After sunset, Lucian Blue decided to take Eve Nightburn out for dinner.
Currently, Lucian felt his body had mostly recovered. He could finally sit down and endure the pain, albeit with some effort.
Seated in a chair, Lucian browsed restaurant options on his phone, pondering what to eat for dinner.
“Hey, Eve, anything you’re craving?”
Flipping through eatery listings on That Group, Lucian weighed his choices.
“Me?” Eve thought for a moment. She had already enjoyed a good meal earlier and wasn’t particularly hungry now.
“Mmm… I’m not really that hungry. Besides, didn’t you buy a Strawberry Cake? I was planning to have that tonight!”
Lucian was speechless. Oh no! My dear little lady! Just name a bunch of delicious dishes, and I’ll take you there right now!
If you go, I can expense it! That means a free gourmet meal for me, understand?
Realizing he had fallen into Eve’s rhythm—revolving entirely around her whims—Lucian decided to take charge. If she had no ideas, he’d give her one!
“Ahem!” Lucian coughed twice, strategically trying to grab Eve’s attention. “How about I take you for some barbecue?”
The moment Eve heard the word “barbecue,” her hands froze mid-game. She leaped off the bed, dashed over, and stared at him with starry eyes. “Really? Bro!”
“Really! Let’s go right now!” Lucian knew he had successfully steered her into his plan. Without hesitation, he hustled her along, eager to set off.
Whether Eve actually wants barbecue or not doesn’t matter—Lucian sure does!
The two left the hotel, hopped into the car, buckled up, and rolled down all the windows. Lucian pulled out two pairs of sunglasses—one for himself and one for Eve.
With shades on, Lucian cranked up the music in his car’s mini-TV, blasting “Deja Vu” at full volume. He punched the destination into the GPS and sped toward the barbecue joint like a madman.
As the adrenaline-pumping music roared, their heads bobbed wildly to the beat. Passersby who heard the commotion turned to look, only to witness what seemed like two lunatics lost in their own chaotic world.
About ten minutes later, they arrived. After parking, Lucian rummaged through his trunk for a crisp suit jacket and slipped it on.
Now sporting sunglasses and a suit, Lucian led Eve into the barbecue shop.
At the entrance, he greeted the owner, busy skewering meat. “Boss! Two beers, ten lamb skewers, ten beef skewers!”
The owner glanced at him and asked, “Want any chili?”
“Load up on cumin!” Lucian replied before turning to Eve and nudging her. “What do you want?”
“Mmm…” Eve pondered before hesitantly suggesting, “Grilled squid?”
Lucian immediately relayed the order. “Add a squid! Oh, and scratch the beer—I’m driving. Swap it for a bucket of soda, thanks!”
With that, he and Eve found a table outside and sat down.
“Perfect!” Lucian leaned back in his chair, scrolling through videos on his phone while waiting for the food.
He was thrilled. His grin stretched ear to ear—after all, this meal would go on Eve’s tab.
In other words, this wasn’t him treating her—it was her treating him.
The best part of this job? Any odd expense could be pinned on this Little Loli, and the Country would foot the bill.
Unbeknownst to Eve, she had unwittingly become Lucian’s personal ATM.
Once the Waiter brought the skewers and soda, the two dug in.
As Eve nibbled on her squid, she occasionally glanced at the starry sky. Spotting the brightest one, she instantly recognized it. “Look! That’s the Morning Star! The shiniest one up there!”
Lucian followed her finger and noticed the dazzling star.
“Yeah, it is. How’d you know it’s the Morning Star, though?”
Astronomy wasn’t Lucian’s forte, so he had no clue.
Seeing his confusion, Eve explained, “Back at the Orphanage, when we had nothing to do at night, my friends and I would count stars.”
“The sister who took care of us told us the Morning Star is the brightest. She said it’s a lucky star—if it blesses you, your whole life will be filled with good fortune!”
Lucian got it. This Little Loli probably believed something good was about to happen to her.
Fair enough. Though Lucian was a materialist who shouldn’t believe in such things, who didn’t want a bit of luck?
He took a bite of beef and a swig of soda before looking at Eve. “Then I’m sure the Morning Star will bring you luck!”
“Mm-hmm!” Eve nodded cheerfully. “It definitely will!”
After dinner, they returned to the hotel.
Upon opening the door, they were surprised to find Nina White already sitting on the bed, scrolling through her phone, waiting for them.
“Big Sis Nana?” Eve was puzzled. Wasn’t Lucian supposed to be supervising her today?
Lucian walked to the desk and noticed the medicine Nina had brought back for him.
Hearing Eve, Nina put away her phone. “I just came to deliver Lucian’s medicine. Don’t overthink it.”
Her gaze then lifted toward Lucian, who was trying to sneak off. “Right, Mr. Trash~?”
“Ah…” Lucian, caught red-handed with the medicine, froze awkwardly. “Uh.”
He scratched his head and forced a laugh.
“Haha, with you two girls here, I can’t exactly strip and apply medicine, right? I’ll just go next door—to the Room next door!”
Nina nodded. “I know. Just a heads-up: the facial ointment might sting. You might have a rough night.”
Lucian felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. But he couldn’t complain—he hadn’t specified any requirements earlier.
Suppressing his misery, he managed a strained smile. “Got it. Thanks for the warning. I’ll go rest next door then…”
With that, he left the room.
