Chapter 5: Getting Interrupted While Eating Was the Worst

"Go get a sex change." Joy Lashbrook's voice stayed calm, but her eyes held a teasing glint, like she was savoring whatever expression he made next. Terrance Lyson dug a finger into his ear, convinced he'd misheard. "Huh?" "I said," Joy repeated, slow and deliberate, "I hate men. If you really want to marry me, go to a hospital, get the surgery, and become a woman." "..." Terrance choked on his words. A thousand thoughts flashed through his mind. He'd heard of lesbians, sure. He just never imagined his fiancée would be one. A beauty like a fairy descended from heaven, and she wasn't interested in men at all? "You... like women?" Terrance swallowed hard, searching her face for any hint she was messing with him. Joy's expression didn't shift. She only lifted a brow slightly. Off to the side, Nora Scurr gave a helpless nod, confirming it. Terrance grabbed his teacup and took a hard gulp, trying to force himself to calm down. The tea was scalding. He didn't even feel it. After a long moment, he suddenly bared a grin. "Doesn't matter. Even if you're bent, I can straighten you out." He rose, eyes burning as he stared Joy down. "The woman I've set my sights on doesn't get away. Even if it's a woman, don't even think about stealing her from me." Joy glided to the sofa and sat with effortless grace. She tossed out a single, airy line. "Don't preach kindness when you've never suffered what others have." She lifted her teacup, red lips brushing the rim. "You don't even know why I despise men, so stop running your mouth..." Liana Lashbrook lunged in front of Terrance in one quick step, hands on her hips like a cat with its fur standing on end. "Even if you could cure my sister's man-hating, you still wouldn't be worthy of her! The guys chasing her could line up from East City to West City. Every one of them is some rich young heir. And you? Some backwoods idiot who wandered in from the countryside. What makes you think you're good enough?" As she spoke, she shot a hand toward the marriage contract in his grip, trying to snatch it away. Terrance shifted to the side, dodging with ease. Liana grabbed nothing but air. She stamped her foot in fury. Unhurried, Terrance slipped the marriage contract back into his canvas bag. "Whether I'm worthy or not, we'll see." He turned for the door. At the threshold, he stopped and glanced back. "Oh, and one more thing. Your family's about to have a run of rotten luck. If it gets bad enough, you could lose everything." He fished out a red sachet embroidered with a hexgram and walked back, setting it on the coffee table in front of Joy. "Keep it on you. It can save your life. I don't feel like my not-yet-wife getting into an accident." Sean Lashbrook sprang to his feet, face turning iron-blue. "Terrance Lyson! Is this what your master taught you, to curse people?" Terrance didn't even turn his head. He walked out without giving Sean the slightest acknowledgment. In the brief time he'd spent watching, he'd already figured out who actually called the shots in this house. Sean's status was probably lower than the Persian cat his daughter kept. Liana, still fuming, snatched up the sachet and headed for the trash can. "What kind of trash is this?" "Don't!" Nora rushed to stop her, lowering her voice. "Did you forget what he did on the train? The way he saved that person? This might actually work..." Joy still didn't speak. She only stared at the red sachet, thoughtful, her long fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of her teacup. Then she lifted her gaze to Nora, eyes sharp with inquiry. "How do you two know each other?" Nora hurriedly recounted everything that had happened on the train, from start to finish. When she finished, all three members of the Lashbrook family wore expressions of disbelief. Liana practically bounced off the floor. "You're saying that bumpkin's medical skills were better than Anson Hauk's? And Anson Hauk was sucking up to him?" She flailed her arms dramatically. "Anson Hauk is a titan in Tenos's medical world! Him? Some twenty-something country idiot?" Sean stroked his chin, eyes narrowing as if weighing the pieces. "When I was young, I visited Old Master Guan with my father. He really was... extraordinary. If Terrance Lyson truly inherited his teachings..." "Dad!" Liana cut in, cheeks puffed with anger. "What century are we in? You still believe this stuff? Traditional Medicine is just weeds and tree bark, and geomancy and fortune-telling are feudal superstition!" Joy, who'd been silent until then, spoke up. "Newton spent his later years studying theology. Einstein also said that at the end of science lies religion." She gently swirled her tea. "I want to see what kind of tricks this Terrance Lyson thinks he can pull." The three of them froze, stunned that the always-rational Joy would say something like that. Meanwhile, outside Lashbrook Villa, Terrance had his hands in his pockets, counting his money. Five wrinkled hundred-yuan bills, plus the two hundred he'd earned delivering a baby on the train. Seven hundred yuan total. He scratched his head and looked up at Tenos's forest of skyscrapers, letting out a sigh. "With this little cash, I can't even afford a decent hotel..." Terrance glanced at the sky. The western clouds had been dyed red by the sunset, and night was closing in. "I need somewhere to crash first." He remembered what the villagers who'd gone to the city for work always said. If you wanted to save money, you went to the urban villages. The conditions were worse, but the price was right. He took out his phone, scanned a shared bike, and pedaled through a maze of turns until he finally found a nearby urban village. Narrow alleys were plastered with rental ads. He made four or five calls in a row, viewed several rooms, and finally found a barely livable studio on the top floor. The landlady was a big auntie with a permed, explosive hairstyle. A cigarette hung from her mouth. She fanned herself with a broken palm fan and shuffled around in flip-flops, spraying spit as she talked. "One month deposit, three months up front. Utilities not included. Take it or leave it!" After settling in, Terrance went downstairs to a corner shop and bought a few necessities. Back in his room, he opened his laptop, logged onto Tenos's business forum, and hammered out a line on the keyboard. [Official Statement: Joy Lashbrook already has a fiancé. Everyone else, back off. Anyone who dares set their sights on my woman, I'll break his damn legs!] He attached a photo of the yellowed marriage contract at the end. After posting, Terrance leaned back with satisfaction and stretched. His stomach growled. He decided to find something to eat. He had no idea that his post was like splashing water into a pot of boiling oil, instantly detonating across Tenos's business circles. Countless young elites saw it and smashed their wineglasses in rage. Terrance wandered until he found a small restaurant that looked clean enough. Strangely, even though it was peak dinner time, there wasn't a single customer inside. He scratched his head and strode in. "Boss, you still serving food?" He called toward the back. The kitchen curtain lifted, and a graceful, voluptuous woman stepped out. Her ponytail was neat and sharp, her waist slim, her figure curving in all the right places. And her long legs, pale under the lights, were almost blinding. Terrance's eyes went wide. City life really was something else. Even a random proprietress looked like this. He remembered what his old man had told him before he left. "City girls are fresh and pretty. Don't let your eyes wander too much once you get there." Turns out the old man wasn't lying. "Little brother, what do you feel like eating?" The proprietress smiled and handed him a menu, completely unfazed by his staring. Terrance pointed at random. "Pork rib rice." "Coming right up!" She turned and went back into the kitchen, hips swaying lightly. Terrance watched, lost in a daze all over again. Before long, a steaming plate of pork rib rice was set in front of him. The proprietress took the seat beside him as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Little brother, you just got to the city? Found a job yet?" Terrance flashed a grin. "Not yet. You hiring here, ma'am?" Working alongside a proprietress this pretty would be a dream gig. She covered her mouth and laughed softly. "My place is slow. I can handle it alone..." She didn't finish. Her face changed, and she stared toward the door, tense. "Little brother, you should go. This meal's on me." Terrance was still wondering why she'd suddenly gone pale when a racket of footsteps sounded outside. He turned and saw three street punks swagger in. The one in front was a tall, skinny guy with dyed yellow hair, a toothpick hanging from his mouth. The moment he stepped in, he drawled in a mocking tone. "Well, well. Boss lady finally opened for business today?" The proprietress's face went bloodless. Her voice trembled. "You... what do you want? I already hid all the way out here. He still won't let me go?" Drew dropped into the seat across from Terrance and glared at him like he wanted to bite. "Kid, if you've got any sense, get the hell out." Terrance didn't even lift his head. He kept eating his pork rib rice. The proprietress could cook. The ribs were tender and rich with flavor, and the rice was perfectly separate grain by grain. "Smack!" Drew slammed the table and shot to his feet. "You deaf or something? You want me to drag you out myself?" Terrance calmly picked up a rib and spoke around a mouthful. "Getting interrupted while eating is the worst. If you're looking to start trouble, wait until I'm done." "Heh!" Drew laughed like he couldn't believe it. "This hillbilly's got a mouth on him. Boys, loosen his joints for him!" "Don't!" The proprietress panicked and grabbed Terrance's arm. "Little brother, go! They really will beat you!" Only then did Terrance set his chopsticks down. He narrowed his eyes, sizing up the three of them. "So that's why a place this good has no customers. It's you idiots causing trouble." He wiped his mouth, and his tone turned cold. "You can still leave while you've got the chance." "Looking to die!" The three punks roared and lunged at him.