Arthur had long dreamed of owning a large house.
He and Lily had discussed it countless times and even browsed various property listings together on their phones.
Yet they could never find the time to finalize their plans.
Now that they had made up their minds, the couple sprang into action immediately after breakfast.
They drove to view the properties they had seen online, exploring a wide range of houses. By midday, they were overwhelmed by the variety on offer.
Their minds were filled with images of manicured gardens, sprawling lawns, panoramic views from high-rise apartments, seamless duplex layouts and shimmering standalone villa pools.
Everything seemed appealing.
Only Lily's restraint prevented Arthur from impulsively buying every property they viewed.
Such impulsive spending would clearly not be wise. Eventually, Arthur made a phone call.
Ten minutes later, a luxury car pulled up beside Arthur and Lily.
Before he could open the car door himself, the driver had already stepped out and swung open the double doors, revealing the youngster sitting inside.
"Long time no see," Arthur greeted Harry.
Lily, on the other hand, was both curious and a little nervous. She rarely came into contact with such wealthy individuals in her day-to-day life.
Even sitting beside Arthur, she couldn't help worrying that she might stain or damage the car and what it would cost to repair the damage.
As she pondered this, she glanced at Arthur.
He immediately sensed what she was thinking and quipped to Harry, "After all this time, you've started traveling in armored vaults?"
Lily quickly lowered her head, afraid that she might laugh out loud in front of Harry, which she felt would be impolite.
Harry sighed helplessly. "Sometimes, if I don't travel in a car like this, people might overlook my status. My age makes it difficult for me to be taken seriously in the business world, especially when meeting new partners for the first time."
Arthur opened the fridge and casually grabbed a drink for Lily.
Harry smiled. "Knowing your plans for today, I prepared this especially for the lovely Miss Li. You two are truly a perfect match."
"Thank you," Lily replied, her eyes sparkling with delight. The compliment seemed to ease her nervousness considerably.
Harry glanced at Arthur and said in a peculiar tone, "You know, even though my age means I'm not taken seriously in the business world, I'm still quite popular with beautiful women. This lady's behavior has left me feeling rather wounded."
"Serves you right," Arthur retorted, rolling his eyes. "You know exactly what I want you to do."
"Of course," Harry replied. "To be honest, it's been causing me some trouble. You see, my father owned several properties, which naturally passed to me after his death. But I'm not sure if they'd suit your needs. You absolutely needn't worry about the quality of the houses, though; his eye for quality was unmatched, even by my standards."
"I absolutely believe that," Arthur said. "But I can't just take your things without offering something in return."
Lily nodded immediately. "Right, we need to be self-reliant."
Harry glanced helplessly at Lily. "But the truth is, in a way, I'm already working for your boyfriend."
Lily stared at Arthur in surprise.
Arthur turned to Harry. "Is that so?"
"Of course," Harry replied, gazing out of the window. "Life is truly remarkable. Just when I thought my life was inevitably coming to an end, I met you. You not only extended my life but also brought new glory to the business that my father entrusted to me. Though I could never become a superhero like Mr. Tony Stark and live such a dazzling life, I've found fulfillment in other areas."
"That's wonderful," Arthur said sincerely, then casually asked, "Has that guy found a job yet?"
"Uh... no," Harry replied. Of course, he knew who Arthur was talking about. A smile crept across his face as he thought of his friend. "Did you guys have an operation before this? It made him disappear for so long that his girlfriend even tracked me down. You wouldn't believe the terrifying energy that tiny woman can unleash. For a while, I had my secretary guard the door 24/7 just to stop her storming into my office and yelling at me."
Arthur thought of Gwen and couldn't help but gasp.
Still shaken, he continued, "I can imagine exactly what you went through. I've been ambushed and spied on by her, too. It was terrifying..."
"Who are you guys talking about?" Lily asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Spider-Man and his girlfriend," Arthur chuckled.
"The friendly neighborhood Spider-Man?" Lily exclaimed. "Come to think of it, why haven't I met them yet?"
Harry glanced at Arthur, a strange sense of schadenfreude creeping over him.
'Sometimes, women just give men headaches.'
But Arthur simply chuckled. "Want to meet them? Spider-Man, the Hulk, Captain... Haha, actually, you've already met some of them."
Lily thought back, vaguely recalling a few occasions when Arthur had brought people home for dinner. But back then, her mind had been entirely consumed by Arthur himself. How could she have paid any attention to anyone else?
She shook her head. "It doesn't matter if I meet them now or not. There'll be plenty of opportunities in the future."
Arthur nodded.
Harry, watching the two of them, fell silent for a moment before saying, "I think I want to find a girlfriend too."
"I thought you had no shortage of women," Arthur quipped.
"Women and girlfriends are two different things," Harry emphasized.
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Just don't end up like Tony. Being a Playboy isn't as glamorous as it seems."
"I can imagine," Lily replied, gradually relaxing as the casual conversation flowed.
Though she didn't quite believe Harry's claim of working for Arthur, it was clear that this wealthy young man was utterly devoted to her boyfriend, hanging on his every word.
Under these circumstances, if she remained tense, Arthur would lose face.
With this thought, Lily tried to adopt a more refined demeanor. But seeing how completely at ease Arthur was, she realized that feigning elegance would only come across as affected.
Half an hour later, the car pulled up to the gate of a villa. Harry announced, "This is our first stop today... Actually, I'm curious: would you prefer a villa or a manor?"
(End Of This Chapter)
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