Chapter 331 Flirting
Lucas was Natalie’s younger brother. Not only that, but he was also smart, had previously come to her rescue, and cooked for her. For these reasons, Lilian had asked him those questions.
‘Who’s dumb? I’m actually very smart, okay?’
Lucas’s heart did not only skip a beat, but his heartbeat quickened as well.
‘Where did this silly girl learn to speak in such a manner? Did she spend too much time watching TV, or did she spend too much time on the Internet?’
Lucas placed his hand on his chest, feeling as though he had lost his mind.
Lilian, a chatterbox, continued saying to Lucas as they returned to the house, “I think you’re pretty amazing, Lucas. You don’t seem afraid of Oliver at all. When I was younger, I was incredibly afraid of him. In fact, I’m still a little afraid of him now. If he had glared at me the way he was glaring at you earlier… Just the thought of that frightens me…”
Lucas only smiled and did not respond to those words, happily accepting Lilian’s compliment. He did not reveal that if he were alone with Oliver and was subjected to such a deathly glare, he would have felt intimidated as well. However, with Natalie’s presence, he knew there was nothing for him to be afraid of. He was confident Oliver would not do anything to him in his sister’s presence.
After spending some time together, Lucas had gained a certain understanding of Oliver's personality. He was sure Oliver would not lay a hand on him in front of Natalie.
…
By the time they had finished their meal, it was twilight.
Lilian seemed distracted, watching the vibrant scenes of the New Year's Eve celebration in the square on television, and the reminders for citizens to ensure their safety and avoid any dangerous crowding.
Oliver was reclining on the sofa, typing with one hand and playing with Natalie's hand with the other.
Natalie, feeling embarrassed in front of her brother, hid their hands under the blanket.
"Lilian," Oliver said, noticing her interest in the festivities and handing her a gold card, "Would you like to go out?"
Lilian tried to maintain her composure, but Oliver's suggestion filled her with excitement. It would be regrettable not to experience the New Year's Eve celebration when given the chance!
"Buy whatever you want tonight; it's on me," Oliver enticed her further.
Unable to resist the offer, Lilian eagerly accepted the gold card. "Thank you, Oliver!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she recalled something important.
Oliver looked at Lucas, gesturing toward the latter with his chin as he said, “Bring him with you.”
"But I want to spend time with my sister!” Lucas objected, immediately seeing through Oliver's motives. It was clear to him that Oliver merely wanted him out of the way.
Lilian's gaze turned to Lucas, full of expectation. She naturally wanted him to come with her. It was boring being surrounded by bodyguards and not having anyone to talk to.
Lucas was about to refuse again, but the sight of Lilian’s pleading and pitiful gaze made it hard for him to say no. For a moment, he questioned his sanity, wondering if there was something wrong with him.
‘How could I find her pitiful?’
When it became evident that persuading Lucas was futile, Lilian directed her plea toward Natalie, taking her hand. "Natalie, tell Lucas to..."
Lucas gave Lilian a look. “Don’t you know how to speak politely when you’re asking for a favor?”
Prompted by his comment, Lilian corrected herself. "Natalie, can you please help me convince Lucas…”
Oliver mused internally about the noticeable change in Lilian's demeanor around Lucas. She seemed to listen to Lucas.
"You’re only polite to my sister when you need her help!” Lucas remarked as he looked at Lilian icily.
Natalie could not help but laugh. She thought that Lucas might actually enjoy the livelier atmosphere outside. He and Lilian, who were of similar age, seemed to get along rather well. As such, she said, “Lucas, why don’t you accompany Lilian?”
Lucas hesitated, caught between outright refusal and calling Lilian a little twerp, he agreed as soon as he heard Natalie’s words.
Oliver gestured to Liam to arrange for a driver and bodyguards for Lilian and Lucas's outing.
Once they had departed, Oliver allowed himself a moment of satisfaction before he put his world aside. He then turned his attention fully to Natalie, drawing her close.
Noticing they still had over three hours until the New Year, he thought they could watch a movie.
Natalie could not help but exclaim in surprise when she suddenly found herself being lifted into the air. She quickly wrapped her arms around Oliver's neck.
"Hold on tight," he instructed softly.
Carrying Natalie to the western hall, Oliver entered the house's movie theater. There, he held her closely, selecting a movie at random as they awaited the stroke of midnight.
…
Lucas was not fond of places that were crowded and noisy. Lilian, however, appeared thrilled, as if she had never encountered such a large gathering of people before.
Being of small stature, Lilian often found herself being jostled by the crowd. Lucas took it upon himself to protect her, albeit with a touch of irritation.
"Shorty, be mindful of your surroundings!"
Catching a glimpse of the arm he used to shield her, Lilian decided to be generous and forbearing, given it was the last day of the year.
"Oh, by the way, I've got something for you. Here it is!"
Lilian produced a small gift box from her shoulder bag. It was modestly sized and lacked elaborate wrapping but bore the distinctive Hermès logo.
Within the box lay a men's wallet crafted from soft, dark gray leather. Its understated elegance made it particularly appealing to young people.
Lucas was momentarily surprised and frowned reflexively. "Why are you giving this to me?"
"Why do you look so suspicious?" Lilian sulked. "I picked it up while I was in France with Natalie on a business trip. Everyone received a present, including you."
She added nonchalantly, "It was all thanks to Natalie that I even went to France."
"What's the harm in admitting you bought it just for me? I won't get the wrong idea," Lucas joked as he admired the wallet's craftsmanship, glancing at Lilian.
Lilian seemed genuinely confused. "Won’t get the wrong idea about what?"
Lucas thought that perhaps he had been reading too much into it.
"So, are you willing to hang out with me now?” Lilian asked, tilting her head. She looked adorable enough to melt hearts.
Lucas rubbed her head and nudged her forward by the back of her head, saying, “I suppose, if I must…”
…
Meanwhile, Natalie and Oliver spent two and a half hours watching the movie.
Natalie could tell that Oliver was not very interested in the movie, given his sporadic kisses, which distracted her from the movie.
They spent the next two and a half hours watching a movie.
As soon as the movie ended, Oliver led Natalie out of the home theater and up to the rooftop of the main building. Before stepping out into the chilly air, he wrapped her in a large cloak.
The biting cold was mitigated by the cloak's warmth.
"Why are we here?" Natalie asked, surveying the quiet and dark surroundings.
"Just wait a moment," he replied.
At five minutes to midnight, the tranquility was pierced by a sharp sound. Bright sparks ascended into the night sky before erupting into a spectacular and brilliant fireworks display.
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