ve grown quite a bit. William might like that, hahaha!” Evelyn playfully teased Lucy, who, in her indignation, responded, “Hey, watch where you touch!”

n“Why not? It’s not like you’re losing anything.” Evelyn smirked, “If I don’t do it now, who knows which guy will get the privilege later?” Their playful wrestling caused Lucy’s small bed to creak and wobble.

nAt this moment, Lucy was less concerned about winning over William and more about dealing with the wild girl on top of her.

nGasping for breath, Lucy tried to free herself but found that Evelyn was now much stronger than before. Finally giving up, she weakly said, “Who’s going to take advantage of me?”

n“Who else? William,” Evelyn laughed.

nTears shimmered in Lucy’s eyes as she replied, “Ugh! There’s nothing between us yet. Anyway, I think he has a thing for you. Have you considered him?”

n“Oh? Are we about to see best friends fighting over a guy?”

n“I wouldn’t fight with you over him. If William says he likes you, I’ll step back immediately,” Lucy retorted. “It’s just a guy. What’s there to fight over?”

nAs they continued their playful skirmish, the dorm door suddenly swung open, and Evelyn quickly got off Lucy.

nTwo elegantly dressed girls entered the room. They glanced at Evelyn and Lucy but didn’t greet them, heading straight to their own beds. Their distant relationship was evident.

n“Lucy, I better go now.” Evelyn said, adjusting her clothes, preparing to leave.

nThe girl near the door suddenly asked, “Evelyn, are you going to the mixer tomorrow?”

nBefore Evelyn could answer, Lucy jumped in, wrapping her arm around Evelyn, “Of course she’s going.”

n“Oh, right! I heard Edward Brown is after you. He’ll be there tomorrow, and you won’t even need to pay. Sounds good.”

nHearing this, Lucy’s voice grew sharper, “Clara, that’s uncalled for. My Evelyn hasn’t agreed to anything with that Edward. It’s just a few dollars. Does she need him to cover it?”

nClara Barnes, her back to the duo, chuckled, “Of course, Lucy, you wouldn’t care about such an amount. But helping someone like this, she might just see you as a background prop.”

nEvelyn wasn’t from this dorm room. If it wasn’t for Lucy, she wouldn’t want to step foot here. Women can be jealous, especially someone like her who’s idolized by many men. It makes her a prime target for envy.

nBut the main reason was her lack of wealth.

nIf she had a family background like Lila’s, people like Clara wouldn’t dare make such snide remarks.

nEvelyn remained silent. Facing someone like Clara, she didn’t know what to say.

nLucy glanced at Evelyn and said with a smile, “Clara, you should be careful too. I’ve heard that David is still chasing after Lila. Since Lila isn’t paying him any mind, he naturally gravitates towards you. If she ever says yes, you’ll just be the backup plan.”

nClara didn’t get upset. She scoffed and said, “Me, a backup? David has already proposed to me.” She then extended her hand, showing off the diamond ring on her ring finger, turning around with a smile, “See this? It’s the engagement ring he gave me. We’ll be married next year.”

nAnother girl nearby looked surprised, staring at Clara’s ring, “Wow! David really proposed to you?”

nClara replied with a smug smile, “Of course he did!”

nThe other girl clicked her tongue, “You’re so lucky. My boyfriend only knows how to gift me handbags, perfumes, and lipsticks. I don’t even know where to store them all.”

nClara, with a forced smile on her face, asked, “I thought Thomas wasn’t that wealthy, but he seems pretty generous with you.”

n“Absolutely! I feel bad for him. Last time he gifted me a Louis Vuitton handbag that cost over five thousand dollars. I can’t even tell if it’s genuine.”

nThe two women began discussing their respective “successes”, ignoring Evelyn and Lucy, as if they were from entirely different social classes. Lucy couldn’t stand it any longer, and she pulled Evelyn out of the dorm room.

nAs they stepped out, both of them shook their heads simultaneously, uttering the same words, “Such show-offs.”

nAfter that, they looked at each other and laughed.

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