“Damn… are my eyes glitching or what?”

“Hell no! Asher Dawson, that broke nobody, actually got together with Aria Coates?!”

“For a second I thought love was real again—screw that idea!”

On the track field of Qingzhou University, countless guys were shouting like the world had gone off-script, claiming their eyes had basically burned out.

Asher Dawson, the certified poorest kid on campus, was walking hand-in-hand with the legendary goddess of Qingzhou University—Aria Coates.

Aria showing up alone was enough to magnetize every gaze in a hundred‑meter radius. But right now, what drew everyone’s attention was her pale, delicate little hand, tightly held by Asher Dawson—the campus’ number one penniless orphan.

The guys watching were about to explode from injustice.

Asher was a kid from some tiny town, no money, no background, no flashy looks. Meanwhile, Aria Coates was the school goddess. How on earth did *he* catch *her* eye?

Was true love really still a thing in this world?

Truth be told, Asher himself was confused. Sure, he came from a small county, but he wasn’t clueless. In fact, he had his own brand of sharpness.

He looked like the nerdy, honest type, but back in his hometown, he’d been through fights, arguments, and every messy drama imaginable. He knew exactly who he was.

A few days ago, when Aria suddenly confessed to him in the cafeteria, he froze on the spot.

Aria Coates was basically a celebrity at Qingzhou University. Luxury cars picked her up, she hung out with rich heirs, and despite the “goddess” title, everyone knew she was… well… the campus version of public transportation.

It was like when you’re exhausted from walking and a free bus pulls up right beside you—are you getting on or not?

Obviously, Asher enjoyed the perks for a few days.

He wore an honest, goofy smile, but his wandering hand definitely wasn’t honest as it settled on Aria’s warm, slender waist.

“Baby,” he said, “how about I take you to that potato stand next to the cinema? Their fries slap.”

Aria inhaled deeply, visibly trying not to smack him into orbit. She kept her charming dimples, let her eyes shimmer sweetly, and instead of replying, she giggled, “Come with me. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Asher leaned close, lips brushing her cool earlobe as he whispered, breath warm, “Funny, I’ve got plenty of surprises I wanna give you too.”

Aria was on the verge of losing it. Who told her Asher was a harmless, clueless bookworm? In just a few days, she’d already been taken advantage of more times than she could count.

And every time he took her out, he never spent more than twenty yuan. The owner of the little potato stand outside the cinema knew her face by now.

She was a recognized beauty on campus—normally dozens of rich young men lined up to take her to fancy restaurants. Yet this guy treated five‑yuan fried potatoes like he was feeding her a royal banquet.

She genuinely couldn’t take it anymore.

But… all of this was about to come crashing down.

Aria Coates yanked her hand free from Asher Dawson’s wandering fingers, shot him a sideways look, and muttered, “Follow me.”

Asher’s lips curled in a small, unreadable smile. He trailed behind her, fishing out half a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He lit one with a lazy flick, letting the smoke drift upward as he watched her slim silhouette ahead. He wasn’t in a hurry. He just wanted to see what kind of drama she was brewing.

They walked all the way to the west-side parking lot of Qingzhou University. And the moment Asher arrived… he realized Aria had really prepared something “special.”

The place was packed. Students—mostly the rich heirs of the school’s powerful families—had gathered in a tight circle. When their gazes fell on Asher, he instantly caught their vibe.

That almost-smiling, almost-mocking expression.

Like a bunch of cats finally cornering the little mouse they’d been toying with.

A bunch of them even had their phones up, clearly livestreaming.

As Asher and Aria approached, the crowd automatically parted, revealing a sleek black Porsche right in front of them.

Asher narrowed his eyes, grinning. “Babe, don’t tell me you’re gifting me a sports car?”

Aria froze for half a second. Why did this idiot never follow the script?

Realizing the livestream was rolling, she strode toward the Porsche. Then she spun around, pointed straight at Asher, and her eyes lit up with the thrill of finally dropping her act. Her voice trembled with a cruel kind of excitement.

“Asher Dawson, did you seriously think someone like me would fall for you? I was just messing with you!”

Then she switched to a tone dripping with pity, the kind that cut deeper than straight-up insults. “Look at yourself. Everything you’re wearing added together isn’t worth a thousand yuan. What makes you think you’re qualified to date me?”

Just as she finished, a guy stepped out from behind the Porsche.

Flamboyant Morrison.

Asher’s classmate. The classic spoiled second-gen rich kid.

Seeing him, Asher couldn’t help laughing. If he remembered right, Flamboyant had confessed to a girl in their class not long ago and got brutally rejected. Rumor had it the girl said she’d rather date Asher than go out with him.

So this idiot really held a grudge? And pulled a whole stunt like this? Honestly, rich idiots were on a different level of terrifying.

“Hahaha! I knew it. How could Aria ever like a loser like him?”

“This is insane. Think Asher’s gonna go off himself after this?”

“Damn! All three major livestream platforms are broadcasting this. Viewers already passed ten thousand. Asher Dawson is officially famous now! Hahaha!”

The trust-fund crowd was practically drooling, waiting to see Asher break down—rage, humiliation, heartbreak, anything. Some people in the chat were even spamming gifts to drag more viewers in.

Every platform had the same title: “Loser Chases Campus Goddess, Gets Brutally Rejected.”

But what disappointed them most…

was that Asher Dawson’s face didn’t show a single trace of the collapse they were hoping for.

There was no anger in him, no heartbreak, not even the kind of humiliation-fueled rage everyone expected…

Instead, Asher Dawson actually grinned and pulled out his wallet.

Seeing that, Flamboyant Morrison burst out laughing. “Well, well, he’s really taking out his wallet! Bro, do you even have money?”

Asher understood perfectly now. Aria Coates had “confessed” to him just to make him a joke.

In Flamboyant Morrison’s eyes, the whole thing was nothing but a boring prank.

If Asher had been the fragile type, this kind of emotional whiplash—topped off with a public livestream humiliation—might’ve pushed him over the edge to do something stupid.

But Asher didn’t even blink. He calmly took out a handful of loose bills, walked toward Aria, and held the money out to her. His eyes softened with a seriousness that almost looked tender.

Then he said slowly, “Your skills are still kinda rough, but hey, overnight fees are overnight fees. We’ve been ‘practicing’ together these days—you must’ve picked up quite a bit. Just remember to put what you learned into real work. I’m sure your business will get better and better. Keep it up. I believe in you.”

Everyone who had been waiting for the drama froze.

What the hell did they just hear? “Put what you learned into practice”? What exactly were you two practicing?

Aria’s face flushed bright red. She slapped the money out of Asher’s hand, furious, her pretty features twisted. “What the hell would I learn from you?!”

Asher only smiled, saying nothing.

He didn’t need to explain—everyone here was an adult. They could fill in the blanks themselves.

The livestream already had over thirty thousand viewers. Asher had dumped that bucket of dirty water on her so suddenly she couldn’t dodge it at all.

Aria opened her mouth, wanting to defend herself, but Asher sighed first. He shot Flamboyant Morrison a look full of pity, then turned back to Aria, shaking his head with a faint, almost sympathetic smile.

“Anyway… if you ever need help in the future,” he said quietly, “you can always come to me.”