Right after Morrison suggested going public, even he had to admit—he must've been out of his mind.
What the hell was he thinking?
Going public? With Dave's sister? That was practically a death wish.
He still wanted to enjoy his quiet, peaceful life. No need to die young.
He pulled out a chair and sat down, shaking his head with a self-deprecating chuckle.
"Forget I said anything."
Lilian let out a relieved sigh, clearly having been on edge for a second there. She picked up the menu and handed it to him.
"Here, you order."
Morrison took the menu, glanced over it, and instantly frowned.
"Didn't you say you were treating me to some kind of 'school cafeteria horror cuisine'? Why would I dare pick anything on this menu?"
Lilian looked at his wary expression—and burst out laughing.
A laugh full of surprise and mischief, bright and contagious.
"Wait—you actually believed me?"
She giggled even harder, covering her mouth.
"I was totally messing with you! I told you I'd treat you to the school's infamous 'dark cuisine,' but obviously I meant the good stuff. Everything on today's menu is delicious."
She hadn't expected this sly old fox to actually fall for her prank.
Sure, she had said she was going to treat him to the worst food on campus—but come on, this was basically their first real meal together, excluding yesterday's takeout. How could she serve him garbage?
Morrison scoffed lightly.
"With you, I honestly never know what kind of surprise I'm in for."
To be fair, Morrison really didn't understand her tricks at all.
Yesterday when she mentioned "cafeteria horror cuisine," he had actually believed she'd shamelessly serve him something inedible.
Looking back at the past few days since they'd started dating, he realized—this girl had been messing with him nonstop.
Lilian's eyes sparkled as she smiled at him mischievously.
"So if you really thought I was going to treat you to disgusting food, why'd you still come?"
Morrison teased her, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"When your girlfriend invites you out, how could I dare say no? If I didn't come, you might cry so hard you'd flood your entire house."
"Ugh, stop making me sound all delicate and teary-eyed, okay? I don't cry that easily!"
Lilian pouted, clearly unhappy with his description.
Morrison let out a low chuckle.
"Oh? Not a crybaby? Then who was about to burst into tears by the lake just now?"
"That was your fault for bullying me!"
She shot back defensively.
But that one word—bullying—triggered a whole different chain of thoughts in Morrison's head.
His mind immediately went places it shouldn't: the kind of "bullying" done behind closed doors, under dim lights, with her pinned beneath him and nowhere to run.
Various positions. Various techniques. All kinds of... "bullying."
Just the thought made his throat go dry.
Now that would be real bullying.
Actually, no. That would be… giving her pleasure.
His gaze darkened slightly as he looked at her, voice laced with subtle suggestion:
"Mn, when I really bully you, that's when you'll have a reason to cry."
Lilian, completely oblivious to the hidden meaning, took the menu from his hands.
"I'll just order then."
And with that, she lowered her head and started flipping through the menu seriously, completely missing the storm brewing in his gaze.
While she focused on the menu, Morrison was focused on her.
From her delicate, beautiful face to the elegant lines of her figure beneath the white dress… and those slender arms, fair and flawless under the light.
It was torture. Pure, beautiful torture.
Especially after all those explicit images had just stormed through his mind. His only coping mechanism at this point was to keep drinking water—cup after cup—desperately trying to cool down.
Lilian finally finished choosing the dishes and glanced at him, just in time to catch him downing yet another glass.
"Are you really that thirsty?"
She looked at the now half-empty pitcher on the table. Hadn't he already refilled his glass three times?
Morrison had just taken a sip. At her question, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he swallowed, then he replied in a low, velvet voice:
"Yeah... very thirsty. Incredibly thirsty."
Thirsty for her.
For her youth, her softness, her tight little body that haunted his imagination with every blink.
But of course, none of that could be said aloud. He couldn't do anything about it either. All he could do was savor the teasing weight of his own words.
Lilian frowned slightly, her expression serious.
"Hmm, alright then. I'll ask the lady at the front for another pot of water."
She raised the menu and smiled.
"I've finished ordering. I'll go hand this in at the counter."
Since this was a campus cafeteria, it wasn't like some fancy restaurant with dedicated waitstaff. Each table had its own menu, and customers just had to bring their order to the front and register it with the boss lady. Easy and casual.
Lilian was clearly quite familiar with the place. She'd been here enough times to know exactly which stalls had the best food. Her passion for good eats was no secret—she'd basically mapped out the entire dining hall over her four years here. If she wasn't eating at home, chances were high she was here.
Just as she was about to exit the room, she paused at the door and suddenly turned around.
"By the way... you're drinking so much water. Are you sure you're not, like, sick or something?"
Morrison: "..."
God help him. This girl was going to kill him.
The moment Lilian saw the change in Morrison's expression, she panicked and bolted out of the room with the menu in hand.
"Sorry, sorry! I was just worried about your health, okay?"
She muttered as she rushed away.
After all, wasn't she being considerate? Who drinks that much water unless something's wrong?
When she returned, she wasn't empty-handed—she'd brought back a giant thermos, the kind that could last through a full-blown camping trip.
"Here, drink as much as you want!"
Morrison stared at the massive container on the table and couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry.
On one hand, he was mildly offended—did she seriously think there was something wrong with his body?
On the other hand… she actually went out of her way to get him more water. That had to count as being thoughtful, right?
Still, Morrison sighed inwardly.
Dating a young girl once in this lifetime is enough. Never again.
Lesson learned.
Next time—if there ever was a next time—he'd definitely find someone closer to his age. At least they'd be on the same wavelength, able to communicate like adults.
This? This was exhausting.