William finally had a phone of his own—and Lila was starting to notice something strange.
He learned fast. Like, freakishly fast.
Anything she explained once, he picked up instantly. So she didn't bother holding back—she taught him how to type, how to search for answers online, and how to use the phone to look things up on his own.
"Anytime you don't understand something," she told him, "just ask Google or Baidu. You'll get better answers than I can give you."
Sure enough, William didn't disappoint. Stuff that took most people years to get comfortable with, he mastered in ten minutes. Even smartphones—devices that left most older folks completely lost—were no match for him.
As he scrolled through search results, tapping away at lightning speed, he muttered, "If you'd told me earlier that phones could answer this many questions, I wouldn't have bothered asking you so much."
Lila nearly exploded.
How is that my fault?!
How was she supposed to know he was a total blank slate when it came to modern life?
Or that he'd pick things up like some kind of human sponge?
Still, she held it in. At least now he wouldn't keep pestering her with dumb, clueless questions.
Once they got back in the car, William didn't say another word. He just stared at his phone, fingers flying across the screen like he'd been born with it in his hand. Anyone watching would've thought he was just another phone-addicted college kid.
The museum was only about ten kilometers from campus, but traffic held them up for nearly twenty minutes. William didn't seem to mind at all. He just kept tapping away, quietly unraveling the mysteries of the modern world.
Compared to the past, this era was incredible. Almost any information he wanted was just a few taps away.
"We're here," Lila said, pulling into a parking spot near the museum.
William took a slow breath, put his phone away, and gave her a small smile. "Thanks."
Lila blinked. Now he says thank you?
She stepped out of the car, but William stayed seated.
Then it hit her.
That "thanks" wasn't for the ride.
He wants me to open the door for him again?!
Lila's face darkened. Her fists clenched at her sides.
I swear, I'm going to lose it…
But she held it in. Gritting her teeth, she walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for him.
William climbed out casually, not even glancing at her. His eyes were already locked on the museum ahead.
The Museum of the City of New York—dedicated to collecting, preserving, and displaying artifacts that represented the natural and cultural heritage of humanity.
In other words, a place full of old things.
William's eyes narrowed slightly. He'd always been nostalgic. Every time he woke from a long sleep, he'd wander the world, looking for remnants of the past—traces of old friends, echoes of old stories.
As they reached the steps of the museum, a girl in a schoolgirl outfit—twin tails, pleated skirt—came bouncing over to them. Behind her was a tall, well-dressed young man.
Lila's expression shifted the moment she saw the guy.
"Lila, you really kept me waiting," the twin-tailed girl said, looping her arm through Lila's and giving William a curious glance. "Who's this? I don't think I've seen him before."
Lila hesitated, unsure how to introduce him. "His name's William."
"William, this is my friend Emily."
William gave Emily a polite nod.
"Lila, it's been a while," said the guy behind Emily, stepping forward with a smile.
Lila returned it with a cool, polite one of her own. "Yeah, it has."
"Aren't you going to introduce us?" the guy asked, glancing at William. "Don't tell me this is your boyfriend? Look, I admit I was a little impulsive when I confessed to you last time, but you didn't have to grab some random guy just to get back at me."
Lila's smile vanished. Her tone turned cold.
"David, we've only ever been friends. I have no reason to 'get back at you.'" She raised an eyebrow. "And for the record, I didn't know you'd be here today. Don't flatter yourself."
What she didn't say was: If I'd known you were coming, I wouldn't have shown up at all.
But she figured anyone with half a brain could read between the lines.
Unfortunately, David wasn't one of those people.
"Oh? Then is he your boyfriend or not?" he pressed, still grinning like he thought this was all some kind of game.
Clearly, subtlety wasn't his strong suit.
William gave David a single glance and said nothing.
He'd never been the type to get into petty fights over a woman. In his experience, it was usually women fighting over him.
Lila, however, didn't hold back. Her voice turned cold. "Whether he's my boyfriend or not has nothing to do with you. And if you keep this up, I don't think we can even stay friends."
David quickly backpedaled. "Alright, alright. I won't ask anymore, okay?"
Then he turned to William and extended a hand. "I'm David Thomas."
William looked at the offered hand, then at David's face—expression flat, unmoved. He didn't even make the slightest gesture to return the handshake.
Shaking hands with some random guy he didn't know? Not exactly his idea of a good time.
"You—" David's face twitched. He could feel the blatant disrespect, and it pissed him off. His brows drew together as he stared William down, irritation bubbling just beneath the surface.
Lila sighed. "Alright, enough. William just came down from the mountains—don't take it personally. And stop bothering us, okay? Let's just go our separate ways."
"Fine," David bit out, the word squeezed through clenched teeth. His eyes stayed locked on William, growing colder by the second.
Some mountain bumpkin… and Lila's actually defending him? What the hell does this guy have that I don't?