Seeing the bags in Arthur’s hand, Ashley finally reacted. She pushed them back, scolding him. “Why did you buy them just like that? These clothes are way too expensive.” She glanced behind Arthur and added, “Once the crowd clears, we’ll return them. I’ll just tell them I don’t like them, and they’ll refund you.” Arthur frowned. “Why return them? You haven’t even tried them on yet. At least give them a chance.” Ashley rolled her eyes. “Do you think making money is that easy? These clothes might be nice, but they’re just things. I can wear cheaper ones just fine—why waste money?” “But these clothes will look amazing on you.” Ashley looked at him strangely. “We’ve only known each other for a few days. You really don’t need to buy me anything, let alone such expensive clothes.” Arthur raised a brow. “Didn’t you just say you wanted me to be your boyfriend?” Ashley’s face instantly turned bright red. She stammered, “T-that was just for show! I was only trying to get back at them. Don’t take it seriously!” Arthur looked at her stubbornly lifted chin and her flushed little face, barely holding himself back from pinching her cheeks. She was way too cute. Sixteen-year-old Ashley still had a bit of baby fat, making her cheeks look soft and round. Her smooth, fair skin now carried a rosy flush, like a delicate figurine behind a glass display. Her big, expressive eyes shimmered as if they could talk, her long lashes fluttering with every blink. Her upturned nose and soft pink lips made her seem unreal. Arthur quickly looked away. If he kept staring, he wasn’t sure he could control himself. Ashley saw he wasn’t responding and lifted her chin higher, as if to emphasize, “I mean it! Don’t take it seriously! I only said that to help you.” Arthur smirked, deciding to tease her. “But so many people heard you. A lot of them were from our school. By tomorrow, the whole campus will think we’re really dating.” Ashley froze. She immediately declared, “I’ll explain everything.” Arthur raised an eyebrow, putting on a pitiful look. “But if you explain, everyone will know we lied. I don’t want people thinking I’m a liar. And worse… they’ll still think I was being kept by you. Plus, Zac—if he finds out, he’ll definitely come to mock me again.” Ashley looked up and found Arthur staring at her with big, pitiful eyes. He was tall, with well-defined features. Though he was on the lean side, his sharp eyes gave him a distinct presence. His skin wasn’t the fairest, but it looked healthy and full of life. Before, she thought of him as just a timid little guy. But after spending time with him, she realized he was tough—someone who was both brave and smart. Now, seeing this so-called “tough guy” acting pitiful, Ashley nearly lost it. She hesitated, stammering, “Then… then what should we do?” Arthur shrugged. “Simple. Just pretend to be my girlfriend. That way, there’s nothing to explain.” Ashley seriously considered it before hesitantly asking, “There’s no other way?” Arthur spread his hands. “What else can we do? This is the best solution.” Ashley mulled it over for a long time before finally sighing in defeat. “Fine. But! This is only pretend! It’s not real! You’d better not cross any lines!” Arthur nearly lost it right then and there. He quickly covered his mouth with a fist, coughing to hide his smile. After suppressing his amusement, he looked up and nodded solemnly. “Don’t worry. I’ll behave. I won’t cross any boundaries.” Hearing his promise, Ashley relaxed. Then she suddenly thought of something and warned, “I’m only doing this to help you. If not for that, I wouldn’t go through all this trouble. So you’d better behave!” Arthur nodded seriously. “I know. I’m lucky to have your help. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have known what to do back there.” Ashley looked at his sincere expression, feeling like something was off… but she couldn’t quite place it. Forget it. If she couldn’t figure it out, it probably didn’t matter. She shook her head, pushing the thought aside. Arthur held the bags out to her again. “Since you’re my girlfriend now, you should keep these. Buying clothes for my girlfriend is only natural.” Ashley immediately refused. “No way! These clothes are way too expensive. You worked hard to earn that money—I can’t take them.”