Chapter 1: Strange Phenomena in the Underworld

  Lan Yutong was a bit nervous, he thought that his sister would not only refuse to help him when she heard that he had ruined the company, but would even mock him and look down on him even more.

  So he hesitated and didn't dare to ring the doorbell. Even when Lu Xiao Ying rang the doorbell and the nanny came out, as soon as she saw him, he seemed to feel a hint of disdain in her eyes.

  "Is it you, Young Master Lan?" The nanny stood in front of the door and said to Lan Yutong.

  "Yes," Lan Yutong touched his neck, he stuttered and said, "I...my sister...my sister is at home...home?"

  "She was on a business trip for the past two days and just returned today. What's up, do you have something to discuss with Miss? If it's not too important, I think you can come back another day because I see she looks pale and exhausted. If - I mean if you really must see her, would you like me to call her for you or open the door to let you in?"

  "That's not necessary," said Lan Yutong.

  "What does 'that's not necessary' mean? Is it that I don't need to open the door for you or that I shouldn't go call her to see you?" The nanny asked, looking puzzled.

  "It's all useless!" Lan Yutong gritted her teeth and said dejectedly.

  "Oh," said the nanny, "so you're here because...?"

  "Just passing by," said Lan Yutong.

  "Don't be so stubborn and suffer in silence," Lu Xiao Ying stepped forward, she had been watching Lan Yu Tong, seeing that he was hesitant to explain the purpose of his visit, anxiously waiting for a while, she couldn't help but step forward and say to the nanny, "Sorry to bother you, we're here looking for your young mistress. Would you please tell her that her brother has something important to discuss with her and hopes to see her?"

  "This...," the nanny hesitated, looking embarrassed, "Miss just came back and ate something before sleeping. If we wake her up like this, I think she'll get angry. Young Master Lan should also be aware of that, so... unless it's something very important."

  "Oh, then we won't bother looking for her," Lan Yutong nodded, trying to pretend that nothing had happened, but in fact he was inwardly anxious.

  "Liu Ma," suddenly came a voice from inside the house, Lan Yuxing calling out "Liu Ma".

  Liu's mother quickly turned around and went back, Lan Yutong also wanted to find a place to hide at this time, fortunately Lu Xiao Ying tightly pulled him not to let him escape. Therefore, he could only stand stupidly in the original place, waiting for his sister's sarcastic remarks like a thorn piercing into his wounded heart.

  Sister, you'd better mock me after a while, maybe I can still bear it then. Now my brother's heart has shrunk into a ball and the pain is making him breathless. His heart, which has been hit repeatedly, hopes you will show some mercy and spare it. Lan Yutong prayed for his poor heart before Liu Ma came out again, just as he was silently praying for himself.

  "It's you," his sister came out and stood in front of the large iron gate, wearing a pink nightgown and holding an umbrella with flowers on it. Although the rain in the sky was not very heavy at this time, after standing outside for a long time, her hair would still get wet, and her clothes would also get wet.

  Just like Lan Yu Tong now, his clothes were already wet, and water droplets fell from the hair on his forehead onto his chest. As a prodigal son who was both extravagant and arrogant, he was standing outside in the rain, getting soaked, and it must be that he had something to ask for, not really just passing by as he said "I'm just passing by", but Lan Yu Xing didn't say anything, she just coldly looked at this brother who used to be her enemy.

  Lan Yuxing was scrutinized by Lu Xiaoying, who had heard the girl's name a few times before but had never seen her in person. The girl had long, raven-black hair that cascaded down her shoulders, and a pale, oval-shaped face that seemed noble and delicate without needing any makeup. A fringe of hair was combed across her forehead, almost covering her slender eyebrows. Her eyes were bright and clear, with a high nose bridge that complemented her facial features perfectly. Below her nose, her lips were a deep red color and had a slightly three-dimensional appearance, while her teeth were as white and beautiful as pearls. She wasn't very tall, but she didn't seem short either - her slender waist and long legs made her figure almost perfect, neither too fat nor too thin. She was truly a beauty. Even Lu Xiaoying couldn't help but feel envious, let alone others.

  "How have you been lately?" Lan Yutong's face broke into a smile, her eyes darting back and forth, not daring to look at her brother.

  "So-so, can eat and sleep," his sister simply replied.

  "Oh," said Lan Yutong, "that's good, I'm leaving."

  He finished speaking and turned to leave, taking a few steps forward, pretending to be nonchalant, even making an effort to appear carefree in his movements. In reality, he truly hoped his sister would call out to him, and he had even fantasized about it on the way there - that when he arrived at his sister's place, before he could even open his mouth, she would loudly offer him money, which he would refuse, and then she would stubbornly cry and make a fuss. But that was just fantasy, and in reality, his sister simply looked at him coldly, without any intention of calling out to him.

  Lu Xiaoying kept looking at the two of them, seeing that Lan Yutong still couldn't speak up, so she took a step forward and said: "Miss Lan... I suppose you'll get angry if I call you that? But I'll just keep calling you that, because it seems like there's nothing else I can use to address you."

  Lan Yuxing looked at the woman in front of him, although he didn't know her, but he still smiled politely and opened the door to let Lu Xiaoying speak inside the yard, leaving Lan Yuhong standing outside in the rain.

  "Is anything the matter?" Lan Yuxing's gentle voice was intoxicating, listening to her speak was like drinking a cup of sweet dew on a hot summer day when thirsty, it made one feel the whole process of the dew slowly flowing into the stomach from the mouth. It was also like drinking a cup of hot tea or coffee on a cold winter's day when frozen, making people feel a comfortable warmth spreading throughout the body, relaxing all the muscles and blood vessels.

  "Excuse me," said Lu Xiao Ying after a moment of intoxication, "Miss Lan, although this is none of our business and I'm just an employee, but seeing the chairman's sad and distressed look, all of us employees want to help him, so I'll still talk to you now."

  Lu Xiaoying spoke randomly, not knowing what to say, perhaps she was also very nervous. Lan Yuxing smiled and looked at her, without any impatience on his face, just standing there. Lu Xiaoying raised her eyes and met Lan Yutong's gaze, she saw kindness and encouragement in Lan Yutong's eyes, so she coughed twice and said: "Miss Lan, actually the chairman came to find you this time hoping you can help him."

  "It's impolite to shut your brother out like this," Lan Yutong heard Lu Xiaoying finally say what she wanted, and if she continued to pretend, it would no longer make sense, so he also stopped being so embarrassed. He stood outside the door, looking at his sister and shouting, even speaking with a tone that showed he had no shame.

  Lan Yuxing, after all, was the daughter of a wealthy family and had studied abroad in the United States for some time. She had a certain level of culture and refinement, and she still cared about saving face in front of outsiders. Although extremely unwilling, she opened the door, her expression completely blank.

  "It's raining outside, you'll catch a cold if you get wet," said Lan Yuxing. "Let's go inside and sit down." With that, she pulled Lu Xiao Ying along and led the way into the house. Since Lan Yutong had already mustered up the courage to enter the courtyard, she naturally also had the nerve to follow them in without being invited by her sister.

  Sitting in the living room sofa, Mrs. Liu served them a pot of top-grade "Tieguanyin" tea. Lan Yuxing looked at Lu Xiaoying and smiled slightly, saying: "What should I call you, sister?"

  "My name is Lu Xiao Ying," said Lu Xiao Ying with a slight bow. "I'm from the PR department of the Lan Corporation, and I've only just started working."

  "Is it?" Lan Yuxing said, "Are you tired from work?"

  "It doesn't matter if I'm tired," said Lu Xiao Ying, "It's just...what I told you earlier, I hope you can help the chairman."

  "He's capable," Lan Yuxing said without even looking at her brother, "no need for me to help."

  "Brother," Lan Yutong put down her teacup and said, "I was wrong to you in the past, wrong to our deceased father. Now that I've changed my ways, I hope you can help me."

  "Miss Lu," Lan Yuxing still didn't look at her brother and said to Lu Xiaoying, "What did you ask me to do for that person?"

  Lu Xiaoying looked at Lan Yutong and said: "The Lan Group is now facing bankruptcy. Previously, the Lan Group was managed by a general manager named Qiu Xiaoqian, who embezzled the company's money and ran away. In order to prevent the Lan Group from falling into someone else's hands or declaring bankruptcy, we have been working hard to find customers and signed several orders with them, also received a deposit, and borrowed over 3 million yuan from the rich businessman in this city, Ho Jiangyu. Finally, we produced a batch of goods, but somehow, someone set fire to the goods, now the company not only cannot deliver the goods to the customers but also owes a large sum of money. If the goods are still undelivered by the deadline, then the chairman will face the danger of going to jail, and the company will also go bankrupt because of this."

  "Is that so?" Lan Yuxing glared at Lan Yutong, sneering, "He has such great abilities, how could the company end up like this? I won't be able to help with this matter, you'd better go find someone else."

  "I know I was wrong in the past, taking away one-third of your inheritance, but now you have to help me. Even if it's not for my sake, consider the Lan Corporation, which was Father's life work. For the sake of Father's spirit in heaven, can you just sit back and do nothing?"

  "Shut up!" Lan Yuxing shouted, standing up in front of the tea table. "When I first saw you not being diligent, I had expected this day to come, so I thought of ways to put as much of my father's inheritance under my name as possible. But you actually took away two-thirds of the inheritance, and now you're still looking for me? Isn't that a joke?"

  She took a deep breath and continued: "You still have the nerve to use Father to pressure me. When Father was seriously ill, I said let's bring him here to take care of him, but you said I did it to curry favor with Father, with the intention of monopolizing Father's inheritance. And you yourself left Father in a broken-down house. When I went to visit, you didn't even allow me to see him. Now you want me to consider Father's feelings? Bah!"

  Lan Yutong didn't say a word, he silently listened to his sister's scolding and nodded repeatedly, he was also reflecting on himself.

  "Miss Lan," Lu Xiao Ying looked at the pitiful Lan Yu Tong, and for some reason, her heart ached. She said from the side, "The matters between you siblings should be your family's affair. As an outsider, I don't have the right to intervene, nor should I. Let bygones be bygones. Why must siblings harbor hatred towards each other? Your father has passed away; everything is now a thing of the past. What's most important now is how to save the Lan Corporation. I think Miss Lan wouldn't want to see Chairman Lan go to jail, would she?"

  Lan Yuxing didn't say a word, she bit her lip and let out a deep sigh. Lan Yutong also fell silent for a moment.

  Lu Xiaoying finished speaking, she secretly glanced at Lan Yuxing and his sister, thinking that her words had been heard by Lan Yuxing, so would he help? She was extremely nervous in her heart, fearing that Lan Yutong would just laugh it off and not care about their sibling relationship.