Chapter 2
When Yuan Luoyi was seven years old, his older brother Yuan Ao, who had been studying abroad for years, returned.
As the eldest son of the Yuan family, he was highly accomplished and would inherit the family's power and network, while the other children would only receive a share of the wealth.
The entire family went to the airport together to show their respect.
As soon as Yuan Ao appeared, his gaze locked onto Yuan Luoyi, and he took firm steps, walking straight towards him.
Yuan Luoyi was terrified.
Why did he seem so menacing?
Had he offended him in the past?
No, that couldn't be right! Today was clearly their first meeting!
The closer Yuan Ao got, the more Yuan Luoyi trembled, filled with sorrow.
Was he destined to leave this world at the age of seven?
Yuan Ao stopped in his tracks, maintaining a certain distance, silently staring at his sister.
Yuan Fa, the second brother, said to Yuan Luoyi, "This is your older brother, do you remember?"
Yuan Luoyi cowered behind Yuan Fa, shaking her head.
Yuan Fa had a wicked smile on his face, like a shark. "She doesn't remember you, after all, I, the reliable second brother, have been taking care of her in your absence."
The menacing aura surrounding Yuan Ao grew even stronger, and the two brothers locked eyes, as if there were flashes of swords and shadows of blades in the air, already engaged in a fierce battle.
Yuan Luoyi was caught in the middle, trembling in fear. Every cell in her body screamed, "Escape quickly!"
Being a hamster trapped between venomous snakes, survival was incredibly difficult!
The airport encounter ended amidst the air thick with hostility.
After returning to the Yuan residence, Yuan Ao always gazed at Yuan Luoyi. He would silently approach her, reaching out with his large hand, trying to grab her, but the outcome was always the same—Yuan Luoyi fleeing in panic.
After several consecutive days, Yuan Luoyi began having nightmares. She couldn't understand why her older brother always wanted to catch her.
Occasionally, summoning up her courage, Yuan Luoyi would secretly observe Yuan Ao. He was tall and thin, with a stern countenance, pale skin, and deep, mysterious black eyes that were impenetrable.
Even in the scorching heat, he wore long sleeves and pants, covering himself up tightly, barely revealing an inch of skin.
He reminded Yuan Luoyi of a brightly colored venomous snake.
After a week of this situation, Yuan Luoyi's nerves were shot. She lived every day on edge.
Fortunately, it seemed like Yuan Ao had given up. He no longer attempted to catch Yuan Luoyi.
One afternoon, exhausted, Yuan Luoyi returned home with her backpack and was surprised to find a lollipop placed at the door of her room.
It was a Cat-Ear Meow-Meow brand, one of her favorite snacks.
Whenever she felt upset, eating something sweet always made her feel better.
As she picked up the lollipop, Yuan Luoyi prepared to unwrap it and enjoy it.
"Whoosh!"
A figure swiftly passed by, snatching it away.
Raising the spoils triumphantly, Yuan Fa, the second brother, exclaimed, "My dear sister, whenever you have something good, you must give it to your second brother first, remember?"
Before Yuan Luoyi could grab Yuan Fa, he laughed maniacally and ran off. He had always been a happy little madman.
Dropping her backpack, Yuan Luoyi, with her short legs and thin arms, desperately gave chase but couldn't catch up.
Yuan Fa, the second brother, had extraordinarily long legs, which allowed him to run very fast and disappear in a flash.
Yuan Luoyi wandered around the Yuan residence for a long time, but she couldn't find her selfish and despicable second brother, Yuan Fa.
As evening approached, she gave up searching for Yuan Fa. She squatted on the ground, her face buried in her arms, tears about to burst forth.
"Why are you crying? I'm not dead yet!" Yuan Fa's voice came from above.
Yuan Luoyi looked up and saw him standing on the rooftop air conditioning unit, swaying and on the verge of collapse, covered in dirt and with a few bloodstains on his clothes, as if he had been beaten up.
Initially, she felt quite aggrieved, with her tears welling up, but seeing Yuan Fa in such a state, her tears vanished, and she even felt a bit like laughing.
Yuan Luoyi asked, "Yuan Fa, why is your left eye bruised?"
Yuan Fa replied, "Um... I took a fall."
"Then why did you stand in such a dangerous place?"
"Well, sometimes in life, you need to press the pause button and find a secluded corner to overlook your past from a higher-dimensional space, listening to the noisy wind, and watching the dissipating light. I went from being lost to embracing my true self."
"Yuan Fa, do you really have to search for yourself on top of an air conditioning unit?"
"You're just a seven-year-old girl. You wouldn't understand the melancholic sentiments of a beautiful and troubled youth like me!"
"Well, what about my lollipop? Give it back to me!"
"Ahaha, there's none left!"
Those words mercilessly shattered a little girl's candy dream.
For adults, this was nothing significant, but for Yuan Luoyi, this news was like a hydrogen bomb explosion, causing her world to collapse.
Among her five brothers, only Yuan Fa took pleasure in snatching things from his little sister. He not only showed no shame but took pride in it.
After a while, Yuan Luoyi finally recovered. She looked at the tottering Yuan Fa and felt a little worried.
"Alright, I'll consider it a gift to you. I forgive you because you're my brother. Come down, it's too dangerous to stay there."
Yuan Fa fell silent.
Yuan Luoyi opened her thin arms and shouted earnestly, "Jump down, I'll catch you!"
Yuan Fa said, "It's too high. Are you trying to rescue me or kill me? Seriously..."
Suddenly, Yuan Fa stopped speaking. He had a gloomy expression on his face as he stared at someone behind Yuan Luoyi.
Yuan Luoyi quickly turned around and saw Yuan Ao, the eldest brother, the person she feared the most, standing nearby, which made her very nervous.
Gracefully bending down, Yuan Ao extended his slender and well-defined hand, on which sat a lollipop.
He softly said to Yuan Luoyi, "Take it."
Fear, confusion, and a hint of joy filled her heart.
With trembling hands, Yuan Luoyi took the lollipop and quickly fled the scene.
Yuan Ao also wanted his little sister to leave because what would happen next was going to be violent and bloody.
He had been looking for Yuan Fa for a long time and didn't expect him to be hiding here.
The Yuan family had always upheld a hierarchy based on age, and as the eldest brother, Yuan Ao had the responsibility to teach his younger brother not to snatch things from his little sister.
As a result, Yuan Fa once again became the most frequently beaten member of the Yuan family, struggling on the brink of death and appearing before the King of Hell again and again.
However, Yuan Luoyi's happiness didn't last long.
The lollipop tasted sweet, but she had no one to share her happiness with, and the sweetness didn't soothe her heart as much.
The next day, Yuan Luoyi woke up early, got ready, and packed her school bag to go to school.
She got into the car and when they passed by the fried chicken leg shop, she shouted, "Stop the car!"
The driver, Xiao Feng, complied, and Yuan Luoyi opened the car door and walked to the entrance of the fried chicken leg shop, taking out some change to give to the owner.
"Please give me a crispy chicken leg."
The owner, seeing such an adorable little girl, smiled and handed Yuan Luoyi a well-prepared chicken leg.
Before she could say "thank you," a force suddenly dragged Yuan Luoyi, and the chicken leg flew into the sky, spinning a few times before falling to the ground.
Yuan Luoyi's surroundings turned chaotic as she was roughly forced into the car.
A man shouted, "I caught her, drive!"
"Vroom! Vroom! Vroom!"
The car engine roared like an arrow, and with a swoosh, it sped away, leaving the onlookers stunned.
Xiao Feng, realizing the danger to the Yuan family's precious daughter, desperately chased after them. As the two cars closed in, a large truck suddenly rushed out and collided with the Yuan family's car, sending it flying.
Inside the car, the men wore black hoods that covered everything except their eyes, just like kidnappers in movies. They laughed excitedly.
"We lost them!"
"We've been tracking them for a week, and we finally succeeded!"
"This is the Yuan family's heiress! They're an ancient family with a lot of money. They'll definitely pay a hefty ransom!"
"After this job, we'll be financially free!"
After celebrating for a while, they remembered Yuan Luoyi. She sat in the corner, her hands obediently placed on her knees, her big eyes gazing at these strangers with confusion.
"Little girl, don't be afraid, and don't scream."
"We have principles. Once your parents pay the money, we'll let you go."
Yuan Luoyi tilted her head in bewilderment.
Why should she be afraid?
Compared to her brothers who engaged in killing, bathed in blood, lacked sympathy, and praised violence and death, these kidnappers were normal people.
They had no idea what they were about to face.