Chapter 42 Invited For a Drink
Lilly was an outstanding student in his class, with an excellent understanding of music and an ear for music, but he had never heard her sing. This was the first time Lilly had ever stepped onto the stage and showcased her singing voice.
Her voice was as pure as snow, bringing an unexpected coolness to this hot summer.
Ethan felt a light flash in his mind, as if he couldn't find such a beautiful voice anywhere in the world.
"I've found her." Ethan parted his lips and looked directly at the girl on stage. He felt that the song "When You're Gone" flowing from her lips was like love falling onto a heart. The song's deep yearning for love was sad and melancholy, making people want to embrace her.
"This was the voice he'd been searching for so long, and he was destined to meet her." Unconsciously drawn by the song, Ethan took a step toward the edge of the stage.
Seeing the approaching associate professor, known for his strictness in her classes, the girl noticed a slight tremor in his eyes. Fortunately, the song hadn't started yet.
She sang another lyric and saw that Ethan, always indifferent, was still standing there, looking at her.
He looked at her with a complex and incomprehensible gaze, so she only smiled at him at random.
But the cold associate professor didn't react and simply looked away.
Ethan hid his surprise and didn't want to admit that his heart sank after that smile.
However, at that moment, the singing suddenly stopped.
Panicked cries of teachers and students rang out from below, and the spotlight on the music stand suddenly went out, illuminating Lilly at the center of the stage.
At that moment, Ethan moved quickly.
Faster than his mind. He had no time to react before he rushed onto the stage, spread his arms, and hugged the frightened girl, barely avoiding the falling spotlight.
Like all stories about heroes rescuing beauties, he saved the girl and won her heart.
Panic and confusion were evident in Lilly's eyes. She didn't dare look at him, but continued to sneak glances.
Ethan was immediately intrigued. You know, this girl's behavior in class is quite bold. Even outside of class, her courage is more renowned than her talent in this college.
How it is that now she's like a kitten clawing at his embrace?
The more he thought about it, the more intriguing it became. Ethan, who had never had close physical contact with others, didn't push the girl away, but hugged her tighter. Seeing the slight blush on the girl's face, he felt an indescribable affection for the warmth of her embrace.
"Ethan, have you been replaced?" It wasn't until the professor asked the logistics department to investigate on-site that he turned around and discovered Ethan, suspected of harassing the student, still holding her and standing right on the stage. His frivolous nature made it impossible for him to resist teasing her.
The two on stage immediately woke up and stepped back.
"Thank you, Professor." The girl calmed her heartbeat, regained her courage, and tenderly thanked her.
A bright smile almost blinded Ethan.
The ice cubes in the glass touched, making a distinct sound, tearing Ethan from his memories. Lilly finished singing the final song, "Crymeout," on stage and waved her hand, thanking everyone.
The audience greeted her with thunderous applause. Her rare, beautiful voice was like shining gold, and everyone stopped to admire it.
Ethan's gaze dimmed, and he looked at the girl on stage with a smile as beautiful as the first time. Suddenly, an impulse flared in his heart, a desire to possess her, to embrace her and shield himself from the others, from their lustful and ardent glances.
Lilly didn't dare look at Ethan. As she walked onto the stage, she felt his gaze in that direction, reminding her of the performance when they first became close, and her heart fluttered.
To avoid ruining her performance, she tried her best to erase Ethan from her memory, temporarily leaving the past behind and devoting herself entirely to music. Descending from the stage, she still didn't look at him and hurried to the bar, eager to find Karl and the others.
But she was stopped by a waiter who handed her a glass of sweet white sparkling wine.
"This is what the gentleman offered you to drink."
The glass contained a clear, golden liquid with a delicate aroma. Lilly peered closely and sniffed it carefully. The taste was similar to Moscato raisins.
This wine is sweet with a slight tartness. The alcohol content is low. The taste is refreshing and not greasy.
When Lilly was studying in college, this slightly sparkling sweet white wine was her favorite.
Singers performing in bars often encounter customers who leave tips or buy drinks, but this was the first time Lilly had received her favorite wine as a gift. "This gentleman? Who?" she asked the waiter, taking her glass, but her gaze immediately turned to Ethan.
Only those who knew her in college knew she liked to drink this kind of wine, and Ethan was her only old friend at this bar.
However, the waiter pointed in the opposite direction: "Not over there, but over here."
"Lilly said disappointedly and looked in the direction the waiter pointed, but didn't see a single familiar face.
"No, there are only women here. Where's the gentleman?" Lilly asked, puzzled, and looked again carefully. Indeed, in the corner the waiter pointed to, only a group of women was drinking.
Then the waiter asked: "Hey, that's strange. Someone was here just now. Why don't I see anyone…"
Lilly was about to say something, but another waiter approached her with a glass of sweet, white, slightly sparkling wine. "This is the gentleman who invited you for a drink."
"Again?" Lilly was surprised.
Instead of taking the wine, she grabbed the waiter and quickly asked, "Who invited me?"
The waiter pointed to a seat, and Lilly turned to see Ethan leaning against the table, his face cold.
"Was this glass invited by him, too?" Lilly asked, pointing to the first glass of wine, and then asked the waiter who arrived later.
"No," the waiter shook his head.
The first waiter to serve the wine glanced at her and said, "It's not him, it's another handsome guy."
A handsome guy?
She couldn't remember ever knowing a handsome guy who knew so well what kind of wine she liked...
Lilly returned to the bar with two identical glasses of wine in her hands, lost in thought. After Lilly finished singing, Ethan called the waiter and ordered her a glass of her favorite sweet white sparkling wine.
After finishing his order, he turned around to look for Lilly, but discovered that another waiter had already brought her a glass of sweet white sparkling wine.