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His friend, unwilling to back down, snapped, "Lila , that’s enough! It was my fault.”

“Why are you following Owen around? Has he ever cared about you? Aren’t you just chasing some way out at your expense?”

Standing in front of Lila, I couldn’t catch her expression, but Jackson and his friend looked utterly tried. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly turned to pat Lila’s arm. “Lil…”

Jackson’s friend bolted like a rabbit and disappeared in a flash.

Jackson, on the other hand, avoided my gaze. He shot me a glance and then said bitterly, “Owen, this Saturday is my dad’s birthday. He insists that you come home and cook for the party.”

I looked at Lila and couldn’t help but wonder why she was acting this way. “Lil, are you alright?”

Lila glanced at me and then reverted back to her usual calm expression. “Sorry, if I was out of line.”

I was a little startled, not because she suddenly changed her attitude, but because it had reminded me of the Lila from my past life.

Back then, she had a lot of deference, and her actions were extreme, especially with me. However, that was all due to the hardships she had faced. In light of that, why had she turned out this way?

My mind was all over the place, and I sat back down in my seat.

I had to be the chef and serve a bunch of people.

Lila said, “About that birthday party Jackson mentioned, your dad wants you to be there.”

I lowered my head and took a big gulp of water. “I’ll definitely attend my dad’s birthday party, but I’m not going to cook. Don’t worry, it's not that big of a deal.”

I had already prepared a big gift to give to that family of three at that birthday party, so it didn't matter. Besides, it seemed I had found a way to make some extra money.

Lila stared at me, and her gaze was probing.

“Okay, enough about us. Let’s talk about you,” I stared into her eyes and asked seriously, “Since you’ve returned now, don’t you plan to look for the person you like?” Just then, the waiter finally placed the crayfish on the table.

Lila put on gloves as she began peeling the crayfish. Her laughter was clear and bright.

“I’ll tell you this, being female, it’s not wise to get too close in a relationship, and always depend on others. Why would anyone be interested in that?”

Hearing this, I felt a sudden pang in my chest. I quickly suppressed my feelings, trying to prevent upsetting her.

A sense of relief washed over me. It seemed I had misunderstood. Lila wasn’t interested in me at all.

The bond between Lila, Kenny, and me was unbreakable. We would do anything for each other.

I didn’t need to second-guess her motives for standing up for me, unlike the things Jackson’s friends had said that night, along with the misunderstandings.

I winked at her and smiled. “Tell me, you’ve got to tell. If you really love him, maybe I can help you win him over.”

Lila fixed her gaze on me while placing the peeled crayfish onto my plate. “He’s from our year, and he’s tall, thin, and fair-skinned. He looks clean, sunny, and gentle.” Wait a second, Randall fits that type perfectly. It seemed that women’s first loves were all alike.

I munched on the juicy crayfish quietly. Only when my hand accidentally bumped Lila’s gently did I realize.

My crush, why was he being manipulative? He was being passively aggressive with me just now.

I continued, “So, you’ve had a crush on him for many years, haven’t you? As an experienced person, let me teach you a trick: if he’s still single, you should put in more effort. If no matter what, then take the coldhearted route by wiping his existence entirely out of your mind. Don’t let yourself sink into the quicksand of what-ifs.”

“I’ve already planned in advance, alright? I’ll stay out of your way sensibly so that no one sees through any of your plans. Otherwise, Kenny might get involved.”

Lila retorted sharply, “What do you mean ‘experienced’?”

“You were all high and mighty before marrying Yvette, but now it’s different.”

A glint appeared in my eyes, though I remained calm. There was no need to hide my true intentions.

Kenny should know, if he did that, that meant I’ll keep bothering him.

“Everyone will grow up sooner or later!” I replied with a smile.

At the same time, I paired a glance at Kenny and a glass of wine. The wine was for me, but I slid the glass of juice toward Lila.

“You can’t have any alcohol.”

Lila suddenly said, “You mentioned that you wanted to earn money because you wanted to take care of Yvette. Now that you’ve decided to leave her, why are you continuing to do that? You can still act as an old partner, take any payment you want. Heck, you can establish your own studio, where you’ll make your life better than before. Could it be that you don’t want to use that pseudonym anymore?”

I nodded quietly. Back when I’d decided to drop the name “Owen Yates,” I did that partly to test and see if there were any updates about her while she was still single. That way, she would feel slightly away from me.

“Heard that it’s hard work, but I’ve got to make some money eventually. However, they deliberately came to bother me, and they seem pretty cheap. The customer service representative named Calm told me to stay here while they went to retrieve the items.”

Meeting the customer service representative at the counter, Kenny and I chuckled.

I learned that what mattered most was making Benjamin happy!

“He’s like family. Could Uncle Benjamin have reached out to her?”

Lila thought for a moment, then turned her head to look at me, her expression unreadable. “What’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”

I hesitated to mention Yvette to Lila. It was better that the two of them never meet. Ultimately, it lessens the risk of Lila getting into any more trouble.

Lila’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn’t ask anymore.

I looked at her, and she casually took a car key out of her pocket. Hatching a playful idea, she said, “Don’t you want to take a ride?”

Hearing that, my eyes immediately lit up, and my mood immediately improved. I was practically giddy.

In the past, because I treated Yvette so terribly, I didn’t care about myself. When I was diagnosed with stomach cancer, I couldn’t even touch spicy, greasy food. Just thinking about it made me sick.

Lila held my hand and said in a gentle voice, “Do you remember? I used to sneak out to eat barbecue, and you liked the food best at the food market. Back then, I remember showing you how to grill.”

Her hand was spread across my hand, and it felt so natural, like she was just holding my hand.

It was so familiar that it brought me back to the past.

“But eventually, I got the hang of it and cooked crayfish for you too. After all,”

Lila and I were true childhood friends. We were always together, from kindergarten to high school.

I barely had any pocket money, and my mom wouldn’t give me any more.

Lila was different, though. She was an only child, had excellent grades, and was always at the top of the class. While my grades weren’t bad, I didn’t enjoy doing homework, so I often ran away from home.

About visiting Uncle Benjamin, I felt like I was at the hospital.

I had thought, Lila will eventually lead a delicate life.

I sat in the passenger seat, fastening my seatbelt, and I watched her intently.

Lila seemed a bit flustered under my intense stare. She cleared her throat and said, “Lighten up, you! We’ve been friends since high school. We often ate together, and of course, it was mostly me treating you.”

The car seemed a little out of place in such a big car.

Upon hearing!

I nearly leaned closer in surprise. But then I realized—oh, my God, I almost lost my mind. “Was I not clear enough last time?”

An awkward silence descended, and I became flustered.

Lila sighed and fastened her seatbelt properly before starting the car.

Lila said, “Hey, you two used to be like brothers, right? I remember you guys are like a perfect couple!”

The man, Andy Lynch , smiled and then critically observed us. Then he sat down. As he was posting a message online, he kept staring at me and chatting away.

“Look at you, young man. You’ve grown quite strong. She’s looking at you and tuning in, as if you two are a couple made with a divine touch.”

Kenny glanced back and forth between the two of us, until his eyes were full of understanding.

Lila added, “The usual, please.”

I watched Kenny’s retreating figure and let out a sigh, not explaining further. After a while, he knocked on the table and joked, “After all these years, you two are just friends? Are you two messing with me?”

It had already chilled things, and if the misunderstanding remained, there was no reason to be too polite.

Just then, a familiar voice laced with sarcasm cut through the air. “Owen, I knew it. You betrayed Eve , and you’re still messing around with Lila.”

“Jackson, you said that your cousin was married, didn’t you? Then, why is he still seeing Lila? Isn’t this infidelity?”

“Exactly. This is hilarious. If he liked Lila all along, why get married in the first place? That’s really unethical. How can he face his wife?”

Hearing those sarcastic voices, I kept my expression calm and turned my head.

There was Jackson, still the same as ever. Standing next to him was a man who looked familiar. Although I couldn’t remember his name, I was certain it was someone I didn’t get along with in high school.

My gaze landed on Jackson, and I smiled. “Is your face all better now? Are you looking for another fight?”

Jackson seemed to remember the time I exposed his mom as the mistress and he got beaten up. His face instantly darkened. “Owen, what’s with all the attitude? If Eve hadn’t protected you last time, do you think you could’ve walked out of the Yates residence unharmed?” He gritted his teeth.

Lila’s expression instantly turned serious. “Owen, did your dad hit you?”

“Don’t listen to his nonsense. It was actually me who hit him.” I waved my hand and glared at Jackson. “Jackson, if you really like Yvette, why don’t you go after her? Remember to leave some evidence and send it to me. I’ll step down and make way for you. What do you think?”

When it came to Kenny, Jackson had been a thorn in his side. He tried to push me away, and then he threatened Yvette. If they needed help, they might save me from distress and even help me in the long run.

Lila looked at me intently, even though she could see right through me.

Jackson hesitated and stammered, “What kind of nonsense are you talking about? A man like me would never pursue another man! Owen, for you to say something like that only proves that you’re the one…”

Jackson seemed taken aback, speechless for a moment.

Jingshen , the man next to him.

Kenny’s gaze toward Lila was both complicated and passive. At that sight, I didn’t see any sign that she had identified her legs, or how she was crippled. I pleasantly thought Kenny would still care about her.

Lila kept a calm demeanor and directly said, “You’re overthinking things.”

I fumed. I slammed the table and shot them a fierce look. “Apologize to Lila, and leave immediately. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being rude.”

Jackson was momentarily stunned, and then he laughed loudly and mockingly. “Oh, so I only said a few things about Lila, and you’re already protecting her like she’s a treasured woman? She’d definitely kick you out.”

“You still support Kenny? You care so much about…”

Before he could finish his sentence, I suddenly stood up, grabbed a beer bottle, and swung it at them. I wasn’t acting out of impulse or anger, but some people don’t know their place. If I didn’t give them a lesson, they wouldn’t know.

Jackson and his friend’s expressions instantly changed.

I had the video of my dad and his mom’s affair, and with Yvette’s threatening words from before, the power to decide on the Jackson family’s project investment was in my hands. Jackson was foolish enough to challenge me, but the two of them didn’t have the guts.

I held Jackson’s aggression, and I noticed the hatred in his eyes. He glared at me.

Just as I was about to pick up the bottle and teach them a lesson, the person next to me did it. She smacked each of them hard, making them wince in pain.

Jackson and his friends instinctively held their heads.

“Who did you hit?!” they questioned.

Both of them glared at us as if they wanted to fight.

“Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to hit me?!” Clenching his face, Jackson tried to act tough, but I stepped forward and blocked him right away.

“Again? Who’s the lowly one?” Lila stood behind me. Her voice was as cold as ever.

Jackson completely lost it and blurted out, “I’m the lowly one!”