After Aria finished washing up and became fully awake, she noticed that the clothes she had changed out of when taking a shower the previous night were hanging on the clothes drying rod in the bathroom.
She was stunned for a few seconds and then walked closer to touch them.
The clothes were dry and gave off the same faint bitter orange fragrance as Ryder's.
It was difficult for clothes washed in winter to dry overnight, unless he had washed them, dried them in a tumble dryer, and then deliberately ironed them.
Aria pursed her lips, thinking of the boy who had kissed her passionately the night before but then suddenly fled with a red earlobe in the middle of the kiss.
After a while, she lowered her head and smiled shyly.
This person was really... Why was he so nice?
After the two of them had breakfast, they drove back to Harvard University.
It had snowed on and off throughout the night, and the ground was once again covered with a thick layer of snow. From a distance, it looked like a world wrapped in silver.
The security guard uncle was dozing off with his chin resting in his hand at the window of the security room. Since there were no classes on the weekend, everyone was sleeping in, and the campus was quiet.
On the way, Ryder bought some food and hot drinks for breakfast. He divided them into two portions and handed one to Aria when they arrived at the downstairs of Apartment Building No. 7.
He asked her to take one portion back and share it with her roommates.
Communication in university was very important. Now that the little girl was in a relationship, the time she spent with him would inevitably increase, perhaps more than the time with her good friends.
He couldn't let her become distant from her roommates just because she was with him.
Aria carried the things and waved at him with a smile, looking lively and charming.
The softness in Ryder's heart melted. He raised his chin and said with a light laugh, "Go upstairs. I'll watch you go in."
The roommates woke up in a daze. Before they could ask the little girl who had stayed out all night, they received the food from Aria.
Instantly, they were so touched that they forgot everything.
Sophie hugged the quilt and said, "Wuwu, baby. What kind of fairy boyfriend have you found? He's so great!"
Olivia, who had been reluctant to get out of bed and was biting into the steaming breakfast, said, "Well, well. I approve of this marriage."
Oli smiled and teased, "Someone is so considerate. It seems that our Ri-Ri will definitely not be bullied."
"We were so worried last night that we couldn't sleep in the middle of the night. We didn't dare to call you rashly, for fear of disturbing you..."
At first, Aria was a bit touched by Oli's heartfelt words, but the more she listened, the more she felt something was wrong. Suddenly, her face turned red, and she said angrily, "... Oh, what are you all talking about!"
"Hahaha, don't be angry. We're just teasing you." The roommates laughed while eating their breakfast. "We know that your Ryder treasures you the most!"
"You're only a freshman. How could he not be able to control himself!"
"..."
Aria quickly climbed onto the bed, covered her face, and buried herself in the quilt.
He really hadn't done anything to her last night except for the kisses...
He even ran away after the kiss.
Thinking of this, Aria couldn't help but secretly smile.
He really made her feel very secure.
Ryder was a very, very good boy. She had always known that.
After taking a nap, Aria went to meet Maya Brooks at the agreed time. They had arranged to meet at the small café on the upper floor of the Harvard University library.
This café had always been themed around "quietness" and also had strong privacy. There were few people coming here. During the final review days, some students would come here to find a quiet place to review.
The coffee here was a bit expensive.
Aria bought some snacks and desserts before going. When she arrived at the café, Maya Brooks was already sitting in the hidden corner.
Maya Brooks had her arms crossed and was leaning back on the sofa, looking relaxed.
However, her pretty face, which had a somewhat aggressive charm, was stern, and her brows were furrowed, as if she was thinking about something that was giving her a headache.
"..."
Aria subconsciously stopped in her tracks.
But as if they had a telepathic connection, Maya Brooks immediately looked up. Aria blinked and looked at her with a guilty conscience.
"Aren't you coming over?"
Aria walked over with a forced smile, sat down, and pushed the snacks she had bought towards her. She smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Here you are."
Maya Brooks raised her eyebrows and looked at her expressionlessly. "You've got some nerve, Aria. You've hidden it quite well."
Aria pursed her lips and didn't say anything, carefully glancing at her.
In Maya Brooks' memory, Aria was a rather timid girl, quiet and introverted, and always had a low presence.
During the military training at the beginning of the first year of junior high school, they were assigned to the same dormitory.
When they first met, she thought this girl was particularly lovable at the first sight.
She had a bold and somewhat outgoing personality and had always been hanging out with Ryder and the others. She had never had a soft girl like Aria by her side before.
Aria wasn't very good at taking the initiative to make friends, but she was a very accommodating person. When someone took the initiative to be friends with her, she was very happy and cherished this friendship very much.
So, the two of them quickly became close.
Even after the military training and the subsequent dormitory rearrangement, the friendship between the two little sisters didn't fade. Instead, they became closer.
If it weren't for her best friend Maya Brooks, she wouldn't have had so many opportunities to stand close behind Ryder and pay attention to him.
Although it was a small agreement they had made that there was no need to confess before falling in love, Aria still felt very guilty at this moment.
She blinked and looked at Maya Brooks.
Maya Brooks couldn't stand her cute act. She couldn't keep up the stern look for more than three minutes. She pinched her face angrily and said, "I'll give you a chance to confess. When did this happen?"
Aria was silent for a moment.
They had been best friends for seven years. Of course, she knew that what Maya Brooks was asking wasn't when she got together with Ryder.
She was asking when it all started.
The earliest time.
Seeing Aria's reaction, Maya Brooks would be really stupid if she couldn't figure it out. She had underestimated the attraction of that guy Ryder.
She had originally thought that this girl had always been indifferent to him and hadn't taken him seriously.
She sat next to Aria, glared at her with a look of "wish sb. could be better", and gently poked her head. "You could have liked anyone. Why did you have to be disobedient and like him?"
Aria didn't say anything, just smiled, and her eyes were curved.
But who could compare to him?
She said softly, "I know I was wrong. You can scold me."
"Aria, you're going to drive me crazy!" Maya Brooks said angrily with a frown.
Aria let her scold her obediently, but she didn't expect to be hugged the next second. She was stunned for a moment. Maya Brooks rested her chin on Aria's shoulder and said sullenly, "Aria, it was a long time ago, wasn't it?"
She had brought Aria into closer contact with them in the second semester of the seventh grade.
Before that, Aria had always been picked up and dropped off by her family.
In the second semester of the first year of junior high school, because her father was busy with work, Aria took the initiative to tell her family that she would take the bus home with her classmates.
It was after that that she had asked Ryder to take care of Aria more.
Ryder was like an abyss.
How could she have been so sure that this silly girl Aria wouldn't be attracted to him?
Because Aria had never shown any special attention or affection for Ryder, she had been mostly at ease.
"Is it very hard to like him?" Maya Brooks asked in a low voice. She felt a bit sad and thought that it was because she wasn't careful enough that she had overlooked these things. "You're so silly."
Aria sensed Maya Brooks' low mood. She smiled and gently stroked her back. She said softly, "It's not like that."