Aisha stepped forward awkwardly, his hand hovering hesitantly before he mustered the courage to wave.
"Aurora."
The four words left his lips, and his entire face flushed bright red.
This was even after they'd shared a meal together; the rest of their roommates hadn't dared to follow at all.
When Aurora spotted Kael and Aisha, her cold, serene features softened into a bright smile as she greeted them.
That single smile left countless young boys frozen in awe at the admissions office entrance.
Kael spoke up, "Do students in your accelerated program have to attend military training too?"
Aurora replied softly, "We've been on campus for three years, but we're still freshmen."
The two exchanged casual, idle conversation.
Before long, Lina Ba emerged with her roommates, arms full of military training uniforms.
The second Aisha laid eyes on her, he looked like a puppy spotting its owner coming home, his whole body lighting up.
"Lina! I'm here to pick up my uniform too!"
Lina Ba rolled her eyes, "Did you think you came here to use the bathroom?"
Aisha didn't mind the jab at all, just scratching his head and grinning foolishly.
She opened her mouth to tease him further, but the words died on her tongue the moment she saw Kael. The icy look in his eyes from the car yesterday was still fresh in her mind.
Her sharp tone melted into a polite greeting for Kael.
"See you tonight."
Kael nodded slightly.
He turned to Aurora with a gentle smile, "See you tonight."
Aurora nodded in response and walked away.
Aisha stared blankly, confusion written all over his face.
"Wait, see you tonight? Do you have plans? Take me with you, Kael!"
Kael clapped him on the shoulder, "Mason arranged it. A dorm mixer between our two groups."
Aisha's excited expression fell instantly.
Mason had gone all out to win Lina Ba over.
The minimum spend for a royal suite at Sovereign KTV was 2888, and Mason had dropped nearly three thousand just to impress the girls. In that regard, he was already miles ahead of Oliver, the guy who'd been fawning over Lila.
A night of singing at Sovereign alone wasn't enough to sway Lina Ba and her roommates. The real draw was Mason's promise—his older brother, the music director of Veyra City's hit talent show The Voice, would be joining them. That was what had convinced the girls to agree.
At the entrance of Sovereign KTV, Mason pressed three hundred dollars into the hand of a man standing before him.
"Play the part perfectly! You're the music director. Don't gawk at the girls like some country bumpkin. The Uyghur girl is the one I'm after—drop some good words about me, got it?"
The man flashed an OK sign, "Relax, boss, I've got this. I've been acting for years. Though… Havenshire girls are gorgeous. Think I can hook up with one tonight?"
Mason stared at him in disbelief.
This lowlife actually thought he had a shot with those girls?
He burst out laughing, "I brought you here, booked the place, paid for everything… and you want to hit on the girls?"
He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together in a clear gesture for more cash.
The man gritted his teeth, pulling the three hundred dollars back out and shoving it at Mason.
"Here! Take it back!"
Mason chuckled, "Fine. You can flirt with any of them—except Lina Ba, she's mine. Oh, and Aurora Hale too. My roommate's got his eye on her. The other four are all yours."
The man nodded along, but he didn't mean a word of it.
With Mason off campus, the five roommates fit perfectly into one car. Kael led the group to his BMW X5, and He Guangxi—their youngest roommate, now named Jasper—stared in shock.
"You actually own a BMW! I knew you were well-off, Kael, but I had no idea you were this wealthy!"
Nathan, their oldest roommate from a rural background, stood with his mouth agape. He could never fathom a college student owning such an expensive car.
Nathan was the most self-conscious in the dorm. He'd repeated the college entrance exam twice, convinced he was slower than his peers, and growing up in a poor rural town had made his once outgoing personality fade into quiet reserve.
Felix, the quiet and reserved fifth roommate, barely reacted at the sight of the luxury car. With his delicate, handsome features, he blended into the background unless someone noticed his looks.
Just as they reached the car, Lina Ba popped out of nowhere.
"Hey Kael! Perfect chance to show off—drive us six girls to Sovereign!" Behind her stood five other girls; aside from the breathtaking Aurora, the other four were all attractive in their own right.
In an ordinary class, they'd be the center of attention, but standing beside Aurora and Lina Ba, they were nothing more than supporting cast.
There were five boys on Kael's side, six girls on theirs, and only one car.
Kael refused without a second thought, "Sorry, we're full."
He wanted to make a good impression on Aurora, but his past life as a lovesick fool had taught him a harsh lesson: chasing someone with no self-respect led to nothing but humiliation. No matter how much he liked someone, he would never compromise his dignity.
Lina Ba didn't take the rejection to heart at all, leaning in with a playful pout.
"Aww, c'mon! We're girls, we don't know our way around here. Taxis are sketchy! Send your roommates in a cab, and you drive us, please?"
There was no denying Lina Ba's striking beauty. Standing over 170cm tall, she had long, shapely legs accentuated by her skinny jeans, and her playful sway made her exotic charm impossible to ignore. Kael felt the urge to tease her, but one glance at Aurora stopped him cold.
"I'm sorry. The five of us fill the car. You'll have to find another way."
Kael wasn't the only one affected by Lina Ba's charm; Nathan, Mason and Jasper all stared wide-eyed. None of them had ever had a girl this beautiful act coquettish toward them, and they were ready to give up their seats in an instant. Men could take a taxi, no big deal.
It was Aurora who spoke up, her voice soft and gentle like a breeze.
"Lina, let's just take a taxi."
Unlike Lina Ba, who dressed to highlight her figure, Aurora wore loose, flowing clothes that lent her an otherworldly elegance. Her other roommates nodded in agreement, perfectly willing to take a cab. Only Lina Ba huffed in protest.
"Taxis aren't half as nice as a BMW! And your car smells amazing, Kael."
Aisha, who'd just heard Kael say fawning over someone led to ruin, immediately threw that lesson out the window.
He scratched his head nervously.
"Hey, Lina, let's switch places! I'll take the taxi."
Before Kael could respond, Aisha rambled on, "It's not right for girls to pay for a cab. I'll go and cover the fare. Kael, just take Lina with you, please."
Lina Ba cheered and slid into the front passenger seat before anyone could stop her.
Kael stared in disbelief, turning to his roommates.
"Tell me—do you think Aisha's an idiot, or a genius?"
Nathan, ever the honest one, frowned, "What do you mean?"
Kael explained, "He's dumb for handing his crush over to us. But smart? He's gonna be crammed in a taxi with five girls!"