Chapter 353: Finally On Campus!

The following morning, birds gathered on the windowsill, their cheerful chirping eventually rousing Trish from sleep.

She rubbed her eyes and stretched before turning her head.

"You’re awake? Then hurry up and get dressed. It’s almost time for breakfast."

The moment Trish saw Rachel, however, her expression changed.

Her lips twitched.

Rachel was sitting nearby with her cheeks flushed and a bright, thoroughly satisfied smile on her face. She looked as though she had just experienced the most wonderful night of her life.

Trish stared at her for several seconds.

Is this for real?

Rachel’s skin had always been smooth and fair. Although she wasn’t quite as radiant as Arabella, her complexion was flawless, without a blemish in sight.

Yet something about her looked noticeably different that morning.

Her face seemed brighter, her eyes more lively, and her entire appearance carried a fresh, glowing radiance that Trish couldn’t help noticing.

It was as though she had somehow become even more beautiful overnight.

Rachel, apparently oblivious to her friend’s scrutiny, reached for Trish’s clothes and tossed them toward her.

"Why are you still lying there? Hurry up and get dressed!"

After all, today was their registration day. Once they completed the necessary formalities, they would officially begin their lives as university students.

It was an important milestone, and Rachel had no intention of letting her best friend waste the morning sleeping.

Trish caught the clothes and gave her a long, suspicious look.

"Looks like you had quite a good time last night."

She couldn’t resist making the remark.

Trish had expected Rachel to act at least a little embarrassed about the previous night’s events. If nothing else, she had assumed her best friend might try to pretend nothing had happened.

Instead, Rachel folded her arms and raised her chin proudly.

"Of course I did!"

She even tilted her head to the side, deliberately exposing a faint hickey near her collarbone.

Trish stared at the mark, then slowly turned her gaze back to Rachel’s smug face.

For a moment, she genuinely wondered whether this was the same shy girl she had known before.

...

"Arabella, are you going to school later too?"

After freshening up, Trish walked out of the bedroom and spotted Arabella applying light makeup. She couldn’t help asking, a little confused.

As far as she knew, only freshmen were supposed to register for the new semester today. The senior students who helped welcome newcomers might arrive early to assist with the arrangements, but Arabella was about to enter her final year. Surely, she wasn’t expected to participate in that.

"The college asked us to draw a few portraits of the incoming freshmen," Arabella explained. "My counselor specifically asked me to help."

"Really?" Trish’s eyes lit up.

Having seen Arabella’s paintings before, she knew just how talented her older friend was. Her artistic foundation was impressive, and her skills were well beyond what most students could manage.

But if the college needed models, why look any further?

She and Rachel were standing right there, after all!

"Arabella, do you think Rachel and I would make good models?"

"Even if you hadn’t suggested it, I was already planning to ask you two."

With their looks, it wouldn’t be long before Trish and Rachel found themselves on San Fierro University’s campus beauty rankings. Having two such lovely models readily available, Arabella would be foolish not to take advantage of the opportunity.

"Haha! That’s perfect!"

With the girls’ luggage and Arabella’s painting equipment to carry, Luca decided to drive everyone to the university, even though it wasn’t far from their apartment.

By the time they arrived, San Fierro University was already buzzing with activity.

A massive banner hung above the entrance, welcoming the incoming freshmen. Colorful balloons had been arranged in neat rows around the fountain plaza, while dozens of plastic tents stood across the square.

However, the decorations weren’t the only things attracting attention.

"Wow! It’s Senior Arabella!"

"Two months have passed, but Arabella is still just as beautiful!"

A few returning students recognized her immediately, their voices carrying across the crowded entrance.

Nearby, a freshman who had only just arrived turned curiously toward one of the excited students.

"Senior, who’s this Arabella you’re talking about?"

The older student looked at her as though she’d just asked an outrageous question.

"You don’t know? She’s the campus belle of San Fierro University, Arabella Windsor!"

He sighed dramatically, his expression suddenly turning mournful.

"Unfortunately, Senior Arabella already has a boyfriend. Waaah! My youth, my dreams, my unfulfilled love!"

The freshman stared at him in disbelief.

One moment, he’d been speaking enthusiastically about Arabella. The next, he was practically mourning a broken heart.

She hurriedly pulled a tissue from her bag and handed it to him.

"Senior, don’t cry. There’s plenty of fishes in the sea..."

"... bu... but I wanted this one!"

While the two of them struggled through that bizarre exchange, Arabella’s arrival had already attracted plenty of attention.

Her breathtaking beauty was one thing, but it was her naturally refined elegance that made her stand out even in a crowd. With her delicate features and cool, composed demeanor, she seemed almost unreal beneath the morning sunlight.

The prospective students who caught sight of her couldn’t help staring.

"Mom, I’m in love!"

Unfortunately, their budding affection didn’t last long.

As soon as they noticed Luca walking beside Arabella, their hearts sank.

It was as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water over their heads. The beautiful senior they’d only just fallen for was already walking hand in hand with a man.

Sure enough, all the prettiest senior girls were taken.

And to make matters worse, her boyfriend was ridiculously handsome.

"Mom, I’ve been dumped!"

Still, nobody could deny that they made a perfect couple.

A handsome man and a beautiful woman, standing side by side, looked like they had stepped straight out of a romance novel.

Luca and Arabella seemed to form a natural barrier around themselves, discouraging anyone with romantic intentions from getting too close.

The freshmen boys were too intimidated to approach, while even the girls who had been considering asking Luca for his contact information could only watch with dejected expressions.

It seemed that countless hearts were about to shatter into tiny pieces across the university grounds.

Then, just as everyone was drowning in their collective heartbreak, another voice suddenly rang out.

"Wait! Look at the two girls walking behind Senior Arabella! They’re gorgeous too!"

The crowd turned almost in unison.

Trish and Rachel had been following a short distance behind the couple, but now that attention had shifted to them, their own beauty was finally getting the recognition it deserved.

"Mom, I think I’m in love again!"

"Wow! You’re incredible. Even a stock chart doesn’t fluctuate this quickly!"

Apparently, some people were perfectly capable of falling in love several times within the space of a few minutes.

Fortunately, the university had more important things to attend to than the emotional turmoil of its freshmen.

Under Arabella’s guidance, Trish and Rachel completed their registration without much difficulty. Both girls had been looking forward to becoming official San Fierro University students, and the excitement of finally reaching this milestone was written all over their faces.

That enthusiasm took a slight hit when they discovered they hadn’t been assigned to the same dormitory room..

"It’s fine," Luca reassured them. "At most, you’ll only be staying there during your freshman year. Neither of you will need to live there once you’re sophomores anyway."

Trish and Rachel exchanged glances before nodding.

Getting assigned to the same dormitory as a friend was already unlikely. Most rooms accommodated only four students, and there was no guarantee that they would even be placed in the same building.

Besides, neither girl intended to spend every weekend on campus.

Trish wasn’t particularly bothered by the situation, but Rachel was another matter entirely.

She was no longer the innocent, inexperienced girl she had once been. Having experienced more of the world, she had developed a much clearer understanding of her own desires and needs.

Living in a dormitory with several other girls would hardly be ideal.

Once the registration formalities were complete, the four of them helped Trish and Rachel arrange their beds and organize their toiletries. Only after everything had been taken care of did they head toward Arabella’s School of Fine Arts.

Along the way, Arabella received one greeting after another.

Some students waved from a distance, while others stopped to exchange a few words with her. A few even approached specifically to ask about her recent paintings.

It was clear that she was quite popular among the students in the School of Fine Arts.

Her beauty certainly played a part, but it wasn’t the only reason people admired her. Arabella’s talent was just as impressive, and her artistic ability had earned her genuine respect from her fellow students.

By the time they reached the teaching building, someone was already hurrying toward them.

"Darling! You’re finally here!"

A fashionable woman with short hair rushed over the moment she spotted Arabella.

Before Arabella could even finish greeting her, the woman wrapped an arm around her slender waist and gave it a playful squeeze.

"Honey, you’re still as beautiful as ever. And look at this figure! How are you managing to get prettier every time I see you?"

Arabella could only smile helplessly.

She was already accustomed to Fionna’s exaggerated compliments, especially when they hadn’t seen each other for a while. Nevertheless, she was genuinely happy to see her best friend again.

Raising a hand, she gently patted Fionna’s back.

"Alright, alright. Everyone’s watching."

"Hehe! I can’t help it. You smell so good, Arabella. Did you take some special kind of shower this morning?"

Before Arabella could answer, Fionna leaned closer and buried her face against the side of her neck.

She took two exaggerated breaths, clearly enjoying herself.

"Ah! Don’t!"

Arabella jolted in surprise and hurriedly pushed her away.

Fionna stumbled half a step backward, staring at her in confusion.

"Arabella, what’s gotten into you?"

She remembered plenty of occasions when she’d behaved similarly in the past. Usually, Arabella barely reacted, let alone pushed her away like this.

Why was she acting so strangely today?

"Fionna, I’m ticklish," Arabella mumbled.

A faint blush crept across her cheeks as she tucked a loose strand of hair back into place.

Having been Arabella’s best friend for several years, Fionna immediately sensed that something was off.

Arabella was lying.

She knew perfectly well that Arabella wasn’t ticklish. She had tested that theory on numerous occasions, deliberately targeting all the spots that should have made her squirm.

Yet Arabella had always remained calm and composed, barely even batting an eyelid.

So why had she suddenly become so sensitive?

Fionna couldn’t figure it out, but she noticed the embarrassment on Arabella’s face and decided not to press the matter.

Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Luca had something to do with it.

As it turned out, her intuition wasn’t wrong.

When Fionna had leaned toward Arabella’s collarbone, Luca had immediately developed a rather peculiar expression. Fortunately, Arabella had pushed her best friend away before things could go any further, allowing him to release a quiet sigh of relief.

Just thinking about the scene from the previous night was enough to bring a knowing smile to his face.

Unfortunately, someone noticed.

A small hand suddenly tugged at the corner of his shirt.

"What is it?" Luca asked, turning toward Rachel.

She rose onto her tiptoes, covered her mouth with one hand, and leaned close to his ear to keep their conversation private.

"Luca," she whispered, her eyes sparkling with mischief, "you and Arabella certainly know how to have fun. I want to try that next time too..."