Chapter 3

“That reminds me, Poppy. You were with Camden for quite a while. Did he ever get you anything?”

…

I fell into contemplation.

“Let’s see… A pressed-leaf bookmark, a book on flora he authored that retails about 29 bucks, and a rose pin he made himself.”

“That’s it?”

Cassie’s grin couldn’t be wider.

“That’s not even a fraction of what my diamond necklace is worth. Talk about a total failure. Your study notes came to nothing.”

I smiled without another word.

Displeased with my composure, Cassie leaned closer to rub it in even more.

“He was still a cynical jerk to you even after you memorized all that information. Meanwhile, I take control of the conversation and ramble on about some celebrity gossip. He soaked it up anyway. He thinks I’m the cutest thing ever!

“Whoever said that a man of science wasn’t romantic. It’s clear who he cares about.”

Cassie smirked in delight and stared down at me with pity.

“Oops, here I go again with my big, fat mouth.

“Don’t take my remarks to heart, Poppy. Please don’t be upset.”

I wasn’t offended. I had kept Camden around the longest, but he was also the one who barely had my attention.

It all started when we crossed paths on a plant enthusiast message board.

That day, I shared a picture of a wilting plant, asking for help. Camden, his username a default numeric ID, pinpointed the exact coordinates of my dorm just from the angle of the sunlight. He proceeded to provide me with ultra-detailed guidance on plant care.

I tried adding him and even had a drink sent over as a thank-you, but he turned me down callously.

“I’m sorry, but my time is far too valuable to waste on meaningless people and things.”

My lips curled in disdain.

I snapped a shot of the plant, candidly framing the glass reflection to catch my curves before hitting the send button.

“But professor, I’d love to pick your brain on botany sometime…”

It took Camden three seconds to accept my friend request.

His social media profile wasn’t public, complete with a default avatar for a profile picture. His entire profile didn’t show much of human life.

However, I managed to trace who he was through a single like on a video he left three months ago.

Camden’s comment on the video, simply calling it “decent”, racked up tens of thousands of likes and countless replies.

“Oh, man! It’s Camden in the flesh!”

“First here to comment! I want to screenshot this moment!”

“I’d give up salt in my food for a decade just for a chance for Camden to review my project.”

A quick search revealed Camden’s information to me. His long list of prestigious achievements nearly blinded me in the dark.

From that day on, I channeled the same energy I had for my SATs, grinding and committing to volumes of botanical facts.

I’d flex my knowledge on botanical trivia while we talked online.

Of course, there were the occasional thirst-trap photos I would drop here and there. I made sure not to show my face, just giving out the vibes.

Six months later, the cynical closeted romantic dropped his holy act and was eager to lock me down.

Amused, I asked him in a feigned vulnerable voice, “But what if I’m ugly? What if my looks make you hurl for a week straight?”

Here I thought he’d play nice and say that looks didn’t matter in the dark, but he shot back a reply without a second thought.