Stella ran all the way back, darting past couples saying their goodbyes and sprinting up to the fifth floor in one breath. If she put in this much effort during physical tests, she wouldn't have a dismal 11.8 seconds for the 50 meters, a score that always made her gym teacher shake his head.
Standing at the dorm door, the embarrassment of calling him "Honey" finally subsided. She rubbed her flushed cheeks and took out her key to open the door.
"Stella, just in time!" Samantha grabbed her and pulled her inside. "The student council is doing a room check, and they're almost here."
Stella put down her backpack and took off her coat. "Why are they doing a check this late?"
Sarah replied, "They're checking for overnight absences and prohibited electrical appliances."
"Whatever they're checking for," Samantha said, showing her phone screen, "the important thing is that a freshman downstairs told me one of the inspectors is Bella White!"
Emily exclaimed, "Bella White is in the student council?"
Samantha shrugged. "I just found out too. She's the head of the Living Committee."
Sarah was puzzled. "But isn't room checking usually done by freshmen and sophomores? What's a senior like her doing it for?"
"Exactly. She skipped the other dorms and came straight to ours. Do you think she's got another motive?" Samantha looked at Stella. "Sweetie, I think she's targeting you."
"Me?" Stella was confused. "But aren't I supposed to be the 'loser who lost to the campus queen'? Why would a winner like her want anything with me?"
Sarah rolled her eyes. "How can you say that so calmly?"
Emily clapped her hands, laughing. "Our Stella has nerves of steel!"
Stella made a V-sign with her fingers.
Samantha continued, "She's probably here to show off. She always loves to compare herself to you. I can already imagine her talking about Ken in every other sentence."
Stella patted Samantha's hand. "It's okay. We'll just ignore her. In my experience, ignoring her will work better than confronting her directly."
There was a knock at the door. Sarah opened it to reveal Bella White. At 10:30 PM, Bella was impeccably made up, dressed in bright clothes, and wearing high heels that looked to be at least ten centimeters high.
She glanced quickly at Stella before leading her team inside. "Student council inspection."
Sarah replied, "Oh."
Bella surveyed the room with her hands behind her back, then nodded. The others immediately began their work efficiently.
The student organization had a touch of bureaucracy.
Sarah turned back to her desk, exchanging an eye roll with Emily.
"Any prohibited appliances?"
"Please open your drawers."
"What's in here?"
The members of room 525 cooperated openly and confidently. They didn't even own a hairdryer, so they had nothing to fear from the inspection.
After two minutes, the underlings had found nothing and retreated to the door.
Bella, however, didn't seem ready to leave. She gracefully walked over to Stella and pointed at the cloth-covered item on her desk. "What's this?"
"A hot water bottle," Stella replied.
"Is it electric?"
"No," Stella pulled off the cloth cover to show her. "Just a regular rubber hot water bottle."
Bella didn't seem convinced and handed it to a girl with a high ponytail. "Check this."
"..."
It was a ten-dollar hot water bottle, with no electric components. What was there to check?
High Ponytail took the hot water bottle, inspecting it with exaggerated seriousness. "You must be so busy, Bella. If Ken knew, he'd be worried about you."
Bella gave Stella a superior look and smiled shyly. "He does get a bit clingy. If I'm not with him, he gets upset, like a child."
Stella silently gave Samantha a thumbs up.
Samantha had predicted everything accurately.
High Ponytail added a few more comments, then suddenly exclaimed, "Wow, your ring is beautiful, Bella! It must be expensive?"
Bella casually brushed her hair back, the small diamonds on her ring sparkling in the light. "Ken gave it to me. It's the latest from Tiffany's, over three thousand dollars. I told him not to get me something so expensive, but he insisted."
High Ponytail gushed, "Ken's got the looks, the family, and he's generous. Some people must be so jealous!"
Bella waved her hand modestly, saying, "Not at all," but turned to look at Stella, who was quietly sitting, her face expressionless.
Bella's smile stiffened, and she cursed Stella for being so dull. Just as she was about to say more, Samantha stepped in.
"Really? The latest from Tiffany's?" Samantha looked confused. "It doesn't look like the one I saw."
Bella's expression faltered, and she put her hand in her pocket. "There's a whole series. You probably saw a different one. Is the hot water bottle checked? If there's no problem, let's move on to the next room."
Samantha tilted her head. "But I saw the whole series, and I didn't see yours…"
Bella ignored her, trying to leave, but Emily blocked her way.
"Samantha, didn't you get the latest Tiffany's ring too? Let me see!"
Samantha casually pulled a ring from her drawer and tossed it to Emily. "Here, this one. It wasn't too expensive, just over five thousand dollars. It's the cheapest in the new collection."
"Wow!" Emily held the ring up, her tone even more exaggerated than High Ponytail's. "Such a big diamond!"
Samantha was known for being a wealthy beauty, so her words carried weight. The underlings began looking at Bella with suspicion.
Bella's face turned pale. She said nothing and walked around Emily to leave.
Once the door closed, the four girls burst into laughter.
Stella was surprised. "Wasn't her ring the latest one?"
"I wasn't sure," Samantha said, "It just didn't look right, so I took a guess. Turns out I was right!"
Sarah asked, "And your ring? Is it the latest?"
"Of course not," Samantha replied. "My dad hasn't given me any allowance lately. I can't afford such an expensive ring. I just grabbed one to mess with her. Emily's acting was perfect!"
"Naturally!" Emily proudly put her hands on her hips.
"Seriously, what's so great about Ken? Bella's showing off like crazy," Sarah said, then remembered something and turned to Stella. "How did your blind date go?"
Stella unconsciously glanced out the window and nodded. "It went well." Then she looked at her roommates. "I'll treat you all to dinner next week."
Samantha asked, "Why? Did you get another scholarship?"
Stella shook her head. "I'm getting married."
The room fell silent.
A few seconds later, Emily stammered, "Sweetie, what did you say you're doing?"
Stella smiled. "It's true. I'm getting married."
That night, the screams from room 525 echoed through the entire floor.
After the irate dorm supervisor was placated and sent away, Sarah, Samantha, and Emily dragged Stella to her bed and began their interrogation.
"When did you two get together?"
"Is he from EP University?"
"How old is he?"
"Is he good to you?"
"Where is his family from?"
"Is he an only child?"
"What does he do for a living?"
"Is he handsome?"
"How's his… technique?"
"…"
When Stella mentioned her future husband's name, Leo Starr, the three girls were stunned.
Emily was shocked. "Leo Starr? The Leo Starr I know? The current chairman of Starr Group?"
Starr Group, founded by the Starr family in EP Royal in the last century, had thrived for over a hundred years. Today, its business empire spans finance, real estate, e-commerce, entertainment media, and healthcare, making it a powerhouse.
Stella nodded. "Yes."
"Wow!" Sarah hugged Stella's leg. "Boss lady, am I going to get a promotion and a raise and reach the pinnacle of life?" She had recently signed a job offer with Starr Group, and now her roommate was the fiancée of the boss.
Emily scoffed, "What happened to not bowing for five bushels of rice?"
Sarah retorted, "This isn't five bushels. This is five hundred, five thousand, fifty thousand bushels!"
Compared to their excitement, Samantha seemed more worried. Her family's company had dealings with one of Starr's subsidiaries, and she had heard many "rumors" about Leo. The common assessment of Leo Starr in the industry was that he was ruthless, highly skilled, and decisive. Even her shrewd father had warned her, "Never cross Leo Starr."
Could their innocent Stella survive in a den of wolves?
"Sweetie, have you really thought this through?" Samantha asked gently. "Leo Starr is different from us. He has the power to do as he pleases. What if, just what if, he doesn't treat you well?"
"It's okay. His grandfather and my grandfather were old friends, and his father knows my uncle well. I don't think I'll suffer any losses," Stella thought of the figure quietly watching her under the streetlight and added, "And for some reason, I trust him."
Samantha felt slightly relieved and teased, "I think you're just attracted to his looks!"
Emily slapped her thigh. "Wait, isn't he said to have countless admirers? Didn't some A-list actresses openly declare their love for him? And weren't there some heiresses who vowed to marry him? He's not a playboy, is he?"
"Not at all," Samantha replied. "Leo Starr is known for being a super cold fish. Over the years, he hasn't had any women around him. His personal life is very clean."
Stella was surprised. "Not a single woman?"
"Isn't it shocking?" Samantha raised an eyebrow and continued, "Once, during a charity gala, a popular actress bribed a hotel staff member to get the key to Leo's suite and sneaked in, stark naked…"
Stella was curious. "And then?"
Samantha smiled mysteriously. "Then your husband… called the police!"
Stella was dumbfounded.
Emily asked, "Did he report her for sexual harassment?"
"No, the official reason was 'illegal entry, suspected of stealing trade secrets.' But everyone knew what really happened," Samantha explained. "Imagine, amidst the glitz and glamour of an outdoor party, with celebrities mingling, and suddenly, red and blue lights flashing in the night! Isn't it thrilling?"
Stella nodded.
"I heard the actress was so scared she was trembling, wearing only a bathrobe when the police took her away. Her manager didn't dare say a word. She was later… blacklisted."
Sarah commented, "That's harsh. A clear warning to others!"
"Exactly. After that, no one dared to approach Leo again, and all genuine suitors were rejected," Samantha continued, getting carried away. "So there's a rumor in the industry that Leo is actually asexual and can't perform in that area!"
The room fell silent.
Samantha choked on her words and, along with Sarah and Emily, turned their pitiful gazes towards Stella, who was quietly eating her snacks.
"Oh no, what about Stella's future happiness?" Emily lamented.
Stella: "…"