Chapter 14: Spoil my Sister!

Chapter 14: Spoil my Sister!

Thinking of Mary and how I had been seeing her entirely differently lately, I felt an intense urge to look in on her. I picked up my phone and dialed the number.

Ring... Ring... Ring...

[ Rick, what's up? Are you alright? ] Mary's voice came through the car speakers instantly, filled with that familiar, protective edge.

"Yeah, I just got done hanging out with my school friends and I was heading home," I said, keeping my tone casual. "I just remembered it's your day off and wanted to know if you wanted to do anything together?"

[ Really?! ] She paused, her voice turning completely surprised before she quickly corrected her pitch. [ I mean, I was only doing laundry in the apartment's laundromat right now, so did you have anything specific in mind? ]

"Well, I am already wearing a brand-new suit, so I thought if you wore a nice dress we could just go do something together. A movie, a meal, or anything really. I just feel like I haven't been giving you the attention you deserve lately."

[ The indoor mall! ] Mary chimed in immediately, her excitement bleeding through the line. [ I actually need to buy some new sleepwear anyway. And some of my detectives from the bureau mentioned they would be at the mall this weekend, soooo... we can keep pretending to be an official couple there to throw them off. Is that okay with you, Rick? ]

"Anything you want, Mary, just name it," I replied with a warm grin. "I will even kiss you again in front of them if you want!"

[ .............. Give me an hour, and thanks. Click... do do do... ]

I stared at the dashboard in disbelief. "Fuck, why do all the women in this city keep hanging up on me?!"

I pulled the BMW into a local gas station to fill up the tank and check the tire pressure. While the air pump ran, I used my smartphone to look up the high-end indoor mall we were heading to, checking to see if there were any specials, information leaks, or events running today. Nothing unusual stood out on the network, so I got back behind the wheel and headed home, knowing Mary's getting-ready routine would take a while.

After navigating through the thick midday traffic, I finally arrived back at the apartment. To absolutely no surprise, the moment I walked through the front door, I heard Mary loudly humming from inside the bathroom. Late as usual.

To keep from dying of boredom while I waited, I walked over to the counter, took her police-issued sidearm, and grabbed our cleaning kit. I spread a clean, lint-free white cloth right across the dining room table, and my master firearms database kicked in. My hands moved in a fluid, automatic blur, swiftly taking the weapon apart into its core components so I could clean and oil the mechanisms.

While I was mid-stroke, the bathroom door opened. Mary walked out and instantly froze, completely stunned as she watched my hands work. She walked over, standing right over my shoulder and tracking my movements as I reassembled the slide with zero mistakes, moving at twice the speed of her best academy record. She placed her hands firmly on my shoulders, her voice turning incredibly serious.

"Is this just like the cooking, Rick?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. "Or have you seriously been doing this in secret all along?"

My hands stopped moving. I could hear the deep, genuine concern vibrating in her voice, so I looked up and gave her a mostly honest answer.

"It is exactly like the cooking," I explained gently. "I am also able to shoot at a Special Forces level of skill. Sorry for not mentioning it sooner."

Mary didn't say a single word. Instead, she leaned down, wrapped her arms tightly around my neck, and squeezed me with everything she had. The sheer intensity of the hug told me she didn't mind the mystery at all, but I could tell she might be feeling guilty about the dangerous world she had been trying to shield me from.

"Mary, you are my absolute number one in this entire world," I said, patting her arm. "So please don't be sad. This is just a blessing in disguise. It means I can protect you too now, exactly like father used to do for mother. Please smile for me. I don't want you to be unhappy."

Her hug didn't loosen a bit. She held firm against my chest, her breath catching.

"You're my number one as well, Rick... and I love you."

"Aw," I teased, trying to break the heavy emotional tension. "You're just saying all those sweet things because I am cleaning your gun for you!"

The moment the words left my mouth, Mary leaned down and bit my ear hard. Fuck, lady, are you an actual dog?!

She just laughed loudly at my aggrieved face, entirely pleased with herself, and ran back into the bedroom to finish getting ready. I shook my head, finished lubricating her sidearm, and snapped it securely back into her tactical holster. I took care of wiping down her extra magazines while I was at it, ensuring her gear was in perfect operational condition.

A few minutes later, the bedroom door opened, and Mary stepped out looking absolutely beautiful.

"How do I look?" she asked, doing a slow spin.

Mary was wearing a stunning red dress with thin spaghetti straps. The hem went to just above her knees, tailored loose around the legs for easy walking. She had put on a pair of high platform sandals to try and match my height. It was incredibly cute.

"Too good for a casual trip to the mall, that's for sure," I said, whistling. "I am definitely going to have to fight off a whole bunch of jealous Woo's today!"

Mary pointed a playful finger at my sharp grey suit. "Who told you to dress up like a rich young master first? If I don't match your style, what would the other shoppers think of us?"

I handed her her purse from the counter. "Here is your purse. Your gun and your detective badge are already packed inside."

Mary took the bag, a small smirk crossing her lips. "Wow. You sound exactly like my husband now, Rick. I have you trained so well, fufu."

"Let's go, you big-headed narcissist," I chuckled.

After she gave me a swift smack to the back of my head, we walked down to the parking lot and climbed into the BMW to travel to the high-end district.

"Really? Detective Woo already has a designated second wife and no primary first wife?" Mary asked, her jaw dropping. "Wow. He totally failed to mention that piece of information to everyone at the precinct."

While I navigated the highway, I had been breaking down everything I had fished up from my dark web background check on her annoying coworker.

"Yes," I nodded, keeping my eyes on the road. "His second wife is currently living up north in the Crimson State, and she is officially moving down here in the summer. So he was probably trying to court you to make you wife number three on his ledger so he wouldn't be lonely at night."

Mary didn't reply immediately. She sat quietly in the passenger seat, staring out the window as if she was deeply calculating something in her head.

Finally, she turned her body toward me, her voice dropping into a soft, trembling whisper.

"Rick... I want to be your wife. For real."

My heart suffered a massive, violent spike, beating rapidly against my ribs. My driving database took over automatically, and I gently pulled the BMW over onto the shoulder of the highway, bringing the car to a smooth halt.

Mary just sat there, waiting and watching my face intensely. Her fists were clenched tightly in her lap, her body completely rigid as she braced herself for whatever response I was about to make. Wow. She had just thrown an absolute curveball straight out of the blue.

I took a deep, steady breath, using my grandmaster cognitive methods to force my racing emotions under control before I opened my mouth to talk.

"As long as you are not joking with me right now, Mary, I would like to hear exactly why you want to marry me," I said, turning to look her dead in the eyes. "I am not making any life decisions until I hear exactly what you want and why."

Seeing that she wasn't immediately rejected, and realizing I was taking her confession completely maturely, Mary let out a breath and began spilling her genuine feelings.

"First of all, I love you as a man," she said, her grey eyes shimmering behind her glasses. "Second, it started right after our parents passed away. I was in a deep depression, and so were you. You have completely forgotten what you promised me back then, Rick, but I have not. Third, I will never marry another man in this life. Fourth, I never want you out of my life, ever."

I took in every single variable she had just laid out, pondering the scope of her words while she waited for me to speak.

"Is that the real reason you forced me to move into the bedroom last night?" I asked.

"Yes," she whispered.

"The real reason for that kiss at the station this morning?"

"Yes."

"Are you truly willing to throw away our standard brother-sister bond? And what happens if I disappoint you down the road?"

"Stupid," she murmured, a soft smile touching her lips. "I love you precisely because of our deep bond."

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the absolute weight of the situation. "This all started out as a fake couple joke to clear Officer Woo... but tomorrow night, I have an official date with Dr. Hana Chang. I don't know how that complicates things between us now?"

Mary didn't respond right away. She sat back, contemplating the information tracks in her head. I watched her expressions cycle rapidly from sudden disappointment to joy, then to deep confusion, and back again, but I didn't disturb her thought process.

"Do you love her?" Mary finally asked, looking over.

"No, um, she kinda made the date happen all on her own because I was messing around playing the pervert at the grocery store," I admitted, rubbing my face in embarrassment. "I had absolutely no idea she would take me up on the offer. And I don't have the heart to be a total dick to the woman who literally saved my life in the ER, even though she is currently a massive pain in my ass."

Hearing my absolute honesty, Mary just smiled at my internal pain. She closed her eyes again, thinking about Dr. Hana Chang. The two women actually knew each other already due to their respective police and medical jobs crossing paths around the city.

"Rick, forget about the doctor for a moment," Mary said, turning back to me. "Let's just talk about the two of us. Would you marry me?"

I looked at her beautiful face, my mind flashing back to the intense fantasy I had experienced earlier that day.

"Mary, I feel like I might be sleeping right now," I said, my voice softening. "But... to be completely honest, I have recently been thinking about you like that too. Before my birthday beating, I thought my answer would have been an instant no. But now? I love you way too much. You are the one single person in this entire world I can't live without. But... it might be a little weird at first, right?"

"Stupid!" Mary laughed, her normal bright smile returning as the nervous tension completely vanished from her posture. She reached over and playfully poked my forehead. "It's a simple yes or no answer, now spill it!"

I reached out, gently catching her hand. "Then Mary Lee... will you become my wife and stay by my side forever?"

"Ufufu," she giggled, tilting her head smugly. "Let me think about it..."

Okay, if this were a standard anime scene, I would have massive black comedic lines painted across my forehead right now. Seeing the look on my face, she reached over and tapped the dashboard.

"Just drive us to the mall, stupid," Mary said, her eyes sparkling with pure affection. "Yes is the only answer you are ever going to get from me anyway, so let's get moving, Captain Grumpy."

She was looking so incredibly proud and smug that she didn't react fast enough when I unbuckled my seatbelt, leaned across the center console, and captured her lips in a deep, real kiss.

At first she was stunned, but then we kissed much more deeply. Soon, both of us, despite our total lack of real-world kissing experience, traded tongues, showing one another exactly how our hearts were feeling.

When we finally broke the kiss, I could almost imagine her glasses being completely fogged up to match the bright red blush taking over her face.

Offering a confident smile, I started the car again and drove us smoothly toward our planned destination, the high-end indoor mall.

Sure, I could have asked her about what exactly happened during her deep depression after our parents died, but that information could wait for later. I could also have asked more about the good doctor, but she too could take a backseat for now. The only single person that mattered to me right now was Mary.

Surprisingly, Mary didn't say a single word during the entire drive to the mall, but I could tell from her posture that she was incredibly happy. My guess was that she didn't want to say anything to accidentally scare me off. Huh. I guess the only real difference left between our non-blood brother-and-sister dynamic and a husband-and-wife dynamic was sex, right?

The moment I steered the BMW into a parking spot, I decided to play the tease.

"Oh no, Mary, we have a massive problem when we get married!"

Mary looked genuinely afraid for a split second, her eyes widening behind her lenses. "What problem? There shouldn't be any problems, Rick. I literally looked everything up online!"

Hearing her openly admit that she had already researched the legal mechanics of us marrying completely stunned me. But my Acting skill kicked in automatically, keeping my face smooth and unbothered.

"Do you take my last name, or do you keep yours?" I asked with a grin. "Or should I be taking yours?"

"You fucking dick!" she yelled, leaning over to punch my arm. "You scared me half to death! You know that living room couch can still be used for sleeping, right?! Asshole, let's go!"

With massive smiles on our faces, we headed out of the parking garage and straight into the main mall area. I confidently wrapped my left arm right around her waist, pulling her close. Mary looked incredibly happy that I wasn't acting distant or awkward after the car confession.

Mary, being a brave woman, jumped right into the deep end of our new dynamic. The moment we hit the boutique shop, she pulled me straight into the private changing room to model her selected undergarments so I could choose my favorites. I was definitely blushing underneath my suit. All of that smooth bravado I had displayed in the car was purely the result of my Acting skill.

And sure, I had literally lost my virginity twice already today with the twins at the hotel, but this was my mature older sister who wanted to marry me. I had seen her naked in the past when we were growing up, but now I was having real, intense bodily reactions to how incredibly sexy her form was. Not to mention, she really pulled off that hot glasses look.

While she was hanging things back up on the clothing rack, she looked at me with an honest, vulnerable expression.

"When you look at me like this, Rick, do you actually find me sexy? Or just attractive?" she asked softly. "I'm just worried that maybe deep down you still view me with a brotherly indifference."

"No," I replied, my voice dropping into a deep, steady register. "I truly just want to ravage you right here and now in this changing room, but I understand time and place. I promise I will only do things you are completely comfortable with, Mary."

While I was seated on the small bench inside the changing stall, she leaned straight in and kissed me deeply. After a few uninterrupted minutes of trading saliva, she pulled back and looked down at me.

"What do we do about children?"

"Depends," I said, looking up at her.

"Depends on what?"

"If you want them and exactly how many you want," I answered, running my hands along her waist. "My job as your husband will be to keep trying with you every single night and hope for the best. But ultimately, the final count is your choice. I absolutely love the idea, Mary. Life in this city is way too short and precious to try and plan out every single variable. We learned that lesson the hard way with our parents, right?"

Mary shed a couple of silent tears, leaning down to gently caress my face as she told me her true dream.

"Then I want two children with you, Rick Lee... and I want to start making them tonight."

"I will do anything you want, Mary," I whispered back. "Just say the word."

"Then let's go grab a quick bite to eat in the food court and head straight home," she said, her chest heaving. "My heart feels like it's about to explode right now, Rick."

My Acting skill kept making me look completely cool and collected on the outside, due to the fact that I was sweating bullets on the inside. Man, was this seriously going to be three women's first times in one single day? No, adult dildos definitely don't count in my book. I was so incredibly glad for past-me for picking that basic Acting database.

Mary walked out of the boutique with a smile that made it look like we had just fucked right there in the changing room, holding onto my arm like a newlywed wife. We were definitely drawing a lot of attention from the onlookers across the mall, mostly because we were overly dressed up like a couple of nouveau riche elites.

We bought a pair of meat-filled noodle bowls from a famous Noodle House fast-food chain and found a secluded, quiet table in a back corner of the food court.

Using her chopsticks, Mary playfully placed a piece of tender steak directly into my mouth, clearly enjoying the intimate public behavior she had spent years daydreaming about. Once she was satisfied, she brought up a couple of our earlier conversation tracks.

"Rick, I want you to design our marriage so that I am officially your second wife," she said, her expression serious. "No, don't look at me with that shocked face. I don't care about any corporate inheritance nonsense or family priority rules. I am only looking out for the absolute security of our futures. Let's say you eventually marry a woman with immense lineage status down the road. If her noble family finds out she can't occupy the first wife position, what kind of chaotic marriage would you actually have? So don't fight me on this calculation, okay?"

Thinking back to my interactions with the maid and the silver-dressed Ning twins, her logic made total sense for navigating the noble clans. I gave her a firm nod of agreement.

"Good," Mary smiled, taking a bite of her noodles. "Because anyone who has the capability to secure an elite letter from Mr. Chi is going to draw the immediate attention of important people, and that explicitly includes the Four Great Families. So do not go giving away that primary first wife spot out freely to anyone, even if that hospital doctor is interested in you."

"Crap," I groaned, leaning back in my chair. "I don't even know how to properly deal with her tomorrow night, Mary!"

"About her? Go out on the date with her and don't feel a single ounce of guilt," Mary commanded smoothly. "She is a good woman. A bit strange in the head, sure, but she is nice. Just remember that the very first thing you tell her is the exact truth about our relationship. If she bails on you after that information drop, then fuck her. Just be completely honest with her, do you get it, Rick?"

A lightbulb instantly went off in my head. I grinned and slammed my hand right into my open palm.

"You're an absolute genius, Mary! Dropping that truth bomb will definitely chase her off immediately. Okay, I will absolutely execute that plan tomorrow night."

Mary just smiled, reaching across the table to flick my forehead while making a rhythmic tsk-tsk sound with her tongue.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You are so naive, Rick Lee. You think way too little of your own value. A mature, beautiful doctor is actively pursuing you; do you seriously compute that she will just give up on you over the existence of me? Plus, having a literal ER doctor integrated into our family ledger is a massive tactical advantage."

"Cough... actually, I am about as good as she is in the field of medicine," I whispered, leaning in closer. "I just don't possess the official diploma and administrative credentials yet. Did you not notice the professional surgical trauma supplies I stowed back at the apartment earlier?"

Mary didn't look nearly as shocked by the revelation as I thought she would. She just looked at me with pure common sense.

"My point still stands, Rick. You can't exactly perform surgery on your own back, right?"

"Valid!" I admitted.

After that, Mary and I continued to flirt and kiss a bit over our noodle bowls, completely unaware of the hostile onlookers standing on the higher levels of the mall, looking down upon our little world...

Up on the third-floor balcony, Steve Woo pointed a finger down at our table.

"See? I told you he and his sister were an item!" Woo sneered, gritting his teeth. "You didn't want to believe my information tracks. That means if the kid is married, he can't officially qualify to be number two on the master list, right?"

Tina Feng, looking thoroughly annoyed while leaning over the chrome guardrail, turned her golden eyes toward the woman standing at her side. The assistant looked exactly like a high-end corporate secretary, sporting a red scrunchie wrapped around her left wrist.

"I thought your database explicitly told me Rick Lee was unmarried?" Tina questioned, her voice cold.

The secretary calmly looked down at her handheld digital device, scrolling through the local registries before stating the facts.

"He was unmarried before, and currently, according to the official state records, he remains single. Mr. Woo is misinformed. The two Lee's down there are entirely unofficial, and even if they execute a marriage certificate, it does not alter the evaluation rules set by Head Feng. Mr. Woo would have retroactively lost his own number one spot on the list by attempting to marry that woman from the north in that case."

Hearing her assistant's information-slap directed at Woo made Tina let out a creepy, amused smile.

"Well, Steve, it looks like I won't be mad about wasting my trip out to this mall after all," Tina purred, looking down at us one last time. "Because in fact, I didn't know Rick was in any active relationship. But trying to get my chosen evaluation pick thrown off the board like this is just incredibly petty of you. If you interfere with his business vectors early, your life will be immediately forfeit. So stop pushing Mary Lee, or Father will permanently end you."

"Then let me just end him right now," Woo snarled, his eyes flashing red. "Then I can go after his sister myself, right?"

"Oh, did your simple brain forget the rules of the game already?" Tina laughed, her voice sharp. "Sure, go ahead and try it, and we will kill you right here. You cannot challenge number one until only one single number is left on the board, then the two of you can fight for the seat. Four more numbers across the city have to be completely defeated before your challenge vector opens up, so wait your turn or die today."

"Damn," Woo muttered, adjusting his SU sports jacket. "When he handed me the number one spot, I thought it was a massive advantage. Had I known the logistics, I would have asked for the lowest tier and just challenged everyone manually, sigh."

"Well, I guess you shouldn't have fluffed your proud peacock feathers in front of father, telling him you're the absolute best, you idiot," Tina mocked.

"Well, little proud Phoenix, enjoy your free life for a little while longer," Woo hissed, turning to leave the rail. "Because when I win this game, you're going to be locked in a cage, and this peacock will pluck every single one of your feathers until you regret it. I will take the Fire Birds syndicate to unmitigated new heights, plus my position in the police force gives me an absolute advantage, ha-ha!"

Tina just smiled creepily at Woo's empty threat. As she looked down at me one last time from the balcony, she and her security detail departed, her parting words to Steve Woo sounding completely cryptic.

"Father loves peacocks, Steve... but I prefer dragons. Goodbye, Woo."