It was kind of a shame he couldn't seal the deal with Scarlet today.
Scarlet felt they'd just met, and it was too fast. The first time should be more special... perhaps this was a girl's sense of ceremony.
Arden agreed. After all, it was his first time too.
He agreed verbally but had a different plan in his head.
The final step could wait, but other forms of intimacy couldn't be missed.
The system panel showed Scarlet wanted it too... she'd probably been pent up for three years of college.
Arden planned to proceed gradually, using various intimate methods to slowly "devour" Scarlet bit by bit.
He verbally agreed with Scarlet that in just over a month, on her birthday, she'd give herself to Arden.
In reality, how many days it would actually take depended on Arden's technique.
Good things should be savored slowly. No need to rush.
Arden decided that by then, he'd make Scarlet beg him to complete the final step early.
An evil yet delightful plan had already vaguely formed in his mind.
Anyway, after some time.
Arden collapsed on the sofa, letting out a long sigh of relief.
He felt refreshed.
His mind was a bit blank.
He entered a period of contemplating the universe, existence, and entropy.
Scarlet had gone back to campus, saying she had dinner plans with her roommates.
That was fine. Arden planned to explore other cashback methods for dinner anyway.
Some methods really weren't suitable to do with Scarlet around.
Of the three bags bought for Scarlet, two were temporarily left with Arden since she felt it wasn't safe to bring them to the dorm.
Only the brightly colored one suitable for daily use was carried by Scarlet when she left.
She said carrying such an expensive bag would signal to other guys that she was taken and they shouldn't bother her.
"What if people think you're being kept by some rich guy?" Arden asked.
"Hehe, it's fine. People have always spread rumors that I got with some rich old dude anyway, so I'm not scared of more slander!" Scarlet said with a happy blush, nuzzling against Arden. "It's my luck to be 'kept' by you."
Recalling the happy, sweet expression on Scarlet's face when she said those words, Arden was very satisfied.
While Arden was lost in philosophical contemplation, the system chimed again.
[Ding! Scarlet Hayes's favorability has increased. Current favorability: 90]
[Detected favorability breakthrough to 90. Rewarding one lottery chance. Current total lottery chances: 2!]
No way.
This is already at undying devotion level?
He wondered if it was because Arden had spent enough money on her, intensely enough—or if Scarlet herself was just very pure?
Or maybe it was some mystical love-at-first-sight thing?
Perhaps it was a combination of factors. Emotions were inherently complex.
Whatever. Time to do the lottery!
Two consecutive lottery chances made Arden eagerly rub his hands together.
Wait.
He should shower first. Cleanse himself, then draw.
Actually, generally speaking, in slightly larger cities, non-chain hotels in the suburbs often had usable bathtubs too.
But the hygiene of those bathtubs was... questionable.
Hotels at the JW Marriott level, at least, had their bathtubs meticulously cleaned.
Arden enjoyed a pleasant bath, then, wearing a bathrobe, he bowed toward the river in the direction of the God of Wealth, completing his ritual before clicking the lottery button on the system interface.
[Ding! Congratulations, host—you have won $142,850 in cash!]
[Ding! Congratulations, host—you have won a Primary Body Enhancement Serum!]
[Description: The Primary Body Enhancement Serum will adjust the host's body to a completely healthy state, with all physical fitness indicators reaching excellent levels for an adult male. Existing strengths will be further enhanced!]
This is great.
The past year of senior year had left Arden's body in a somewhat sub-healthy state.
These days, chronic gastritis, neck pain, and lower back issues were common among high school students.
There was no other way—college admissions competition was brutal, and studying was exhausting.
That's why people said current college students were "fragile."
With such intense wear and tear in high school, it was impossible for bodies not to break down.
With this enhancement serum, he could fix his health problems.
As for the boost to physical fitness, Arden was also really looking forward to it. What guy didn't want a strong physique?
Arden glanced at the detailed description of the serum and immediately summoned it.
A small bottle, about the size of a Coke can, contained a transparent, colorless liquid.
He drank it in one gulp.
It had a sweet, refreshing taste and seemed to be absorbed the moment it entered his mouth.
Then Arden lay on the bed.
There were no side effects like his whole body heating up, expelling black sludge, or bones cracking...
He simply slept for about an hour. When Arden opened his eyes, the whole world seemed subtly different.
First, his vision and hearing were sharper.
Second, that feeling of vitality in his body—he'd last experienced it before high school. Ever since he'd started grinding through homework day and night, his body had deteriorated daily. But now it was back to peak condition... no, it was way stronger than before.
In the mirror, looking at his significantly optimized physique, Arden struck a few bodybuilder poses.
He was very satisfied.
"In terms of physical metrics, there's definitely still a gap compared to real gym rats, but overly exaggerated muscles aren't great either. This more balanced look is way more aesthetic."
Arden didn't want to train his body into some grotesque Arnold-level build. Looking good was better.
At that moment, the sky outside gradually darkened. It was evening.
Arden's stomach was also hungry.
He directly ordered a Western dinner set via room service.
He hadn't tried it before, so he wanted to taste it.
Since he planned to drive out later that night, Arden didn't order wine.
The classic Western meal trifecta: appetizer, soup, and steak, with bread on the side.
Premium ingredients paired with light seasoning—it wasn't particularly amazing.
He hadn't even finished his meal when Imogen's message came in again.
[BlakeOutCurtains]: Gaming tonight?
[WestOfEden]: Yeah, I'll call you when I'm ready.
[BlakeOutCurtains]: Okay.
[BlakeOutCurtains]: Then I'll go out and find a spot. My roommates are in the dorm, so it's not convenient.
[WestOfEden]: [thumbs up emoji]
[BlakeOutCurtains]: [rolling cat emoji]
Arden calculated that he planned to stay at the hotel tonight, and the laptop he used for gaming was still in the dorm. Too lazy to go back and get it.
He couldn't possibly play League on a MacBook—it felt so weird.
It had an awkward vibe, like reading trashy web novels on a high-end e-reader with an E Ink screen...
So Arden searched the map and found a gaming café downstairs from the hotel.
It was one of those cafés with a really nice environment. Reviews generally said there was no smoke smell, the setups were new, and there were plenty of seats even during peak hours.
Arden figured it was probably because it was a bit far from Pennbrook's main campus, plus the high rates meant students generally wouldn't come here to game.
The nearby residential area was also a luxury community, and people in luxury communities had even less need for gaming cafés.
Perfect. I'll game here all night.
Wonder if the café has any top-up promos that could get me a few thousand in cashback...
These days, Arden had grown accustomed to the "indulgent tycoon" mindset, always looking for ways to maximize returns.
Only after Imogen said she was ready did Arden head downstairs and find the gaming café by the address on the map.
As soon as he walked in, he saw a familiar figure paying at the counter.
They locked eyes for a moment.
Arden was the first to speak. "No way—you came all the way out here to game?"
"It's because it's far from campus that I won't run into anyone I know!" Imogen said with a slight blush. "You're the one—how'd you end up here...?"
"Oh, I'm staying at the hotel upstairs tonight, so I just decided to game here."
The hotel upstairs... seems really upscale.
Probably costs over $140 a night, right?
Imogen didn't know much about this stuff, but given Arden's wealth, staying at a five-star hotel wasn't surprising.
Suddenly, she thought of something and said happily, "Since we ran into each other, why don't we get a couple's room? This café has them."
Only after speaking did she realize her words weren't quite appropriate.
Then she lowered her head, fidgeting nervously, not daring to look at Arden.