Leon and Ben were dressed in their finest suits. Leon wore a charcoal gray suit with a midnight blue pocket square, while Ben donned a navy blue suit. Lily looked like a princess in her white dress, her beautiful blond hair shimmering in the warm light of the restaurant. She felt extra special that night as she twirled around in her dress and giggled softly.
"Look at you, Lil, you have truly grown into a beautiful young lady," said Ben, gazing at his niece with admiration. He couldn't believe how much she had grown up.
Lily smiled and exclaimed, "I know, right! This is the first time I've ever worn such a luxurious dress. The fabric is so soft and feels amazing against my skin-I'm absolutely in love with it!"
She spun around quickly and flashed Leon a beaming smile. "Leon, I can't thank you enough for giving this to me," she said. "I never thought I would ever have a dress as beautiful as this one."
Leon smiled warmly at her. "Happy, Lily? You'll be even more amazed when you see what the Golden Age Company has provided for me."
Lily nodded eagerly at Leon's question.
Ben smiled, taking in the joy on both their faces. They had come here to celebrate something special-Leon's extraordinary progress-and it seemed like nothing could spoil this moment for them.
They got to their table and then waited for their food while talking about a lot of things that Ben seemed to have missed from Leon and Lily. Just then, the food arrived, and Lily's eyes lit up with glee, clearly elated by the sight of the succulent dishes before her. Her cheeks seemed to radiate happiness, glowing in the warm light.
She chuckled as she scooped a huge spoonful of mashed potatoes onto her plate.
"The food looks delicious!" she exclaimed, looking around at the tables piled high with dishes.
Leon smiled in return. "It sure does! Let's enjoy it!"
As the conversation continued, Ben started talking about what Leon and Lily had been up to lately. "I heard Leon has been skipping some classes?"
Lily took a deep breath before answering. "Yes, he told me he's been missing classes for several weeks now. When I asked him why, he said he's been busy and just couldn't make it."
Leon sighed and said, "I still do my homework, even though I wasn't attending classes. It's just that the Immortal Legacy game has taken up a lot of my free time, but I promise I'll be back to class soon."
Ben continued asking Leon numerous questions, but he felt relieved knowing that Leon now had a beautiful female friend.
"I'm glad to hear you're enjoying life more, Leon," Ben said with a smile. "And the pretty lady this afternoon, is she your girlfriend?"
"No, she's a work colleague," Leon replied.
"You should try to win her over and make her your girlfriend, understand? Haha," Ben responded with a laugh.
Leon just smiled, and Lily couldn't help but giggle at the playful exchange.
Turning towards Lily, Ben intended to ask her a similar question. "So, how is school going for you, Lil?" he inquired.
Lily smiled brightly as she answered. "School has been so much fun! I'm having the time of my life," she said cheerfully. "You two don't need to worry about me at all, Uncle."
Ben's face softened with relief. "I'm glad to hear that," he said warmly.
As they were enjoying their meal and engaging in lively conversation, a group of people suddenly approached their table. The situation became clear when the strangers stood right next to them, making Lily visibly shocked.
"So, a bunch of poor folks are having dinner in a luxury restaurant? Are you sure you can pay for all this food?" said the young man leading the group. He was about Lily's age and was accompanied by two men in black suits.
Leon and Ben turned to the person who had rudely interrupted them, surprised that someone they didn't know would speak to them in such a manner.
"Who are you?" Ben asked sternly, standing up immediately. "Get away from here."
"Gerald..." Lily muttered, which caught the attention of Leon and Ben.
Gerald glared at them with a face full of disdain. After a moment, he sneered at Ben. "I'm the son of the owner of this restaurant and a major donor at the school where your dumb niece attends."
"Gerald! Stop it!" Lily said firmly, standing up and trying to approach Gerald, but Ben held her back with his hand.
"So, you know him, Lil?" Ben asked.
"Yes... Uncle," Lily confirmed.
Gerald chuckled and said, "Look at you three pretending you have money. Where did you get the money to eat here? You must have stolen it, right? This isn't a cheap restaurant, and I doubt you can afford to pay for your meal."
Ben glanced at Lily with a concerned expression and asked, "Lil, does he always act like this at school?"
Lily hesitated, then shook her head, unsure how to respond to her uncle's question. Gerald continued, still eager to humiliate them. He harbored a grudge against Lily for rejecting him. She had no right to do that! She needed to be punished.
"Lily was rude to me at school. I guess it's because she's an orphan and hasn't received a proper education."
Ben fumed with anger and took a step towards Gerald. But Gerald's bodyguards quickly stepped up, blocking his way.
Gerald, feeling emboldened, continued to belittle them. "You'd better leave this place if you know what's good for you! Or I'll have to call the security guard to throw you out."
Ben's expression grew even angrier, and he clenched his fists. "Leon, please take care of your sister. I'm going to teach this young man a lesson."
Ben tried to step forward, but the two bodyguards blocked his way, gripping his arms tightly. "So, you're willing to resort to physical confrontation? You better prepare yourselves, because I won't back down," Ben said with a grim smile.
Gerald took a few steps back, still sneering. "Look at this man's behavior. With his low education, it's no wonder these children turned out the way they did. No surprise Lily has such poor manners; she was raised by a monkey."
Lily narrowed her eyes, her face contorted with rage. "Gerald! That's too much! Don't you ever try to belittle them!"
Gerald stared down at her. "You're nothing but a lowly slut, Lily!" he sneered.
Lily couldn't hold back her anger any longer. If Gerald had insulted her alone, she might have been able to endure it, but now he was insulting her Uncle and Leon. "Leave us, now!"
While Ben struggled to break free from the grip of the bodyguards, Leon finally stood up from his chair, having been silently observing the scene. He quickly jumped in front of Gerald and grabbed him by the collar.
"What are you trying to do?" Gerald exclaimed, his hands curling into fists, ready to retaliate. "Get him off me!" he shouted to his bodyguards.
But, without anyone expecting it, Leon swiftly clenched his fist and, with perfect momentum, punched Gerald in the face, sending him stumbling backward into a table, causing a mess.
Leon's voice echoed loudly around the room. "Take that, and let your father know that his son will carry on the family tradition of being nothing but trash!"