For a century-old esteemed school like University A, it exudes grandeur and has top-notch facilities, including nineteen dining halls.
It was lunchtime, and Elise Don chose the dining hall closest to the women's dormitory to grab lunch. Just as she put on her sunglasses and walked in, she was quickly noticed.
As she walked through the bustling crowd, within just a few minutes, Elise received a dozen looks.
Some sympathetic, some pitying, and some mocking.
All thanks to Leo Lee.
And Leo Lee is a well-known playboy at University A, also her ex-boyfriend.
Under such scrutiny, who could eat?
Elise placed her empty tray at the return area and turned to leave Dining Hall Nine.
The September sun was too bright. As she walked back, she was already breaking into a light sweat. Entering the dormitory building, she pulled out her key and opened the door, immediately greeted by a blast of cool air, instantly refreshing.
But no one was in the dorm; the air conditioning was on, so her roommate must have temporarily gone out to pick up some food.
The sticky feeling on her body was annoying, so Elise put down her handbag and keys, picked up a strap nightgown, and immediately went to the bathroom to shower. When she came out feeling refreshed, her roommate Katherine Blue was already sitting opposite, eating and watching a show.
The air was filled with the rich aroma of spicy noodles that tantalized the taste buds.
Elise walked to her desk, turned her head, and wiped her wet hair.
Katherine heard the noise, took off her headphones, and was about to ask Elise if she wanted some duck neck, but her eyes landed on Elise, and suddenly she felt something stuck in her throat, unable to speak.
She sized up Elise.
As a fellow twenty-year-old girl, such observations often came with a critical eye, yet Katherine couldn't help but genuinely admire her beauty.
The dark green satin fabric hugged her curves, the slit barely covering above the knee, her left leg casually draped over her right leg, fair and long, even women would be enchanted.
Let alone men.
"Actually, Young Master Lee really cared for you, he's just a bit of a flirt." Katherine felt a bit of regret, "Elise, how are things with your boyfriend, you guys didn't really break up, did you?"
Elise paused her actions, her clear eyes looking through her hair, coldly replied.
"Yes, ex-boyfriend."
Elise deliberately emphasized the pronunciation with a proud air, making Katherine chuckle.
"Alright, alright, ex-boyfriend."
They had moved into the double dormitory in the second semester of their sophomore year, only about four months as roommates, not too familiar, usually polite, and getting along okay.
Some topics, Katherine dared not delve into.
Everyone at University A knew that Leo Lee and Elise Don's families were prestigious houses in Beijing circles, destined for a union in the future.
So, even if Elise called him an ex-boyfriend, it might just be lip service; perhaps the families weren't that easily swayed.
Elise had just finished blow-drying her hair when the noise stopped, and she heard the phone ringing on the desk.
Katherine turned back to continue watching her show.
Elise picked up her phone, seeing two unread messages.
All from Leo Lee.
The beauty frowned, opened to check, and with just a few words, Elise's blood rushed to her head.
She flipped the phone over, took a moment, then turned it back over and carefully read the messages again—
Leo Lee: [Since you want to break up, then return the AMG I gave you before.]
Leo Lee: [I'll be staying at West Hill Courtyard tonight, bring the car there.]
...
At eight in the evening, when Elise appeared in the West Hill Villa area, she had deliberately dressed up.
A black bodycon dress, long eyebrows under the bangs, crimson lips, looking every inch a warrior goddess, stepping out of the off-road vehicle with long legs.
She adjusted her makeup, turned to look at the back seat, piled with all the gifts Leo Lee had given.
Designer collections, limited editions, at the time of gifting, Elise didn't care much, returning them now doesn't feel like a loss to her.
But, Elise is used to men willing to go to extremes for her, yet she encountered for the first time someone like Leo Lee—wanting the gifts back immediately after a breakup.
How absurdly bizarre.
This is purely an insult.
After parking the car, Elise walked to the courtyard entrance with her head held high; she asked for Leo Lee, and while waiting for the servant to deliver the message, she noticed the overlapping greenery in the courtyard, with heavy metal music roaring loud.
Elise frowned slightly, a bad feeling, like a dark cloud, quickly looming.
Wasn't she called here to return the gifts? Why does it sound like there's a party inside?!
Are they holding a surrender ceremony under the public eye?!
Young Master Lee is notoriously flamboyant. Elise felt like prey, gradually falling into a snare, feeling uneasy.
She thought about backing out.
By then, a servant had already come to invite her in, Elise pursed her lips and pushed forward with determination.
Walking past the front lawn and through the corridor, on the west side of the courtyard was a swimming pool, where men and women dressed lightly gathered.
It really was a pool party.
Her appearance was like an uninvited guest.
The previously noisy and opulent atmosphere suddenly halted, the playful crowd froze, their eyes wandering over Elise.
Elise's scalp tingled with tension.
By the pool, Leo Lee in trunks, abs tucked at his waist, was partnering with a girl, pushing someone into the water. Upon seeing Elise, his eyes sparked with astonishment.
He kicked someone into the water and strolled over with a smile, asking, "Lily, why did you come?"