“Are you guys serious?”
“Always talking tough, but can’t even step on a bottle!”
Lillian kicked each bottle, cleaning everything up before suddenly shouting at the sea,
“Conrad!!!”
Hogan got excited. “Quick, quick, grab your phone and start recording! I’m sure this is going to be some priceless video footage!”
But just as he shouted and took out his phone,
Lillian immediately screamed, “Conrad! I fucking hate you! Son of a bitch! You’re a piece of trash!”
Lionel took a sip of his drink and smirked, looking at Hogan, who was filming. “Yeah, this is definitely priceless and interesting.”
Gordon laughed and asked,”Hogan, do you need me to provide filming services while you get punched? Anyway, George’s place is pretty close to yours, so you won’t die.”
After using all her strength to shout, Lillian collapsed onto the sand.
Gordon had a feeling something was off. “She didn’t just pass out, did she?”
“How much did she drink?”
“Lost count.”
“… Are you an idiot? Her nanny already left. Who’s supposed to take care of her?”
The one who was supposed to be taken care of was…
The guys stood up and walked over to Lillian, only to find her curled up in her own arms on the sand, probably feeling cold. She had a furrowed brow and looked very uncomfortable.
“Lillian… are you okay?”
But all they could hear was her steady breathing.
“…”
“What do we do?”
“What do you mean, ‘What do we do’? Carry her back!”
Leaving her here wasn’t an option!
But drunk Lillian wasn’t letting anyone touch her.
She stayed right there on the sand, and anyone who tried to move her was met with resistance.
The three of them tried one by one, but none of them could get close without being blocked.
Eventually, it was so cold that Lillian finally got up and started heading back.
“Hey, hey, you’re going the wrong way. The house is this way!”
“That’s right!” Lillian looked around, “This isn’t my home! My house isn’t here.”
She pretended to walk away, and the guys quickly followed, managing to corral her back to Taylor Mansion like chasing a little chick.
The bodyguards waiting at the door saw them coming.
Hogan wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Are you sure you can make it upstairs?”
“I’m fine. Just go back, cousin!” Lionel replied.
Hogan sighed, “…Alright.”
“Are you sure we don’t need to give her something to sober up?” Lionel was a little worried she might trip and fall down the stairs.
“No need, Uncle. Don’t worry!” Gordon almost laughed but caught himself.
As Lillian patted Gordon on the shoulder, she said, “Little guy, you need to listen to Uncle. Big sis is heading home!”
She said this, swaying a little as she tried to open the door. “Huh? Why won’t the door open? This door’s wrong!”
The bodyguard quickly came over and opened it.
Lillian shot Lionel a glance, then walked inside the villa as everyone watched anxiously.
“Phew, I swear, I’m never drinking with her again!” Lionel said.
Lillian staggered inside, her memories guiding her to the bedroom. She didn’t even bother to undress and just collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep right away.
But for some reason, something wouldn’t let her sleep.
Lillian impatiently opened her eyes, glanced at her phone, which was glowing, and answered it. “Hello?! Who is this?!”
But on the other end, there was only silence, with the sound of waves crashing in the background.
Lillian waited for the other person to speak. When no one did, she hung up and went back to sleep.
It was strange-ever since that night, Lillian had been receiving strange calls.
Sometimes, there was no sound at all, and other times, there were only sounds of waves and wind.
Lillian thought for a moment and blocked the number.
But two days later, she still received calls from it.
With not much work during the New Year, Lillian had plenty of time to spend at the hospital with her grandmother.
Frank probably noticed the change in her relationship with Conrad, as he started driving to the hospital every morning to wait for her and bring her breakfast-the kind she loved when she was little.
The two of them would spend the whole day at the hospital.
Life went on, calm and uneventful.
After the New Year, school resumed, and it was time to prepare for the graduation exhibition.
Lillian had an advantage with her project because of her on-set filming experience. The documentary she made was essentially about her own time on set. With the camera set up, she could shoot for an entire day.
Frank got off work early and would pick her up at the school gate to take her to dinner.
At first, Lillian refused, but because she had a few persistent admirers and with Martin suddenly reappearing, she decided to get in his car.
Frank never pressured her. Whether she was distant or cold, he continued caring for her day after day, at least helping to look after her grandmother.
Lillian thought that if he were truly her older brother, it would be nice to have someone to rely on.
The graduation exhibition wasn’t as simple as she had thought. There were the finished pieces, but also the concept process and creative ideas. By the time she finished her day, she barely had time to sleep.
Nancy, living under the same roof, rarely saw her.
Sometimes, when things got hectic, Lillian almost fell asleep in the school library.
But whenever the weather was bad or she left too late, she always felt like someone was watching her-neither too close nor too far away.
Yet, whenever she looked up to find the source of the gaze, she could never spot it.
“Lillian, aren’t you going home? The last bus is about to leave.”
“Thanks. I’ve forgotten several times this month.” Lillian snapped back to reality and quickly packed her things.
“Last time, I reminded you when I saw you hailing a cab in the middle of the night. By the way, do you know that handsome guy from earlier? I saw him staring at you all night.”
Lillian looked puzzled. “What handsome guy?”
“You don’t know him? He was sitting in the library, not reading a book or doing anything-just sitting there, staring at you from a distance. A lot of people asked him for his number, but he ignored them. I wish I had taken a picture. He was so good-looking. I thought he was one of your admirers.”
Lillian asked, “What did he look like? Did he have a tattoo here?”
The other person shook her head. “He was too far away, and I didn’t dare to look closely. He was handsome, but he didn’t look like he had a good temper.”
“Where is he now?”
“I’m wondering that too. I saw him just a minute ago, but now he’s gone.”
Just as she finished speaking, Lillian, having not finished packing her things, suddenly ran downstairs.
However, when she reached the corner, she stopped abruptly, then turned around and came back.
“Aren’t you going to look for him?”
Lillian gave a wry smile. “No, I’m not looking for him. I shouldn’t be looking for him anyway.”
Whether it was him or not didn’t matter.
What was there to say if they met?
Should she keep chasing after mysteries that would never be solved?
It was better to leave things here.
Let it end here.
Lillian finished packing, smiled, and said, “I’ll leave now.”
Leaving completely from each other’s lives was the best for both of them.
Maybe she was a little special, but she was just a part of Conrad’s life.
She wouldn’t be his whole world.