Chapter 82 Very Nice
Lily was still staring at her grades when she heard Eric's excited shout.
"Wow, Lily! Your grades are incredible! You're definitely getting into Quest University. Congrats ahead of time!"
Feeling a bit dazed, Lily instinctively glanced at Dennis beside her. "Does this mean I did well?"
"More than well, you did fantastic!"
Eric snapped a photo, ready to share it online. "Hey everyone, check this out! Lily just got grades good enough for Quest University. Let's all give a big shoutout to this hardworking girl."
Dennis's lips curved into a slight smile. "Congrats."
He looked calm, like he wasn't surprised at all by Lily's results today.
Hearing his compliment, Lily finally broke into a radiant smile.
She had really done it.
Getting into Quest University was no longer a problem!
Lily stood up and joined Eric in shouting, then turned and hugged Dennis, her face flushed. "I did it!"
Dennis stiffened slightly, his gaze gentle. "Yeah, you did."
Lily quickly lowered her head, then nonchalantly released him and turned to find Eric.
She hoped her actions hadn't caught Dennis's attention.
For her, that brief hug was enough.
During her most helpless and desperate times, it was Dennis who appeared by her side, like a guide in a dark, stormy night.
Dennis watched her playfully interact with Eric, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. It felt like a seed he had carefully nurtured had finally grown up.
Soon, Lily received a call from Alex. "Lily, your grades have reached us here at school. Congratulations, you're the top scorer in the city!"
"Top scorer, really?"
"Yes, really. Even though the results aren't officially out yet, we can see the scores. Your improvement this time has amazed us all. Congrats."
Lily smiled as she held the phone. She looked up to see Dennis approaching with a cake.
This moment felt like the happiest since her rebirth.
"Lily, come to school tomorrow. We need to discuss your choice of major and want to make a promotional poster for you."
"Okay."
Lily hung up and glanced at the cake, which had "Congratulations" written on it.
She smiled. "When did you prepare this?"
"We had it delivered this morning."
Dennis placed the cake in front of Lily and took a party hat to put on her.
They were standing very close.
Lily obediently stood in front of him, suddenly realizing how tall Dennis was. She could only see the buttons on his shirt.
His fingers brushed her hair, and his throat moved slightly.
Dennis took a step back, looking a bit unnatural. "All set."
Eric lit the candle in the middle. "Make a wish and blow out the candle."
Lily looked at the cake in front of her. When she closed her eyes, the person who appeared in her mind was Dennis.
Unable to help herself, she made an impossible wish and secretly opened her eyes to blow out the candle.
Dennis spoke in a deep voice. "Congrats on the start of your new life."
Eric, full of curiosity, asked, "So, Lily, what was your wish?"
Lily felt a bit guilty. She coughed. "If I say it out loud, it won't come true."
She didn't even dare to look at Dennis.
She was afraid that just one glance would give her away.
Eric chimed in, "Lily, tell us your wish, and I'll make it happen!"
Lily blurted out, "I wanna go to a bar."
Eric grinned, "No problem."
Dennis immediately countered, "No way."
Lily instinctively looked at Dennis, her eyes full of hope.
They stared at each other for a moment, and Dennis quickly gave in. "Why do you wanna go to a bar?"
Lily's voice was filled with longing. "Because I've never been, and I want to experience it."
Actually, she had never been in this lifetime.
In her previous life, she had gone to a bar once, but it had left her with a psychological shadow. This time, she wanted to go again and get rid of that fear.
Eric playfully patted Dennis's chest. "Come on, let her go! Don't be such a buzzkill!"
Dennis's mouth twitched. "You better shut up, you clown!"
Lily laughed until her stomach hurt. She really liked her life right now.
But soon, she received a message from Michael: [Lily, the results are out. How did you do? Did anything affect your grades?]
Seeing the message, Lily sneered.
It seemed Michael knew about the situation with the faulty supplies and their potential impact on her exam.
No one was truly clueless; they just pretended not to understand.
Lily uncharacteristically replied: [What do you think?]
[I'm sorry, Lily. Whatever compensation you want, I can agree to it. Even if you want to retake the exam, I'll study with you every day.]
But Lily didn't reply.
Michael stared at his phone, feeling very upset.
He had affected Lily's performance. Despite her hard work in the last few months and significant improvement, it was all for nothing.
Michael returned to the living room and heard Sophie crying.
Barry and Austin were trying to comfort her.
Barry said, "Miss Scott, you didn't do well because you were sick those days. It affected your performance. You're capable of much more."
Austin added, "That's right, Sophie. Don't be sad. Grades don't define us. Especially for families like ours, even average grades won't affect your future."
Sophie wiped her tears. "But Lily probably did well. I wanted to go to the same school as her, but now it seems impossible."
Austin blurted out, "She probably didn't do that well. I heard a top student messed up the first exam and only scored a hundred points more than you."
A flash of satisfaction crossed Sophie's eyes. It seemed the faulty supplies had really affected Lily's scores.
Michael walked over with a stern face. "Austin, are you gloating? Lily is our sister. How does her doing poorly benefit you?"
"Michael, that's not what I meant. I was just trying to comfort Sophie."
"Comforting Sophie doesn't mean you have to put down Lily, does it?"
Realizing his mistake, Austin said softly, "I understand. I won't do it again. But what about Lily?"
Michael's face darkened. "What do you think? Anyone would be upset. This is all my fault!"
He hadn't handled the situation well.
Sophie pretended to be concerned. "Michael, if Lily feels bad and wants to retake the exam, I can study with her. After all, we're family and should improve together.
But I think Lily wants to leave the Roberts family, so she probably won't retake the exam."
Michael frowned. "That's not up to her. I'll personally help her study and take care of everything until she retakes the exam."
This way, he could also mend his relationship with Lily.