Ryan Ling blinked in surprise. What was up with Lily Liu calling him this late at night?
He'd actually been planning to hunt down Jason Lin and have him drive the Hummer over to Peachvale County's seat for a little adventure. Peachvale might be small, but it's a tourist hotspot, famous for jade, and sits where two provinces meet, so it's always packed. The county seat's got every kind of fun you can think of—honestly, it even beats Harbor City.
But with things like this going on, there was no way he could head out now. Lily Liu had sounded troubled on the phone, and now she was calling him over so mysteriously this late—it had to be serious.
Ryan didn't hesitate—he went straight to Lily Liu's door and knocked.
"Sis!" Ryan called out, and Lily Liu's voice answered from inside right away.
"Come in—the door's locked!"
Ryan paused for a second. He could hear running water, and there was a fresh shampoo scent in the air.
Wait, was Lily Liu still in the shower?
Suddenly, Ryan's heart started pounding. Something felt off, but he still pushed the door open and stepped inside.
And as soon as he walked in, Ryan froze. Lily Liu really was showering—and through the bathroom light and frosted glass, he could make out her curvy, sexy silhouette moving under the water, washing herself from top to bottom. It was way too clear for comfort.
He could only see her shadow, but his imagination instantly went into overdrive.
Ryan kept swallowing nervously, feeling himself heat up for no reason.
"Lock the door. I'll be done in a minute—promise!" Lily Liu said, totally chill.
Ryan just mumbled "okay," checked outside to make sure nobody was around, then shut the door like he was sneaking around.
Back when they were kids, he and Lily Liu used to bathe together all the time. But now they were grown up, and Lily Liu was seriously sexy—Ryan couldn't help but let his mind wander.
Just then, the water shut off. Lily Liu came out in her nightdress, towel-drying her hair. She looked like a goddess—delicate, radiant, and drop-dead gorgeous.
Ryan had never seen Lily Liu dressed like this before—he was totally stunned.
"What's wrong, kid? Is your big sis really that pretty?" Lily Liu teased, flipping her hair and sticking her chest out with a proud grin.
"You're gorgeous, seriously—even prettier than the fairies in those paintings!" Ryan blurted out, totally sincere.
"Sweet talker!" Lily Liu laughed, then realized her nightdress zipper was down. She quickly said, "Hey, come help your big sis zip up—I can't reach!"
"Me? Uh, okay!" Ryan nodded blankly, feeling like today was just way too weird. But he couldn't exactly say no, so he shuffled over to help Lily Liu with her zipper.
He wasn't sure if his hands were slippery or the zipper was just busted, but Ryan tried several times and still couldn't get it up. Instead, he kept brushing against Lily Liu's soft skin. Every time he touched her, his heart skipped a beat—he was a total mess inside.
Just when he was getting a little flustered, Lily Liu suddenly spun around. Ryan was already nervous, and now he nearly jumped out of his skin.
Lily Liu stared straight at Ryan and, with a low voice, asked, "Can you hug me?"
"Sis, what did you just say?" Ryan's face went ghost-white.
"Is it really that hard to hug me?" There was a deep, wounded look in Lily Liu's eyes.
"No, Sis, just tell me—what happened? If anyone bullied you, I'll make them pay!" Ryan was getting more and more worried. Lily Liu had seemed off since they met, and now she was finally losing it.
"It's nothing. No one bullied me. I just want you to hug me—is that so hard? Or do you secretly think I'm trash, crude and unwanted, just like everyone else?" As Lily Liu said this, tears started pouring down her face.
Ryan freaked out and pulled Lily Liu into a tight hug, gritting his teeth. "Sis, if anyone dares say that about you, I'll tear them apart!"
"Waaah..." Lily Liu just buried her face in Ryan's shoulder and cried, unable to say anything else.
[Scene break]
After a long while, Lily Liu finally calmed down a bit. She let go of Ryan, and he quickly handed her a napkin.
"Sorry, I kind of lost it tonight." Lily Liu turned away, her eyes red, clearly not wanting Ryan to see her crying face.
"Sis, just tell me—what's going on? If anyone lays a finger on you, I won't let them get away with it!" Ryan pressed.
Finally, Lily Liu sighed and spilled the truth. Three years ago, she accidentally ticked off a notorious local 'bad girl' in Peachvale's county seat—May Wu, famous for being trashy and bold. The Wu Family is loaded and powerful in Peachvale, way out of Lily Liu's league. She apologized a million times, hoping May Wu would just let it go.
But May Wu just loves bullying people. Lily Liu was pretty and successful, so May kept coming back to stir up trouble. Lily had to grit her teeth and endure it for the sake of her hard-won business.
Now May Wu's gotten even worse. She brings local punks to eat and drink for free at the inn, blocks fruit and veggie farmers from selling to Lily Liu, and even threatened that anyone who dares take over her business will be crushed and run out of Peachvale. It's like she's trying to ruin Lily Liu's life.
To make it worse, May Wu is always throwing 'happy events'—banquets, parties, whatever—forcing Lily Liu to attend and cough up huge cash gifts, just so she can put her down in front of everyone.
"Sis, why didn't you tell me sooner?" Ryan gritted his teeth, furious that Lily Liu had been bullied like this.
"What's the point of telling you? You can't mess with the Wu Family. Anyway, I feel better just saying it out loud. I'm just a poor country girl—people look down on me. If I really can't take it anymore, I'll just shut everything down. I can always find a way to survive." Lily Liu sighed, her eyes teary as she looked around. She said it like she didn't care, but it was clear these ten years of hard work meant everything to her.
[System prompt skipped]
"Sis, say no more. I swear I'll get justice for you. If I could handle the Fan Family in Harbor City and the Azure Dragon Society in the provincial capital, the Wu Family here is nothing."
"Don't be silly. How can you help me? Tomorrow is May Wu's birthday party—she already called and demanded I go, and give at least a six-figure cash gift. The inn's income is pathetic right now; I have to borrow money just to attend!" Lily Liu clenched her fists, desperate to fight back, but who could she rely on? Her eyes were full of helplessness.
Suddenly, Ryan grabbed her hand. "Sis, don't worry. I'll go with you tomorrow—I won't let you suffer!"
Enough, you silly boy. Just take care of your girlfriend—she's number one in your heart now. You're here to relax, and I don't want my troubles to ruin your mood. I'll tough it out." Lily Liu sighed.
"No!" Ryan suddenly stood up, serious. "Sis, you're wrong. You'll always be number one in my heart—no one can replace you!"
"Heh, you silly kid. It's late, go get some sleep. Your girlfriend must be waiting for you!" Lily Liu managed a smile through her tears.
Ryan nodded, let go of Lily Liu, said "Good night" as usual, and left. Lily Liu watched his back, feeling sad. She muttered to herself, "Lily Liu, stop dreaming. How could he ever like me? I'm so much older than him..."
[Scene break]
After leaving Lily Liu's room, Ryan Ling immediately called Jason Lin.
"Bro, you're still up? What's up so late?" Jason Lin was obviously tipsy—he'd had a few more drinks with his buddies in town after leaving Lily Liu's place.
"Hey, you know the Wu Family in Peachvale County? What's their deal?"
"Oh yeah, the Wu Family—I know them. Top five in Peachvale County, easy. Assets? Seven, eight hundred million, maybe. Started out in catering. Why, you want to work with them?" Jason Lin replied.
"Work with them? I want to wipe out the Wu Family!" Ryan shot back, voice icy.