"Did you hear? Stella Orion got dumped!"

"Which Stella Orion?"

"Which other Stella Orion? The one who's the star student of the English Department, the one who all the heartthrobs from different faculties couldn't win over for three years—the incredibly aloof Stella Orion!"

The fall of the high and mighty flower was news everyone relished.

Soon enough, every major section of EP Royal University's campus forum was buzzing with this gossip. A post titled [Love Triangle Defeats Campus Belle, Stella Orion Withdraws in Sorrow] shot to the top of the trending list.

"Whoa! Did Ken Knight dump Stella? Is this for real? Didn't he just get together with the campus queen?"

"So, Stella's love was unrequited, huh? She wanted to pursue Ken, but Ken likes Bella White… Stella rejected so many suitors before, and now it's come back to bite her."

"Bullshit! "

"How is it bullshit? Everyone knows Stella avoids guys like the plague, like she has androphobia, but she's only ever studied with Ken. Isn't that telling?"

"Poor Stella, what the hell is Ken thinking? Stella has won national awards and got a guaranteed spot in graduate school, she's amazing!"

"What's the use of being good at studying? Men like girls they can pamper. She always has that cold, deadpan face, how can she compare to Bella's sweetness?"

"Emmm, am I the only one who thinks Stella looks better than Bella? Stella has so much more charisma and a fantastic figure! Bella… is kind of plain, right?"

"Same here, I love those cool and beautiful types like Stella!"

"Pfft, Stella's looks just scream danger."

"Missing out on such a high-quality guy, Stella must be fuming now."

"…"

Stella Orion herself was utterly baffled by this.

She barely had a nodding acquaintance with Ken, so how did she end up entangled in a love drama?

The other three girls in dorm 525 were also scrolling through the trending post, their screens filled with snarky comments that made them want to curse out loud.

Samantha exclaimed, "Damn it! Study together, my foot. It was Ken who waited around for you, and now they're saying you chased after him? Who's spreading these lies?"

Stella could only smile wryly. "No idea."

She met Ken in the library when they both happened to reach for the same book and exchanged a few casual words. Later, Ken frequently timed his visits to the study room to coincide with hers, even hinting at his single status and asking about her ideal type.

Stella wasn't sure about Ken's intentions, but she disliked the feeling of being watched. She straightforwardly declined his request to exchange contact information. She never expected these few encounters to be misinterpreted so drastically

"This post is obviously stirring the pot, putting Bella on a pedestal while tearing you down. Do they even know you? What's their problem?" Sarah frowned. "Stella, should we reply to clear this up?"

Before Stella could respond, Emily suddenly stood up from her seat. "Whoa! Ken just replied to the post!"

[Law School - Ken Knight: Thank you all for your concern about me and Bella. Out of all the water in the world, I only drink from one cup.]

"Wow, that's pretty suggestive."

"So he's admitting it! Stella did pursue him!"

The four girls exchanged looks, each seeing the same frustration in the others' eyes

Emily summed it up, "He's really shameless."

As they spoke, a freshman girl wearing a new student T-shirt knocked gently on the half-open dorm door and waved shyly at Stella. "Hi, I'm here to return your notes.

Stella walked over to take the notebook and invited her inside. "I told you, just leave it at the front desk of the faculty building. No need to come all the way here."

The freshman dorms were in a newly built area, quite far from their old dorms—a twenty-minute walk.

The girl scratched her head sheepishly. "I was worried it might get lost at the front desk." She looked up at Stella with sparkling eyes. "Stella, your notes are amazing! My whole class was blown away. We're all so grateful!"

"It's nothing, really. No need to thank me."

The girl blushed a bit, pulled a bottle of soy milk from her backpack, and handed it to Stella. "I heard you like this, so I brought you a bottle. Thanks again for your notes. Bye, Stella!"

Stella held the soy milk and smiled as she watched the freshman hurriedly run off.

"Wow, another little fangirl for our star student Stella," Samantha said, hugging her shoulders. "It's nice to see there are still students focused on studying instead of gossiping… By the way, are you going to clear up that post? It's blowing up!"

"No," Stella put the soy milk on the table and glanced at the clock on the wall. "This kind of thing is hard to clarify. People believe what they want to believe. The more I argue, the more they'll think I'm guilty. So let them think whatever they want. It's fine~"

Seeing Stella's calm expression, Samantha swallowed her suggestion to "expose the fake and restore the reputation of EP Royal," and sighed. "I really wonder what kind of guy our Stella will end up liking… Hey, why are you putting on your jacket?"

Stella: "I have something to do tonight, so I won't be joining you for dinner."

Samantha: "Where are you going?"

Stella thought for a moment. "It's… a blind date, I guess?"

"A blind date?!" Emily was shocked. "A young girl getting married so soon?"

Sarah: "Is this a twist of human nature or a moral decline?"

Stella wrapped a scarf almost as tall as she was around her neck, barely revealing her clean face. She glanced at the sky outside, tinged with sunset hues, and murmured, "Maybe… a destined husband."

Thirty minutes later, Stella got out of the car in front of Nine Creeks Restaurant. At seven o'clock tonight, she was going to meet her fiancé—for the first time.

Talking about this marriage, Stella found it quite surreal. It was only a week ago when she received a call from her aunt and learned that she was apparently "betrothed." It turned out her grandfather had arranged a marriage for her when she was a year old, with the grandson of his friend, who was seven years older than her.

Normally, such an old-fashioned "joke" shouldn't be taken seriously after twenty years, but her fiancé, whom she had never met, earnestly came with gifts, expressing his desire to honor the engagement

Her aunt and uncle asked for her opinion. She was stunned at first, but after thinking it over, it didn't seem like a bad idea.

She had never been in a relationship and didn't consider it a necessity. Her original plan was to either go on blind dates after graduation or stay single. But now, since there was an opportunity to fulfill her grandfather's wish, she agreed.

There was still half an hour before the scheduled time. She wandered around the area with her earphones in, tidying herself up before entering the restaurant around 6:50 PM.

Waiters in silver-white uniforms stood in two rows at the entrance, bowing to her. "Good evening, Miss Orion."

Stella was slightly surprised but politely nodded in response.

A distinguished middle-aged man approached her respectfully. "Miss Orion, I am Henry, the general manager of Nine Creeks. Mr. Starr has already arrived. Please follow me."

"Thank you." Stella nodded in gratitude, thinking that it was no wonder Nine Creeks was the top Chinese restaurant in EP Royal; even the general manager personally greeted the guests.

Henry nodded back and led her through the corridor.

Nine Creeks had always been famous. Stella had heard Sarah mention that Ken's "heartthrob" status began when he posted a photo of himself dining at Nine Creeks on the school intranet because reservations at Nine Creeks were booked solid all year round, and having money alone didn't guarantee a table.

But now, she found it a bit strange because it was incredibly quiet, as if no one was there.

Henry, adept at reading expressions, noticed her confusion and explained, "Mr. Starr has reserved the entire restaurant for tonight. Nine Creeks is only serving you and Mr. Starr this evening."

Reserved the entire place?

Stella's eyes widened in surprise. Wasn't this just a dinner? Why such extravagance? She belatedly started feeling nervous, but before she could gather her thoughts, Henry had already bowed and opened the door to the private room for her.

And then she saw a tall figure.

The man was very tall, with long, straight legs. She stared for a moment, thinking that this must be what they meant by "broad shoulders like the Pacific Ocean."

Henry called out, "Mr. Starr," and the man turned around.

Stella's eyes lit up.

Her first impression was, Oh my, he's handsome! And then, Uh… but his face looks so cold.

"Cold?" the man asked.

"Ah?" Stella was startled. Did she just say that out loud?

"Your face is very red," the man said again. "Are you cold?"

"Oh," she sighed in relief, rubbing her flushed cheeks. "I'm fine."

The man walked a few steps closer, stopping at a polite distance. "Hello, I'm Leo Starr."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Starr," she nodded politely. "I'm Stella Orion."

She looked up, and their eyes met.

Stella thought he seemed momentarily distracted, but it was fleeting, perhaps just her imagination.

Leo Starr was silent for a few seconds and then said, "Please, have a seat."

A waiter brought in hot towels and drinks.

Stella glanced at the warm soy milk in front of her, served in a cartoon bear cup, then at the more "adult" lemon water in front of Leo Starr. She was puzzled by Nine Creeks' criteria for selecting drinks for their guests.

She took a sip from her cup. The sweet but not cloying taste lingered on her tongue, surprisingly reminiscent of what she used to drink as a child. Delighted, she cradled the glass and drank it in small sips, feeling the warmth spread from her mouth to her entire body, even warming her cold fingers.

The private room was very quiet, and Leo Starr, with polite restraint, didn't speak further, simply watching her intently.

The young woman's skin was very fair, her eyes slightly upturned at the corners, and her nose was high and sharp, giving her a cool and distant appearance. But at this moment, her cheeks were flushed, softening that aloof look. Coupled with her topknot bun, she looked like a delicate, charming red apple.

After she put down the cup, Leo Starr spoke, "How did you get here?"

Stella unconsciously licked the corner of her lips. "By taxi."

Leo's gaze narrowed, slowly shifting from her moist lips to her still-pale fingertips. He added, "There's a taxi drop-off area right in front of Nine Creeks."

Stella blinked, sensing a hint of inquiry in his words. Following Leo's gaze, she looked at her frostbitten hands and suddenly understood. "Oh, I walked around outside for a bit. I arrived too early and didn't want to be impolite."

Leo said nothing, his gaze deepening.

Feeling uneasy under his scrutiny, Stella instinctively clutched the jade pendant around her neck. "Is there something wrong?"

"You don't have to worry about such things with me."

Stella didn't quite understand.

Leo looked into her eyes and said slowly and clearly, "You are my fiancée."