ARC 1-Enthralling the Elite Quartet 25

Lily remained crouched on the bed, her tears flowing. She shook her head, indicating she wasn't ready to listen. The room filled with her stifled sobs as the quartet exchanged worried glances, realizing the depth of her distress.

Her voice was shaky as she mumbled, "What would my parents say? What would my dad say?"

Lily's tear-stained face reflected the anguish within as she implored them to leave, her words a desperate plea for solitude. The quartet, understanding her distress, attempted to reach out, their voices gentle yet earnest, "Lily, please listen to us. We want to explain, to make things right." However, her shaken head and constant murmurs of "No, no, no" conveyed an unwavering insistence on solitude.

Observing Lily's emotional turmoil, a profound pain etched across the quartet's expressions. After a silent exchange, they reluctantly decided to withdraw, their footsteps echoing through the room as they left. Zhang Haoran's parting words carried a touch of reassurance, "Remember, Lily, you can always call us. We're here for you, always." The weight of sincerity lingered in the room, providing a fleeting respite amidst the overwhelming emotions.

After the quartet left, Lili, still in character, wiped away her tears and turned to NYX. "So, how are my acting skills? Good, right?" she asked with a confident smile. NYX, impressed, responded, "You are really good. Your portrayal of Lili's genuine emotions was convincing."With a sense of accomplishment, Lili explained her rationale, "It's simple. Lili's personality is sensitive, and facing such a situation would naturally hurt her. Besides, it will only make them love me more." NYX nodded in agreement, recognizing the strategic approach behind Lili's actions.Curious about the upcoming moves, NYX asked, "So, what's your next move, and don't forget your missions." Lili, ever the strategist, responded, "Show me the mission panel."

As the holographic mission panel appeared, Lili reviewed the objectives:

Mission Progress:

Making the quartet fall in love with her: 50%

Making plenty of people love and adore her: 15%

Finding the truth about Lilia's mother's death: 5%

Exposing Mo Lina and her mother's true face: 10%

Lili pondered over the numbers, realizing that she had made significant strides in her mission to make the quartet fall in love with her. However, she knew there was much work to be done in gaining the adoration of the wider public and uncovering the truth about her mother's mysterious demise. Determined and focused, she plotted her next moves to inch closer to her objectives.

As Lili drifted into slumber, mapping out her next strategic moves, the quartet, emerging from her room, gathered in the living room. Seated, their countenances reflected the turmoil within – an ensemble of regret, pain, and the looming fear of having irrevocably altered the dynamics between them and Lili. The atmosphere in the room was thick with unspoken apprehensions, each of them grappling with the repercussions of their actions.

**Zhang Haoran:** What should we do now? This is a mess.

Wang Tianming: I can't believe she's crying like that. Does she hate us?

Li Xinjie: We need to give her time. Pushing her now might make it worse.

Chen Zhenwei: But we can't just leave her like this. We have to do something.

They continued discussing their feelings, uncertainty, and the possible impact of their actions on Lili. The atmosphere was tense as they tried to figure out the best course of action, each expressing concern for her and questioning how things escalated to this point.

**Zhang Haoran:** Maybe we should have been more careful.

Wang Tianming: Careful? We were just trying our best for her, you know if we didn't have sex with her she wouldn't get better.

Li Xinjie: She needs space. Let's not force her into anything.

Chen Zhenwei: We should give her time to process everything. Then, maybe we can talk to her again.

The quartet pondered their next steps, realizing that their actions had unintended consequences. They decided to wait and see if Lili would reach out, understanding the delicate situation they found themselves in.