Chapter 276
The next day, Bowen took Aubree and Alvin to Rithol University to get them registered for the new semester.
Alvin wasn’t staying in the dorms, and Aubree had quite a bit of luggage. Bowen, keenly aware of his dual role as both the boss and an elder, wasted no time directing Ethan, Samson, and Alvin to haul everything.
Ethan had just returned from Yastraria. He’d never been tanned to begin with, but now the sun in Yastraria had roasted him to a crisp.
Anyone registering at Rithol University was greeted by an unforgettable sight: a sun-darkened, burly man hauling two ultra-girly pink duvets, while another burly guy and a cool, aloof young man beside him were also loaded down with equally pastel-colored items.
The scene? Absolutely priceless.
Samson hung his head low, his voice full of disgust. “Ethan, I gotta stay away from you. This is just humiliating.”
Ethan’s eye twitched. “You think hugging that pink stuffed cat makes you look any better? I haven’t even called you a sissy yet.”
Aubree carried her backpack and trailed behind, grinning from ear to ear with her pearly whites on full display. ‘I’ve got to snap a pic of this for the memories,’ she thought, pulling out her phone.
With classes starting tomorrow, all of Aubree’s roommates arrived today.
Besides Karlie and Sally huddled together, there was another girl who was stylishly dressed and exuding elegance. One leg crossed, she chatted away on her phone. Aubree figured she must be Natalie, the roommate Aubree hadn’t met before.
The door swung open, and all three girls looked over as one, their eyes doing a double-take, first in surprise, then with growing delight.
Natalie already knew from Karlie that their last roommate was Aubree.
Natalie’s eyes instantly lit up when she spotted Aubree with the younger Alvin and the elder Bowen by her side.
Natalie was the first to greet them, but before she could even finish a sentence with Aubree, she immediately flashed a dazzling smile at Bowen and Alvin.
Alvin gave a brief nod in greeting, while Bowen resumed his practiced facade of polite detachment, responding with a courteous smile.
Leaning against Karlie, Sally kept her head lowered, her eyes darting nervously. Each time she dared to glance up, her gaze would invariably land on Bowen.
Before leaving, Bowen treated Aubree’s roommates to a meal. With practiced ease, he casually asked them to “look out for Aubree a bit“, while conveniently adding all three to his contacts. “Just report directly to me if anything comes up,” he added.
Aubree rolled her eyes as she listened from the side. ‘He makes it sound like they should go to him if anything comes up, but let’s be real. He just wants them to keep tabs on me at school,’ she thought.
Military training at Rithol University started in the second week of the semester. Aubree was staying in the dorms, though her three roommates each had distinct personalities. They got along surprisingly well overall.
Sally came from modest means and was rather introverted and insecure.
Although Karlie wasn’t a local, her family was comfortably well-off. She was outgoing and made friends easily.
Natalie was the heiress to a mid-sized enterprise in Rithol City, her every gesture exuding an air of superiority. In the dorm, only Aubree was deemed worthy of her inner circle. The other two, especially Sally, could barely be bothered by her.
On the first day of the semester, Aubree went straight to her counselor to explain her situation. “My company is still in its growth phase, so business trips are inevitable for me,” she explained. “Constantly requesting leave would be too much trouble.”
She thought to herself, ‘It would be a hassle to keep asking for time off.’
The counselor readily assured her, “I’ll talk to your professors. As long as you don’t fail any finals, you’ll be fine.”
With Bowen’s backing, Aubree found it a breeze to establish a firm foothold for GrabCheap in Südlichen Strand. Breaking into the local market was no big deal.
In the very first week of the semester, Aubree went straight to school and requested an entire week off.
Her counselor, who had just told her she could take leave whenever she wanted, was beside himself. “No one told me she’d take it this far!” he groaned.
Blissfully unaware of her counselor’s meltdown, Aubree had flown to Südlichen Strand with Birgitte, who had arrived early to scout out the local market, reported proudly. “Ms. Miller, I’ve secured the entire office building for us.”