Chapter Twenty-Nine: An Unexpected Pain

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Sha Ler had arrived in Foshan more than a month ago. During this time, fortune had smiled upon him; luck and wealth had both come his way. Looking at the two bank cards he carried, he felt as though he were still dreaming. Even after ten days had passed, he would take out the cards, touch them again and again, and still find it all unreal.

The total sum on those cards was two and a half million—an astronomical figure, one he’d never even dared dream of before, now made real in his life.

Beyond the money in the bank, Boss Hong, impressed by his exceptional performance during the snake fights, had rewarded him with an additional twenty thousand in cash. When he received the money, tears welled up in his eyes. He said nothing, only bowed deeply to Boss Hong, tears streaming down his face.

“Big Sister… look at this money…”

After leaving Boss Hong, he went to find Li Ying. His face was all smiles, but the tears continued to fall. Li Ying gazed at him, her eyes deep and gentle, as she softly wiped his tears away with a tissue.

“Silly boy, why are you crying when you have money? You should be smiling.”

“Yes… I should be happy… Ha ha… I’m finally not poor anymore.” Though laughter escaped his lips, his tears would not dry. “I… I have money too now, Sis. Can I buy you a dress? I promised you before, remember?”

“All right, little brother buying clothes for his sister—that makes me very happy. You’re my lucky star.” Li Ying smiled with delight, a charming sparkle in her eyes. Sha Ler’s arrival, along with his little snake, had brought her fortune as well. She drove him to the shopping district.

“Sis, what kind of clothes do you want…? I’m not good at picking things…”

“Silly, it’s getting cold. You don’t have many clothes yourself. Let’s buy a sweater for you first.” After a moment’s thought, Li Ying drove them to the Giordano store. She’d noticed last time they passed by that the shop had just received a new batch of sweaters—good in both style and quality.

She picked one out for him.

“Sis, what about you?”

Li Ying glanced at the women’s sweaters beside them; they were lovely, but the one she liked was a matching set to the one she’d just chosen for him—a couple’s sweater. She felt embarrassed to buy it. At that moment, a salesgirl approached, holding up the sweater and recommending it to Li Ying. Her face flushed red, and she pulled Sha Ler away.

“Sis, why didn’t you buy that sweater? It looked really nice.”

“Nice, my foot! I want something expensive… Will you let me?”

“Of course! Absolutely. Sis, you can choose anything you like, as expensive as you want.”

Seeing Sha Ler’s silly smile return, Li Ying started the car and drove back.

“Sis, why are we going back? We haven’t bought your clothes yet.”

“I know you mean well, but I already have plenty of clothes. There’s no need.”

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“But… how can that be?” Sha Ler, unable to convince Li Ying otherwise, soon returned with her to the snake park.

Five days after the snake fight, Boss Hong had gone abroad. Sha Ler continued to learn about snake breeding. In just over a month, he had learned a great deal, though there was still much more to master and even more to put into practice.

One evening, after returning from the snake sheds, he wandered through the office building but did not see Li Ying. Dusk was falling. After a shower, just as he was about to eat, his phone rang.

“Ler… come quickly, save your sister.”

Startled, he heard Li Ying’s sobbing voice on the phone.

“Sis, what’s wrong? Where are you?”

“On the back hill… Come quickly.”

The back hill referred to the small mountain behind the villa, with no snakes and few trees. Sha Ler raced toward it as fast as he could.

“Where are you?”

The light was fading. He reached the top in one breath, scanning around but seeing no sign of Li Ying or anyone else. Few people ever came here, though he and Li Ying often climbed the hill to enjoy the view.

“Ler… I’m here.”

He heard her, her voice mingled with sobs. Guided by the sound, he looked down the slope and saw Li Ying lying on the ground in a dress, her hair loose, her clothes covered in dirt and fallen leaves. He rushed down, nimble as a mountain youth used to climbing, leaping with practiced ease.

“Sis, what happened?”

Usually so strong and capable, Li Ying burst into tears at the sight of him, sobbing loudly. Sha Ler quickly sat down and gathered her in his arms. She clung to his neck like a wounded child clutching her rescuing brother, burying her face in his chest and crying uncontrollably.

“Ler, I nearly… fell to my death…”

In this moment, all her usual strength was gone, her vulnerability laid bare. In Sha Ler’s sturdy embrace, she was as soft as a flower. Her face pressed close to his, her tears falling onto his cheeks. Soon, her sobs quieted to gentle weeping.

“Sis, where are you hurt?”

“My ankle… I twisted it badly… It hurts so much… and I’ve got scrapes all over… Ler, life is so hard… If not for you, I wouldn’t know who to turn to.”

“Don’t be afraid, Sis. I’ll carry you home.”

Sha Ler soothed her. One of her shoes was missing, the ankle swollen high. Her skirt was torn, and her exposed legs and arms were grazed and bleeding. Clearly, she’d twisted her ankle and rolled down the slope.

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Her soft body pressed against his, especially as her chest rested against his, stirring a certain sensation in him. Though she was crying, her breath was sweet and warm, making the country boy feel awkward and embarrassed. Moreover, his body responded in a way he could not control.

To make matters worse, he was a complete innocent in such matters.

He struggled to suppress and escape from these feelings as best he could. After all, Li Ying was his “sister” in name, and in his heart he had always seen her as his real sister.

Night was closing in; if they didn’t hurry down, soon they wouldn’t be able to see the path.

He managed to get her onto his back, then began the climb up the slope. Li Ying clung to his neck, her legs wrapped around his waist. He had to support her with one hand beneath her hips, the other gripping branches and grasses to pull them up the hill. At this moment, Li Ying too was aware of a strange feeling—she felt his strength, but also the sensation of her chest pressed against his back, his hand supporting her, her legs locked around his waist… all these brought new, unfamiliar emotions. Her ankle throbbed, the grazes burned, but somehow, under these feelings, the pain eased a little.

She didn’t avoid these sensations; on the contrary, she found herself enjoying them. She pressed her face close to his, holding him tightly. Her cheeks burned, her heart raced.

“What… what’s happening to me?” she wondered. She tried to resist these feelings—she was older, he called her “sister,” their bond had always been pure and innocent. But… now, a gentle warmth spread through her heart. She wished to savor this moment a little longer, even wanted to indulge these feelings.

“Ler, do you like your sister?”

She asked the question without meaning to. In another setting, with other people, it might have sounded ordinary, but with her heart unsettled, hearing herself ask it made her feel shy.

“I do,” Sha Ler replied honestly. “Sis is the one who’s always been best to me.”

Hearing that he liked her, she pressed closer still—her body, her full chest, her long, shapely legs, her arms—everything clung to him.

Sweat broke out on Sha Ler’s face. Naturally, carrying someone up a steep hill would make anyone sweat, but there was another kind of sweat as well. As a naive country boy, everything about women was new and sensitive to him, let alone in such intimate contact. If it weren’t Li Ying on his back, his mind would have been running wild.

At last, they reached the top.

“Ler, do you want to rest a bit?”

“No… let’s hurry down. It’s getting dark.”

There, he spotted her lost shoe—the heel had broken off and was wedged in a crack between the rocks.

“Sis… I’ll fetch your shoe.”

“No need…”

Li Ying shifted herself higher onto his back, her chest pressing more firmly into him, which made her cheeks flush once again. Hearing her, Sha Ler didn’t bother with the shoe, but carefully carried her down the hill.