This was the fourth time Ethan had complimented her, but Lania couldn't suppress the sweet, joyful feeling in her heart. It showed in the blush on her cheeks and ears, making her shy expression look adorable to Ethan and others around.
Some men shot envious and resentful glances at Ethan, which he ignored. A few others gave him thumbs-ups and knowing smiles, as if saying, "I get it," leaving Ethan momentarily speechless.
On the other hand, the women looked at Lania with jealousy for being able to talk and get acquainted with a man as handsome as Ethan. Yet, they also silently cheered her on, their expressions seeming to say, "Go for it!"
Men understood men. Women understood women. Well… maybe that's how it worked.
"Uh…" Facing so many stares, Lania couldn't help but blush. She quickly grabbed Ethan's hand and pulled him away. "L-Let's go."
Ethan nodded and let himself be dragged by the beautiful girl.
Lania led him to a restaurant. Not a fancy, three-Michelin-star place… though it still looked upscale, it was within reach for young women like Lania. Ethan followed her inside and sat at a table. After ordering food, they waited while chatting about various topics.
"By the way, Lania, you seem younger than me. Are you still in college, or have you graduated?"
The girl in front of him looked younger, maybe a year or two younger than him.
Lania, still a bit dazed, didn't answer right away. She sat quietly, pondering why she'd so impulsively invited a guy to lunch. Normally, she wasn't that kind of girl. Even if a man helped her, Lania would, at most, thank him and maybe offer something in return as gratitude.
That "something" would, of course, be normal, wholesome, and not too far-fetched. Lunch together was a bit much, wasn't it? It should've been, especially since Lania had never had lunch with a guy before.
"Lania?"
"Huh? Oh! Yeah. I'm still in college. It's my third semester. What about you, Ethan?" Lania snapped out of her thoughts and answered, blushing from embarrassment over her daydreaming.
Ethan shook his head and said, "Nah, I've already graduated."
"Oh…" Lania nodded.
They continued chatting until their food arrived, though Ethan mostly teased Lania, while she could only blush and flush under his teasing, which somehow grew more skillful. Once their food came, they ate while engaging in lighter conversation.
"Let me cover the bill." They had finished lunch, and Ethan took the initiative to pay for the dishes they both ordered.
'I could easily start a business or invest with Omniversal Intelligence, but… System, give me… uh, money.'
[Unlimited Wealth: Grants the Host limitless wealth. Wealth here refers to all currencies in the world—even if the Host is in another world with a different monetary system, the Host's wealth will remain infinite.]
'Oh, that's convenient,' Ethan thought, impressed.
Lania, hearing he wanted to pay, quickly shook her head. "No, no, no. I'm the one who invited you to lunch, so it's only fair that I pay. You don't have to; let me handle it."
Ethan shifted his attention from the system and looked at Lania with a faint smile. "My dear Lania, a man has his pride. If I let a beautiful girl like you pay for my lunch, do I even deserve to be by your side? So, let me take care of it."
Without waiting for a reply, Ethan pulled out his bank card, now loaded with "plenty" of money after receiving the new perk from the system. Meanwhile, Lania, called beautiful again and now "my dear," blushed so hard her face looked like a boiled crab.
Especially after Ethan's last words… By your side? Did that mean Ethan wanted to be with her? Lania couldn't help but daydream. In her mind, she was wearing a stunning, pure white wedding dress, and Ethan, looking dashing in a luxurious black tuxedo, kissed her lips romantically.
Then, they would… Lania sank into her fantasy until Ethan snapped her back to reality.
"All done. Lania, let's go," Ethan called.
"Eh? A-Ah, yeah… Uh~…" Lania replied, blushing. Besides being shy over Ethan's nickname for her, she was also embarrassed for having such indecent thoughts.
If Ethan knew what was going through Lania's mind right now, he'd probably ask her out… on a date, then to dinner, and maybe do… It wasn't appropriate to think about that in a restaurant.
Oh, wait. Ethan could actually guess what was on Lania's mind. So, after they left the restaurant, he asked her out on a date.
Lania, shy as she was, was thrilled. With a flushed face, she nodded in agreement, and Ethan took her to fun places. At first, they just strolled through the park, then Ethan brought her to an aquarium, a theme park, and a movie theater.
During this, Lania couldn't escape blushing from Ethan's teasing. But instead of being upset, she felt excited and a mix of joy and shyness in her heart.
Surprisingly, the innocent Lania loved action movies. She suggested they watch the latest action flick at the theater instead of a romance or something girls typically liked. At dinner, too, Lania turned out to love spicy food… Her outward appearance and inner preferences were so different, which made Ethan even more intrigued by her.
By now, night had fallen, blanketing the city in darkness. The streets were lit by dim streetlights and the glow of the moon hanging in the dark night sky.
As the cool night breeze blew through the window of a hotel room, two people inside, wrapped in each other's arms, shared a passionate kiss.