Going Out to Eat

Hours passed, and in his room, Tylem was getting dressed in a neat collared shirt and black pants.

Recalling the two boy's black and blue faces, Tylem remained calm, even though that was the first time he had ever beaten someone to such a severe extent.

Coupled with his intuition and status as a cultivator, he had a super sharp sense, and he knew the middle-schoolers would live on. Furthermore, those security guards would definitely bring them to a hospital the second he left.

In his eyes, he was just taking out the trash: it didn't feel like he had done anything wrong. There was no chance he would be merciful to those who hurt his family.

Lynne, on the other hand, was still in some shock due to the amount of violence he had displayed. However, she was not angry at him or anything like that.

There wasn't any fear either. Lynne knew for sure that Tylem would never hurt her. More than anything, it was just her mind adapting to all the different unfolding sides of Tylem, her new big brother.

Tylem had told Emily about the matter, and she did not lecture him. In her mind, it wasn't that far. The boys were still alive, weren't they?

Hmph. If it also wasn't for the fact that the bullies were children, Emily would have even considered killing them for harming her daughter. It was partially because, in the back of her heart, she had a minor soft spot for children because of her past, as, like her, children who were products of their parents' bad choices can end up changing for the better.

But sometimes, her motherly love just overloaded and swept over everything else such as logic or morals. Emily was very prideful about the fact that Tylem was willing to go to all lengths to protect Lynne, his little sister.

In the end, Emily had just told Tylem to keep up the good work and to try his best to enjoy his time at school and home, which was the most important thing she wanted for him.

Rather, she had just been worried about all the blood on him, but she later found out that none of it belonged to him.

Emily was feeling some guilt. In her mind, she had hoped for Tylem to be free of troubles after coming to Beijing, but now he was fighting for his family out there. The pride and sorrow in her heart was indescribable.

"Done." Checking his reflection, Tylem nodded as he left his room to the living room.

Tonight, their family would be going out to eat together. It was the first time, so the entire family treated it like a special event.

This entire time, the family had not eaten out because Emily and Weston hoped for Tylem to grow accustomed to living here first and foremost.

Now, Tylem appeared to be opening up, however. Thus, Emily wanted to try something new with him.

Lynne saw Tylem atop the mini-flight of stairs and ran up to him. [For Brother, Mother, and Father, I need to get stronger so that I don't bring them any more worry and sorrow.]

Tylem's brutal, deathly fight from before had opened up Lynne's mind; she couldn't continue dragging her brother down. In the future, what if he ended up fighting a cruel opponent many times stronger than himself to seek justice for her and ended up suffering?

No, she couldn't have that!

In this vast world, as siblings, the two of them needed to fight together and help one another. It could not be one-sided. It wasn't right for her to solely depend on him.

"I have to change." Lynne's emotional gaze became clear. "I have to move on and fight back."

"Ava, I'm sorry." Lynne clenched her tiny fists. "But my family's happiness is more important than anything else."

Two long years had flown by, and Lynne was now beginning to truly move on.

"I've caused enough trouble for everyone else because of our personal conflict, Ava." Lynne closed her eyes, hugging Tylem in silence. "I can't dwell on our past anymore."

"Brother, please don't ever get hurt because of me." Right now, Lynne wasn't sure how she could resolve the issue with Ava, but she would try her hardest to find that solution.

Like this, Emily's hope for her children was gradually becoming a reality. The two were learning from experience on their own and evolving as a result.

Tylem watched Lynne leave his embrace as she ran toward Emily and Weston who stood a few meters away.

"Mommy, Daddy, I've been a bad, unfilial daughter." Jumping at Emily, Lynne sobbed with all her heart. "I've been getting bullied in school... I don't want to fight alone anymore. I don't want to be weak. I want to be strong for our family!"

"Wa..."

Emily covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes flowing with tears. It was so sudden and unexpected.

"... Mommy loves Little Treasure." Struggling to control her heartbeat, Emily securely hugged her daughter's petite body. "Mommy's heart will hurt if Little Treasure keeps crying."

"Sweetheart... Mommy knows about this matter." Coaxing, Emily stroked her daughter's long smooth black hair. "We, as a family, will solve this matter together. Remember... you don't ever have to fight alone with us here, keeping all your troubles pent-up inside will only end up hurting you in the long run. That's my lesson to you as your mother."

Weston also bit his thin lips as he held back his tears. Even in heartfelt moments like this, he, as the man of the house, should not cry.

"Good girl. Father is proud of you." Weston pressed his face against Lynne's cheek. He needed to appear strong for his children.

"Mn." Lynne shook in her mother's embrace, and over an hour passed with Emily and her talking about everything that had happened.

Nothing was left out. Everything about Lynne's troubles was revealed from the tiniest detail.

It was an honest mistake in judgment, and at the same time, Ava's hatred toward her daughter was not unwarranted.

Back then, Lynne's decision to ask a teacher for help wasn't that bad either; everything had just spiraled out of control afterward.

Regardless, Ava, as the person behind Lynne's sadness for the last two years, still had to pay for all of this.

Lynne was also relieved to hear that Tylem would not get in any trouble because of today's fight—her honest mother had promised this.

Finally, Lynne pulled out with a tear-soaked face, and she felt so much better after letting everything out.

It was like the entire world had been lifted off her shoulders, and her body became so light and unfettered. In the future, the valuable knowledge from these two years of hardship would end up shaping her into a wonderful woman admired by many.

"Brother, you told Mommy." Pouting, Lynne turned to stare at Tylem.

"I did say that I would tell Mother after a week." Tylem averted her gaze. "I am very proud of you though, Lynne."

"Babies, as much as I would love to hug you all forever, our buffet reservation time was over twenty minutes ago." Emily's lips pulled up into an arch, a true smile that came from her heart. To her surprise, her daughter had come to terms on her own much sooner than expected, and it was largely thanks to Tylem.

Emily was incredibly grateful. Back then, she had known with a single look that she would not regret adopting that tragic child who reminded her so much of herself.

Right now, Emily wanted everyone to relax and for the tears to become a distant memory, so she switched it to a friendly topic. "But don't worry. Your mother can do anything. We will be able to get a table even well past the reservation time!"

"Yeah!" The entire family smiled in unison.

* * *

Starlight Paradise, a world-renowned all-you-can-eat luxury buffet in Beijing. The best of the best, Starlight Paradise had everything you could ask for.

Located within a humungous five-story building, a vast variety of cuisines were available. The inside of the first floor's buffet was fairly dim, the beautiful rainbow crystal chandeliers showering down a colorful light. To top it off, there was even a miniature aquarium built-in with numerous exotic fish swimming inside.

Here, one could feel at peace as one enjoyed a luxurious feast. If it wasn't for the ongoing chatter amongst the customers, it would be very simple to fall asleep in such a natural, serene environment.

Next to Starlight Paradise's reception, numerous families and couples were present. To eat here, one needed to book well in advance, and upon arriving there would be a preassigned table waiting for them.

Tylem stood beside Lynne, who was holding hands with Emily.

"Hah. Son, if you're feeling lonely, you can always hold Father's hand." Squeezing Tylem's shoulder, Weston joked.

"Very funny." Tylem rolled his eyes at Weston.

First of all, he was a boy—not a girl. Besides, he wasn't an eleven-year-old child; instead, his mental age was almost that of a nineteen-year-old.

Emily also respected the fact that Tylem, her son, was much more mature than his age let on, so she tried not to treat him too much like a child who needed constant protection.

Not to even mention his immense strength.

"Madam, it's not like I can't relate with your predicament, but we marked your reservation as a no-show." The female receptionist drew the line, continuing, "There are no more tables available. Unfortunately, we gave your table away a few minutes ago. If your party is over fifteen minutes late, Starlight Paradise reserves the right to cancel your table."

"Mommy, is everything okay?" Lynne tugged at Emily's long scarlet dress. "We don't have to eat here."

"We can just go somewhere else." Lynne murmured, resting her head against Emily's arm.

Even though Lynne said this, she had been looking forward to today. It was a special family event, after all. Furthermore, Starlight Paradise was very famous for its amazing food and service—many Ivla students loved to dine here with their families.

"It's okay, darling. Let Mother handle this." Emily coaxed as she placed a black card with starry designs in front of the receptionist, pushing it forward across the counter.

Looking at the black card, the female receptionist, who was a pretty, busty college girl, still shook her head, "Madam, the tables are gone. You can't pay your way in. I am very sorry, but I need to ask you to leave, or I will have to inform security."

To work at a top restaurant that catered for the social elite, it was a natural requirement for the workers to have great looks.

The female reception had never seen such an exquisite card before, and she assumed that it was some sort of prestigious credit card.

However, working at Starlight Paradise, she had seen her fair share of wealthy and powerful families. This time, it wouldn't be any different, and she had her own pride to not give preferential treatment.

"You don't know what this is?" Emily's mood was turning sour. With Tylem, this was their family's first dinner outside together; she didn't want anything to go wrong. "Please, call your manager here."

"Madam, don't make me call security." The female receptionist bluntly warned, her youthful face even becoming irritated. "I've dealt with situations like this before, and I'm telling you, every time the manager has told me to not give special treatment just because of money."

Sighing, Emily didn't bother trying to argue with the receptionist.

Usually, she hated using her status like this, but she valued this dinner together too much. Rather than trying to get the receptionist to call the manager here, she flipped open her phone instead.