As the Campus Prince's veteran Devotee of three years, I was once again dutifully delivering Hangover Remedy Soup after their drinking session.

His friends relentlessly teased me, calling me a Devotee, but he just sneered.

I turned a deaf ear to it all, carefully and gently bringing a spoonful of soup to his lips. "Don't worry. I know you're allergic to honey, so I didn't put any in."

I kept rambling on, completely oblivious to the chilling atmosphere and the Campus Prince's darkening expression.

"What's wrong, Ron Rivers?"

His wolf-like eyes glared at me as he gripped my wrist tightly. "I've never been allergic to honey. And my name isn't Ron Rivers."

'Crap. I've been a Devotee to one too many guys, and I've finally crashed and burned.'

1

I was woken up late at night by my ringing phone. The screen's glare made me squint. I tried to see the time, but the numbers were just a blur, so I answered with my eyes squeezed shut.

Loud music and a jumble of voices blared from the other end. Through the noise, I could just make out a slightly drunken voice. "Mia Sommers, I'm drunk. Come pick me up from the bar... and bring some Hangover Remedy Soup."

He told me the bar's address and then hung up. With a sigh of resignation, I got dressed, prepared the Hangover Remedy Soup, and headed out the door with it in tow.

Winter had already set in, and a biting wind cut through the early morning air. I pulled my clothes tighter around myself and waited for what felt like an eternity before a ride-share finally arrived.

Seeing the thermos in my hand and the bar set as our destination, the driver made a casual comment. "Picking up your boyfriend, Miss?"

I lowered my head, rubbing my face, which was red and raw from the wind. "He's not my boyfriend," I mumbled quietly.

He's our school's Campus Prince, and I'm his Devotee. It all began the summer I first enrolled. He was a volunteer helping me move my luggage, and sweat had soaked through his thin white shirt. The vague outline of his muscles was like a stag appearing through a white mist, and the sheer force of his youthful, hormonal presence sent my little heart into a tailspin.

For the following three years, I pursued him obsessively. If he played sports, I was on the sidelines to hand him water. If he was sick, I'd skip class to keep him company while he got an IV drip. If he so much as gave the word, I would have walked through fire for him.

For three whole years, I was at his beck and call. It gradually became a habit for him, but he never once acknowledged me as his girlfriend.

And I never brought the subject up, either.

I made it to the bar, found the private room, and pushed the door open to a roar of laughter.

"HAHAHA! See? What did I tell you guys? I knew Mia Sommers would be here within half an hour!"

"You've got to hand it to our Campus Prince. So much charm. One phone call, and he's got someone coming out on a day this cold. Aren't you going to show a little appreciation, man? If it were me, I'd be moved to tears."

"Appreciation for what? It takes two to tango. Mia Sommers is happy to give her all without asking for a title, so you should just stay out of it."

Their voices were laced with malicious mockery. My gaze found him in the middle of the group, sitting on the sofa with one leg crossed over the other. A nonchalant smirk played on his lips as he let his friends ridicule and taunt me.

I took a deep breath, plastered on a smile, and sat down beside him. I opened the thermos, but he couldn't even be bothered to reach for it. He simply tilted his chin up to look at me. In the dim light of the bar, his jawline—sharper than my five-year plan—and his prominent Adam's apple created a pulse-pounding sight.

Seeing he had no intention of lifting a finger, I took the spoon myself, scooped up some of the Hangover Remedy Soup, and brought it to his lips. "Don't worry. I know you're allergic to honey, so I left it out."

He remained motionless, his eyes narrowing slightly. I figured he was deliberately trying to embarrass me, to save face in front of his friends. So, I kept up my smile and said a few more placating things, but he still wouldn't open his mouth.

"Ron Rivers?" I ventured. "What's wrong? You don't want it right now?"

The room suddenly felt quiet. The Campus Prince's devastatingly handsome face was now as black as coal.

"I've never been allergic to honey. And my name isn't Ron Rivers."

The room fell deathly silent. I froze, my hand hovering in mid-air, unsure whether to lower the spoon or leave it there.

'Crap. I've been a Devotee to one too many guys, and I've finally crashed and burned.'

: Wrong Name

2

'What do you do when you're a Devotee but called your god by the wrong name? Waiting for answers online, it's urgent.'

The Campus Prince grabbed my hand. The Hangover Remedy Soup in the spoon splashed all over him. The AC was on in our private room, but it was hot. He was only wearing a thin shirt, and a large patch on his chest was soaked through. It should have been a tantalizing sight, but alas, I was in no mood to appreciate such a beautiful view.

"Who is Ron Rivers?" the Campus Prince asked, his teeth clenched.

How could I possibly dare to speak?

That's right, I'm a Devotee. But I'm not just the Campus Prince's Devotee. I'm devoted to many guys at once, all of them top-tier. I fully embrace the philosophy: be devoted to one guy, and you're a Devotee; be devoted to ten, and you're an Alpha.

But in this situation, facing the Campus Prince's thunderous expression, I couldn't help but sigh in despair. 'It's foolish to hang yourself from a single tree, but sometimes, setting up ropes on too many trees means you just spin a cocoon for yourself. Now every rope on every tree wants to hang me.'

After a moment of silence, his group of friends immediately erupted into a commotion, whispering amongst themselves nonstop. Suddenly, someone had an epiphany.

"Isn't Ron Rivers that 6-foot-2, tan, muscular guy with a buzz cut from Aethelgard Sports Academy next door? I knew that name sounded familiar."

"Hahahaha, well, um..." I was panicking inside, and nonsense just started spilling from my mouth. "Why don't you guys keep chatting? I just remembered—I haven't fed the gas at home, and I didn't turn off the cat. I have to go, right now."

I turned and ran, but just as I got out the door, the Campus Prince caught up and grabbed my wrist.

The Campus Prince was so furious he actually laughed, forcing the words out one by one through his teeth. "Aethelgard Sports Academy... 6-foot-2... tan... buzz cut... muscular?"

I took a deep breath. "He's 6-foot-4 with shoes on."

'I'm a Devotee! It's my duty to maintain my gods' public image! Especially their height—that's something a man would have carved on his tombstone! The only reason I'm not giving it to four decimal places is out of respect for the current mood!'

"Is that all you have to say?" The Campus Prince looked like he was about to faint from anger. He was breathing heavily, and since he was dressed so lightly, the cold wind had whipped a flush across his cheeks. Every breath he exhaled formed a faint white mist. His gaze, tinged with drunkenness and resentment, was utterly captivating—so much so that he almost looked... wronged. "Don't you have anything else you want to explain?"

I was torn between getting lost in his devastating good looks and being terrified by the Melodrama unfolding before me. My brain had all but lost its ability to think. "Explain? Hahaha, right, I should explain... What should I explain..."

"How about you let go first? I'll get back to you with an answer in, say, three to five business days?"

As I was wracking my brain for an escape, the Campus Prince's grip tightened. I felt like my wrist was about to be crushed.

Suddenly, another hand reached out and pried the Campus Prince's fingers off mine.

"Senior, making a scene in public like this isn't very gentlemanly, is it?"

: Little Milk Dog

3

I looked up to see a smiling Puppy, who had appeared behind me at some point.

His features were gentle, and a smile graced his face. He was like soft moonlight—no sharp edges, no aggressive air. He shone with a gentle yet firm light from behind, illuminating the path forward. All you had to do was turn around, and he would be there.

I recognized him immediately. He was a Junior from my university, a first-year named Ryan Chau.

Seeing me look at him, he lowered his head to meet my gaze and chuckled softly. "Senior, we meet again."

The Campus Prince was furious. "How many other guys do you have on the line?"

"Don't be ridiculous." I snapped back to my senses and declared righteously, "I have principles. To avoid any messy relationships, I never devote myself to two idols in the same circle. At our university, I was absolutely devoted to you and only you!"

The Campus Prince gritted his teeth. "So you're a devotee with principles, huh!"

The Puppy stepped between us, ignoring the Campus Prince. His eyes were full of mirth as he said, "It's so late and cold out. How about I drive you home, Senior?"

The Campus Prince seemed to choke on his words. He probably realized he had just dragged me out here on such a cold, late night with a single phone call, and his confidence evaporated. So, as he watched me leave with the Puppy, all he could do was stand there and clench his fists, not saying a single word.

The Puppy was thoughtful and considerate, even pulling open the passenger-side door for me before I got in.

The sky was already starting to brighten, but the cold wind was still blowing relentlessly. I rubbed my shoulders and glanced back, not at the Campus Prince, but at the thought that I probably wasn't getting my thermal container back.

I sighed and had just settled into my seat when the Puppy quickly got into the driver's seat and suddenly leaned his entire body toward me.

"What are you doing?" I paled in alarm, instinctively raising my guard.

But he was just fastening my seatbelt for me.

I realized I had overreacted and was instantly mortified. That, combined with the warm air blasting from the car's heater, made my face turn beet red.

He simply smiled, saying nothing. Other than asking for my address, he was silent for the rest of the drive. It wasn't until he dropped me off at my building and watched me start to head upstairs that he suddenly asked, "Senior, are you going to break up with that Senior?"

I froze for a moment, then shook my head. "I was never with him to begin with. I was just his devotee."

"But I'll definitely be drawing a line with him now," I added. "After this whole mess, I'm not in the mood to be his devotee anymore."

"That's wonderful," the Puppy said, his smile radiant. I could almost picture a big, brush-like tail wagging happily behind him.

I opened my mouth to say something, but he quickly said goodbye, not giving me the chance to get the words out.

I was filled with a mix of complicated feelings.

Flirting with such a good, innocent boy would be a sin, wouldn't it?