Chapter 27: The First Big Tip
Tessa floated back to the dorm with her heart pounding so hard it felt ready to leap out of her throat.
From her cheeks to her ears, then down her neck, she could still feel the lingering shiver left behind by Seraphina’s warm breath, cool with the scent of gardenia.
She took a deep breath, as if preparing herself mentally, then used the hand Seraphina had held so tightly, the hand that still seemed to carry the warmth of her fingertips, to push open the door to Room 407.
Creak.
The lights were off.
Inside the dim dorm, three shadowy figures sat in three different positions, blocking her path with perfect precision.
The air was thick with the dangerous scent of gossip and gleeful chaos.
“I… I’m back,” Tessa said weakly, her heart skipping at the sight.
Click.
The lights came on.
Vanessa sat elegantly in a chair, wearing her signature silk nightdress, thin as a cicada’s wing. Her long, dazzlingly pale legs were crossed, drawing a tempting curve through the air. With her glossy red fingernails, she idly twirled a lock of her curled hair, and her soul-stealing peach-blossom eyes locked onto Tessa with a smile that was not quite a smile.
“My little darling, you’re finally back.”
Her voice was sweet and seductive. Every word was like a honey-dipped hook, tugging right at the heart.
“Confess and we’ll go easy on you. Resist, and we’ll be strict. Come on, tell me. Did Seraphina’s gentle harbor feel… comfortable tonight?”
Pfft.
Chloe failed to hold back her laughter from the side.
Tessa’s face exploded red from her neck all the way to the top of her head, like a cooked shrimp.
“V-Vanessa! Don’t say weird things! We just… just went to a concert!” she stammered, her voice trembling faintly from embarrassment and outrage.
“Oh? Just a concert?” Vanessa rose and walked toward her step by step, her waist swaying like a snake. She reached out and lightly hooked a finger beneath Tessa’s chin, forcing her to lift her head. That beautiful face leaned close, and her warm breath brushed over Tessa’s face.
“Then… did she get to taste those soft little lips of yours?”
“Whoa!” Chloe let out an exaggerated cry of amazement.
Even the usually aloof Iris could not help the slight curve that appeared at the corner of her mouth, looking very much like she was enjoying the show.
“N-no! Absolutely not!” Tessa was so embarrassed she wanted to die. Her brain had completely stopped working from the sheer shame, and she could only shake her head frantically on instinct. “We didn’t even hold… hold hands!”
She lied without thinking, utterly unable to admit that not only had Seraphina held her hand, Tessa had also fallen asleep on her shoulder.
“Really?” Vanessa clearly did not believe her. She reached out with her other hand and gently brushed her fingers over Tessa’s pale-lavender dress, the heat of her touch teasing through the fabric. “Then wasn’t this winning outfit wasted? Even the little ‘charm’ I prepared for you never got to do its job?”
The moment Vanessa mentioned the lace garter hidden deep beneath her skirt, Tessa jolted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She nearly jumped on the spot.
“I… I’m going to shower!”
She shoved Vanessa away and fled toward her closet, grabbing the most conservative long-sleeved pajama set she could find before diving straight into the bathroom.
Bang!
Behind her came the three roommates’ completely undisguised, bell-like laughter.
[Ding! Gained [Teasing Indulgence] from Vanessa Rose. Affection Points +5!]
[Ding! Gained [Spectator Fondness] from Chloe Hart. Affection Points +3!]
[Ding! Gained [Amused Goodwill] from Iris Lane. Affection Points +2!]
A series of system prompts rang in her mind. Yet the moment Tessa heard them, her heart, which had been racing from embarrassment, strangely began to calm.
She leaned against the cool door and listened to the carefree laughter outside. The burning blush on her face slowly faded, replaced by warmth that rose from the depths of her heart and spread through her whole body.
Although on the surface she was embarrassed enough to die, inside, she was wrapped tightly in a vast warmth called happiness.
She thought of her roommates outside, always bustling around for her sake. She thought of Molly, who changed the menu every day just to make sure she ate well. She thought of Riley, who never said anything directly but awkwardly pushed her to exercise in the most clumsy way possible. And she thought of Seraphina, gentle and strong, who had pulled her step by step out of her isolated corner and into a brighter, shining world.
For the first time since coming to this world, she truly felt something like home.
An incredibly strong thought grew wildly in her heart, like a seed breaking through the soil.
She wanted to earn money.
She wanted to use money she earned with her own hands to buy every girl who had treated her sincerely a unique gift.
This was not just repayment. It was proof that she wanted to truly become part of this world and build deeper bonds with them.
That unprecedented motivation filled her with energy.
After she finished showering and came out, facing the roommates who still wanted to “interrogate” her, Tessa straightened her back for the first time and announced with unprecedented righteousness, “I’m going to work! Don’t disturb me while I’m earning money!”
After saying that, she marched proudly to the little “streaming room” in the corner under the stunned gazes of all three roommates and put on her headphones.
To escape this trial, and for the goal in her heart, she would work hard to earn money.
Vanessa looked at that serious little expression, and the smile in her eyes grew deeper. She walked over and placed a new [Clean Plus] script in front of Tessa. It was a modern poem about summer nights and starlight.
“Good evening. Welcome to… Tessa’s Goodnight Study.”
Tessa put on the headphones and began the stream. Because she now had a clear goal and a sense of confidence, her voice was much steadier than during her first two streams. That unique girlish voice, lazy and fragile in just the right measure, became even more ethereal and moving with the help of the top-tier equipment. It truly sounded as if a little spirit living in a midnight study were whispering softly to you.
After she finished reading that gentle poem, the atmosphere in the stream was perfect.
Maybe she was thinking of those gentle faces. Maybe it was because a fan cautiously sent a chat message asking, [Can the streamer sing a song?]
Tessa closed her eyes and searched her memory. In the end, she chose a simple, incredibly gentle English tune she had liked in her previous life and began humming softly.
“Twinkle, twinkle, little star…”
There were no dazzling techniques. It was only the simplest humming.
But this gentle foreign melody, which had never appeared in this world before, paired with her soul-cleansing voice, instantly blew up the entire stream.
[Holy crap! Holy crap! What kind of divine singing is this? I’m dead!]
[Is this an English song? It sounds so good! I’ve never heard it before! Did the streamer write it herself?!]
[Waaah, my heart is melting. I feel like I’ve become a little star shining in the night sky, being watched gently by the streamer.]
[My ears are pregnant! Is the streamer an angel who came down from heaven?]
The chat went wild, and the stream’s popularity climbed like it had been strapped to a rocket.
Then, a user with the ID [Just Here to Listen Quietly], whose avatar was pure black, suddenly released an unbelievably brilliant burst of light across the screen.
A virtual [Rocket] worth over a thousand credits dragged a gorgeous tail of flame and exploded across everyone’s screen.
The entire stream fell silent for several seconds because of the sudden enormous tip.
Then a golden chat message drifted slowly across the screen.
[Just Here to Listen Quietly]: Very good voice. Keep going.
This sudden situation not only made the viewers explode with excitement, it also stunned the roommates gathered behind Tessa to listen in.
“Holy crap! A Rocket! Tessa! A rich lady has her eye on you!” Chloe nearly jumped from excitement.
After the stream ended, Tessa looked at the income in the backend, which had far exceeded her expectations, and felt herself take a big step closer to her goal. She excitedly withdrew the money and realized that it would not be long before she could buy everyone a proper gift.
Late at night, she lay in bed, too excited to sleep.
She opened the shopping app and, like an elementary school student preparing for a field trip, seriously and excitedly began choosing gifts for each girl.
For Vanessa, a set of top-grade aromatherapy essential oils. She always stayed up late, so hopefully it would help her sleep well.
For Chloe, the limited-edition game figure she had been talking about for ages. If she got it, she would probably jump for joy.
For Iris, a pair of imported professional dance shoes and a dance outfit. Iris danced so beautifully. She would definitely look even better wearing them.
For Molly, a high-end baking mold set. She loved cooking so much. She would definitely like it.
For Riley… a professional sports watch that could monitor heart rate and workout data would be good.
Then… what about Seraphina?
Tessa was stumped.
Seraphina came from a wealthy family and had elegant taste. She lacked nothing. Anything Tessa could afford with this bit of money probably would not catch her eye. What could she give to express her feelings without seeming shabby?
For the first time, Tessa experienced this sweet worry of spending money on others. She hugged her phone and rolled back and forth in bed, but the corners of her mouth kept lifting on their own, revealing a silly smile even she did not notice.
Just as she was agonizing over Seraphina’s gift, the familiar system prompt rang in her mind with its sweet, mature-woman voice.
[Ding! Main Quest: Succubus Food Reserve, raising your Affection Point reserves to 100 within 7 days, has been completed beyond requirements!]
[Current Affection Point Balance: 504.]
[Quest Reward: New Function [Glamour Eyes] has been unlocked!]
Before Tessa had time to study what the hell [Glamour Eyes] was supposed to be, another prompt followed immediately.
[Ding! Detected that a new ability has been unlocked. A skill proficiency test quest has now been issued. Please complete it within 24 hours, dear~]