Chapter 9 Can You Stop Being Stupid

"Bo... Boss?"

"What? Boss, why are you here?" Someone unexpected just arrived, and Lily's attackers suddenly took on a more subdued attitude.

What was going on? Lily was confused. Who were they calling "Boss?" Did Terence try to stop his goons?

Lily tried to part her fingers to see who it was. She felt a rush of relief when she saw Eric.

The guy who saved her from the abusive teacher at school. The person who, despite being mostly silent, was an overall good guy.

"Can you find some quieter place to beat her? You're being too noisy!" Eric said impatiently. He still had that sleepy look on his face.

"Boss, we didn't know you were sleeping here." Terence broke free from Claire's hand and approached Eric. He tapped the boss' shoulder and said, "Boss, you seem to be sleeping a lot. Aren't you afraid of your grandfather finding out that you've been skipping classes?"

"Get your hands off of me," Eric said as he removed Terence's hand from his shoulder. "Tell me, did you learn martial arts to beat helpless girls?"

"Haha." Terence gave out an uneasy laugh. "I was just helping a friend take revenge," he replied.

"A friend?" Eric took a glance at Claire and frowned. He then turned to Terence. "Don't ever let me see anything like this again," he said angrily.

"Understood! I promise we won't do this again," Terence said, his voice shaking.

At this time, Lily managed to stand up. She brushed the dirt from her clothes and walked towards Eric.

As Eric saw her approaching, his black eyes flashed with surprise. "You again?"

Lily gave out a light laugh. She thought it was awkward to say anything at this point. If she spoke, he would probably just give her a hard time, just like when they first met.

"You really are stupid, you know?" Eric said dismissively.

She was right.

Even as she stayed silent, Eric still insulted her. She had an idea how frank he was in the previous life, but she had no idea it was this bad.

"Hello. Nice to meet you. Who is he, Terence?" Claire hated being out of the loop; she walked to be beside Terence this time. She then looked at Eric in wonder.

"He's our leader. You can call him 'Boss' or just Eric," Terence replied.

"Alright." Claire nodded. Shyly, she turned to Eric and said, "Eric, I'm Claire. I'm really sorry for bothering you just now."

Eric glanced at her. "I don't know you," he said, his voice scathing.

His glaring eyes then turned to Terence and said, "Again, don't let me see you do anything like this."

Lily was silent through all that happened. After Eric spoke, he took her hand and they left together.

Those who were left, including Claire, were shocked. Terence and the boys knew that their boss didn't care much for girls. They didn't expect that he would take Lily with him! They realized that by trying to beat Lily, they were the ones who actually got in trouble with the boss.

Claire, on the other hand, felt very frustrated. This was her chance to get Lily beaten! She didn't expect that someone like Eric would interrupt them, someone who even Terence was afraid of!

She couldn't help thinking that Eric was very handsome, though. It was even more appealing knowing that he saved someone.

After quite some thinking, she asked Terence, with a grieved look, "Hey. Was Eric angry?"

"You know, he..." Terence started, trying to find the words to comfort Claire. "He's just like that, don't worry. He is actually a good person. He just doesn't like getting close to girls."

"Then why would he hold Lily's hand and take her away like that?" Claire asked.

"Well, I honestly don't know," Terence answered, as he had absolutely no idea.

Eric was tall, and his long legs made strides. He walked quickly while Lily could barely keep up.

"Hey... hey! Can you... slow down?" Lily said as she gasped for breath. Why did he need to walk so fast? It was not like they were running away from anything.

Eric stopped and let her hand go. "Okay, can you stop being stupid?"

It was hard to tell if he was actually angry or not. But judging from the look in his eyes, he looked rather displeased. If it was someone else, he wouldn't have bothered. After hearing her voice, though, he stopped the boys without even thinking.

"You..." Lily wanted to talk back, but words failed her when she saw his black eyes.

They were so deep that they could have concealed his age. It was like they were full of things she would never understand.

"She's my sister," she finally said after a long pause.

"Sister? You're the only one who thinks you're actually sisters," Eric sneered.

Of course, Eric knew about the Qiao family, and he knew about the rumors surrounding the sisters.

Lily wanted to change the subject, as she didn't want to talk about Claire anymore. So she said, "Thank you for saving me again. If ever you need help from me in the future, don't hesitate to ask."

"You're dumb. I don't think I will ever need your help," Eric replied.

This infuriated her once more. Why did he always need to be that harsh?! However, she tried to stay calm. She took a deep breath and said, "I'll return your coat the next time we meet. Thank you for saving me, twice now. Goodbye!"

Lily left before he could say anything in response.

For a moment, Eric made a hint of smile upon hearing her words. He then put on a stoic face, as usual.

Lily went straight home after school.

After she got off the car and was about to enter the house, Claire stopped her. "Don't tell daddy what happened today!" Claire warned her.

"Why? Are you afraid?" Lily sneered.

"If you try anything, I'll tell Dad that you went to the school garden to hook up with some guys!" Claire raised her chin confidently.

"Haha!" Lily laughed. "You can say whatever you want."

She then walked past Claire and went straight to the house.

Claire could only feel anger as she watched her sister leave. She felt that Lily could afford to be more arrogant now, what with her good grades and their father's attention.

During dinner, Claire sat next to Lily and pretended that they were close. Lily was utterly disgusted.

"There will be a party tomorrow. The whole family should attend," Dillon suddenly announced.

"What party?" Lucia asked, surprised.

"It's for the 20th birthday of the Gu family's eldest son." Dillon looked at the sisters' direction and said, "Remember to dress up well, okay? It's a lavish party. Please be prepared."

The last sentence was directed at Lucia.

"I'll make sure their dresses are prepared," Lucia replied. She couldn't help but feel disgusted when she glanced at Lily.

"Eden," Dillon addressed his son, who had been quiet all this time. "It's important that you're dressed well. Full formal attire and all that. You will be dealing with the family business starting next year. I'll be taking you to meet with some very important people."

"Understood, Dad," Eden replied earnestly.

"Oh, Dillon! Are you seriously considering Eden to hold a position in the company starting next year?" Lucia asked, excitement apparent in her voice.

"Don't be so surprised," Dillon said. "He is the eldest son of the Qiao family. Of course, he's destined to take over the family business. It will be good for him to start early."

"I agree, I agree. I believe that with Eden's intellect, he will be leading the company to a brighter future," Lucia said proudly. She then gave Lily a deliberate glance.

Lily smiled as she met Lucia's eyes. She didn't really care much about Eden and his future position in the company. In fact, she was more concerned about what would happen at the party tomorrow.

'The 20th birthday of the Gu family's eldest son, humph, that's it!" she sneered in her heart.She remembered that in her previous life, she met Frank on that very same party.

A 20-year old man developed a fondness for a little girl and persistently pursued her. Lily felt that this was strangely fascinating!

'We'll meet again, Frank,' she thought. 'I'll ruin you in this life or I'll eat my hat. I'm not the same Lily as before!'

The party was held in the Gu family's mansion. Lily was overwhelmed upon returning to this place, as memories of her previous life rushed into her. What she dreaded the most was the memory of her falling down the stairs, resulting in her death. She realized that she still hated this place very much!

Lily tried to stop her thoughts as she, Eden and Claire walked into the banquet hall. Dillon and Lucia walked ahead of them.

They were surrounded by very important people, well-dressed businessmen and friends of the family. People were already laughing and talking before the Qiao family arrived. However, the one whom this party was held for still hadn't appeared.

"When your Uncle Simon's son comes out, you should try and talk to him," Dillon whispered to Lily after entering the hall.

"Okay, Dad," she replied with a smile.

Dillon also instructed Lucia to chat with the rich ladies among them, while she told Claire to introduce herself to the young men. He then took Eden with him towards the crowd.

With his father out of sight, Lily looked around and walked towards the backyard garden, passing through the thick crowd. She felt like she just needed to be alone before the party started.

When Lucia saw that Lily left the hall, she then turned to Claire. "When Frank comes, you should find ways to get closer to him. Win his favor. I don't want that little bitch to get a chance before you."

"Why, Mother?" Claire didn't understand.

"Don't be stupid... think! This family is rich and powerful. It will be in our best interests to curry their favor. If you can win Frank's heart, that would be a huge benefit to your father's company. Then, we will have more power, too. Even your grandfather will notice us, and that bitch will fall out of favor."

"I understand, Mom." Claire's eyes lit up at the proposal. As long as she could do anything to bring Lily down, she would enjoy it. It would all be worth it.