Chapter 28: When You Shine, They Wish for Your Demise

“You little brat, even if you’re not tempted by lust, so what? Now that you’ve crossed me, Yan Li, you can just wait for my endless revenge!”

That day, she’d been blackmailed by Wu Ya for twenty thousand yuan. The more Yan Li thought about it afterward, the more stifled she felt, and the more something seemed off. An eighteen-year-old punk—what could he possibly do? Coming from such a wretched family, what kind of background could he have? Unwilling to let it go, she immediately sent someone to dig up everything about Wu Ya, including all his relatives.

But the final conclusion was—nothing. They were nothing more than the most ordinary of the lower class.

“That bastard dared to trick me!” Yan Li was furious. She’d been a fixture in the underworld for years, and yet she’d let a fledgling peck her in the eye—a humiliation beyond words. So she resolved to take revenge.

There’s a reason people say there’s nothing more venomous than a woman’s heart. Her revenge wasn’t the violent kind; it was like a cat toying with a mouse. She wanted to watch Wu Ya and his family spiral into despair under her machinations—until they broke.

The first step in destroying Wu Ya was to target his burgeoning business. She would see them plunged back into poverty, enduring hardship once more.

To break a person’s spirit is to kill them twice. The wild swings of fortune are more than most people can bear. Wasn’t his business booming? Fine. She would let him taste glory and then ruin, the abrupt drop sure to trigger a heart attack.

“I’ll say it one last time! I want to see Yan Li. If she doesn’t come out, I’m leaving!”

Wu Ya’s tone turned icy. His final words were directed toward the inside. At thirty-nine, he’d seen it all. The moment he arrived and saw the girl, Wu Ya realized what was happening—this was a trap set for him. If his will wasn’t strong enough, he’d end up with a charge of soliciting prostitution or worse, rape, and be at their mercy for whatever they wanted.

Inside, Yan Li let out an unrestrained laugh. “Ha! How interesting. You actually saw through my game? Fine, let’s meet face to face.” She stood and strode outside.

“Well, isn’t this the little brother I met just a few days ago? What brings you here?” Little brother.

Wu Ya frowned. “Yan Li, not everyone has the privilege of seeing my little brother! Mind your words!”

The delinquent air of his high school days was on full display. Back then, Wu Ya was the cream of the crop among troublemakers—always fighting and stirring up trouble, yet somehow maintaining astonishing grades. He hadn’t made it into a top university in Beijing, but still attended a prestigious provincial school. So, when facing the likes of Yan Li and her thugs, Wu Ya was never afraid—least of all now.

“You!” Yan Li was infuriated by his retort, her fleshy waist trembling with rage. The girl beside her, sensing things were about to get ugly and fearing Yan Li’s wrath would fall on her for failing her task, quickly stepped forward, jabbing a finger at Wu Ya and yelling, “You little brat, do you think you can offend Sister Li? Watch as I slap you to death!”

With that, she raised her hand and swung hard.

Smack!

A crisp slap cut through the air, sharp and forceful.

But the one who went flying was not Wu Ya, but the girl herself. It was Yan Li who struck.

“You useless wretch! Can’t even handle something so simple and have the nerve to embarrass me here! Get lost, now! Or I’ll let you experience the torment of a hundred men!”

Her tirade spewed forth like lava. The girl’s face was red and swollen, but she dared not delay. Shaking with fear, she scrambled to her feet and bolted away, disappearing in a blink.

Everyone knew how ruthless Yan Li could be. Even minor slights were met with beatings—especially now, when she was in a foul mood. Stay a moment longer, and she’d be tortured to death.

“So, what brings you here today?” Yan Li lit a cigarette and blew out a thick ring of smoke, then turned her gaze on Wu Ya.

He hadn’t come to beg for mercy. His bearing and tone were as calm and unyielding as ever. This made the usually cautious Yan Li pause—she’d rather drive away a source of income than underestimate what Wu Ya had up his sleeve.

“I won’t waste words. I want your people gone from the market, and I want twenty thousand yuan in compensation for today’s losses. Or else—”

“Or else what?” Yan Li suddenly flicked her cigarette butt to the ground, crushing it hard under her heel.

Her drooping eyelids snapped open, sharp and fierce. Twenty thousand again! That number had become taboo for her—anyone who mentioned it was mocking her. Yet this insolent brat not only dared bring it up, he had the gall to try to extort her again. The same amount! Was he looking for death?

Yan Li was nearly beside herself with rage, her chest heaving.

“Or else, don’t blame me for what happens next!” Wu Ya, unfazed by her outburst, stared her down, face hard and menacing.

Yan Li glared at him in silence for a long moment—not for lack of words, but because she was too furious to speak. Not a single word would come.

A nobody from a poverty-stricken family—what gave him the nerve to threaten her? It was true—she’d been caught off-guard by him before, the most humiliating moment of her career. But today, did he really think he could bluff her again? Even without Hua Zi backing her, Yan Li had enough clout to summon a legion with a word. Dealing with a wet-behind-the-ears brat like him was nothing.

“Wu Ya, is it? I, Yan Li, am nothing if not persistent. I want to see just how you plan to make good on your threat! You have one day—do your worst. If you don’t, be ready for a punishment you can’t imagine!”

Yan Li was so angry her nose was almost crooked. If it weren’t for the trouble of killing someone, she might have torn Wu Ya apart right then and there. Even so, she’d made up her mind—no more cat-and-mouse. She was done being patient. In one day, she’d unleash fury upon him, making him pay a price he could never bear—spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair, living out his days in despair and misery.

That was the cost of crossing Yan Li and offending her pride.

But to her surprise, as she seethed with rage, Wu Ya suddenly appeared completely at ease, even pulling a faint, mocking smile. For reasons she couldn’t explain, a chill ran through Yan Li’s heart.