“She didn’t say it herself, but someone saw her getting into his car!”

His roommate figured that was practically rock-solid proof.

“Not necessarily. Maybe they’re related?”

Ethan was just making a logical deduction, theorizing it was a possibility.

But to his roommates, it looked like total denial.

The proof was right there, and he was still making excuses for her? He must be head over heels.

Oblivious to his roommates’ painfully sympathetic stares, Ethan lay down and went to sleep.

First thing the next morning, Ethan spotted Claire in the classroom and immediately brought up the rumor about her boyfriend.

Claire blinked. “…Who said that?”

“I have no idea,” Ethan said, looking just as lost. “I heard it from my roommates. The whole class is talking about it.”

“If he’s not your boyfriend, you should clear things up.”

“Before the rumor gets completely out of hand.”

Ethan was genuinely worried it would ruin her reputation.

“How did this even start?” Claire frowned.

She had specifically told Owen to keep a low profile, and she had gotten into his car off-campus. How had someone still spotted her?

“I don’t know. They just said someone saw you getting into his car.”

Ethan had only heard the short version from his roommates and hadn’t dug any deeper.

“If you want to know who started it, you’ll have to investigate.”

“Whatever.” Claire shrugged.

“Is he actually your boyfriend?” Ethan was a bit surprised.

Because he had assumed Claire was too focused on her studies to even consider dating.

Plus, she didn’t exactly give off the vibe of someone in a relationship. She practically lived in the library or the classroom. She was basically a monk!

Was dating just a mandatory course for geniuses?

“No, that was my cousin, Owen.” Claire didn’t see any reason to hide it from Ethan.

Owen wasn’t like Norris; he wasn’t on campus and wouldn’t be showing up all the time.

It didn’t matter if Ethan knew.

“Alright, well, these people are getting ridiculous.”

How could they just make things up?

“I’ll talk to the class and tell them to stop spreading rumors.”

Ethan was worried about the negative impact on Claire.

“It’s fine. You don’t need to clear anything up.” Claire hadn’t even entertained the

idea of doing damage control.

“Why? Aren’t you worried it’ll ruin your chances of dating later on?”

Ethan simply couldn’t understand her thought process.

“Who said I plan on dating in college?”

Claire shot back. “Besides, you hang around me so much that everyone assumes you like me and are trying to pursue me. Aren’t you worried it’ ruin your chances of dating later on?”

Ethan finally understood what it meant to get outmaneuvered.

“The

a guy. People are always way more

foreaks for itself. Plus, I’m

of comes to relationships.”

guys when it more

Ethan was completely unfazed by what others thought of him.

“Oh. Well, I don’t care either.”

Claire said breezily.

Ethan was suddenly suspicious. “When you say you’re not dating in college… do you mean not at all for all four years?”

If she doesn’t date, does that mean I shouldn’t either? Does dating ruin your

grades?

Is that the secret?

Keep up with the genius!

A specific figure flashed through Claire’s mind. “Yeah. No dating.”

She wouldn’t date at school because she knew she’d never meet anyone as

breathtakingly impressive here.

If she was going to date, she’d do it back home.

Ethan asked earnestly. “Is it true that your study efficiency goes way up if you avoid relationships?”

Claire gave him a look. “Have you ever even been in a relationship?”

Ethan gasped. “Have you?”

Claire was speechless because, technically, she hadn’t either.

“I might not have been in one, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out.”

“You know I’m the fake heiress. Before I left the James family, I actually had a fiancé.”

Speaking of York, Claire had no idea

that after getting engaged to

another girl, he had

gotten

tangled up with Cindy again.