From today on, I will be called Li Xialin, Li Daoxian’s older sister. I was going to protect my little brother and make sure no bad man ever bullied him.
Xialin murmured to herself as she faced the mirror.
In the mirror was a freshly washed face, natural and lovely, with almond-shaped eyes and faint dimples when she smiled.
Xialin stared at that face for a while.
Only when she recognized it as her own did she realize it was simply fairer and her skin looked better than before.
“So the manga world comes with a built-in skin-smoothing and whitening filter.”
Xialin finally understood why manhua were full of handsome men and beautiful women.
Still thinking about this, she walked out of the bathroom.
She ran straight into her younger brother.
Li Daoxian looked as though he had been standing there for some time.
He wore a disposable bathrobe and had a languid expression. The moment his fox-like eyes casually glanced her way, she felt as though she were being seduced.
Xialin pressed a hand to her chest and forced down the flutter in her heart.
So this was what a seductive bottom meant? She understood Kim Jeonghyeok for one second.
Then Kim Jeonghyeok returned to his rightful place in her mind: a scumbag top, a capitalist, the man she had to keep Li Daoxian far away from!
Xialin clenched her fists and silently vowed to herself.
“Sister…”
Li Daoxian suddenly spoke. Perhaps because he had just showered, his voice was soft and trembling.
“When do you want to start?”
Xialin thought for a moment, then looked back at the clock. “Tomorrow. It’s too late today.”
Li Daoxian asked obediently, “Does Sister mean you prefer doing it during the day?”
Xialin was confused. “Doing it?”
She thought for a moment, then said, “Oh, you mean work. Right, who goes out to work at night?”
Li Daoxian froze. “…Work?”
He fell silent for a moment before understanding that she was talking about his job. A flush of red rose across his pale face.
He felt humiliated.
He bit his lip and held back his anger, saying in a soft, coquettish voice, “Is Sister making fun of me? Someone like me, of course I work at night.”
Xialin stopped in her tracks, alarm bells ringing in her mind.
What did Li Daoxian mean by that? Could it be that he had already met Kim Jeonghyeok?
Xialin turned around in a panic and searched the room. Her eyes landed on the black hoodie hanging over the back of the sofa.
She hurried over, slipped her hand into the front pocket, and pulled out a business card.
Ha, Kim Jeonghyeok. Found you!
Xialin frowned and was about to tear the card to pieces.
Li Daoxian rushed over, snatched it from her hand, and asked, “What are you doing?”
Xialin faced him. “Daoxian, be good. Give it to me. I’m going to tear it up.”
Li Daoxian asked, “Why?”
Xialin said, “I know what kind of person Kim Jeonghyeok is. He doesn’t truly care about you.”
Li Daoxian was silent for a few seconds, then sneered. “And you do?”
Xialin smiled warmly. “I do.”
Li Daoxian said nothing, his eyes fixed on the woman in front of him as he tried to find a crack in her hypocritical smile.
He failed.
So she was an old hand at this. She must often go out and buy all kinds of men.
Li Daoxian recalled their meeting earlier that day.
She had stood in front of him, her eyes fixed on him as though she knew him.
He had thought about it and tentatively called her “Sister,” treating it as practice for the work that lay ahead.
Who could have known she would agree so quickly, hook her arm through his, take advantage of him all the way home, and follow him inside?
So you’re the same kind of person as him.
Li Daoxian could not tell whether he felt a trace of disappointment, since the woman was rather pretty.
She was not the most beautiful kind, but she was exactly his type.
If he were still in university and met her, he might even have pursued her.
But now, that was impossible.
He was a poor man burdened with debt, with a father like a vengeful ghost who would give him no peace even in hell.
And she was a rich woman who would sleep with him today and forget him tomorrow, then find a new man to buy.
That was how the world worked.
Ninety percent of the wealth belonged to ten percent of the people, and that ten percent trampled the ten percent at the bottom of the pyramid like insects.
Kim Jeonghyeok.
The way that man looked at him was exactly like that, as though he were looking at an ant.
Crush him.
Or put him in a container and watch him for a while longer.
What was the difference between the two?
Li Daoxian felt that his life was pitifully sad, though he had long known it was sad.
So it did not matter.
Kim Jeonghyeok, her, it made no difference. His body no longer belonged to him. As long as you could pay, that was all that mattered.
With that thought, Li Daoxian lifted his face, curved his fox-like eyes, and gave the woman a seductive smile.
He held out his hand.
“Give me money, Sister. If you give me money, I’ll believe you’re sincere, and I’ll never contact anyone else.”
“Huh?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Money? I don’t have any right now. I’ll give it to you after I find a job and get my paycheck.”
“Daoxian, Sister is sleepy. Let’s talk tomorrow. Good night.”
With that, she walked off on her own.
Li Daoxian was left standing there, trying to process her words. What was she saying?
Was she planning to get him for free?
Li Daoxian felt the world was a cruel place, and he felt even more wronged. He had not even asked her for an outrageous sum, yet she had said that.
Could it be that she could not even afford a hundred thousand won?
Did she think his first time was not even worth paying ten thousand won for?
Li Daoxian hung his head, sat down on the sofa, and cried for an hour.
After crying, he came to a decision.
Since he had already chosen this path, he could not give up easily. Especially not the first client. He had to handle this properly.
With that, Li Daoxian said, “Sister, how about you put it on your credit card in installments—”
The words caught in his throat.
Because when he turned around, he found the woman already asleep on the worn-out bed in his rented room.
She was sleeping as though she had passed out.
Li Daoxian’s mouth fell open, and he let out a genuinely bewildered sigh at his client.
“What exactly did you come here to do?”
On her first night in the manhua world, Xialin slept soundly. When she opened her eyes, she hopped out of bed full of energy and stretched her arms.
“Daoxian, let’s go to a job interview together today!”
Li Daoxian did not reply.
Xialin looked around, searched the room, and found him curled up on the sofa like a cat.
He was still asleep.
Xialin tiptoed closer, bent her knees, and leaned down beside him.
“Daoxian, Sister won’t let you carry all of this alone anymore. We’ll work together and pay off the debt together!
“When the money is paid off, you’ll be free. By then, you can go back to school, or you can fall in love.
“Whether you like men or women then, Sister will support you. What Sister hopes for most is for you to be happy.”
Xialin murmured to herself until she ran out of words.
Li Daoxian was still asleep.
She bent down, kissed him lightly on the forehead, then got up and walked to the refrigerator.
The refrigerator was empty.
Xialin sighed, closed the door, and searched near the sink for something to eat. After searching for a long time, she found a pack of instant noodles.
Ignoring the bite marks on the packaging that looked as though a rat had chewed through it, she tore it open, set it aside, put a pot on the stove, and boiled water.
Li Daoxian heard the clattering behind him.
He pressed a hand to the spot on his forehead where she had kissed him, opened his eyes, and stared up at the fluorescent light, watching a few flies circle around it.
He stared blankly for a while.
What had the woman just said?
Li Daoxian had many theories.
For example, she had mistaken him for someone else, and he simply resembled her younger brother. But she had called him Daoxian, and it was impossible that their names were the same too.
Or perhaps she was his bastard father’s illegitimate daughter, though he had never heard of such a thing.
As he thought it over, Li Daoxian reached a conclusion.
She was insane.
Perhaps he had run into a madwoman.
He had heard of cases like this, people who had gone mad and lost their memories of their families, treating strangers as relatives.
But how did she know his name?
Li Daoxian felt there were still unanswered questions, yet his heart was already filled with fear and suspicion toward the woman.
“Daoxian, dinner’s ready.”
Li Daoxian quickly shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep.
Xialin walked over and happened to catch the movement of him closing his eyes. Smiling, she bent down, took his arm, and pulled him up.
Li Daoxian caught the faint scent of a woman drifting toward him. He frowned uncomfortably, opened his eyes, and looked at her, his lashes trembling.
“You…” Calm down.
Li Daoxian wanted to say that to the woman.
In truth, he was saying it to himself. He thought of those news stories about deranged murderers, and tears fell from his eyes before he could stop them.
He did not want to die.
No matter how wretched his life was, he did not want to die. That was precisely why he had wanted to do such a thing.
Sell his body.
“Daoxian, why are you crying?”
When Xialin saw her younger brother in tears, she quickly bent down and pulled him into her arms.
“Daoxian, don’t cry. I know you’re worried about the debt. It was my fault in the past, leaving you to bear it all alone.”
“What… are you talking about?”
“I’m your older sister. I shouldn’t have run away from this family. I should have stayed by your side and faced our responsibilities with you.”
“No, you’re not my sister. You’re not.”
Li Daoxian contradicted her in the faintest voice. He was afraid that his honesty would anger the madwoman.
The madwoman did not get angry.
The madwoman seemed so deeply insane that she said, “I know. You’re still angry with me, Daoxian. I’ll prove to you that I came back this time to protect you.”
Li Daoxian gave a cold scoff. “What do I need protection from?”
Xialin said, “This.”
She lowered her hand and reached into the pocket of his hoodie.
He had changed out of the bathrobe and back into the hoodie before sleeping, so now her palm pressed against his stomach.
Li Daoxian’s abdomen suddenly tightened.
“Don’t… touch me so suddenly.”
He turned his head away, his face flushing red to the tips of his ears. He curled forward and pressed a pillow down over himself.
Xialin did not notice any of it. Her attention was entirely on the business card she had pulled from his pocket.
“Kim Jeonghyeok. He isn’t a good person, Daoxian. You absolutely must not agree to his demands!”
Li Daoxian froze. He lifted his eyes, still hazy from crying, and stared at her with his fox-like eyes.
“You know what he asked of me?”
“I do.”
“How do you know?”
Li Daoxian asked suspiciously. At this point, his wariness toward the woman had reached the level where he could have called the police.
She claimed to be his sister, knew his name, and even knew what Kim Jeonghyeok had said to him.
Could she be Kim Jeonghyeok’s enemy?
Li Daoxian came up with yet another theory.
But the woman did not answer his question. She only kept urging him not to pay any attention to Kim Jeonghyeok.
Li Daoxian asked impatiently, “Why can’t I?”
Xialin said, “Because no matter how poor a person is, they must never sell their soul, Daoxian.”
Li Daoxian was speechless.
Then he burst out laughing.
Ah, you really are ridiculous. Don’t you know that I only met you because I sold my soul?
And now you’re putting on this high-and-mighty act?
Weren’t you also planning to sleep with me? Isn’t that why you came home with me?
Li Daoxian thought that even if she was a madwoman or Kim Jeonghyeok’s enemy, it would not change the fact that they were seller and buyer.
Naturally, it would not change the purpose of her coming here with him.
Suddenly, Li Daoxian decided to take the initiative. He wanted to tear off that lofty, hypocritical mask of hers.
He stood up and moved closer.
Xialin sensed his momentum and instinctively backed away a few steps, but he pushed her against the wall.
Li Daoxian raised a hand, caging her against it. His fox-like eyes curved into a smile, and then he lowered his head to kiss her.
Xialin hurriedly dodged.
Li Daoxian’s lips landed against the side of her neck. He frowned but did not stop, choosing to keep kissing her.
His movements were slow and clumsy, yet they still left a warm, damp trace.
Xialin could not bear the touch. A soft sound escaped her, and she struggled fiercely, pushing him away.
“Li Daoxian, are you insane?”
“The insane one is you, Sister.”
Li Daoxian straightened up, curled his lips into a smile, and wiped his mouth with his thumb.
“You actually told me, ‘No matter how poor a person is, they must never sell their soul’? That’s hilarious!”
Xialin’s eyes widened. “But I meant it! Don’t you think that too, Daoxian? Do you truly want to sell yourself?”
Li Daoxian nodded, his smile brilliant. “I do. I’m selling myself right now. I’m selling myself to you—”
With that, he moved to kiss her again. This time, his hand caught the back of her head, betting that she would not be able to dodge.
Who could have known that a sharp crack would explode through the air?
Li Daoxian instantly felt a burning pain spread across his left cheek. He covered his face with one hand and stared ahead in disbelief.
The person who had slapped him was already crying.
Xialin bit her lip and shook her head through her tears, looking at him as though she were utterly disappointed in him.
“Daoxian, wake up! Don’t you understand? Even if the whole world wanted to buy you, I would never want to buy you!
“Because I’m your sister. We’re family, Daoxian…”
You’re the one who needs to wake up.
Li Daoxian wanted so badly to say that to the woman in front of him.
But the words would not come out.
Because that slap had, in fact, made him see Kim Jeonghyeok much more clearly.
He remembered the night before last, in that private room, when that man’s subordinate had slapped him the same way.
“President Kim has offered you such good terms, and you’re still hesitating here, acting innocent. How disgusting!
“Or do you think that apart from that face and that body of yours, you, Li Daoxian, as a person, have any other value?
“Do you? Stop dreaming, you little brat. It’s time you faced reality…”
Those words had been delivered like earnest advice, in the tone of someone offering kind comfort, followed by a slap hard enough to knock him down and split his lip.
It had all been part of the plan.
If Li Daoxian had watched what happened in the room from a third person’s perspective, he could have made that objective judgment immediately.
He would have seen at a glance that this woman and Kim Jeonghyeok were playing the same game, one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop.
The subordinate hit him.
Kim Jeonghyeok said, “Let him go. I don’t want to make things difficult for him.”
That was how they made him think, just a little, that perhaps Kim Jeonghyeok was not such a bad person after all.
But in truth, he understood, didn’t he?
Neither of those people was a good person. Both of them were perpetrators.
He simply had no choice.
That was his life, his future. But if he had a choice… why would he ever have chosen this path!
Li Daoxian shook his head again and again.
He stood as straight as a pine tree, but his head hung low. Tears kept streaming down his face, and his mind went blank, as though he could no longer think.
When Xialin saw his tears, she began to reflect. Had she slapped him too hard?
But he had been terrifying just now.
This was not some incest manhua. How could he kiss his sister’s neck so intimately?
Granted, in the manhua, Li Daoxian did not even have an older sister.
But the moment she transmigrated here, he had grabbed her and called her “Sister.” No matter how she looked at it, she did not think this was a misunderstanding.
On the contrary, she believed it was fate.
Before transmigrating, she had lamented the tragic fate of the debt-ridden bottom in the manhua.
After transmigrating, she had become the older sister he never had, one who looked exactly like her.
Wasn’t that as though fate had destined her to save him?
So, Li Daoxian, I will definitely protect you. I will definitely make you happy.