Chapter 30: The Li Siblings (Part Two)

“Wow… I never could have guessed, Xiao, that someone as young as you is already a millionaire!” Li Dabiao was truly stunned. The boy who had just been beaten up by thugs in front of him had suddenly become a multimillionaire—the change was so drastic, it left him unable to process it.

“A million is nothing. Like I said before, as long as you’re willing to join me, I promise you’ll leave this life of hardship behind and rise to the top!” The light in my eyes was unwavering. Li Dabiao had saved me and treated me like a brother; how could I, Qiang Xiao, ever let such a good brother slip away?

“Really? Haha, maybe I’ll pass. Your big brother never wanted that kind of life. But since my brother Xiao is so capable, I can at least work for you and lend a hand.” Admiration shone in Li Dabiao’s gaze.

“Li, I can’t promise you anything right now, but as long as I have a mouthful to eat, I won’t let you go cold or hungry! We’re brothers. From now on, just work with me—forget the construction site. I need a few days to think about which industry to enter. Once I’ve decided, I’ll need your help, and you’ll be busy then.” Since I’d decided to have Li Dabiao at my side, I knew I had to accelerate the building of my business empire.

“Alright, say no more!” Li Dabiao was overwhelmed with excitement as he said, “If I can make something of myself with you, then my mother can finally get the treatment she needs. Thank you, Xiao—you’re truly the benefactor of my life.”

“By the way, Li, what illness does your mother have? Does it require a lot of money?” Only when Li Dabiao mentioned his mother did I finally ask.

“It’s… it’s her heart. I don’t remember exactly what it’s called, but the doctors say we have to prepare for surgery within the next couple of years. At least… at least five hundred thousand for the operation. Sigh…” Li Dabiao’s face clouded with sorrow at the mention of his mother.

“Alright, five hundred thousand, is it? Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll give you a million now. You and Si Yan should go back home together and get your mother treated. By the time you return, I’ll have made detailed plans for our future. How does that sound?” I replied with a faint smile.

“No, that won’t do! I can’t take that much money from you—how could I live with myself?” Li Dabiao waved his hands in refusal, but I pulled a stern face and said, “If you say that, you don’t see me as a brother! Your mother is like a mother to me too. I have both the right and the duty to honor her. If you refuse again, I’ll be really upset!” Honestly, I wanted to tell him I really wasn’t short on money…

With a thud, Li Dabiao fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he choked out, “Qiang Xiao, I will never forget your immense kindness for as long as I live! From this day forward, I, Li Dabiao, will follow you for the rest of my life. I am unworthy of being your big brother—I am willing to be your follower. From now on, my life belongs to you!”

“Big brother, what are you saying? Get up!” I rushed to help him, but he remained stubbornly on the floor. “Qiang Xiao, my mind is made up. Don’t try to dissuade me. A man like you shames me—I am content to be your follower for life! Loyal to the end, never to betray you!”

Ah… I had been so happy to finally have a big brother, but now that seemed to have gone up in smoke. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have mentioned having so much money. Damn it. I sighed, a little frustrated, and said, “Alright, have it your way. But in my heart, whether you admit it or not, you’ll always be my big brother! And Si Yan will always be my little sister.”

Li Dabiao said nothing more after that. We chatted idly for a while, and then Li Si Yan returned. When she learned I was willing to pay for her mother’s treatment, she was so moved that she burst into tears. It took a while to calm her down. Afterward, she cooked us a few dishes, and we started drinking together. That was the beginning of chaos. By the end, I didn’t even know who was who anymore, clinging to Li Dabiao and laughing as we talked about life. The more we drank, the more I lost consciousness…

Dawn came quickly, the noisy blare of car horns outside disturbing my sleep. Half-awake, I turned over and, to my surprise, found my nose pressed against something soft and smooth. Curiously, I reached out to give it a squeeze, trying to push it away, but my injured arm brushed against the edge of the bed, making me wince in pain and snapping me fully awake.

But opening my eyes only made things worse—I was nearly shocked out of my wits! Right before me were two not-yet-fully-developed… a woman’s chest! Cold sweat broke out across my forehead as I realized the person lying next to me was none other than Li Si Yan, the girl I’d just acknowledged as my little sister! What on earth had happened? How did I end up in bed with Li Si Yan? Last night, wasn’t I hugging Li Dabiao? My mind went completely blank. Though there was a thin T-shirt between us, so I couldn’t see anything, I had definitely just squeezed…

Li Si Yan wasn’t unattractive—on the contrary, she was quite pretty. Her thin, undernourished frame may have detracted from her beauty, but I knew that with a little time, she would become a stunning young woman. In my daze, I hurriedly lifted the covers and let out a deep sigh of relief. Thank goodness I still had my pants on. That meant nothing had happened between us. She was, after all, my little sister now; if something had happened the very first night, not only would Li Dabiao look down on me, but I wouldn’t be able to face myself!

“You… you’re awake? Brother Xiao…” Just as I was reassuring myself, Li Si Yan’s soft voice startled me so much I nearly jumped out of my skin. I scrambled out of bed, wincing from the pain in my body, and forced an awkward smile. “Uh, Si Yan, sorry if I woke you… Haha, um, where’s your brother?”

“He’s sleeping in the outer room. This is my room,” she said. Noticing my embarrassment, her cheeks flushed as she added, “Brother Xiao, you got drunk last night and wouldn’t let go of me. My brother had no choice but to let you sleep here with me… But you really do have a funny sleeping posture—kept pressing on me like a little kid, haha.”

I wished I could crawl into a hole and disappear. Making a drunken fool of myself in front of my little sister—how humiliating! It seemed I would never be able to hold my head up around her again. Sigh… Alcohol clouds the mind. How could I not know that and still drink so much? I’d better cut back on drinking from now on…