Life Through the American TV Show World

New York. 

"Goodbye." 

"Feel free to visit me at Columbia if you have time." 

"Alright." 

Sally bid farewell to Adam, completely ignoring Harry, who was looking at her expectantly. 

One was plain and unremarkable, the other short and sleazy. 

Perhaps, under different circumstances, she might have felt a tinge of regret—after all, Harry was the only person she knew in New York. But the way he shamelessly flirted with her right after breaking up with her friend made it impossible to tolerate. Had he not been such a scumbag, she might have been willing to be just friends. 

Now? 

As fast as light travels, that's how fast she wanted him gone. 

Regret? 

What a joke. 

"Goodbye." 

Harry's mouth twitched. He muttered a farewell and quickly made himself scarce. 

As a certified scumbag, he knew that thick skin and sharp instincts were essential. 

Sally's attitude made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him, Adam wasn't interested in chatting either, and the two women standing nearby exuded an intimidating aura that made his scalp tingle. Leaving immediately was the smartest move. 

After all, there were plenty of fish in the sea—especially in New York! 

"Let's go to Columbia," Adam said. 

Once Sally drove off, Juno took the wheel and drove Adam to Columbia University. 

"This place screams money," Juno remarked. 

As they strolled through the campus, every little detail exuded luxury. 

New York was the center of the multiverse of American TV shows, and Manhattan was its heart. Real estate here was worth a fortune, yet Columbia University occupied a staggering 121 hectares of prime land. 

After exploring the campus, the three parted ways. Juno drove off, taking a smiling Karen with her, heading toward Boston. 

"Whoo…" 

Watching the car disappear, Adam let out a long breath. 

His feelings toward Juno and Karen were… complicated. 

Juno, for one—having watched *Hard Candy* in his past life—had always left an impression. That fierce, intelligent, and brave girl had earned his admiration. 

But the thing was, *Little Red Riding Hood* had seen blood. 

Meanwhile, he was just an ordinary guy who had never even killed a chicken. When Juno first approached him, it was impossible not to feel a little nervous and wary. 

After spending over four years together, though, that fear had faded. Now, he mostly just internally mocked her—like friends roasting each other over old inside jokes. 

Of course, in Juno's case, certain "jokes" were better left unspoken. So, he kept those thoughts to himself. 

As for Karen—she was undeniably a treasure. Adam admired her deeply. But after Jennifer and Juno pointed out signs of her unstable mental state, he decided to keep his distance. 

At least, that's what he told himself. 

But then came Harry—the smooth-talking, manipulative scumbag. And with just a few words, Harry exposed Adam's deeper subconscious thoughts—his instincts as a man. 

The truth was, Juno was quite beautiful in an unconventional, alluring way. Karen, on the other hand, was the perfect blend of angelic and seductive. 

When he first met them, what was his immediate reaction? 

Was it danger? 

Caution? 

Fear? 

A desire to avoid them? 

No, none of those. 

It was sheer terror. 

And once Juno and Karen started sticking together, that terror evolved into full-blown dread. 

But what's the difference between fear, terror, and dread? 

Think about it. Really think about it. 

It was precisely this subconscious instinct, even beyond his own understanding, that made his behavior toward them somewhat contradictory. 

He constantly mocked Juno and Karen in his mind, yet he never fully rejected their presence. 

"No wonder women often scoff and say, 'Hah, men.'" 

Adam muttered to himself, "Turns out, they have a point." 

After standing there for a while, he shook off his thoughts, grabbed his luggage, and followed a helpful senior to the student dorms. 

"Senior—" 

"Just call me Amanda," she said. 

"Uh, Amanda… is the student dorm mixed-gender?" Adam asked, glancing around. Groups of guys, girls, and mixed pairs strolled past, chatting and laughing. 

"Of course!" Amanda laughed. "You're all adults now. Why separate you like little kids?" 

"Heh…" 

Adam chuckled and shook his head. Internally, he thought, *It's precisely because we're adults that there should be some separation. Otherwise…* 

His gaze instinctively drifted toward a dorm room with a closed door. A necktie hung on the doorknob. 

Thanks to his enhanced physical abilities, his hearing had also improved significantly. From inside the room, he could clearly hear someone passionately "praying" to God… 

On move-in day. 

In broad daylight. 

With people constantly passing by. 

*Welcome to New York!* 

Amanda, though lacking Adam's keen hearing, was an experienced senior. The moment she saw the tie on the doorknob, she instantly understood. Instead of avoiding the subject, she teasingly flirted with Adam, batting her lashes. 

"Welcome to Columbia~" she purred. "Trust me, you're gonna love it here~" 

Too bad for her, Adam wasn't interested in giving her any extra screen time. 

Honestly, with her looks, she didn't even deserve the name Amanda. 

"Heh." 

Adam mustered a polite but awkward smile. 

**Room 111.** 

After sending off the enthusiastic Amanda, Adam set down his luggage and surveyed his dorm. 

It was about ten square meters, furnished with a bunk bed, a wardrobe, a long desk, and two chairs—simple and basic. 

His roommate hadn't arrived yet, so Adam quickly claimed the bottom bunk. After a bit of unpacking, he grabbed his backpack, which contained two copies of *Lord of the Mysteries*, and prepared to head out to submit his manuscript. 

"Heh heh heh…" 

Just then, a rather sleazy chuckle echoed from the room next door. 

Adam's mouth twitched. At first, he thought he was about to overhear another midday prayer session and was ready to leave. But then— 

"Heh heh heh…" 

The same male voice chuckled again, yet there was no female voice responding. 

*Weird…* 

Curious, Adam hesitated. Should he check it out? It was always good to know one's neighbors, after all. What if it turned out to be Thor? 

That thought made Adam tense. If it was Thor, he needed to prepare for the worst. 

His reaction was entirely different from how he felt about Juno and Karen. 

The reason? Obvious. 

"Bro, the department head is coming! Hide your sandwich!" 

A different voice suddenly spoke from next door. 

Then came the sound of frantic shuffling. 

*Ohhh…* 

Realization dawned on Adam. 

They were enjoying a certain "special sandwich"—a classic American delicacy. No wonder the guy was laughing harder than the midday prayer session next door. 

"Good afternoon, sir." 

A new pair of footsteps entered the room. The previously giddy voice now trembled slightly. 

"I'm Matthew Erickson." 

"Sir?" a young, surprised voice responded. "Just call me Ted." 

Adam's eyes lit up. 

He had a pretty good idea of who his neighbor was. 

Then, his expression fell. 

Because *that guy* was anything but a decent roommate… 

---

(End of Chapter)