"It’s fine, Shiyu. You can give him a ride." With that, Liu Shilin got into her car and drove away.
"I—I’m not driving that bastard anywhere!" Liu Shiyu yelled in protest.
After she shouted, she glanced back, only to find that Lin Kuang had vanished. She froze for a moment, but upon a closer look, she saw that Lin Kuang had somehow already appeared in the passenger seat.
Seeing this, Liu Shiyu was so angry she gritted her teeth and stomped her foot. She stood there with her hands on her hips, huffing indignantly.
You damn bastard! Just you wait! I’ll let you be smug for a little while, but we’ll see how I deal with you! Liu Shiyu thought viciously before storming over and getting into the car.
Glancing at Lin Kuang in the passenger seat, Liu Shiyu was suddenly struck with an idea.
Hmph. You think you can bully me, you scoundrel? I’ll show you what this young lady is made of!
With that thought, Liu Shiyu started the car, threw it in gear, and slammed her foot on the accelerator. The Maserati shot forward like a cannonball.
She could already picture Lin Kuang’s face smashing into the windshield, and the thought made her ecstatic.
But as the car launched forward, the collision she was anticipating never happened. Instead, Lin Kuang sat perfectly composed in the passenger seat, as if the sudden, violent acceleration hadn’t affected him in the slightest.
Seeing this, Liu Shiyu was dumbfounded. This is impossible! With that much force... how is he still sitting so perfectly still? Is he glued to the seat? she wondered.
Hmph! I refuse to believe I can’t deal with you!
Foiled again, Liu Shiyu grew annoyed. As they pulled into the villa’s estate, she suddenly accelerated before slamming on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt. The powerful inertia threw even the seatbelted Liu Shiyu forward, the strap digging painfully into her chest. Lin Kuang, in contrast, was completely unaffected. He simply opened the car door and got out.
Seeing this, Liu Shiyu pounded the steering wheel in frustration. "You damn bastard! I swear I’ll teach you a lesson!" she fumed as she got out of the car. Her good mood had evaporated the moment she met Lin Kuang and had yet to return.
Lin Kuang entered the villa’s living room. It was incredibly luxurious, yet the sparse furnishings gave it a grand, spacious feel. The massive floor-to-ceiling windows at the front offered a clear view outside, enhancing the atmosphere even further.
"Mr. Lin, please take a seat," Liu Shilin said indifferently. It was as if she never smiled, always maintaining a cold demeanor.
Lin Kuang nodded and sat on the sofa, looking at her.
Sitting across from him, Liu Shilin spoke again. "You can say what you need to say now."
Beside her, Liu Shiyu glared at Lin Kuang with puffed cheeks, her mind clearly racing with ways to get back at him.
"I was sent by your father to protect you," Lin Kuang said bluntly, not bothering to beat around the bush.
Hearing this, the perpetually calm and composed Liu Shilin trembled. A flash of disbelief crossed her beautiful eyes. She hadn’t had any news of her father in a very long time. Despite spending a great deal of money and effort searching, she hadn’t found a single clue. Now, Lin Kuang’s words had shattered her peace of mind.
"Mr. Lin, why should I believe you?" Liu Shilin forced herself to calm down, but her voice still carried an unmistakable trace of longing.
"Three years ago, your father disappeared. He actually went to the United States but was unfortunately found by the American Security Agency and imprisoned on Devil’s Island. That’s where I met him.
"We were there together for a year and got along very well. Since my sentence was only for a year, I was just released today.
"He asked me for a favor—to come and protect you. After all, he’s offended a lot of people.
"Your father’s real name is Liu Fengchun, not Liu Mu like everyone else thinks, correct?
"Furthermore, your father—Old Liu—wrote you a letter. Here, take a look. You’ll understand everything after you read it."
As he spoke, Lin Kuang took a neatly folded piece of white paper from his pocket and handed it to Liu Shilin.
"I haven’t read it, you can rest assured," he added with a smile as he passed her the letter.
Listening to Lin Kuang’s explanation, Liu Shilin was already partially convinced. The moment she heard the name Liu Fengchun, she almost completely believed him. Only she and her father knew that name; no one else in the world did. Hearing now that her father had written her a letter, her heart swelled with excitement. Her body trembled from the overwhelming emotion as she took the paper from Lin Kuang’s outstretched hand.
Unfolding the paper, she immediately recognized her father’s familiar handwriting. How could I ever forget this script? The letter contained a lot, including a small secret. It was clear that by including it, Liu Fengchun wanted to prove that Lin Kuang was someone she could trust implicitly.
After finishing the letter, Liu Shilin visibly relaxed. Although her father was in prison, he was safe, and he would be out in two years. She could wait that long. However, her cheeks flushed when she read the little secret mentioned on the page. The secret was that she had a small, purple birthmark on her rear, something Liu Fengchun had included as definitive proof that he had written the letter. Of course, Liu Shilin knew about the birthmark, which erased any last doubt that the letter was from her father. She couldn’t help but worry, though. Did Lin Kuang really not read this? If he did, and he knows my secret... how mortifying!
"Thank you, Mr. Lin," Liu Shilin said, a faint smile gracing her cool features. It seemed to be the first time she had smiled at a man in three years. "From now on, please live here. If there’s anything you need, just ask. As long as it’s within my power, I will help you."
"I don’t need much," Lin Kuang said after a moment’s thought. "Just food and a place to stay. And a cell phone, if possible, so we can stay in touch."
"No problem," Liu Shilin said, her eyes on Lin Kuang. "In fact, since we have nothing planned for this afternoon, I’ll take you to buy a phone. Then we can eat out to celebrate."
Lin Kuang nodded honestly. "Sounds good. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten a decent meal."
"Great, let’s go now." Turning, Liu Shilin looked at her sister. "Shiyu, are you coming with us?"
"Of course I’m going," Liu Shiyu replied with a hint of provocation. "But Sis, are you really sure about letting this hooligan live here?"