At first, Lila had been convinced William was full of it. All that "came down from the mountains" talk? Clearly just some over-the-top act to get her attention.
But after walking around with him for a while and hearing the kinds of questions he asked… she wasn't so sure anymore.
They weren't just weird—they were dumb. Like, genuinely clueless.
If this was his idea of flirting, it was the worst attempt she'd ever seen.
Then she remembered how her grandfather had gone out of his way to get William a brand-new driver's license. That thought made her hesitate.
Maybe… just maybe, he wasn't lying.
They ended up at a phone store in the university district. Lila glanced at him, then couldn't help but ask, "Do you… want to buy a phone?"
William had already returned her phone after playing around with it for a bit. When she asked, he gave her a soft, almost embarrassed look. "I don't have any money. These things are expensive, right?"
Lila let out a short laugh. Of course he didn't have money. Did he think she was actually expecting him to pay?
"It's not that expensive," she teased. "Worst case, I'll cover it for now. You can pay me back when you've got the cash."
"Alright," William said seriously. "Keep track of everything you spend on me today. I'll pay you back when I can."
"Sure, sure. Now hurry up and pick one. I've got plans to meet someone at the museum later." Lila figured she'd done her part—Grandpa's request was fulfilled. William might be a little odd, but at least he wasn't unbearable.
Time to get back to her own life.
"Museum?" William repeated, his expression full of question marks.
Oh no.
Lila sucked in a sharp breath. If he'd just learned what a phone was, then of course he had no idea what a museum was.
"A museum is a place where they display historical artifacts," she explained patiently. "You know, stuff left behind by people from the past that has historical, artistic, or scientific value… Like antiques. You know what antiques are, right?"
William gave her a strange look.
"I know what antiques are. You don't have to explain it like I'm five."
Lila nearly choked on her own breath. Why did it feel like he was looking at her like she was the idiot?
Excuse me? Who was the one asking what a smartphone was five minutes ago?
Then William asked, "Can I come with you to the museum? I'd like to see it too. I won't get in your way."
"Of course not," Lila said, forcing a smile that was more awkward than anything.
At this point, she'd already thrown her pride out the window.
She'd personally gone to pick him up, waited outside the guys' dorm for ages, and now half the school probably thought they were dating.
And now she was taking him to the museum?
If her friends saw this, she'd be explaining herself for the next month.
But honestly, after today, the whole campus would probably know about it anyway.
The rumors were inevitable.
And she was too tired to care.
Once they stepped into the phone store, a sales associate quickly approached them.
With Lila's looks and the way she carried herself, the staff couldn't help but give her a few extra glances.
"Are you here to buy a phone or top up your plan?" the associate asked with a bright smile.
"He's getting a phone," Lila said, then paused. "Actually, never mind. Just give him an iPhone."
The associate's eyes lit up instantly. Jackpot. A customer who didn't even ask about the price? That was a dream come true.
"What color would you like?" the associate asked, practically glowing. With that kind of tone, there was no way she'd haggle. Full price meant a fat commission—this was the best kind of sale.
Lila turned to William. "What color do you want?"
William had asked a lot of questions on the way here, and by now he had a rough idea of how money worked in this era. He hesitated, then asked, "Wait… how much did you say this phone costs?"
The sales associate quickly jumped in with a bright smile. "Sir, the iPhone she mentioned is Apple's latest model. If you buy it today, it's just $1,099."
"So expensive?" William didn't even hesitate. "Pick one for me that's around a hundred bucks."
The associate's smile froze on his face.
Seriously?
They were this close to closing a thousand-dollar sale, and now the guy wanted something under a hundred?
A hundred?!
In this day and age, what kind of smartphone could you even get for that?
The associate was this close to asking if he wanted a flip phone for seniors.
Lila stood there, visibly awkward, staring at William. "Just take it as a gift from me, okay? You don't have to pay me back."
"No," William said firmly, shaking his head. "We're not that close, are we? I can't accept something like that. Like I said earlier, anything you spend today, just count it as a loan. I went for a job interview yesterday—the boss said it pays $1,800 a month. If I buy that phone, I'd have to go the whole month without eating."
Lila felt a tightness in her chest.
Oh, so now you know we're not close?
"Fine. Do whatever you want," she muttered, clearly frustrated.
The associate tried to salvage the situation. "Sir, since this lovely lady is offering to gift it to you, why not just accept it?"
William shook his head again. "Just get me something under a hundred."
At that moment, he looked like a stubborn old man stuck in his ways.
"But we don't have any smartphones under a hundred dollars!" the associate said, nearly panicking. What kind of person turns down a free iPhone from a girl like this?
And now he was insisting on a phone that didn't even exist?
Was he trying to make their lives harder?
"What's the cheapest one you've got?" William asked, cutting to the chase.
The associate sighed, resigned. "The cheapest we have is this Redmi 1 for $128. Do you want it?"
"That'll do."
And just like that, the phone-buying trip came to an anticlimactic end.
Of course, plenty of students had seen them walk into the store together. With a girl like Lila, it was impossible not to draw attention—she was the kind of person who turned heads wherever she went.
Word spread fast.
Lila Carter was buying a guy the latest iPhone… and he turned her down, saying they weren't close. Then he picked out a $128 budget phone instead.
The plot twist was wild.
And the cherry on top? The guy actually said he made $1,800 a month.
A broke nobody, standing next to Lila like he belonged there—and acting like he had all the leverage in the world.
Was this real life? Was this some kind of modern fairy tale where the rich girl falls for the poor guy?
Within minutes, the gossip exploded.
Some students were already posting on their social feeds, captions like "I believe in love again."
In less than ten minutes, the story had spread across the entire campus—and even hit the school forum.
It was insane.
Meanwhile, the two people at the center of it all?
Completely unaware.