It wasn't an apple that hit Newton.

As he spoke, Li Cheng reached out his palm and ruffled the soft, fluffy red hair that matched his own color, completing a standard brother-sister head pat.

"Ah."

Seeing that Li Cheng didn't blame her, Louise happily buried her face in Li Cheng's coat and mumbled indistinctly, "Louise isn't afraid anymore after seeing her brother."

Seeing her like this, Li Cheng became even more certain that Anderson, that doting father, had kept everything a secret from Louise—it had to be said that this was indeed a difficult problem, and Li Cheng was a little troubled about how to get along with this adopted younger sister.

Forget it, let's just do as usual for now. Whatever, whatever.

Li Cheng gave up resisting and asked directly, "Louise, weren't you in London? How come you're suddenly in Paris?"

“Because Dad said he has to go to Paris for important business and will have to live here for a while.” Louise looked distressed. “Originally, Louise didn’t want to come, but I was too lonely in London, so I came to Paris with Dad.”

As she spoke, Louise began to recount the events that had transpired, such as how the boat ride was very bumpy and uncomfortable, how frightening the rain showers were, and how she didn't know anyone in Paris except for her neighbor's aunt who would visit...

As Li Cheng listened quietly, he felt the small, soft body pressed tightly against his body in his arms, and a sense of peace welled up in his heart—meeting an old friend in a foreign land was one of the four great joys of ancient times.

For Louise, Li Cheng was meeting her long-lost brother in a foreign land, while for Li Cheng, it was also a rare and precious opportunity to meet a close acquaintance in a foreign land.

Although his feelings for Louise were quite complex, it didn't diminish the warmth he felt at that moment.

However, on another note, Louise seemed to have grown quite a bit taller in the few months he hadn't seen her; she was now almost up to his chin. Her chest also seemed to have developed a bit. He remembered when he'd stumbled upon her naked in Newton's little house in London, she was practically naked, but today he could actually feel the curves...

Perhaps because he's been encountering either cross-dressers or lesbians lately, Li Cheng's thinking has unconsciously started to go astray, shifting from a heartwarming tone to something more... Hey! Who's 18?! I'm just genuinely concerned about my sister's physical development! It's a very innocent thing!

Just then, Li Cheng caught a glimpse of two dark figures approaching from a distance. He initially thought they were just passersby, but upon closer inspection, he realized they were the blond-haired brothers who had just left.

"Tch, I accidentally went the wrong way and wasted a lot of time."

Noticing Li Cheng's gaze, the blond-haired younger brother muttered an explanation.

The older brother with yellow hair glanced suspiciously at the two embracing each other, feeling that something was off. The brother and sister seemed a bit suspicious, but in the end, he followed his brother and left in another direction.

Although the blond-haired brothers left again, this interruption effectively brought the heartwarming moment to an end.

Li Cheng released Louise and asked, "It's about time we went home, otherwise Mr. Anderson might get anxious... Do you remember where you live?"

“I don’t remember,” Louise shook her head.

Li Cheng frowned and asked, "Do you know the way home?"

“I remember a little,” Louise nodded.

Li Chengsong sighed, "Alright, let's go to the main street first and learn the way there."

Holding Louise's delicate, fair hand in his own, Li Cheng led her away from the maze of dark alleys and onto a brightly lit street.

These bright streetlights are made of expensive metals, with glass shades that cost about 12 livres each. They are filled with large, expensive candles that can last for 8 hours, requiring 2 sous for just one night. There are at least 3000 such streetlights along the 912 streets of Paris.

Walking through these streets lit by streetlights, even Li Cheng had the illusion of returning to the modern era, let alone the strangers who came to Paris for the first time in this era.

They were amazed by such public works projects and called Paris the "City of Light".

The two walked hand in hand along the brightly lit street like real siblings for a while, when Louise suddenly said, "Louise remembers, this is the street next to our house."

“Alright, let’s take Louise’s route then,” Li Cheng said.

So the two of them turned left and right under Louise's direction.

"Turn right here."

"Go straight."

Throughout this process, Li Cheng was completely distracted, letting Louise lead him around while secretly plotting what excuse he should use to part ways later.

This encounter was ultimately just a coincidence. Although Louise still seemed very close to him and treated him like a brother, Li Cheng decided never to see her again and to keep his distance, lest Louise turn against him in the future and they no longer know how to get along...

"arrive."

Finally, Louise stopped in front of a villa and excitedly pointed it out to Li Cheng, saying, "Louise lives here now. You can come and visit her anytime, brother."

"Oh, have we arrived yet?"

As Li Cheng spoke, he naturally raised his face and looked at the entrance of the comfortable but not overly luxurious villa, but it looked strangely familiar.

He turned his head in confusion to observe his surroundings, and found that the street environment was also very familiar, as if he had been here often. When he turned back again, he was even more surprised to find that there was a sign next to the villa that read "No. 13 Tulip Street", which was right across from his house.

?

A wealthy, middle-aged gentleman from England... has a daughter who doesn't speak French... and the aunt next door...

Many overlooked clues began to connect in Li Cheng's mind. He slowly typed a question mark, his blank gaze frantically moving between the villa and his own small courtyard across the street, his head shaking along with the movement.

"Brother, what's wrong?"

Noticing Li Cheng's unusual behavior, Louise asked curiously.

"nothing."

Li Cheng forced a smile, while a thought kept popping into his mind.

Let's move.

Chapter 288 is titled Phillips

Step by step, step by step, step by step.

Accompanied by the crisp sound of hooves, a magnificent four-wheeled carriage traveled at a leisurely pace along the wide street of Narcissus Street, giving pedestrians ample time to react and avoid the vehicle, while smoothly making its way to the side gate of a rather unassuming villa.

The villa is not large, and it employs very few servants, just enough to keep the house running.

After the carriage came to a stop, a rather thin man stepped down. He had delicate features, rosy lips, and fair, smooth skin, possessing an androgynous beauty. If he hadn't been dressed in men's clothing, he might easily have been mistaken for a woman at first glance.

Although he was the owner of the villa, the man habitually looked down while walking, focusing on the road rather than making eye contact with people, until he reached the closed doorway and then glanced up.

There was no guard at the side gate, only an elderly butler who had been waiting there in advance, who opened the side gate for him with a key.

"Mr. Philip."

The old butler bowed to him.

"Ah."

After giving a slight nod to the old butler at the door, Philip stepped into the villa through the side door and walked straight to a secluded little room at the very back, without encountering a single person along the way.

Only after the door was completely locked did Philip breathe a long sigh of relief, as if he had recovered from some kind of pressure, and his gaze began to wander around.

This is a private space where no one is allowed to enter except for the maids who do the cleaning.

The room is of medium size, with the main space occupied by a wardrobe, and the rest of the room furnished with items such as a dressing table, a full-length mirror, candlesticks, and a rug.

At this moment, a smokeless candle made of beeswax was burning quietly in the corner. Although it was daytime, the curtains in the room were tightly drawn, and not a single ray of light from outside could penetrate the room through the gaps.

After making sure the door was locked and the curtains were drawn, Philip took a deep breath and began, full of anticipation, to... take off his clothes.

rustling sounds...

Amidst the rustling of fabrics, the original coats, trousers, and even the close-fitting wool shirts were all removed, replaced by special garments such as corsets and bubble pants.

After completing the initial interior decorations, Philip opened the enormous wardrobe again, and with a delighted expression, picked up a cloth bag from the corner that looked rather shabby against the backdrop of the surrounding gorgeous clothes, and eagerly tore it open in mid-air.

Inside the bag was a complete set of Rococo-style pink girl's dress, ordered from a fashion designer, including a disguise pad and a small bowler hat.

Although it was the first time Philip had ever owned one, he skillfully figured out its structure and successfully put it on.

Actually, at this point, Philip... no, now we should call her Phillips, the change of clothes can be declared complete. After all, she has a good foundation, and even neutral clothes can make her look like women's clothes, let alone this outfit designed specifically for women.

Meanwhile, in the full-length mirror next to Phillips, a lovely girl who was perfect from head to toe was being reflected.

She had dazzling long golden hair, large, bright, moist eyes, smooth and delicate skin, and... well, slightly protruding small breasts?

Phillips turned around and saw herself in the full-length mirror. Although she was delighted that PAD had perfectly completed the last piece of the puzzle, she still seemed dissatisfied with herself. So she sat down at the dressing table next to the candle and began to make the final minor adjustments.

Hairstyles, eyebrows, accessories, types of perfumes...

After a while.

As the final step was completed, Phillips' lips slowly curled into a smile. He gave a confident smile to the mirror in front of him, then blew out the candles, unlocked the door, and walked towards the front door of the villa, bathed in sunlight.

Her gaze shifted from the ground to a wide, unhurried survey of the entire villa.

Her feet were no longer cautious, but moved with a light and rhythmic gait.

From this moment on, her name was no longer Philip, no longer Philip I, who was shrouded in the shadow of the dazzling Louis XIV.

It wasn't the Duke of Orléans who, as a child, was deliberately isolated and neglected by his mother for fear of him fighting for power with his brother when he grew up, but who, as an adult, was outwardly cared for by his brother but was actually constantly on guard against.

Her name is Phillips.

Shedding her former identity, she no longer needs to worry about others' opinions and can freely converse with Phillips.

Good morning, Miss Phillips.

"Miss Phillips, you are as beautiful as ever today."

On the way to the front door, many male and female servants who saw Phillips greeted her with admiring and loving eyes, and Phillips responded to them all with a smile.

"You've worked hard."

How have you been these past few days?

They chatted and laughed all the way to the villa gate. Looking at the wide street leading in all directions and another carriage waiting at the door, Phillips suddenly had a problem and didn't know where to go.

So she simply stood quietly at the doorway, like a pure and elegant daffodil, tilting her head as she began to consider today's arrangements.

What should I do today?

Staying in the villa?

There's no point in not wearing your beautiful new clothes to show them off.

Attending a salon gathering?

But the salon hasn't started yet. Should I go and attend someone else's salon at the last minute? It seems like a hassle, and there's a bit of a risk involved. It wouldn't be fun at all if I accidentally fell again.

As Phillips bit his lower lip and racked his brains, a sudden inspiration struck him.

By the way, why don't we just go and have a chat with the designer?

I want to show the designer how I look in this outfit. By the way, the design on the chest called PAD is really nice. I want him to design dozens more sets, because one set is simply not enough. You know, a lady can't wear the same dress more than twice on formal occasions.

I happen to have some worries lately.

The older brother, who dreamed of natural territories and sought to wage war against Spain, yet worried about the British, seemed to have stumbled upon a windfall, but struggled to take it all in. Finally, he remembered his younger brother.

The problem is, I don't really want to agree to do this... but not agreeing is just not an option...

However, judging from the survey results reported by the housekeeper, the designer doesn't seem to be an ordinary fashion designer. He's acting all mysterious. Is it appropriate to talk to him about these things?