Chapter 10

Early the next morning, Nathan got a call from Lily. She sweetly asked about his plans for the day and where he would be taking her for the weekend. Nathan mumbled something about not having any concrete plans, suggesting they could just wander around aimlessly. Perhaps they could grab a bite to eat once they got tired. After a moment of thought, he asked for Lily's exact address, telling her he would come to pick her up. Sometimes, Lily could be quite clueless. He was worried that if she came to look for him, she would get lost. Around 10:00 am, Nathan arrived at the address Lily had given him in his creaky bike. Just as he expected, she lived in one of the top-tier neighborhoods of Linkon City, where the rich resided. It wasn't just an apartment but a villa that was worth tens of millions even in the days before real estate prices soared. Parked in front of the villa was the Rolls-Royce Phantom he had seen a few days ago, the one that chauffeured Lily to and from school. The car exuded an imposing presence. Nathan sent Lily a text saying he had arrived. Soon enough, she appeared at the door. As usual, Lily's style was casual yet fresh. Her hair was still a little damp, likely from a recent shower. She wore a simple white T-shirt without any visible brand logos and a pleated black knee-length skirt, along with crystal sandals. Under the blazing sun, her fair, slender legs gleamed like porcelain. Her toes were delicate and flawless, smooth and pearl-like. Nathan pushed his bike as they left the villa complex. He hopped on and motioned for Lily to sit on the back. Lily was clearly inexperienced with bikes. She cautiously grabbed Nathan's shirt as soon as she sat down, her elegant face paling slightly. "Ready?" Nathan asked. "Alright, let's go." Nathan started pedaling gently, gradually picking up speed. He had been riding a bike since he was ten, so his skills were solid. The ride was smooth, and as they continued, Lily's initial fear faded. Her almond-shaped eyes slowly narrowed into smiling crescents, and her mood brightened. Maybe it was Nathan's presence, but she found this bike ride far more enjoyable than the usual drives with her family's chauffeur. They took their time, stopping whenever they saw a scenic spot to snap some photos with their phones. The biggest advantage of a bike was that they never had to worry about parking. By noon, they were both feeling hungry, so they headed to the pedestrian street along Riverside Road. The street was lined with vendors with carts. They were selling all kinds of local snacks such as hot dogs, pretzels, tacos, and churros. Lily hopped off the bike and ran ahead to buy snacks. She returned with two burritos and handed one to Nathan. Having pedaled for nearly two hours, Nathan was starving. He devoured the burrito in two bites. Lily, on the other hand, barely ate half of hers. "Here." She walked ahead of Nathan and turned around. Bending forward slightly, she offered the rest of her burrito to him. Nathan's eyes widened. Lily was way too close. Her rosy lips were just inches from him, her flawless face radiating a pure beauty. In that brief moment, beneath her pure demeanor, there was a subtle radiance that stirred his thoughts. "Nathan, watch out!" Lily suddenly called out. It was too late. Nathan, who was pedaling his bike, crashed straight into a street vendor's stall with a loud thud. Chaos broke out as everything scattered around. The vendor was a middle-aged woman with a thick waist. She pointed at Nathan and started yelling, "What the hell are you doing? You need to pay for this!" Nathan quickly scrambled to his feet, embarrassed. "Ma'am, don't get mad. How much do you want?" The vendor looked Nathan up and down, thinking he was a naive kid she could easily take advantage of. She immediately jacked up the price. "Five hundred dollars!" Nathan's jaw dropped. He couldn't possibly have 500 dollars on him, and the damage wasn't even that bad. All he had done was knock over some condiments. The real cost couldn't be more than 50 dollars at most. "Do I look like someone who has 500 dollars?" The vendor wasn't backing down. She grabbed onto Nathan's shirt and started wailing. "Oh no, look at this! These two kids wrecked my stall and won't pay! Where's the justice? Where's the law?" Her shouting drew the attention of other vendors nearby. In no time, a small crowd had gathered, pointing and whispering about Nathan and Lily. It was like being caught in a wave of neighborhood gossip. Nathan, feeling both amused and exasperated, decided to give in and called Oscar for help. Oscar had a habit of saving money, and his little stash had over a thousand dollars by now. But before he could dial the number, Lily's eyes darted around. She shouted at the top of her voice, "The city enforcement officers are coming!" Instantly, every vendor scrambled to pack up and flee. Even the middle-aged woman let go of Nathan's shirt in a hurry. "Run!" In the blink of an eye, Lily grabbed Nathan and ran. It was only then that he truly realized what was happening. They had no idea how long they had been running for. They only slowed down when the yelling vendors were long out of sight. Nathan leaned against the railing by the river. He was both baffled and amused. Lily's cheeks were flushed red as she gasped for air. She was clearly exhausted and a bit nervous. For a model student who had earned countless school awards, this was her first time ever telling a lie. If Nathan had shouted earlier, that vendor probably wouldn't have believed him. But Lily didn't look like someone capable of lying, which made it all the more convincing. They exchanged glances. They could not help it and burst into laughter. It took a while for them to calm down. Nathan rubbed his aching cheeks. "Lily, that was something. Where did you learn to yell like that?" Lily's face was still red as she shyly replied, "I-I learned it from the TV." He couldn't say anything else but gave her a thumbs-up. "Well done." She flashed a playful grin. "I just couldn't stand it. That lady was being so mean, trying to rip you off." The weather in May was like a child's mood. It could change at any moment. Just moments ago, the sun was shining brightly. But now, clouds drifted in, blocking it out. A chilly breeze picked up by the river. After running for quite a while, both of them were drenched in sweat. When the wind hit them, even Nathan, with his usual physique, couldn't help but shiver. Nathan glanced at Lily. "Are you cold? Maybe we should grab a cab and head back?" "I don't wanna go home…" Lily shook her head as she pouted. "We just got here. I'm not done having fun yet." "But... It really is getting chilly. I can handle it, but what if you catch a cold?" "I'm not cold," Lily said with a smile, her eyes sparkling like stars. "You know, I've noticed that when I'm with you, even the wind feels warm." With Lily saying something like that, what else could Nathan do? He just smiled and went along with her, continuing their stroll. They didn't dare to go back to the pedestrian street. As for that old, squeaky bike, Nathan decided to consider it as compensation to that vendor he bumped into. Perhaps she could sell it for scrap and get a few dollars to cover her damages. Nathan thought for a moment and gave Lily two options. They could either hit up the amusement park or head to the arcade to play some games. Without hesitation, Lily chose the latter. She had been to the amusement park too many times as a kid and had grown bored of it, but she had never been to an arcade before. If it had been the late 90s or early 2000s, Nathan wouldn't have dared to bring Lily to any arcade. Back then, arcades were a chaotic mess, full of all kinds of trouble. And with Lily's looks, she would've definitely attracted the wrong kind of attention. But things had changed over the years. After the Nymphic International Sports Rally in 2008, public safety improved a lot. The old-style amusement halls had slowly disappeared, replaced by more upscale, cleaner arcades. In fact, by 2009, arcades were a lucrative business. Investing in them was costly, but the return was quick. A few dance machines and some cool dancers were enough to draw in crowds. However, this trend was pretty short-lived. In just a few years, more sophisticated entertainment options would take over. Half an hour later, Nathan brought Lily to a nearby arcade. Naturally, Lily caught a lot of attention. There were quite a few girls in the arcade, most dressed stylishly and wearing makeup. But beauty was all about comparison. The moment Lily walked in, she outshone everyone else. Thankfully, the crowd was mostly students and couples, so there weren't any forceful pick-up attempts. Nathan spent 20 dollars on tokens and started teaching Lily how to play. Lily was a complete beginner. Nathan had to show her everything from how to insert tokens, press the buttons, tell the difference between friend and foe, and pull off those flashy moves. Perhaps Nathan was a good teacher, or maybe Lily just had a natural talent, but she quickly mastered the games. Before long, he noticed something interesting. Lily wasn't into adventure games such as Knights of Honor and Dino Brawl. She had a thing for fighting games like Punch King, Alley Fighter, and Legendary Showdown. It probably had something to do with her personality. After spending time with her, Nathan had come to realize that Lily was fiercely competitive. It was a trait many academic prodigies had, whether they showed it openly or kept it hidden. Lily's favorite game was Punch King 1997 with its powerful strikes. Nathan taught her the basic moves of the team featuring Kyle Carter, Ben Nichols, and Magnus Doyle. After that, she threw herself into the game, completely focused as she tried to outsmart the computer. She was indeed an academic prodigy. Even when it came to gaming, she showcased astonishing talent. It was her first time playing, but she managed to beat the game with only three tokens. As Kyle punched Ian in the back, sealing Great Snake, the final boss, Lily's eyes sparkled like crescent moons. Suddenly, she turned to Nathan and asked, "Nathan, wanna play together?" Nathan chuckled, shaking his head. "It's a fighting game. The only way we can play together is if we fight against each other." "Well then, let's fight," Lily said, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Heh, you've barely learned the ropes. How could you possibly beat me?" Nathan teased. "Come on, just try!" "Well, since you're asking for a challenge, I guess I have no choice but to oblige." Nathan raised his brow, his eyes gleaming with a competitive fire. As a Scorpio, Nathan had a competitive streak of his own. What followed could only be described as a ruthless defeat for Lily.