The day passed quickly.
By the time Lucas got off work and headed home, it was already 1 AM.
Walking along the tree-lined path in the residential complex, enjoying the cool breeze, Lucas couldn't help but close his eyes and savor the moment.
"Time flies."
Winter would be here soon.
He'd been quite busy lately, having to juggle the appearances of important figures with his company's development.
Enjoying these rare moments of leisure was when Lucas felt most relaxed.
However,
he still had one regret.
Here, in this world, he felt somewhat... stifled.
He couldn't act as freely as he wished.
If only he could be like those overpowered protagonists in novels—not caring if he was weak or strong, simply eliminating anyone who provoked him.
Now that would be satisfying.
This was probably why there was a saying: "Reality always has the final say."
Of course,
he wasn't doing too badly either.
Lucas stretched lazily. "At the gathering, it'll be time for a proper confrontation with Ye Fan."
This gathering, of course, was the rich second-generation party happening in two days.
All the well-known young heirs and heiresses in River City would be there.
It was at this party that Wei Ting would meet Ye Fan.
Their paths would cross there; Wei Ting would help Ye Fan, and Ye Fan would repay the favor.
A mutually beneficial relationship.
Furthermore, Wei Ting's presence would make him the center of attention at the entire event.
The Wei Family.
A top-five family in Tianhe Province.
Since everyone would be fawning over him, Wei Ting's every move would naturally be watched closely.
Especially when Ye Fan showed up wearing a security guard's uniform, following Claire Dubois—everyone would notice.
Later, a few insignificant minor rich kids would try to provoke him, and Ye Fan would beat them up on the spot.
Thus, conflict would erupt.
In the end, Wei Ting, impressed by Ye Fan's boldness (or stupidity), would decide to invest in him.
This would also introduce Ye Fan to all the wealthy young attendees.
His rise to power would essentially begin there.
Thinking of this plot point, Lucas couldn't help but smirk. "Wei Ting... I wonder if your expression will change dramatically when you see him..."
Now that he knew this plot and had already offended Wei Ting that afternoon,
there was no way Lucas was going to let Wei Ting off easy.
Just as Lucas was about to head home,
Camille Laurent's voice called out from behind him.
"Lucas."
Lucas turned and saw Camille dressed in a black office lady (OL) suit, her perfectly proportioned legs clad in black stockings.
Her slightly wavy hair, combined with her delicate features, accentuated her charm.
However...
for some reason, Lucas felt something was a bit off.
"Miss Camille, what are you doing here?" Lucas asked, surprised. "It's so late. Shouldn't you be asleep?"
Lucas had minimal interaction with Camille, the story's "villainous" heroine.
But she was the easiest to get along with.
He also didn't have to worry about her falling for the protagonist, Ye Fan, so he had somewhat neglected her on purpose.
In contrast, he was more focused on winning over Claire Dubois.
A female CEO, and also the protagonist's destined love interest in the original story.
Tsk, tsk...
If he could win her over, wouldn't Ye Fan just die of rage?
As for Camille...
She was wholeheartedly devoted to his somewhat foolish "good big brother," Adrien, who didn't return her feelings. So, she was safe to ignore. For now.
Camille quickly walked up to Lucas, a happy smile on her face. "Couldn't sleep. Just taking a walk."
"What a coincidence, running into you again."
In truth, she had been waiting for a long time.
Ever since she felt that taste of despair from Adrien, Lucas's figure had kept appearing in her mind.
It felt like he was slowly replacing Adrien in her thoughts.
Lucas scratched his head. "Yeah, it is quite a coincidence."
Coincidence, my foot. I wasn't really hoping to run into you right now.
This... puts me in an awkward spot.
Camille, seeing his expression, bit her lip slightly and said softly, "Lucas."
"Yeah?"
Looking at the man before her, Camille felt a strange restlessness in her heart.
She couldn't quite describe the feeling.
She just felt...
that he might be a better choice.
But she was also hesitant.
She couldn't articulate it.
Camille tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear with a small hand.
"That night, we talked about getting bubble tea but never went. I was wondering... could we go tonight?"
She looked at him expectantly.
She wanted to be alone with Lucas for a while, to genuinely get to know him better.
Hearing this, Lucas was stunned.
Bubble... bubble tea?
What kind of move was this?
Was Camille sleepwalking? What time did she think it was, suggesting bubble tea now?
You might not need sleep, but I do!
Lucas said, puzzled, "It's 1 AM."
The lateness was just an excuse.
The real issue was the person asking.
If it were Claire Dubois inviting him out, he'd be there in a heartbeat without a second thought.
But Camille...
Right now, Lucas really wasn't in a hurry to get closer to her.
It wasn't worth the effort.
Wait, no...
Actually, getting too close to anyone wasn't worth it right now. Because if he became too intimate with one person, how would the others view him?
So, it was better to just let things develop naturally.
Camille looked at him pleadingly. "Just accompany me this once, okay?"
"I just want you to come with me."
"Even if it's just to the convenience store to buy a bottle of water."
So pathetic.
Lucas complained inwardly.
Why was Camille acting so humble around him?
Had her feelings for Adrien faded that quickly?
Typical of her.
In the original story, Camille was like this. She had let go of Adrien very early on and stopped having any contact with him.
Yet, the moment she heard news of Adrien's death, she immediately pointed the finger at Claire Dubois.
In the end...
She went mad.
The Laurent family collapsed.
A pitiful girl, so infatuated to that extent—truly one of a kind.
Was this the legendary... love-struck fool?
Lucas mused.
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Camille was definitely a love-struck fool. Why else would she be so fixated?
Looking at the pitiful Camille, Lucas felt a twinge of sympathy.
But he still refused. "Miss Camille, it's too late."
"I'll treat you another day."
"Good night, Macapaca!"
With that, Lucas turned and prepared to leave, walking away quite briskly.
Seeing this, Camille was dumbfounded.
Were you...
avoiding her?
Thinking about it, it made sense. After all, he had seen her pining over Adrien.
As a man, it was normal not to be interested in a woman who liked someone else.
However, Camille panicked.
Watching Lucas's rapidly retreating back, she couldn't help but shout, "Lucas!"
"Actually... I like you!"
Lucas: ???