Li Meilin glanced at the glowing screen of her phone as she navigated the quiet streets of Solar City.
2 AM.
Her cousin had done it again—left her to handle his mess. Usually, it wasn't that big of a deal, but tonight felt different. There was something off about those so-called friends of his, the way they looked at him. And now, it was well past the time they promised to send him home. So much for that.
If Li Tian even bothered to glance at his schedule once in a while, he'd know better than to be out so late. He had lunch with her aunt tomorrow—his mother. And if he didn't look sharp or at least decent by then, Auntie's stare would cut through him like ice.
RING RING.
She pressed the answer button on her earpiece.
"This is Li Meilin. Where is he?"
"Red Palace, private room X3," a husky voice answered.
Meilin sighed. "Got it. Is it bad?"
"At the moment, it's starting to spiral down real fast. PR will need to work some magic tomorrow."
Her brows furrowed at the thought of what kind of disaster awaited her. She cut the call, pressed harder on the gas pedal, and zoomed off in the direction of the Red Palace, hoping to extract Li Tian before things got any uglier.
I should probably get some backup too, in her thoughts, she pressed another button on her car screen.
---
Inside the private room, laughter echoed through the air as Li Tian, sitting amidst his so-called friends, flaunted his superiority like always.
"Oh wow, Tian, you actually pulled it off!" Lila gushed, leaning into him with sparkling eyes.
The others chimed in as well, admiring how easily Li Tian got his hands on some of Huaxia's leading fashion brands' unreleased designs. He scrolled through the tablet lazily, flashing names of luxury brands without a care.
"Who do you think I am?" Li Tian bragged, basking in the attention. "I'm connected everywhere!" He waved the tablet around carelessly before it slipped, almost falling, but Yijun caught it with quick reflexes.
"Your credit card's registered in this, right?" Yijun asked, pretending to be casual.
"Huh? Yeah, probably," Li Tian mumbled, already tipsy.
"Ooh, can I buy something?" Lila pleaded, eyes wide and innocent.
"Yeah! If she gets something, I want one too!" Cass added, her voice bubbling with excitement.
Zexi snickered. "Come on, man, you can't just spoil the girls."
"Pleeeease, Li Tian?" Lila whined, clinging to his arm. "Something that hasn't even dropped yet would solidify your place as the South's most influential young star!"
"Yeah, think about it," Cass egged on. "You'd be Huaxia's biggest celebrity."
"Oh my god, imagine—being friends with Huaxia's finest!" Zexi teased, inflating his ego further.
They took turns filling his glass, making sure it never stayed empty for too long. With every sip, Li Tian felt his head spinning, his vision blurring. He couldn't even tell what he was drinking anymore. But all he heard was praise and flattery as they pushed him deeper into their trap.
"Come on, Tian! Treat your friends to something special," Yijun said, showing the tablet to him. On the screen was one of the cheaper items from the collection—just waiting for a thumbprint.
Li Tian's head lolled back onto the sofa as Yijun waved the tablet in his face. "Treat your friends, huh?" Yijun urged with a smirk.
Li Tian's eyes barely focused on the screen, and his annoyance flashed for a moment. But in his drunken state, that irritation quickly turned into a sneer of superiority. He waved his hand lazily. "You want me to buy something for you?" His voice dripped with disdain. "Figures. Always needing my money to live your pathetic lives. Can't even afford these brands without me."
The sudden outburst took them by surprise. Usually he would never be this verbal with his condensation. Perhaps this was Li Tian spouting his true thoughts in his drunken state, a side he had yet to show anyone outside of his family.
Yijun clenched his jaw, but before he could retort, Li Tian was already turning his venomous attention to the girls.
"Lila, Cass... look at you, all dressed up like you're something special." He leaned back, chuckling bitterly. "But you're nothing without me. Just another bunch of nobodies clawing at my fame. You really think I don't see how fake you all are?" He tapped his finger to his temple like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You're not fooling anyone, least of all me."
The girls exchanged uneasy glances, but their forced smiles stayed plastered on their faces.
"And you," Li Tian spat, turning his gaze back to Yijun, "always so eager to ride my coattails. You think I don't know? You can't even keep up with me unless I drag you along like a stray dog. You're supposed to be the 'brains,' right? Tell me, how does it feel to be the smartest in a pack of fools?" He chuckled, his words cutting deep even through his drunken haze.
Yijun's smile faltered, his hand tightening around the tablet. "Tian, come on—"
"Shut up," Li Tian snapped, his arrogance sharp as a blade. "Always whispering in my ear, but you'll never be more than my shadow. Brains only get you so far when you've got no real talent. Without me, you'd still be groveling, working some dead-end job. You should be thanking me, not begging for scraps like the rest of these leeches."
Li Tian's hazy gaze shifted toward Zexi, who had been standing nearby Yijun as usual. A laugh escaped Li Tian's lips, though it was more of a sneer. "And you, Zexi," he began, his voice dripping with mockery, "all muscle, no brain. A dumb thug playing sidekick to Yijun's puppet show. Pathetic. What are you even good for besides throwing punches?" He chuckled, his words cutting deep even through his drunken haze.
The room grew tense as Li Tian's words hung in the air, biting and brutal. His intoxicated laughter bubbled up again, mocking them all. "So go ahead, buy whatever you want—my money's the only thing giving any of you a shred of worth anyway. After all, that's what friends are for."
He pressed his finger against the scanner. As he slumped back, the others remained silent, their eyes darkening with anger.
However, in the end, they still got him to agree. So they had to bite back their rage and continue to flatter him.
"Th-thanks Li, you're the best!"
"The man of the hour!"
"You're amazing!"
Surprisingly, there was no response from him.
"Li...?" Yijun tapped him on the shoulder.
Li Tian responded with rolling his head the other way, shuddering awake, furrowing his eyebrows at all of them before grabbing his glass and taking another sip. Then he inaudibly mumbled to himself.
"Li... We can buy things now, right?" Yijun confirmed.
"I said that...?" he looked confused but only for a second. To the others it was obvious he had no recollection of everything he just burst out. But a second later, as if to correct his mistake he answered. "If I said you can do it, then just do it. Don't make me repeat myself."
If he didn't remember, it was perfect for them. The tension immediately disappeared and they proceeded as planned.
"We knew we could count on you!" Yijun flashed his signature ingratiating smile.
The girls giggled while Zexi shouted, "My man!"
They snatched the tablet and started scrolling through more items, quickly changing the shipping addresses to their own. Meanwhile, Li Tian's head slumped back against the plush couch, oblivious to what was happening in front of him as he took yet another sip.
Li Tian felt his head aching more and more, the words they were saying barely reaching him. It felt like the room was just spinning.
He took another sip.
He had lost count of how many times they'd pushed the scanner into his hand. Was it four times? More? He didn't even know anymore. His companions weren't just picking out small items; they were selecting the priciest items in the catalog, whispering sweet nothings as they nudged his hand toward the scanner again and again.
What the heck were they even buying? How many drinks did he even have?
By this time, his companions were no longer searching for things they liked. They were all huddled up around him and pointing to almost every item on the catalog, starting from the priciest.
They whispered subtle phrases like "this one too" and "this looks nice" by his ear as they gently maneuvered his arm to scan his finger. Seeing him at their mercy, Yijun gestured to the two girls. This could be their moment.
The girls nodded in agreement and moved in closer, ready to firmly secure Li Tian in place. Even if he had that previous drunken outburst, he was still a sitting duck, just waiting to be taken advantage of. The young man barely ever showed an interest in their bodies, but they had confidence that with a little push, it wouldn't be long before he would lust for them back.
It was time to put that to the test.
The tablet had already been pushed aside as the guys stood up, their phones poised and ready to record.
"What are you guys doing...?" Li Tian asked groggily, confusion clouding his thoughts.
Lila and Cass exchanged glances before pushing against him with their chests, their voices sweet and syrupy.
Cass's warm breath brushed against his neck. "We're just here to help you feel good."
"What...?"
While he was still caught in his drunken stupor, Lila seized the opportunity to sit on his lap, her tone sultry. "Don't worry, Tian. Just let us take care of you."
Contrary to expectation, Li Tian was notoriously private when it came to his body. He was known for never taking his shirt off in public, and his chest or abs had never been fully seen; at most, there were only glimpses from a half-buttoned shirt. No one knew why.
The two guys had already started recording, eager not to miss any of the unfolding drama.
"It's time to see what you've been hiding..." Lila purred, her fingers deftly unbuttoning his shirt from the top.
In that moment, Li Tian's hand shot up, gripping her wrists tightly. His eyes, though muddled, sparked with a sudden clarity. "Stop."
Cass wasn't having any of it. She pushed him back down against the couch, using her full weight to keep him there. "Come on, you're the almighty Li Tian, right? Surely you know how to have a little fun..."
Out of nowhere, she produced a pair of handcuffs and skillfully snapped them onto Li Tian's wrists, locking him to the pole behind the sofa. He struggled, but the combination of alcohol and the weight of the two girls holding him down made his movements sluggish and ineffective.
Yijun clicked his tongue behind the camera, gaining the girls' attention. "Hurry up!" he mouthed, his expression indicating the victim's lower area.
After his order, Lila immediately moved one of her hands down, licking her lips enticingly. "Seeing as you're still so reluctant... maybe we should start from the bottom."
Li Tian's eyebrows furrowed even further, a mix of confusion and anger flashing in his eyes. Before he could process anything, he shouted, "W-Waiter!"
Lila quickly covered his mouth with her hands, muffling his cries. "Listen here, you little shit! You're gonna sit here quietly and be our little bitch, and you're gonna like it!" she hissed, her face inches from his.
His eyes widened in shock. While he was used to lashing out whenever he pleased, no one had ever dared speak to him like this. Unconsciously, he glanced around the room. Gone were the adoring eyes; in their place, he saw only resentment, hostility, and malice. He had no memory of what he'd said or done just moments before, the alcohol clouding his mind, leaving him unaware of the storm he had unknowingly provoked.
The sight of his shock ignited laughter among the group, their glee unrestrained, even knowing that they would end up being captured on camera. They had finally found a way to hit a nerve in the Li Tian. The feeling was exhilarating.
"Yeah, nobody likes you, Li," Yijun hissed viciously.
"Arrogant prick—always acting like you're above us."
"Is anyone ever good enough for the great Li Tian?" Cass sneered.
"Face it, all you've ever had is your family's money and status. You're nothing without it. Just a spoiled, worthless brat playing superstar."
"Bet your mommy never even looked at you, huh? That why you're so desperate for attention now?"
Yijun stepped in closer, his face twisted into a cruel smile. "But don't worry, we'll give you all the attention you've been craving. In fact," he shoved his phone in Li Tian's face, the camera lens catching every angle, "we'll make sure you get more attention than you can handle. After all... That's what friends are for, right?"
Li Tian's eyes widened at their words, but a flicker of impatience flashed beneath the shock.
Before Yijun could say more, Li Tian bit down on the hand stifling him, drawing a sharp scream from Lila. Both her and Cass stumbled off of him immediately. He spat the blood and venom back into Yijun's face, a wicked smirk forming as he leaned forward. "You're right… I am better than every single one of you."
Their expressions twisted with rage, their hatred now fully unleashed.
BAM!
Yijun's fist connected hard with Li Tian's face, a violent blow that sent his head snapping to the side. The guy clearly didn't hold back.
Damn, that hurt... Li Tian thought silently, the pain jolting him awake.
Refusing to show weakness, Li Tian spat out the blood pooling in his mouth and began to laugh—a wild, maniacal sound that echoed through the room.
"Bhahahaha... cough cough... hahahah!" he choked between laughs. "Is that all you've got!? Hahahahahah!!!"
Yijun's face contorted with rage. He had Li Tian at his mercy, yet why did it feel like the laughing man was in control?
"I'm the boss now, you fucker!" Yijun shouted, unleashing a barrage of punches, each landing with brutal force against Li Tian's face, chest, and stomach. But the only sound escaping Li Tian's bloodied mouth was that manic laughter.
"Hahahahahahahaha!"
"Yijun! Yijun, stop!" Zexi shouted, rushing in to pull him back.
"He deserves it!!" Yijun yelled, throwing another punch.
"But we weren't supposed to assault him! If you keep this up, we won't get away with it!" Zexi hissed, panic creeping in. After all, the Li Clan wasn't something they could fight against.
"Face it! This bastard isn't falling for it. He should just—"
BAM!
The doors slammed open.
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" a woman's commanding voice thundered from the entrance.
It was Li Meilin.
"FREEZE!"
A contingent of men in suits and police uniforms poured into the room a second later, their presence like a shockwave that silenced the chaos. The show was over for the night.
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