Chapter 14: He Must Be a Diamond in the Rough
1173 Words
The PK battle had ended, and in the end, Alexis’s progress bar remained untouched—no one had sent her a single gift.
“Do you remember what happened last night? "Is your WhatsYApp username ‘Little Lucky’?” Aaron typed, his words hesitant yet earnest.
Alexis froze. What on earth had happened last night?
And who was this person who even knew her WhatsYApp name?
Oh…
Suddenly, the memory surfaced: on her way back to the dorm the previous night, she had encountered a young man on the bus who hadn’t purchased a ticket. Moved by a moment of compassion, she had paid his fare for him.
Later, that boy had added her on WhatsYApp and promptly repaid the money.
Could this “Aaron” be that very boy?
“Are you the one who… didn’t ride the bus—oh, sorry, I mean, it’s you, isn’t it?” she exclaimed in delighted surprise.
She still remembered him vividly.
Especially the moment when Aaron had clasped his head and sobbed, a sight that had left her deeply shaken.
Hearing Alexis mention his awkward predicament on the bus, Aaron chuckled sheepishly. Thankfully, there was no one else in the livestream room to witness his embarrassment.
“Thank you again. "I never expected you to be a streamer,” he typed, sincerity in every word.
“Oh, you’ve already thanked me countless times! I told you, it was nothing—just a small gesture, don’t mention it. By the way, do you often watch livestreams? I only started streaming yesterday; I’m still a total newbie.”
Since there weren’t many viewers in the room, and it was rare to encounter a familiar face, Alexis decided to chat with Aaron.
“Yes, I like to watch a bit before bed, maybe listen to some music. "Since you’re streaming, let me buy a badge to support you,” Aaron replied, inspiration striking as he opened the recharge interface and topped up his t****k account with a hundred dollars.
He used the Citibank card that came with his “Virtual Tycoon Experience Card,” then promptly sent Alexis a magical book gift worth a hundred dollars.
Suddenly, Alexis watched as an animation of a purple book gracefully spun up her computer screen.
She knew exactly what it meant: a magical book worth a hundred dollars!
“Oh my gosh! You didn’t have to send me something so expensive—a badge only needs a one-dollar gift! You… you really shouldn’t be so generous when you’re already strapped for cash. I’m warning you, if you send another gift, I’ll… I’ll block you on WhatsYApp!”
After thinking for a moment, Alexis decided this was the only way to “scare” him off, so she deliberately feigned ferocity.
She knew full well how tight his finances were. The image of Aaron rummaging through his pockets at the bus door for two dollars was etched in her mind.
“Okay, okay, I won’t send it anymore. "But I’m not that poor—I can still afford a little gift,” Aaron typed with a cheerful grin, his fondness for her growing.
When someone lends you a hand at your lowest point, you remember it forever.
To Aaron, Alexis was exactly that person.
They chatted for a while longer. Aaron told her his name, and shared that he lived in East Harlem, El Barrio, and worked in Midtown.
Alexis was pleasantly surprised—they lived and worked practically next door.
Her MCN company’s office was also in Midtown!
With someone to talk to, time passed swiftly, and before she knew it, it was ten o’clock at night.
“Oh no, my shift’s over! "Aaron, if you’re free in the evenings, you should drop by and listen to me sing—but remember, no more gifts,” Alexis said firmly.
“Alright. Goodnight, Alexis. "I’ll come listen to you sing again tomorrow,” he promised.
…
As Alexis ended the stream, Aaron closed the t****k app, leaned back against the sofa, and fell into a contemplative silence.
Seeing Alexis again today had been a wonderful surprise, but he hadn’t let himself recklessly shower her with gifts.
He had his reasons.
His Virtual Tycoon Experience Card gave him access to a three-hundred-million-dollar spending limit.
He could easily have gifted Alexis millions—tens of millions, even—without breaking a sweat.
After all, it wasn’t his own money.
But what would happen if he did?
Alexis would become wealthy overnight.
And when someone suddenly comes into a fortune without the experience or maturity to handle it, they can easily lose themselves.
He didn’t want that to happen to her.
Aaron felt girls as kind and pure as Alexis were a rarity in this world.
He wanted to help her, to protect her from harm, but he dreaded seeing her change because of sudden wealth.
He also had his own selfish reasons:
In the virtual world, he could throw money around like a king.
But in reality, he was still poor—very poor.
If he turned Alexis into a millionaire overnight, the chasm between them would become unbridgeable.
They might never have the chance to truly know each other as equals.
Alright, Aaron admitted to himself—he was starting to fall for her.
So there was no need to rush; he’d help her, little by little.
…
After her shift, Alexis hummed a cheerful tune as she boarded the bus home.
As she tapped her card, she couldn’t help but smile, her mind drifting back to the night she met Aaron.
That handsome young man had stood awkwardly by the bus door, his expression one of utter mortification.
She hadn’t planned on interfering, but when she saw the helplessness in his eyes, something in her heart had melted.
He looked so pitiful—how could she not help him?
So she stepped forward and paid his fare.
If things had ended there, he would have been nothing more than a fleeting stranger in her life.
But when Aaron buried his head in his knees and wept silently, Alexis was deeply moved.
A grown man wouldn’t cry on a bus without a profound sorrow weighing on him.
And people who can cry must have kind hearts…
She couldn’t quite explain it, but if she had to put it into words, it was a woman’s innate sense of compassion.
At that moment, her heart ached for him, and she almost rose to gather him into her arms and soothe him.
But reason kept her still.
After Aaron had repaid her with a digital red envelope, she hadn’t deleted his WhatsYApp contact.
And today, by sheer coincidence, he stumbled onto her livestream.
It was almost too perfect to believe.
Perhaps…
It was fate.
Girls are creatures of emotion, and Alexis was no exception.
Though Aaron seemed poor, he was clearly working so hard—coming home late after a long day.
A young man so diligent must be a diamond in the rough.
Yes…
- Writer
