The next day.
Monday morning only had one class—a second major elective that could easily be skipped.
Arden arrived at the dining hall promptly at nine to meet Emma.
From a distance, he spotted Emma in athletic wear. Even though she'd chosen an inconspicuous spot in the dining hall, she stood out among the crowd of students.
As a grad student, she naturally had a few more years of development and knew how to put herself together.
The form-fitting athletic top and leggings, with their dark design, perfectly accentuated Emma's fit physique.
She wore light, natural makeup, making her an overall striking athletic beauty.
"Emma, you look amazing today."
Arden had just brought his breakfast tray over and casually dropped the compliment.
A hint of something flickered across Emma's face before she said nonchalantly, "Really? I feel like I look pretty much the same every day."
"That just shows your makeup skills are excellent—your look is consistently great." Arden openly assessed her. "This natural makeup is really well done."
"Hey, you actually know about natural makeup?"
"Is that weird?"
"Most guys don't know about this stuff, right? A lot of people think I'm not wearing any makeup at all," Emma said with a smile.
As an advisor who also held positions in Student Activities, Emma found it impractical to wear heavy makeup.
But girls still loved looking good, so she preferred fresh, everyday makeup.
Sometimes when she was busy or lazy, she'd simply skip it.
Unless she was meeting someone she cared about.
Today, going to view apartments with Arden, for some inexplicable reason, Emma had woken up very early and spent nearly an hour meticulously getting ready.
Emma actually understood the reasons behind it.
At twenty-two, she was no longer the naive girl who'd just graduated from high school.
Her parents had been looking for suitable guys for her.
But Emma wasn't satisfied with any of them.
Either they were too old, had personality issues, or more often, their physical condition was simply unacceptable to her.
Their looks were fine, but mainly their physiques—rich guys often led indulgent lives, and very few maintained good shape.
Arden hit exactly what Emma cared about most.
That tall frame, those broad shoulders, those subtle abs—just thinking about them made Emma feel warm all over.
What was even better was that Arden's other qualities were also excellent.
Especially from his spending habits—like Emma, he was the low-key wealthy type.
He didn't particularly like showing off, but he would spend money on material enjoyment.
This was actually the most crucial point. For a long-term romantic relationship, matching economic conditions was paramount.
In Bayside City, too few guys could keep up with Emma's spending level.
Add in the constraints of physique and age, and such people were truly rare. Someone like Arden was definitely a scarce resource.
Emma planned to seize this opportunity to see if she could attract Arden's interest.
Such a wonderful young man couldn't be let go.
Hearing Arden compliment her makeup, Emma couldn't help feeling pleased deep down.
She picked a doughnut hole from her plate and held it to Arden's mouth.
"Try this. It's new from the breakfast station—red velvet flavored."
Arden was momentarily stunned.
Because Emma wasn't using a fork, but rather her index finger and thumb to hold the doughnut hole, feeding it to him.
Arden immediately understood. His expression unchanged, he opened his mouth to eat it.
He also subtly tasted her fingertips.
"How is it?"
"Delicious."
"Good~"
Emma's fingers felt the touch of Arden's lips and teeth, but she didn't blush like a young girl. She just narrowed her eyes in satisfaction, smiling warmly.
Her appearance was the bright and dignified type—the kind that would make people feel she'd be a perfect match as a successful man's wife.
Commonly known as "wife material."
When she smiled, the corners of her eyes curved, and her brows were especially beautiful.
This woman is suitable to marry and take home as a proper wife, Arden silently judged.
The two chatted while finishing breakfast, then headed to the school parking lot together.
"Arden, want to ride with me?"
"Nah, I'll drive. If I decide to live there, it'll be convenient to move some stuff over later."
"Alright."
Seeing Arden take out his key to unlock the Mercedes GLE, Emma wasn't surprised. She even thought it was only natural.
Emma had seen plenty of luxury cars worth hundreds of thousands or even millions.
She herself drove an Audi Q7.
Arden naturally had no intention of showing off. He waited for Emma to get settled, then set off.
The drive wasn't far—just over ten minutes.
Emma took the opportunity to briefly introduce the serviced apartment to Arden.
"Ascott is considered a relatively established high-end apartment brand in the US. The one we're checking out is a newly built location from three years ago, so there's no renovation smell, and the facilities won't be outdated. It's in its prime."
"That's perfect. I'm pretty lucky," Arden said, then corrected himself. "Actually, I shouldn't say I'm lucky—I should also thank you for the connection."
"It's nothing. As an advisor, it's my job to look after students."
Soon they arrived at the Ascott Apartment Pennbrook branch.
Entering the apartment lobby, Arden saw several residents coming and going, including some international guests.
They all looked like professionals.
According to Emma, some scholars who came to Pennbrook for exchanges and visits preferred staying at Ascott.
After all, it was reimbursable.
The receptionist at the front desk, with a professional smile, greeted the two visitors. "Welcome to Ascott. Are you here for a short-term stay, or to discuss a long-term lease?"
Emma said, "A long-term lease, possibly extended, with higher requirements for unit type and service. Is your sales manager available?"
"Yes, please follow me."
The receptionist led the way into an office deep within the apartment's ground floor.
The manager had just started work. Hearing someone was there to discuss a long-term lease, he immediately perked up.
"How should I address you both?"
"I'm Emma, and this is Arden. He's looking to rent, and I'm here to help him check it out."
"Alright, you... you look familiar. Are you Emma Anderson from Pennbrook University?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Ha, I thought you looked familiar! I remember you came to view apartments last year," the manager said enthusiastically. Clearly he was aware of Emma's background.
Emma politely responded, "At the time, I was actually very satisfied with the apartments here, but I felt it was too big and empty for one person—kind of wasteful. In the end, I chose to live in grad housing. It's livelier with my best friend there."
"Indeed. So, Mr. West, are you planning to live alone?"
The manager turned to Arden.
"Sort of, but I'll mostly be bringing female companions back."
Arden cleared his throat and stated his requirements. "My request is for the largest and most luxurious unit, with the best amenities. I don't care about price—my budget is within $80k per month."
Manager: "..."