Chapter 26

As soon as they went upstairs, Karen said to Lip:

"Honey, I want to see your old room."

"Okay."

Lip led Karen to the cramped little room he shared with Ian and Carl.

"Hi, this is Karen," Lip introduced to Ian and Carl.

"These are my brothers, Ian and Carl," he said, introducing them to Karen.

"Hi!" Karen smiled and nodded at them.

"Hi!" Ian and Carl waved back.

"Lip, your brothers are so cute!"

"Who says they aren't?" Lip replied, smiling at Karen.

"Wow, your bed is so small! And it's so close to the ceiling!"

Karen tightened her grip on Lip's hand.

"Lip, you've had such a hard time," Karen said, her eyes full of sympathy as she gently touched his face.

"Hehe, it's okay," Lip replied, grinning foolishly.

Karen suddenly pulled Lip out of the room and hugged him tightly in the hallway.

"Fool, what's wrong?"

Karen didn't respond but buried her head in Lip's chest.

Lip gently stroked her back.

"Lip, I think…" Karen hesitated, teasing Lip's curiosity.

"What is it? What do you want to do?" Lip asked, stroking her blonde hair. "Are you planning something naughty?"

"Oh, stop it! I didn't mean that!" Karen protested, though her cheeks flushed a delicate pink.

"Haha, what a liar! If you weren't thinking about it, why are you blushing?" Lip teased, tapping her nose.

"Oh, I just feel sorry for you," Karen whispered softly into Lip's ear, her face growing even redder.

Her sweet voice sent a tremor through Lip's heart.

"What do you mean?" Lip asked with a mischievous smile.

"Guess!" Karen said with a playful grin before running off.

"This little minx is getting better at teasing me," Lip thought.

Karen ran ahead while Lip gave chase.

It was hard to tell who was the hunter, who was the prey, and who ultimately couldn't escape.

Lip caught Karen and carried her into his new room.

"Now, tell me—how do you love me?"

Lip pressed Karen gently against the door, looking into her eyes with intensity.

"Of course, it's…" Karen stood on tiptoes and whispered into Lip's ear.

"Dong dong dong~" A knock suddenly interrupted them.

"Who is it?" Lip shouted.

"It's me. Fiona says it's time to eat!" Carl's voice called from the other side.

"Got it!"

Lip looked at Karen helplessly.

Karen returned his gaze with wide, innocent eyes.

"Looks like I'll have to take care of you properly after dinner," Lip said with mock disappointment.

Karen nodded obediently.

Lip took Karen's hand, and they headed downstairs together.

When Lip saw Fiona, Steve, and the others—Veronica, Kevin, Ian, Debbie, Carl, and Liam—already gathered around the table, a thought struck him:

Lip was lucky to have so many people around him. They weren't perfect, but they were his family and friends.

Even in the original story, Lip was blessed in many ways.

Whether it was women who loved him or people who guided him at critical moments, Lip had opportunities to change his life.

He was smart and talented, the most likely to escape poverty and enter the middle class.

But he inherited Frank's worst traits—criminal tendencies, alcoholism, and self-destructive habits.

Time after time, he wasted opportunities and hurt the good people who cared for him.

But things were different now.

Not only would Lip seize opportunities and cherish the good girls in his life, but he'd also ensure everyone around him could be happy.

"Hi, Lip, Karen, come sit down! Dinner's ready!" Fiona called cheerfully.

"Wow, Fiona, this looks amazing!" Lip gave her a thumbs up.

"Is there something special we're celebrating today?" Kevin asked, looking around.

"You should ask the last two people who sat down," Ian teased, pointing at Lip and Karen.

"I know the guy on the left, but who's the pretty girl on the right?" Kevin asked with a grin.

"Hehe, let me introduce her!" Lip announced with a wide smile. "This is my girlfriend, Karen Jackson."

"Wow~"

Everyone cheered loudly.

Karen's face turned red with shyness, but her radiant smile showed her joy.

As Fiona encouraged everyone to dig in, laughter and chatter filled the table.

"Karen, do you want to know how ridiculous Lip was as a kid?" Fiona asked, grinning.

"Yes, I'd love to hear it!" Karen said enthusiastically.

Lip groaned, covering his face. He knew his embarrassing past was about to be exposed.

"This kid was nicknamed the 'Little Light Bulb Prince' in elementary school," Fiona began.

"The Little Light Bulb Prince?" Karen tilted her head, confused.

"Whenever Lip ran out of pocket money, he'd bet his classmates he could put a light bulb fully into his mouth and take it out again. If he succeeded, they owed him a dollar. If he failed, he'd pay them a dollar."

"What's wrong with that?" Karen asked, shrugging.

"On the first day, he made eight dollars, but all eight kids ended up in the hospital."

"In the hospital?"

"Yeah, to get the light bulbs removed from their mouths."

"Wow!"

"The next day, over twenty kids across the school tried it and ended up in the hospital too."

"Oh my God!"

"By the third day, the school banned students from bringing light bulbs. And that's how Lip became the 'Little Light Bulb Prince,'" Ian added with a laugh.

"Is it really that hard to take a light bulb out?" Karen asked, looking at Lip.

"Uh-huh. Even adults struggle. If you don't believe me, ask Carl—he tried it."

"Don't remind me!" Carl groaned. "I don't want to relive those days."

"Hahahaha!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Karen learned a lot about Lip's odd childhood adventures and quirks over dinner.

After the meal, they cleaned up and gathered in the living room to watch the Gallagher family's favorite show, Shrimp Fishing.

But before long, Karen, her face flushed, pulled Lip upstairs, ignoring the amused stares of everyone in the room.