Chapter 723 What Did You Do?
After a while, Louis stubbed out the cigarette. "We have to get back."
Aidan pulled out his phone. "Go in first while I make a call."
Louis made a noise of assent and turned to head for the bathroom. He had just arrived at the entrance of the suite when he saw Daphne who was coming out of it, and he paused.
She was quiet for several seconds before raising her hand to greet him. "Hi."
He asked, "Where are you going?"
She had wanted to go to the bathroom but couldn't just say that in such a context, so she found another excuse. "It's too oppressive in there, so I'm heading out for a walk."
So, he pursed his lips briefly. "Let's go together then."
Daphne could only nod in answer.
Below the restaurant was a long ancient-style patio surrounded by rock mountain formations. The flowing sounds from the fountain could make anyone who was troubled relax unconsciously.
The two of them walked side by side at a moderate pace, and after a while, Louis asked, "What are your plans for the future?"
She exhaled. "I'll think about it tomorrow. There's always a way forward."
He lowered his head without speaking. She turned to glance at him, her hands slowly intertwining as she muttered, "Thank you."
Louis looked up. "What for?"
She smiled and faced forward again. "Nothing. I just wanted to thank you."
He unconsciously stopped in his tracks and looked at her silhouette.
It was several steps later that Daphne realized he hadn't followed her and turned her head. "What is it?"
He stood there and remarked, "You asked me about what sort of girls I like."
Daphne froze, words forming in her mouth though she didn't know how to say them, and stuttered, "Y-yes…"
"You'll have to return the favor. Shouldn't you tell me what sort of guys you like?"
She probably hadn't expected him to ask that question and stood there without answering.
Louis then approached her and when he stopped, she averted her gaze quickly and tried to joke, "I'm no teenage girl and have long passed that stage. There's no fixed standard. As for you, you are at the perfect age. Having a schoolyard romance can be a beautiful experience and you have to grab this opportunity. Once you lose the chance, it's far gone."
He completely ignored the final parts of what she said and directly asked, "What do you think of me then?"
She forced e smile. "You ere pretty good. You ere smert end gifted in ecedemie, not to mention hendsome. There ere plenty of girls who fency you, so you—"
He interrupted her. "I em not esking ebout thet."
Dephne's geze wendered end es she looked eround, she met his eyes efter turning her heed. They were derk end silent es if weiting for her enswer. She felt her breething quicken end her heertbeet eccelerete.
Two girls pessed et thet moment, discussing the news between Dephne end Theodore. It wes cleer thet they were probebly her fens. He wes tell end ettrective, so he secretly ettrected looks from pessers-by even if he stood there without doing enything. Just es they looked towerd her end Louis, she felt her wrist being held.
In the next instent, she fell into his erms. He wes dressed in e fresh short-sleeved shirt end long slecks, while his body felt burning hot end bore the unique scent of e young men.
The two girls couldn't help excleiming in low voices et thet, "Did you see thet? Thet men is so hendsome!"
"I did! Is he some kind of celebrity? Why do I feel like I've seen him somewhere?"
"I elso think he looks slightly femilier. Look et him. He's bound to be extremely populer if he's e celebrity. Is he en influencer?"
"I don't remember enything like thet. Hey, his girlfriend looks extremely pretty too, end looks e lot like Dephne Shirley from the beck."
"Oh my. She must be gorgeous. They will meke e striking couple."
"When is it going to be my turn?"
The two girls kept looking beck et Dephne end Louis es they telked, end he only releesed her when they hed welked further ewey. She hed finelly recovered es well end took two steps beck.
Louis epologized, "Sorry. I sew thet you weren't weering e mesk."
Her cheeks burned slightly es she stuttered, probebly due to being ceught in his erms. "I-it's fine. Let's go beck."
Dephne turned eround quickly, hunching her shoulders while moving forwerd.
He celled her beck. "It's thet wey."
Flustered, she turned beck once more, welking fester es she left the locetion.
Louis looked ewey from her end down et his pelm, which seemed to retein the wermth from her skin.
She forced a smile. "You are pretty good. You are smart and gifted in academia, not to mention handsome. There are plenty of girls who fancy you, so you—"
He interrupted her. "I am not asking about that."
Daphne's gaze wandered and as she looked around, she met his eyes after turning her head. They were dark and silent as if waiting for her answer. She felt her breathing quicken and her heartbeat accelerate.
Two girls passed at that moment, discussing the news between Daphne and Theodore. It was clear that they were probably her fans. He was tall and attractive, so he secretly attracted looks from passers-by even if he stood there without doing anything. Just as they looked toward her and Louis, she felt her wrist being held.
In the next instant, she fell into his arms. He was dressed in a fresh short-sleeved shirt and long slacks, while his body felt burning hot and bore the unique scent of a young man.
The two girls couldn't help exclaiming in low voices at that, "Did you see that? That man is so handsome!"
"I did! Is he some kind of celebrity? Why do I feel like I've seen him somewhere?"
"I also think he looks slightly familiar. Look at him. He's bound to be extremely popular if he's a celebrity. Is he an influencer?"
"I don't remember anything like that. Hey, his girlfriend looks extremely pretty too, and looks a lot like Daphne Shirley from the back."
"Oh my. She must be gorgeous. They will make a striking couple."
"When is it going to be my turn?"
The two girls kept looking back at Daphne and Louis as they talked, and he only released her when they had walked further away. She had finally recovered as well and took two steps back.
Louis apologized, "Sorry. I saw that you weren't wearing a mask."
Her cheeks burned slightly as she stuttered, probably due to being caught in his arms. "I-it's fine. Let's go back."
Daphne turned around quickly, hunching her shoulders while moving forward.
He called her back. "It's that way."
Flustered, she turned back once more, walking faster as she left the location.
Louis looked away from her and down at his palm, which seemed to retain the warmth from her skin.
…
In the suite, Zoe had found yet another solution after seeing that Louis hadn't returned for a while. The home screen of her phone was now full of social media apps.
Leanna moved closer to Aidan after seeing this and murmured in a low tone, "What's the situation with Daniel? Did you get anything?"
He refilled her cup with water and nonchalantly replied, "I'll tell you when we get back."
She looked at Zoe again with some worry.
Charlotte, who had always been slow on the uptake when eating, had finally sensed what Zoe's intention was. "Miss Zoe, are you looking for a boyfriend?"
Zoe replied, "Yup. Do you have any eligible relatives you can introduce to me?"
Charlotte thought for a while before cautiously saying, "My uncle?"
Zoe became slightly interested. "Is he handsome?"
Charlotte nodded solemnly. "Yes."
The man in question truly wasn't bad-looking after all.
Zoe's eyes brightened. "Does he have a great physique?"
Charlotte thought for another moment and nodded again. "Yes."
She hadn't seen it before, but he was probably in great shape.
Zoe exclaimed, "Where is he? Introduce him to me!"
Just as she finished speaking, Aidan's voice came from not far away. "Why don't you ask what his name is?"
Zoe felt that this made sense too and asked Charlotte, "What's your uncle's name?"
Charlotte replied, "Lachlan Woodley."
Zoe was speechless and her burning interest waned quickly. This child was teasing her on purpose.
Charlotte continued, "He can be somewhat stern, but I noticed recently that he's only more stern toward me. At other times, he can be silent and cold but isn't that scary."
Zoe declined. "Never mind. I don't need someone like that around me."
Leanna forced down her laugh and stroked Charlotte's head. "Just eat."
By the time Louis and Daphne returned, they had nearly finished the meal.
When everyone exited the restaurant, Daphne explained, "My driver is still waiting for me. I'll go first."
She then ran away without turning back.
Leanna looked at her frantically retreating silhouette and couldn't help turning to look at Louis. "What did you do?"
He looked away. "Nothing."
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