Chapter 48: Even a Dog is Bullying Her
Lian Li once asked Lian Jingcheng how he knew her mother was the one he liked.
Lian Jingcheng said, “Because your mother makes me feel more and more at ease. After meeting her, my work and life have both gotten better and better. She is the right person for me.”
For the past nine years, Lian Li’s good luck had been brought by Jin Shi Yue.
She thought, he must be that right person.
The hotel’s interior was designed with a magnificent splendor, with a sense of design in every detail, making the overall ambiance low-key yet luxurious.
On the second ring of the doorbell, the door opened from the inside.
Jin Shi Yue was wearing a custom-made blue suit, just as he had appeared in Lian Li’s vision nine years ago. Seeing her, his usually calm face showed surprise.
“Xiao Li? What are you doing here?”
The corridor lights were bright, illuminating Lian Li’s slender figure, her thick, curled eyelashes, and her clean, fair face.
Because she had been running, her breathing was still a little rapid: “I came to tell you in person…”
Just as she was halfway through, she heard a female voice from the suite: “Shi Yue, your phone is ringing, you have a call.”
In an instant, the taut string in Lian Li’s mind snapped.
Her words came to an abrupt halt.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Jin Shi Yue turned back and said calmly, then turned his gaze back to Lian Li at the door, his brow slightly furrowed: “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming to New York in advance?”
The air in the corridor seemed to thin, rushing into her lungs, making breathing incredibly difficult. Lian Li’s fingers, hanging by her sides, clenched the fabric, trying to hide her distress.
“Shu Fan and I came to visit, and we’ll be back in two days,” Lian Li said with a flawless smile and a clear voice. “Assistant He mentioned you were here, so I came to say hello. Senior Sister is waiting for me downstairs, I’ll be going now.”
“Brother, goodbye.”
After speaking, Lian Li turned and left immediately, without waiting for Jin Shi Yue to reply.
Duan Shi Qing came over with the drafted documents and contracts for Jin Shi Yue: “It’s done. The International Summit will last for three consecutive days, and we will encounter many more…”
Jin Shi Yue didn’t move. Duan Shi Qing, probing his expression, detected a hint of coldness.
She couldn’t help but be startled: “Shi Yue?”
“Leave the contract on the table,” Jin Shi Yue said, picking up a jacket and putting it on as he walked out. “Other matters will be discussed tomorrow at the summit.”
Duan Shi Qing rarely saw him so anxious, and her expression instantly became serious: “What happened? Can I help?”
Her only answer was Jin Shi Yue’s rapidly retreating back.
When Jin Shi Yue reached the elevator hall, the elevator had already gone down. Other elevators were in operation, so he waited for a moment and took an elevator to the first-floor lobby.
Scanning his surroundings, the opulent hotel lobby did not hold the familiar figure he was looking for.
Jin Shi Yue stood about two meters away from the hotel’s revolving door and called Lian Li.
By the time Lian Li landed, it was already dark. The skyscrapers under the neon lights and the densely packed entertainment centers cast a silvery glow over the block, like a fairy tale world.
But now, she felt like the little match girl, a chill emanating from her body as she sat on her suitcase, holding her mobile phone to check flights back home.
The earliest flight was tomorrow morning.
This meant she had to spend one night in New York.
The cold weather, a foreign land, being all alone; rather than sadness, she had to first deal with the harsh reality.
Just as Lian Li was about to buy a ticket, a new incoming call notification popped up on the screen.
She took two deep breaths before slowly answering: “Brother.”
Jin Shi Yue’s voice on the other end was as gentle as ever: “Did you get in the car?”
“Mm,” Lian Li’s heart gave a twinge, a fine, dull ache spreading. She lowered her head, staring at her boots.
The young girl never lied to him, so Jin Shi Yue breathed a sigh of relief: “Which hotel are you staying at?”
“I’m not staying at a hotel,” Lian Li fabricated. “Grandma Xue left a house to Senior Sister, so we’re staying there.”
“Let me know when you arrive safely,” Jin Shi Yue said.
“Okay.”
In the past, Lian Li would have asked Jin Shi Yue when he was returning and gone back with him, but now, things were different.
After hanging up the phone, a biting cold wind swept over her, and Lian Li let out a loud sneeze.
She wrapped her coat tighter around herself, felt in her pocket, and took out the silk gloves Jin Shu Yu had given her to put them on.
Suddenly, her nose stung, and her eyes felt hot and red, as if something scalding was impatiently waiting to come out.
Lian Li’s mood fluctuated more dramatically than the drop of Niagara Falls.
Her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her throat and smash onto the cold, damp ground.
Lian Li tilted her head up, trying to let the cold wind dry her moist eyes.
New York’s night was bizarre and colorful, weaving through the vibrant neon lights. The distance between people felt both far and near, like a brilliant dream, with the lights flickering like the dream itself.
The moment the lights went out, the dream shattered.
At twelve years old, Lian Li lacked the ability, craved reliance and security, and wished for a stronger person to protect her.
At twenty-one, Lian Li no longer craved salvation from others; she lived stubbornly and resiliently.
Lian Li raised her hand to wipe away her tears, her vision blurred. She blinked rapidly, lowered her eyelids, and opened booking.com to find a hotel.
After successfully booking a room, she tapped on Uber to hail a ride.
A tear splashed onto her phone screen, and Lian Li quickly wiped it away.
It was too cold to cry; it wouldn’t be good if it froze.
Lian Li looked at the flowing traffic on the street, at the dazzling, unfamiliar city, her chest feeling heavy.
Although it wasn’t pleasant, it wasn’t as heartbreaking as she had imagined.
The wavering feelings, after years of time, had finally settled.
Her mother and Jin Shi Yue both disliked her.
It’s okay.
Lian Li, it’s okay.
Even if no one in the world liked you, it would be okay.
Whether anyone liked Lian Li or not, Lian Li liked Lian Li.
After waiting for a moment, the Uber she had called hadn’t arrived yet. Lian Li took a deep breath, rubbed her nose, and saw that WeChat had 9 unread messages.
She tapped to check them; Xue Shufan had sent her several photos of horse riding.
Xue Shufan had a handsome and heroic face, and wearing a British-style riding outfit made her look even more spirited, comparable to a female general of ancient times.
She still had her senior sister.
Lian Li replied to Xue Shufan’s messages one by one, praising everything from her attire to her equestrian skills.
As Lian Li was focused on her phone, a rough, beastly snorting sound suddenly reached her ears.
She was in the city center, not the wilderness, so there shouldn’t be any wild beasts, right?
Lian Li turned her head to look.
A majestic, colossal creature with two bright, dark eyes was staring intently at her.
This robust Tibetan Mastiff, how could it look so familiar?
Jin Shi Yue’s God of Wealth was back in China; she must have mistaken it.
Lian Li dismissed it and lowered her head to continue playing with her phone.
The huge Tibetan Mastiff trotted over, without barking, and sniffed near her feet.
Lian Li was wearing a skirt and boots, so there were no trouser legs for it to sniff. It seemed dissatisfied and tried to bite her skirt hem.
Lian Li quickly grabbed her skirt, stopping its action.
“Big dog, behave. If you damage it, I won’t be able to afford it even if I sell you!”
Even a dog was bullying her; did she look like an easy target?
As Lian Li and the Tibetan Mastiff stared at each other, a calm, indifferent voice sounded, drawling, “Quite capable, aren’t you.”
Lian Li’s heart skipped a beat, and she turned her head to investigate.
Jin Shi Yue had appeared at some point, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looking down at her: “If you can’t afford it, do you plan to sell the owner too?”
