Chapter 227
The next day.
At the Smiths‘ house.
Theresa arrived wearing a white dress, looking demure and graceful.
“Mrs. Smith, this is a gift for you.” Theresa offered a present proactively.
Mrs. Smith immediately beamed with joy. “Theresa, your visit is gift enough. Why bring something extra?”
Theresa spoke gently. “It’s proper etiquette to bring a gift when visiting elders.”
Mrs. Smith’s smile grew even wider.
Thomas watched Theresa’s ladylike demeanor and couldn’t help but marvel.
“Women, indeed, are the most changeable creatures in the world.” He thought.
“Theresa, come, have a chat with Thomas. I’ll go and cook a few more dishes,” Mrs. Smith said cheerfully.
“I can help, Mrs. Smith.” Theresa quickly offered.
But Mrs. Smith firmly seated her on the sofa. “We can’t have a guest helping.
Then, giving Thomas a stern look, she said, “Aren’t you going to take good care of Theresa?”
Thomas had no choice but to engage Theresa in conversation, serving her coffee and water.
Seeing this, Mrs. Smith went to the kitchen with satisfaction.
Once Mrs. Smith left for the kitchen, Thomas slumped onto the sofa, relieved.
Theresa’s demeanor changed instantly from her previous gentleness.
She looked at Thomas coldly. “Thomas, you’re quite something.”
“Thanks for the compliment, Thomas replied.
Theresa narrowed her eyes. “Let me tell you, next time you have something, come directly to me, not my mother.”
Thomas, that scoundrel, had invited her for dinner, not by asking her directly, but by calling her mother instead.
When Mrs. Austin heard that they had progressed to meeting the parents, she was overjoyed and sent Theresa out the door without even asking for her consent!
MM
Theresa knew that Thomas, the rascal, did it on purpose.
“Would you have agreed to come to my house if I had asked you directly?” Thomas inquired.
“No!” Theresa replied without hesitation.
“That’s exactly my point.” Thomas shrugged.
Theresa felt like hitting him again.
Seeing her expression, Thomas realized he might have spoken out of turn again. He cleared his throat and said, “Miss Austin, honestly, I didn’t mean to offend you. On the contrary, inviting you over was an attempt to mend our relationship.”
“Oh?” Theresa looked at him mockingly.
“I admit I was wrong about what happened before. I apologize,” Thomas said sincerely. “Please believe me, I had no ill intentions. I’m just not ready for a relationship right now, and I really don’t want to waste your time.”
“Waste my time?” Theresa glanced at him disdainfully. “Don’t worry, you couldn’t even if you tried.”
Thomas was speechless.
He took a deep breath, trying to change the subject.
“Miss Austin, you like classic literature. Who’s your favorite author?”
Theresa gave him a look, “Are you sure you want to discuss this with me? I advise against embarrassing yourself.”
Thomas was speechless again.
Alright, discussing this might indeed be embarrassing for him.
After all, she was about to become a doctor of literature.
Thomas tried another topic. “Do you like skincare? I know a few skincare tips. How about we share some?”
Theresa replied indifferently, “There are several pimples on your face.”
Thomas touched his face, surprised. She was right.
Theresa sneered. “With skin like yours, you think you’re in a position to discuss skincare with me?”
Thomas felt a bit defiant but then he looked at Theresa’s face.
Aside from her slightly outdated style, her skin was indeed impeccably smooth and hydrated.
After a moment, Thomas blurted out, “Do you… play games?”
“For example?” Theresa asked.
“For example, Path of Quest?” Thomas suggested.
Theresa was momentarily taken aback.
Path of Quest.
That was the online game she had been playing.
Of course, she hadn’t opened that client in a long time.
Partly because she had become engrossed in Starry Romance.
And partly….
Because the person she wanted to meet was no longer in the game.
Thinking of that person, Theresa’s eyes lowered, and a dull ache suddenly throbbed in her heart.
She slowly said, “I don’t play it.”
“Would you be interested?” Thomas pressed.
“It’s okay,” Theresa cautiously replied.
“How about we play
together?” Thomas sugest
After a moment of silence, Theresa agreed, “Alright.”
Thomas breathed a sigh of relief, finally finding a common topic.
He quickly led Theresa to the study.
There, he set up two computers and logged into the game client.
I
“You probably don’t have an account for this game, do you? I’ve registered many. I can lend your one.” Thomas
offered generously as he logged in for Theresa.
Then, he logged into his own account.
“The most interesting part of this game is the PvP mode. Do you know PvP? It’s player versus player combat,” Thomas explained.
Theresa nodded, her thoughts wandering.
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Theresa knew that Thomas, the rascal, did it on purpose.
“Would you have agreed to come to my house if I had asked you directly?” Thomas inquired.
“No!” Theresa replied without hesitation.
“That’s exactly my point.” Thomas shrugged.
Theresa felt like hitting him again.
Seeing her expression, Thomas realized he might have spoken out of turn again. He cleared his throat and said, “Miss Austin, honestly, I didn’t mean to offend you. On the contrary, inviting you over was an attempt to mend our relationship.”
“Oh?” Theresa looked at him mockingly.
“I admit I was wrong about what happened before. I apologize, Thomas said sincerely. “Please believe me, I had no ill intentions. I’m just not ready for a relationship right now, and I really don’t want to waste your time.”
“Waste my time?” Theresa glanced at him disdainfully. “Don’t worry, you couldn’t even if you tried.”
Thomas was speechless.
He took a deep breath, trying to change the subject.
“Miss Austin, you like classic literature. Who’s your favorite author?”
Theresa gave him a look, “Are you sure you want to discuss this with me? I advise against embarrassing yourself.”
Thomas was speechless again.
Alright, discussing this might indeed be embarrassing for him. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
After all, she was about to become a doctor of literature.
Thomas tried another topic. “Do you like skincare? I know a few skincare tips. How about we share some?”
Theresa replied indifferently, “There are several pimples on your face.”
Thomas touched his face, surprised. She was right.
Theresa sneered. “With skin like yours, you think you’re in a position to discuss skincare with me?”
Thomas felt a bit defiant but then he looked at Theresa’s face.
Aside from her slightly outdated style, her skin was indeed impeccably smooth and hydrated.
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After a moment, Thomas blurted out, “Do you… play games?”
“For example?” Theresa asked.
“For example, Path of Quest?” Thomas suggested.
Theresa was momentarily taken aback.
Path of Quest.
That was the online game she had been playing.
Of course, she hadn’t opened that client in a long time.
Partly because she had become engrossed in Starry Romance.
And partly…
Because the person she wanted to meet was no longer in the game.
Thinking of that person, Theresa’s eyes lowered, and a dull ache suddenly throbbed in her heart.
She slowly said, “I don’t play it.”
“Would you be interested?” Thomas pressed.
“It’s okay,” Theresa cautiously replied.
“How about we play together?” Thomas suggested.
After a moment of silence, Theresa agreed, “Alright.”
Thomas breathed a sigh of relief, finally finding a common topic.
He quickly led Theresa to the study.
There, he set up two computers and logged into the game client.
“You probably don’t have an account for this game, do you? I’ve registered many. I can lend your one.” Thomas offered generously as he logged in for Theresa.
Then, he logged into his own account.
“The most interesting part of this game is the PvP mode. Do you know PvP? It’s player versus player combat,” Thomas explained.
Theresa nodded, her thoughts wandering.
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“When I was dominating the game, you were probably still a newbie.”
“Girls usually like the healer roles, right? You can use my Priest account. The skills are pretty and not too violent.” Thomas enthusiastically recommended.
Theresa casually agreed.
Then, Thomas picked a Rogue account for himself and said, “To let you enjoy the game, how about we have a PvP match?
Theresa glanced at Thomas.
This man was becoming increasingly shameless.
A Rogue against a Priest in a PvP match?
Did he have no sense of fair play?
Thomas, however, had his own little strategy in mind.
He planned to overwhelm Theresa in a few rounds, and then, when she was frustrated, offer to help her improve as
an expert.
If Theresa developed an interest in the game, she would surely agree.
This way, he could further bridge their relationship.
‘Give me a moment to familiarize myself with the skills,” Theresa said.
“Sure. Take your time. I’m in no rush,” Thomas said generously.
Theresa narrowed her eyes, deciding to give Thomas an unforgettable experience.
Usually, a Priest stood little chance against a Rogue.
But was she just an ordinary player?
Theresa swiftly adjusted her game equipment and then planted her flag in front of Thomas.
She was full of fighting spirit.
Thomas hurriedly planted his flag too.
The PvP began.
Thomas’s Rogue quickly went into stealth mode and began to approach Theresa’s Priest.
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He didn’t take this match seriously, considering it a walkover.
But just as he was about to attack, suddenly, the Priest cast a light bomb, revealing his location.
Thomas was startled.
But he thought it must be a coincidence.
After all, it was just a Priest, stealth wasn’t necessary.
Thomas directly charged in with his character.
However, as soon as he attacked, a light shield appeared around the Priest.
This shield had only one effect: to reflect damage.
It would disappear after one reflection.
At this point, Thomas still had most of his health, so he continued attacking.
Yet Theresa’s movements were smooth and elusive, and Thomas’s Rogue couldn’t land a hit on her back.
For Rogues, attacking from behind provided a damage bonus, frontal attacks were significantly weaker.
Theresa, while dodging, continuously healed herself, maintaining a healthy health bar.
Gradually, Thomas started to become impatient.
He decided to use his special move, Shadow Dance.
The Rogue split into five clones, all charging at the Priest.
The Priest, cool and collected, sent out light orbs one after the other, steadily draining the Rogue’s health.
But the Rogue quickly reached her.
Swinging his dagger fiercely, the Rogue made a vicious stab.
The Priest calmly healed herself back to full health.
Then, as the Rogue’s dagger struck, the Priest’s health dropped by half, but the rogue’s health plummeted to nearly
zero.
Theresa said calmly, “I win.”
Thomas was dumbfounded, staring at Theresa. “How is your reflective damage so high?”
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Theresa replied, “Oh, I switched all my equipment to ones that reflect damage,”
Thomas, “…This doesn’t count. Priests have an advantage over Rogues.”
Theresa looked at Thomas with a half–smile. “Oh?”
Thomas nodded. “Yes, that’s right, let’s switch accounts.”
This time, Theresa was the Rogue, and Thomas chose a Warrior, the class best suited to counter rogues,
However, this time, Thomas met an even worse fate.
A minute later, the body of the Warrior lay lifelessly on the ground.
‘Does this count?” Theresa asked.
“It counts,” Thomas gritted his teeth. “But this time, I didn’t perform well. Let’s switch accounts again.”
Theresa nodded nonchalantly.
So, for the next half hour, Thomas was repeatedly defeated by Theresa in various styles.
“Do you want to continue playing?” Theresa asked.
Thomas hesitated for a moment, then declared, “Yes! I have one last account, the Swordsman! If I lose with this
one, then I have nothing more to say.”
A Swordsman?
Theresa paused for a moment.
Her main account was also a Swordsman.
Light’s account was a Swordsman too.
In fact, she had personally trained that Swordsman account.
Remembering the person who might never log in again made Theresa’s mood sink,
“How is it?” Thomas raised his eyebrows.
“Whatever you like, Theresa said calmly.
She casually picked a Mage account and waited for Thomas to log in.
Minutes later.
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c M M
Thomas’s character stood in front of Theresa. She looked at the ID above his head, and her entire being froze.
She couldn’t be seeing things, could sho?
Light?!
The account Thomas was using was Light?
“Theresa, calm down. You have to calm down.
“It might just be a different server. She thought.
Theresa, with trembling hands, opened the detailed ID information to check the server where Light was located.
Then, as if struck by lightning, she stood frozen.
The server was correct.
The ID was correct.
Thomas… was actually Light?
How could he be Light?
Why would he be Light?
Still in a daze, Theresa saw Thomas plant his flag, signaling the start of the PvP match.
She subconsciously clicked to accept.
The Swordsman character, controlled by Thomas, charged like an unstoppable force.
Theresa, distracted and unsettled, quickly found her Mage character lying defeated on the ground.
“How about that?” Thomas immediately gloated. “My Swordsman skills are pretty good, right? My master taught
me.”
“Your master?” Theresa gave him a complicated look.
master plane
Thomas said, “My a female character, but I guess he’s actually a guy. Women don’t usually play that sharply.”
“Why can’t women play sharply?” Theresa said with an anger expression.
“There are women who can play sharply. But I have other evidence that he’s a guy,” Thomas continued. “I was playing a female character, right? He thought I was a woman and seemed to have developed a liking for me. Tell me, if someone likes women, aren’t they a man? I panicked, confessed that I was a trap, and then logged off, never
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Danny wy in ayam. REISE MIN
Theresa was speechless.
She wanted to throttle Thomas.
Her gaze turned dangerous as she looked at him.
Thomas, feeling uneasy under her stare, blurted out, “Why are you looking at me like that? I didn’t mean to pretend to be a trap. I just thought the female Swordsman looked better.”
Theresa laughed bitterly.
At this moment, she felt all her sincerity and emotions had been wasted.
No, Thomas was even worse than a waste.
Just then, the door to the study suddenly opened.
Mrs. Smith entered with a smile, “Theresa, Thomas, what are you two doing?”
Theresa instantly put on a gentle smile, “Mrs. Smith, Mr. Smith invited me to play a game. But I’m all about my studies and really don’t know how to play games. I think I just let Mr. Smith down.”
Thomas was momentarily stunned.
“Not good at games?”
Wasn’t he the one just repeatedly defeated?
He was about to explain when Mrs. Smith became angry, “Thomas, what’s the matter with you! Theresa is such a well–behaved girl; how could she be playing games? You’ve learned something and now you’re leading her astray.”
“Mrs. Smith, it’s not like that, I find the game quite fun, Theresa said with a smile. “Especially when Mr. Smith mentioned that he played a female character, and someone mistook him for a girl and fell for him. That’s really amusing.”
Mrs. Smith was speechless.
She burst out, “Thomas, look at what you’ve become, deceiving others‘ feelings online? I’ll teach you a lesson today!”
Mrs. Smith rolled up her sleeves and fiercely grabbed Thomas’s ear.
Thomas was dumbfounded and quickly said, “Mom, listen to me, it’s not what you think…”
“That’s right, Mrs. Smith. Although Mr. Smith tricked someone into playing games with him for months and
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deceived other’s feelings, I’m sure his intentions were good,” Theresa added.
Mrs. Smith instantly went to get a stick.
“Mom, be gentle, be gentle!” Thomas cried out while trying to dodge.
Theresa watched calmly from the side.
Thomas couldn’t help but send her a resentful look.
He couldn’t understand.
What grudge did he and Theresa have that she would do this to him?
Theresa just returned his look with a cold sneer.
She never thought her tragic first love would end in such a manner.
Thomas!
“This grudge, if not avenged, would be a disservice to myself,” Theresa thought.