Chapter 77- dated

Chapter 77: Chapter 77- dated In Morrison’s eyes, all of this was her fault. If she hadn’t come to him asking to teach her how to date, how would they have shared those six months? How could his heart have been so thoroughly disrupted by her? And now? She just brushed it all off and walked away like it was nothing—ending up with his own brother. How could he not be furious? How could he treat her kindly? She started this game, so she had to face the consequences. Without another word, he reached out, took the suitcase from her hand, and turned to leave. "Hey—" Lilian protested from behind. She really didn’t want to leave with him. Couldn’t she just wait for Karl to finish and leave with him? She had no idea what Karl was thinking, why he insisted she go with Morrison first. But then she figured maybe Karl didn’t know about their history and just wanted her to go ahead so she wouldn’t be anxious. With a tangle of emotions, she got into Morrison’s car, and they drove toward the countryside villa. On the way, Lilian kept her head down, glued to her phone, pretending to be completely absorbed—anything to avoid talking to Morrison. Just thinking about how he’d be there fishing and hiking with them later gave her a headache. What an awkward situation. She had planned to enjoy this weekend, but now... She started brainstorming excuses to avoid them once they arrived—maybe cramps? Motion sickness? Anything to be alone in the hotel room. Lost in thought, she suddenly heard a voice beside her, "Trying to think of an excuse to avoid me later?" She was, indeed. She nodded instinctively, "Yeah." Then realized who had spoken—Morrison—and instantly wished she could jump out of the car. How was he so cunning, able to read her mind like that? Her thoughts were written all over her face; Morrison didn’t even have to guess. "If you’re thinking that, let me remind you—’cramps’ won’t fly." "If I’m not mistaken, your period was at the end of last month, and now it’s mid-month." He said it like it was nothing, so precise. Lilian was mortified, caught so clearly, her face flushing red as she glared angrily at him while he drove. "You—you—" "You pervert! How do you know that?" She shouted in frustration. Morrison let out a cold laugh. "Did you forget? We dated for half a year." The words dripped with sourness, a deliberate reminder of their past. Lilian certainly hadn’t forgotten that they’d dated, but she didn’t understand how he knew such private things about her. After all, she didn’t remember ever telling him those details, nor would she have felt comfortable sharing them. She hadn’t said a word, yet Morrison somehow knew. For example, she never drank cold drinks or ate anything cold when they were together—just those little habits were enough for Morrison to figure things out. He knew she was shy about such matters, so he never mentioned it. Instead, after pinpointing the timing, on those particular days each month, if they went on dates and he cooked, he’d consciously avoid making her cold-natured foods. That awkward topic only thickened the already tense atmosphere between them. Finally arriving at the villa, Lilian hurriedly jumped out of the car, breathing in the fresh, clean air. Halfway there, she called Karl to ask when he’d arrive. He said he and a few classmates were already on the way, speeding over and should be there soon. What Lilian didn’t know was that Karl had deliberately told Morrison he was busy that morning and asked him to pick her up instead. As for Morrison, after hearing Karl’s plan to spend the night with Lilian, he had refused a Saturday morning golf outing with a company executive and rerouted to come along to the villa. His excuse to Karl was that he had nothing else to do over the weekend, so why not come out and have fun with them? Plus, he was familiar with the villa’s owner, a business friend, so his presence could score them some discounts. Karl gladly agreed, and Morrison joined them. Morrison and Lilian checked in at the front desk together. The rooms were all booked by Morrison because of his connection with the villa’s owner. When Lilian got the room key, she realized she and Morrison would be staying in different rooms within the same villa complex. Because it was a vacation villa, the buildings were styled as clusters of two-story cottages connected in garden-like groups—not like the towering high-rise hotels you usually see. Every three or four cottages formed a small villa cluster. After a short distance, another cluster appeared. Each cluster had its own name—Peach Blossom Retreat, Sakura Pavilion, Chrysanthemum Terrace, Gathering Hall, and so on. Lilian and Morrison were assigned to the so-called Peach Blossom Retreat, while, according to the front desk, Karl and his friends were staying in Gathering Hall, right next door to Peach Blossom. This arrangement made Lilian both embarrassed and uneasy. If Karl and his friends showed up later and found out that Lilian—the girlfriend—wasn’t staying in the same villa cluster as Karl, but instead was living in the same complex as Karl’s older brother, what would they think? And honestly, Lilian didn’t want to share a place with Morrison either. Even if they had separate rooms, the thought still made her uneasy. Of course, she couldn’t protest in front of the front desk, so on the way to check in, carrying their bags side by side, she quickly spoke up. "This arrangement doesn’t seem very appropriate, does it?" Morrison, wearing sunglasses, walked ahead expressionless, pretending not to hear her. His long legs took big strides, and he showed no sign of slowing down or caring about her feelings. Lilian had to trot along behind him, holding her tiny travel bag. "Hey, Morrison!" After a few steps, he suddenly stopped. Lilian, caught off guard, bumped right into his chest. Morrison immediately reached out, gently pinching her smooth, delicate chin. He lowered his eyes behind the dark lenses and smirked coldly. "So eager to stay with him, huh?" What Morrison meant was clear: he recalled Karl’s comment about the two of them—young man and young woman, hormones raging, bound to cause some sparks. Seeing her so unwilling to stay with him now only stoked the fire simmering in his chest. Lilian, hurt by his unreasonable tone, swatted his hand away from her chin, glaring at him fiercely. "I’m Karl’s girlfriend now, but I’m stuck living in the same villa as you? Don’t you care about how this looks to everyone?" Was he deliberately trying to stir up trouble? Did he want everyone to know about their past? Putting the three of them in such an awkward spot—was that what he wanted? After her emotional outburst, Morrison just stared at her silently. Because of the sunglasses, Lilian couldn’t read his expression, but she was sure it wasn’t a good one. After a moment, feeling the weight of his presence and wanting to avoid eye contact, she looked away. Slowly, Morrison finally spoke. "Peach Blossom Retreat is the most luxurious part of this place. Given my status, it’s where I should stay. You’re a lady—there’s nothing wrong with me arranging for you to stay here." "As for Karl and his friends, it’s simply because the name ’Gathering Hall’ suits a bunch of classmates." With that, he turned and walked away casually, ignoring her. Lilian was left speechless by his explanation. But soon, reality sank in—she’d protested, and yet he had no intention of changing the room assignments. Determined, she quickened her pace to catch up to him. "Morrison—" His strides were long and purposeful. By the time she caught up, he was already standing in front of the door to his villa room. Just as he was about to swipe the card and enter, she grabbed his arm firmly.