“Pfft, acting like you’ve been in the mafia or something!” David Sullivan sneered, even though he thought Emily Clark made sense.

Four years of college, plus a year of living together—David Sullivan knew perfectly well whether Emily Clark had ever been involved with the underworld.

What David Sullivan didn’t know was that while Emily Clark had never been in the mafia, he had survived in the cultivation world and the immortal realm, places a hundred times more dangerous than any gang. There, it was truly survival of the fittest, where only the strong were respected—and he’d been there for a long time.

Emily Clark just smiled faintly and didn’t argue.

“By the way, you really kept it hidden. I had no idea my own brother was so skilled.” David Sullivan complained.

“That’s what makes a master. Masters always keep a low profile.” Emily Clark said smugly. He realized that when he was with his good friend, he became especially youthful, almost like the ordinary Emily Clark he used to be.

This time, David Sullivan didn’t argue back. The fight at the East Bus Station was still fresh in his mind.

“Brothers for life—teach me martial arts!” David Sullivan suddenly looked greedy, his eyes glowing green as he spoke with a lecherous grin.

In his mind, he pictured a group of beautiful women gazing up at him in awe, as he wore a black trench coat and sunglasses, mumbling, “David Sullivan, you’re so handsome, I love you!”

After being brothers with David Sullivan for five years, Emily Clark knew exactly what kind of person he was. He reached out and smacked his head, laughing, “Just be your chubby self. It’s not that I don’t want to teach you, but you don’t have the aptitude for internal martial arts. You could train in external techniques, but those focus on brute strength and require a lot of suffering before you see any results. You’re afraid of pain, hard work, and exhaustion, so I don’t think you should dream about being a master.”

When David Sullivan heard his dream of becoming a master was shattered, he looked dejected. But he quickly bounced back, his eyes lighting up as he stared at Emily Clark, rubbing his chubby fingers together with a sly grin, “Not a bad haul today. I heard gold prices are up again. I risked my life as bait, you know! You’ve got to give your brother half!”

If David Sullivan hadn’t brought it up, Emily Clark wouldn’t have gotten angry. If it weren’t for this guy chasing after some so-called happiness and leaving him all alone, would Qian Mengqi have ended up at his place? If not for him, would he have gotten to touch Qian Mengqi’s chest? If not for him, would he have gotten beaten up? Even though his internal cultivation meant he wasn’t really hurt, it still hurt a lot.

Seeing Emily Clark’s face darken, David Sullivan shrank his neck and pleaded pitifully, “Bro, that woman tricked me out of all my money. Are you really going to let your brother end up penniless on the street?”

“You deserved it!” Emily Clark thought of the big trouble still waiting at home and couldn’t bring himself to be nice to David Sullivan.

“Come on, is this how you treat your brother?” David Sullivan said with disdain.

“Come on, wasn’t it enough? Think about how many times I got hit just now. How many times did you, the main culprit, get hit?” Emily Clark retorted.

“Well, that’s just because the capable do more work, right? By the way, are you okay? Does it hurt? Any bruises on your chest?” As he spoke, David Sullivan reached out his chubby hand to lift Emily Clark’s shirt.

“Get lost, stop grossing me out. Anyway, don’t even think about getting a single cent from today’s haul. And pay back the money you owe me soon—I heard your dad’s got plenty of secret savings!” Emily Clark slapped away David Sullivan’s hand, scowling.

David Sullivan chuckled ingratiatingly, “Brother Yu, Brother Ziqing, have a heart!”

No matter what David Sullivan said, Emily Clark just ignored him, his gaze wandering over the dazzling lights of Hangzhou, his mind racing.

How was he going to deal with the chest-touching incident? That girl was no pushover.

What should David Sullivan do next? Even if those thugs had been scared off, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t come back for revenge. At the very least, he’d have to keep an eye out for a while.

A woman had suddenly appeared at home—could David Sullivan keep his big mouth shut? What if rumors spread all over the city, and people thought he, Emily Clark, was hiding a mistress?

What would that woman think if he brought a chubby guy home?

Suddenly, Emily Clark realized he had a headache!

Chapter 10: Returning Home

“Tomorrow, you should go back to your hometown in Anlin.”

Just as David Sullivan was chattering away, trying to squeeze some money out of Emily Clark, Emily Clark suddenly spoke.

“No way! Brothers for life—are you really kicking me out just because you’re afraid I’ll rob or kill you?” David Sullivan immediately protested.

“Even though I hit them pretty hard this time, there’s no guarantee they’ll back off. What if they come after you again? You’re unemployed anyway, so you might as well go home and lay low for a while,” Emily Clark said.

David Sullivan shivered all over, but stubbornly replied, “But you’re still here, aren’t you?”

“I’m not your 24-hour bodyguard,” Emily Clark said.

David Sullivan fell silent. He knew Emily Clark was doing it for his own good. But after getting used to the bright lights and nightlife of Hangzhou, the thought of suddenly going back to the small town of Anlin and listening to his parents nag all day was truly painful.