Chapter 30 Austin Has Finally Given In
Lily always felt there was something mysterious about Dennis.
When Lily's curiosity got the better of her, Dennis replied bluntly, "Yeah, the house you're living in belongs to him."
That was what friends were for—to take the hit.
Dennis turned and went into the private room next door.
A waiter followed him in and respectfully presented a menu. "Mr. Gonzalez, here's the menu."
"Give it to her," Dennis said, leaning back lazily in his chair, one arm draped over the back.
Lily didn't take the menu. "Just bring us a few of your specialties."
She had been here before and knew the menu was fixed, with different dishes each day. You ate whatever they served.
But the waiter handed the menu to Dennis, which showed his friend's status was indeed extraordinary.
Just then, Lily's phone started buzzing.
She glanced at it and saw it was Michael calling. She ignored it.
Soon, a message from Michael popped up: [Lily, this restaurant has some urgent business and is closing temporarily. We're in the parking lot outside. Where are you?]
Lily was puzzled; the restaurant was clearly still open.
It must be Dennis who asked his wealthy friend for help.
She thought for a moment and replied: [You guys go ahead.]
When Michael kept asking where she was, she didn't respond.
She looked up and met Dennis's deep eyes.
He said, "Michael?"
"Yeah, he left."
"Good, now we can eat."
Dennis was so calm, as if what just happened was the most normal thing in the world.
Lily found it a bit strange.
Was he really just a school nurse?
Why did it feel like his background wasn't that simple?
But she quickly dismissed the thought.
If Dennis had such a big background, why would he be a small-time school nurse in a high school?
Maybe he just asked for his friend's help to stand up for her.
She couldn't help but ask, "What did you say to Michael just now?"
Dennis's hand rested on the table, showing a bit of his wrist. He replied, "Just chatted a bit."
But she clearly saw that Michael's expression wasn't good.
Dennis was turned slightly away, so Lily didn't see his expression at the time.
No matter how she looked at it, it didn't seem like just a casual chat.
Lily hesitated and said, "Dr. Gonzalez, I know you're being kind to me, but this is Imperial City. If Michael targets you, you could be in trouble."
She didn't want to drag others into her mess.
"So that's why you're moving back?" He asked.
"Yes, it's only a few days anyway. After the exams, I'll be free."
Lily showed a hopeful expression.
She wanted to start a victorious life after her rebirth, but reality wasn't that easy.
In her previous life, she always depended on her brothers.
This time, she wanted to be independent, get into a good college, and do what she wanted in the future.
Dennis saw the smile on her face and knew she had her own plans.
The words on the tip of his tongue remained unsaid.
He had no right to interfere with her life.
After the meal, Dennis looked at her. "What do you want to do next?"
Lily thought for a moment. "Play games, run some dungeons."
Right now, running dungeons was the only way for her to relieve stress.
Dennis stood up to leave, and Lily watched his tall figure. "Why are you here today? Were you having dinner with someone?"
She had seen him with a beautiful woman earlier.
Dennis paused in front of the elevator. "Just some business."
Lily bit her lip. Just some business?
A date was indeed a significant matter.
Lily's feelings became a bit complicated.
Realizing it wasn't right, she quickly adjusted her mindset.
The person she had a crush on should be her online friend.
The man who appeared after the SATs.
Dennis had been good to her, probably out of sympathy at first, and then he helped her a lot.
She couldn't make their relationship awkward and complicated.
They headed straight back to the apartment.
Lily logged into the game and immediately received a friend request.
She glanced at the name and saw it was Austin.
A few days ago, she had turned down Austin's invitation to join his team.
She didn't expect the proud Austin to personally seek her out.
Lily ignored the friend request and teamed up with Dennis to run dungeons.
They randomly teamed up with three strangers.
After finishing the dungeon, someone sent a friend request.
She saw it was one of their teammates. Thinking their skills were decent, she accepted.
The next second, a message came: [Hi, I'm Austin, the captain of Titan Team. I think you have great potential. Would you like to join our team? We can discuss the terms.]
Lily frowned immediately and thought, 'Why can't he leave me alone?'
She didn't expect Austin to use a secret account to add her.
Dennis turned his head. "What's up?"
"Austin used a secret account to add me, trying to invite me to join his team. He doesn't know who I am."
After all, this was her secret account.
Dennis glanced at her. "If they can't find a strong player, they'll lose the first match of the finals."
"So Austin is a bit anxious now. He's too proud to poach famous players, so he can only choose talented rookies to train."
Lily knew Austin's personality too well.
After all, the Bubble Buddies Team from North City, which the Gonzalez family supported, was very strong.
In her previous life, if the team captain Mark hadn't missed the finals, she couldn't guarantee she would have won.
"The Gonzalez family's Bubble Buddies Team is impressive. Their captain is said to be King's apprentice, highly skilled."
"Not really. He can't even master the twelve-hit combo." He replied.
Lily looked at him in shock. "The twelve-hit combo isn't something everyone can master."
"But you did, didn't you?"
"That's because..."
Lily realized she had almost let something slip. Things from her previous life hadn't happened yet.
Dennis's eyes narrowed slightly. "Because of what?"
Lily paused. "Because I admire King so much and really like him, I unintentionally pulled off the twelve-hit combo. It was just luck!"
Dennis glanced at her.
Clearly, Lily wasn't telling the truth.
Did she really learn it on her own? Or did someone teach her?
Lily didn't respond to Austin and continued running dungeons with Dennis.
Meanwhile, Austin, not getting a reply, rubbed his temples in frustration, his chin covered with stubble.
The recent training results were unsatisfactory.
He hadn't found a strong gunner.
He watched a video of Lily participating in the revival match, where she performed the twelve-hit combo, her agile movements unforgettable.
He felt proud. This was his sister.
He had tried the twelve-hit combo countless times but always failed.
He had to admit Lily's talent.
But that slap had completely strained their relationship.
Austin called Michael, and after a long silence, he asked, "Michael, how's Lily doing lately?"
"Same as always, not listening to anyone. Her test scores this time ranked in the top 1% of the school, a significant improvement!"
"Top 1%? She's really improved!"
Austin thought of Lily's last test scores and initially believed she had cheated.
In hindsight, he had been too harsh.
Lily had always been smart and had good grades as a child.
When did things change? Probably when Sophie joined the Roberts family.
Michael looked at the necklace in the box and sighed. "Austin, do you think we've neglected Lily too much?"
"Michael, you feel that way too?"
They fell into silence on either end of the phone.
"Michael, do you think if I apologize to Lily, she'll forgive me?"
When Austin said this, he had made a lot of mental preparations.
He genuinely wanted to reconcile with Lily.
He deeply regretted hitting her that day. It wasn't intentional.