Trapped in the Same Day for a Thousand Years: I'll Crush Him with My Own Hands!

In the office, Li Ruobing hung up, went to get her coat, and said, "Come on. You're going with me to see my brother."

"Better to tell him face-to-face."

Wu Chen stood up.

"Oh, right." Li Ruobing draped her coat over her arm, then suddenly turned back.

Wu Chen was heading for the door. She stepped in front of him and straightened his collar.

"When we see my brother, remember this: no matter what he asks, you cannot say you're a fake. Even if he threatens you, you're my boyfriend. Understood?"

Li Ruobing's expression was grave.

"Got it," Wu Chen said with a smile.

Li Ruobing did not want history to repeat itself.

She had had three fake boyfriends before. The first had died by suicide. The second had been framed and imprisoned, his family ruined. After disaster struck the third man's family, he could not bear the pressure and disappeared.

The problem was that everyone had known Li Ruobing's boyfriends were fake. Ding Ruilong knew. The Li Family knew. Even Li Ruobing's younger brother knew. So no one cared whether those fake boyfriends lived or died. Li Ruobing had struggled to protect them alone. But when it came to protecting someone, Young Master Li had real power—no less than Ding Ruilong's.

Young Master Li's real name was Li Ruotai. At twenty-six, he was the eldest grandson of the Li Family's First Branch and the family favorite. He could call on most of the Li Family's resources. In terms of standing within the family, Li Ruotai was in the heavens while Li Ruobing was on the ground.

But the siblings were only a year apart. They had grown up together and attended the same elementary, middle, and high schools. They were exceptionally close.

Li Ruobing had been fierce since childhood. She had spared no effort to protect her brother, standing in front of him whenever a brawl broke out at school. She had been just as relentless about beating him up herself. That was why Li Ruotai was both in awe of her and afraid of her. In plain terms, the siblings cared deeply for each other.

Li Ruotai opposed the family patriarch's plan to marry Li Ruobing to Ding Ruilong. But as a junior member of the family, his objections carried little weight. Nor did he have his sister's courage. Would he dare defy the old man?

Would he dare trade slaps with his uncle?

Because everyone knew the boyfriends were fake—men brought in to keep up appearances and serve as shields—Li Ruotai had never treated them as people. They were just tools. With no reason to care about them, he gave Li Ruobing little help.

This time, Li Ruobing wanted her fourth fake boyfriend to seem more real.

Compared with her first three fake boyfriends, Wu Chen was different in one crucial respect: he knew everything behind the scenes. The others had known nothing about the Bet or Ding Ruilong's methods. They had thought Li Ruobing had chosen them because they had struck unbelievable luck in love. Even though she scolded them mercilessly in private and would not let them touch her hand, they had enjoyed it, dreaming that she might one day truly accept them. It had all been a fantasy.

Li Ruobing had decided this time would be different. No one could see through the act. Everyone had to believe she really had a boyfriend.

Only if her brother thought she had found true love would he use his power to help her, rather than remain torn between her and the family.

"Your clothes are too plain," Li Ruobing said, looking him up and down.

"Buy me new ones. You're paying," Wu Chen said.

"All right."

Li Ruobing smiled, took Wu Chen's arm, and walked out with him.

The door opened, and the bodyguards followed the pair downstairs.

The company was thrown into an uproar. Employees on several floors of Illusion Stone saw their beautiful CEO walking downstairs arm in arm with a man. They knew their boss had dated before, but she had seemed so cold toward men that she had never shown one the slightest affection.

This time, Li Ruobing, Wu Chen, and eight bodyguards—ten people in all—took the elevator down to the underground parking garage.

Three vehicles pulled up: an Escalade SUV in front, another behind, and a Mercedes-Maybach between them.

They got in and set off for Crown Entertainment Club.

"And he made you cut off your finger?" Young Master Li's face had turned vicious.

"Yes, Young Master Li. He knew how things work in our world. It didn't feel like the first time he'd used your name to swindle people," Liu Huzi said respectfully. Since he had been there, Zhao Guai had left it to him to recount what had happened. Liu Huzi had told the whole story without hiding a thing.

Veins bulged on Young Master Li's forehead. He was furious.

It was not Liu Huzi's severed finger that angered him. Liu Huzi was not even one of his men, but one of his subordinate's subordinates.

What enraged him was how far the man using his name had gone. If word got out, Young Master Li would never live it down. Everyone in East Sea's underworld feared him, yet someone had used his name to stir up trouble. It was a colossal joke at his expense.

"At Wang Zhuangyuan's bar?" Young Master Li asked darkly. Liu Huzi nodded.

Young Master Li took out his phone and called Wang Zhuangyuan. "Zhuangyuan, come to my place."

A little over ten minutes later, Wang Zhuangyuan arrived with his men.

After the bodyguards checked him, he entered and nodded to Young Master Li. Then he saw Zhao Guai. His expression darkened. "You're here too, Guai? I was looking for you. Your people stole my car. I didn't expect to run into you here."

"What? My people stole your car?" Zhao Guai's face changed. He pushed himself up on his cane, agitated.

"Cut the crap. Who stole your car?"

He could not accept that accusation. Not in front of Young Master Li. He had no intention of taking the blame for breaking the peace.

Wang Zhuangyuan had said it so bluntly precisely because Young Master Li was there.

"Those two at my bar yesterday—a man and a woman. Weren't they your friends?" Wang Zhuangyuan adjusted his glasses, his voice cold.

"Those two from yesterday?" Zhao Guai froze. He realized there had been a misunderstanding.

"Zhuangyuan, sit down. This may be a misunderstanding. I called you here to ask whether you knew those two people from yesterday."

"Were they regulars at your place?" Young Master Li asked.

"A misunderstanding?" Wang Zhuangyuan was taken aback. Now that he knew Young Master Li had heard of the pair too, questions raced through his mind.

After sitting down, he recounted exactly what had happened the night before.

Around midnight, he had rushed back to the bar with his men and found Liu Huzi waiting there with his own men, clutching the wound where his finger had been cut off.

Wang Zhuangyuan had expected a fight. Instead, Liu Huzi apologized first, respectfully called him Brother Zhuangyuan, and promised to cover every loss.

Given Liu Huzi's attitude, Wang Zhuangyuan had not wanted to start a war. He cursed at them a few times and let them go.

Afterward, he questioned the bar staff. They said two young people, a man and a woman, had somehow clashed with Beard's men. The young man had been ruthless. A bigger fight had seemed inevitable, but then he made a phone call and had Liu Huzi speak to whoever was on the line.

Liu Huzi had been surrounded by his men, and the bar staff had not dared get too close, so they did not know exactly what was said. They knew only that the young man had called Zhao Guai. Liu Huzi had addressed the person on the phone as "big brother." After that, he had backed down, knelt to apologize to the pair, and cut off his finger to settle the matter.

Once Wang Zhuangyuan had learned what happened, he had assumed the pair were Zhao Guai's relatives, or perhaps rich kids with some special connection to him. He had even wondered maliciously whether the young man was Zhao Guai's illegitimate son. Either way, it was none of his business, and he had not bothered digging deeper.

But just as he was about to leave with his men, he discovered that his car was gone. His white Lamborghini.

He checked the security footage at the bar's entrance. The man and woman who had clashed with Liu Huzi were the ones who had driven away in it.

Wang Zhuangyuan had wanted to call Zhao Guai and demand an explanation. But first he wanted to catch the pair, so he would have leverage over Zhao Guai.

His men had found the car that morning, only to lose track of it again.

He had already sent people to search everywhere. Wang Zhuangyuan gave them the broad outline, keeping his private motives to himself. Everyone could guess what he had intended, but that was no longer the point.

The room fell into a heavy silence. Young Master Li lit a cigarette and took a drag, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.

"Guai, what's going on?" Wang Zhuangyuan sensed something was wrong and quietly asked Zhao Guai.

"That man used Young Master Li's name," Zhao Guai said.

Zhao Guai briefly explained. Wang Zhuangyuan finally understood. The man's nerve was staggering.

He had stolen Wang Zhuangyuan's car and used Young Master Li's name, offending two underworld bosses and someone far above them in one stroke. He had played East Sea's underworld for fools. No one looking to die would go this far.

"Find him. You have to find him!"

"Bring him to me alive. I'll crush him with my own hands!" Young Master Li said through gritted teeth.

"Rest assured, we'll find him!" Zhao Guai and Wang Zhuangyuan said in unison.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside. The bodyguards could faintly be heard greeting "Miss Li" together. Young Master Li rose. "I'll go out. You can leave first."

He stubbed out his cigarette as he stood. He knew his sister disliked the smell of smoke.

Zhao Guai, Wang Zhuangyuan, and the others stood up too. A bodyguard opened the door from outside. Li Ruobing signaled for the bodyguards to stay back and walked in with Wu Chen.

Zhao Guai and Wang Zhuangyuan bowed to Li Ruobing.

"Miss Li." They had only met Li Ruobing a few times and knew little about her personally. But they knew she was the most capable of the Li Family's third generation, with methods more ruthless than some old foxes'. Only because she was a woman, and too strong-willed, was her relationship with the family strained.

Whether Li Ruobing got along with her family was far beyond men at Zhao Guai and Wang Zhuangyuan's level. What they did know was that Young Master Li was afraid of his sister. That made them even more afraid of her. Offending Li Ruobing would be worse than offending Young Master Li!

"Sis, what's so urgent that you came in person?" Li Ruotai asked with a smile. He looked a little nervous. He even waved a hand through the air to clear away the smell of smoke.

As Li Ruotai spoke, Zhao Guai and the others headed for the door. Suddenly, Liu Huzi shouted, "That's him!"

He pointed excitedly at the young man in the blue suit beside Li Ruobing.

He kept looking him over, the flesh of his face trembling with excitement.

"Big Brother! Young Master Li! That's the man from last night!"

Liu Huzi hated him. He had been terrified the night before, believing he had offended someone he could not afford to cross. Though he had cut off his finger, he had felt no hatred. He had even been grateful that the powerful man had let him off.

But once he learned he had been tricked, his anger multiplied a thousandfold.

Many people were like that. If someone powerful slapped them in public, they dared not hate that person. They might even take it as a lesson.

But being played by some nobody was different. More than the pain of losing a finger, the humiliation made him seethe.

He had seen how furious Young Master Li was. He had already decided that once they caught the kid from last night, he would chop off the kid's hands before handing him over.

Young Master Li had said to bring him in alive, not unharmed. Yet the moment Liu Huzi settled on that plan, Wu Chen appeared before him.

He had not recognized Wu Chen when the door first opened because Wu Chen had changed clothes.

Before coming here, Li Ruobing had bought him an extremely expensive suit, along with a watch, cuff links, and other accessories. Wu Chen looked nothing like he had the day before. The instant Liu Huzi recognized him, he was too excited not to shout. Everyone in the room was stunned.

Wang Zhuangyuan frowned and studied Wu Chen. He had passed him the night before but had not paid attention.

Later, however, he had seen enough of Wu Chen's face on the bar's security footage to recognize him. It really was the kid from yesterday. Neither he nor Zhao Guai dared make a move. This was Young Master Li's place, and they could not do as they pleased here. Besides, the kid had come with Young Master Li's sister. Still, that was him!

Li Ruotai glanced at Liu Huzi, then looked Wu Chen over.

"Yes, yes! That's him from last night!" Liu Huzi called out. But when he noticed Zhao Guai signaling with his eyes, his voice dropped.

"Well, look who's all here," Wu Chen said suddenly, smiling as calmly as ever.

Everyone looked at him. Zhao Guai had never met him, but Wu Chen had met Zhao Guai countless times in previous Reincarnations. He knew everyone in the room.

"Oh, right. I borrowed your car for a bit yesterday. Here are your keys."

"It's in the underground parking garage at CBD Seven."

Wu Chen pulled out the Lamborghini's keys and tossed them to Wang Zhuangyuan.

Wang Zhuangyuan caught them, momentarily at a loss for words.

Wu Chen's ease in such a setting made it impossible for Wang Zhuangyuan to judge who he really was.

"Sis, who's this kid?" Li Ruotai finally asked.

"What did you call him?"

"'This kid'?" Li Ruobing frowned. "He's your brother-in-law. Call him that."

Li Ruotai looked as though he had choked on something.

His first thought was that his sister was playing the fake-boyfriend game again. But she had never made him call any of her fake boyfriends "brother-in-law."

"Well? Say hello." Li Ruobing shot Li Ruotai a sharp look.

"Hello, Brother-in-Law." Li Ruotai addressed Wu Chen at once, and properly. He was not afraid of Wu Chen; he was afraid of his sister. If he refused, she might come over and slap him in front of everyone. That would be humiliating.

Wang Zhuangyuan, Zhao Guai, and Liu Huzi all sucked in a sharp breath. This young man, barely in his twenties, was Young Master Li's brother-in-law—Li Ruobing's man.

We're finished. They had thought some young swindler had fooled them. Now they were right back where they had started: he really was someone important, someone even Young Master Li dared not provoke.

They did not know why Young Master Li had never met his own brother-in-law. Perhaps Li Ruobing had not been with this man long. But she had made Young Master Li call him "brother-in-law" in public. Their feelings for each other must be strong. That made Wu Chen family to Young Master Li, while they were outsiders.

Zhao Guai kept shooting looks at Liu Huzi. Cold sweat broke out on Liu Huzi's skin. He felt certain he was done for.

The atmosphere in the room turned strange.

"You can go," Li Ruotai said, breaking the silence.

"Yes, yes!" Zhao Guai and the others hurriedly agreed, not daring to stare.

Li Ruobing and Wu Chen moved aside as the others headed out, then walked farther into the room together.

Li Ruobing held Wu Chen's arm as naturally as could be.

Suddenly, Li Ruobing seemed to feel unwell. She covered her mouth and retched twice. Then, as though she could not hold it back, she pushed Wu Chen away and hurried into the private Restroom at the back of the room.

The door slammed shut, and the sound of retching came from inside. Zhao Guai and the others, who had just reached the doorway, stopped short. A moment later, they were dumbfounded.

At their age, they had all seen enough of life to know why a woman might retch like that. Li Ruotai understood too.

Even Wu Chen was stunned.

They had not planned this beforehand. Li Ruobing had decided it on the spot. Wu Chen understood what she was implying, but wasn't this going too far? With several of Li Ruotai's important men present, she had deliberately put on a performance to make them all misunderstand.

Wu Chen had no time to dwell on it. He hurried over and tried the Restroom door, but it was locked.

He knocked. "Ruobing, are you all right?"

"Are you okay?"

"Uh, I'm fine."

"I'll be right out."

When Li Ruobing emerged from the Restroom, everyone else had gone. Only Li Ruotai remained by the sofa, with Wu Chen waiting outside the Restroom.

Wu Chen put a hand on Li Ruobing and asked with concern, "Are you all right?"

"Perfectly fine," Li Ruobing said with a smile.

Li Ruotai was stunned all over again. His sister had smiled. His sister had actually smiled at a man. You really do whatever pops into your head!

Wu Chen tilted his head and whispered in Li Ruobing's ear.

Are you scared?

Scared Ding Ruilong will find out and kill you?

Li Ruobing whispered back urgently.

Do you think I'd be scared?

Wu Chen replied.

Li Ruotai couldn't hear what they were saying. To him, his sister and his brother-in-law Zheng Yu were whispering intimately to each other, both smiling.

There was still a smell of smoke in the room. Li Ruotai hurried to the window and pushed it open to air the place out.

Back at the coffee table, he picked up the ashtray and threw the whole thing straight into the trash.

"Stop fussing. Sit down."

Li Ruobing said it after pulling Wu Chen down to sit beside her.

"Sis, you wouldn't..."

Li Ruotai raised a hand as if to gesture, then stopped himself. He wanted to ask about Li Ruobing's belly, but felt awkward doing it.

Li Ruobing deliberately kept her answer vague, almost a denial. But the more she denied it, the more Li Ruotai misunderstood.

Could his sister really be pregnant?

Was the baby this man's?

His sister was serious this time.

That concludes this episode. Thank you for listening!