Chapter 76- ridiculous

Chapter 76: Chapter 76- ridiculous Karl stepped into the room to find Morrison lounging casually on the bed, dressed in relaxed clothes. His long legs were crossed, half-reclined against the headboard. Fresh from the shower, damp hair hanging down, his sharply defined, handsome face carried an undeniable chill—so magnetic that even Karl couldn’t help but think, What a captivating man. But Morrison’s mood wasn’t great. His perfectly shaped lips were pressed tightly together, giving off an unmistakable aura of "stay away." "Yo, bro, feeling fancy today, huh?" Karl grinned as he walked over and plopped down beside Morrison on the bed. Morrison barely resisted the urge to kick him off and said without lifting an eyelid, "If you’ve got something to say, say it. If not, get out." Morrison didn’t want to spend even a minute with Karl. Every time he saw him, he thought of Lilian, and his mood darkened—irritated, angry, miserable. Ignoring the cold reception, Karl shifted awkwardly and finally spoke up, "Hey, quick question—what brand of condoms is good?" Morrison’s expression instantly froze. His eyes shot up with a glare so icy it could freeze a person solid. Karl was genuinely taken aback by that look, almost backing down. But then he reminded himself not to give up now. After all, he wasn’t the one stirring trouble—just pushing the wave a bit. So, summoning his courage, he went on, "I’m taking Lilian fishing out in the countryside this weekend. Planning to stay overnight. You know, when a guy and girl are alone together, things are bound to happen. So I need to buy the essentials ahead of time..." Morrison’s face twisted from anger into something fiercer—he didn’t even care if Karl was his brother anymore. With one swift kick, he sent Karl flying off the bed. "You’ve got two seconds to get out, or don’t blame me for being rude!" Hearing Karl was spending the night with Lilian, Morrison wanted nothing more than to strangle him right then and there. Karl picked himself up from the floor, looking utterly innocent as he complained, "Hey, bro, why you gotta be like that? You know I’m clueless about this stuff. I’m just here to learn from you—why get so mad?" The angrier Morrison got, the happier Karl felt inside. But he also knew better than to push too far, so he backed toward the door while continuing, "This is just ridiculous!" Morrison raised the book in his hand as if to throw it at him. Karl quickly ducked near the door, peeking his head inside, "I was even gonna ask you about good positions for first-timers, and you just lose it for no reason..." CRASH! Karl hadn’t finished speaking before the book came flying at him. He slammed the door shut just in time, blocking the book from hitting his face. He heard a crash from inside—something kicked over, no doubt—and couldn’t help but grin secretly, thinking, That’s a powerful dose of medicine. I told him I was spending the night with Lilian—there’s no way he can stay calm now. Honestly, all this talk about hiking and fishing was just Karl’s plan to stir Morrison into action regarding Lilian. They’d been stuck like this for too long, and Karl couldn’t stop worrying. Man, being the little brother is exhausting. If Morrison and Lilian ended up together, their mom probably wouldn’t push him to settle down anytime soon, and he could finally focus on his research. Plus, he could ask his brother for some funding—what’s not to like? With everything set, now all that was left was to watch his brother make his move. Saturday morning, Lilian packed up early, waiting at home for Karl to pick her up. She’d told Tiffany about the weekend plans, and Tiffany didn’t object. To her, two young people hanging out like that was basically a date. But Tiffany warned her over the phone: some things just shouldn’t happen. Lilian understood perfectly what her mom meant. She reassured her a hundred times over—she and Karl were only pretending to date. What could possibly happen? They didn’t even hold hands. Even when she was actually dating Morrison, nothing had happened, right? She knew exactly what was appropriate and what wasn’t, and she wasn’t about to let her life spiral out of control. The doorbell rang, and Lilian happily grabbed her little suitcase, expecting Karl. Instead, standing outside was the last person she wanted to see—Morrison, dressed casually. She jumped in surprise, "Y-you... what are you doing here?" Morrison glanced at her with a blank expression. "Karl said something urgent came up at school, so he asked me to pick you up first." Lilian’s heart skipped a beat, panic creeping in. "You’re coming with us today?" A cold snort came from deep in Morrison’s throat—a clear response. Lilian bit her lip, standing frozen in place, unwilling to move. What was this? Her ex-boyfriend tagging along with her fake current boyfriend on a trip? Her reluctance was written all over her face, and Morrison felt like squeezing her heart right then and there. His tone dipped colder, deliberately making things difficult for her. "What, not welcome?" Lilian awkwardly looked up at him. Why was he doing this? Why couldn’t they just part on good terms? Sure, they dated for half a year, but it seemed like he never really cared for her. Why did every breakup feel like a battle? She was sure she hadn’t done anything wrong—so why treat her like this? "I’m actually looking forward to it." Morrison stared at her clean, pretty face and murmured softly. Without thinking, he reached out to touch her cheek. Lilian flinched away in surprise. His expression darkened. Summoning her courage, Lilian looked back and said, "I don’t understand why you keep mocking me like this. If it’s because I broke up with you first and hurt your pride, then I’m sorry. Or if it’s because I’m with Karl now and that embarrasses you, I’m sorry too. It’s what both our parents want." Lilian had reached her limit—she was truly tired of his constant cold sarcasm. Morrison lazily leaned against her doorframe, speaking indifferently, "Some things aren’t fixed with an apology." Like how she had unsettled his heart. Did she think a simple sorry would restore the freedom his heart once knew? Erase their past? Pretend she never existed in his life? No way. In Morrison’s eyes, all of this was her fault.