Chapter 51: She Is Dangerous!

Chapter 51: She Is Dangerous!

When I awoke on that wonderful Sunday morning, I was still holding my lovely doctor, the woman who had spent the entire night filling my prescription of love. I brushed a few long strands of blonde hair away from her face, taking a moment to admire her. She was an older woman, but looking down at her as her eyes fluttered open to catch my reflection, a warm, happy smile painted her lips. She leaned up, kissing me softly before she let out a playful chuckle.

"Good morning, daddy. Fufu!"

My face went completely red as the memory of the night before slammed into my mind. I blamed the drinking, but hearing my own embarrassing words repeated out loud made me want to shrink into the mattress.

"Damn it," I mumbled, looking away. "I saw that in some video once and thought it was funny. It just slipped out because of the alcohol. I'm sorry."

Her smile grew even wider at my blush, the teasing look in her eyes deepening. "Well, I was a bit surprised when you asked me who your daddy was, but I am not a genius for nothing. I figured out exactly what you meant."

I buried my burning face straight into her breast, my voice completely muffled against her skin. "Please, if you actually love me, never tell a single soul I said that. Seriously."

"Let's clean up and work out," she said, smoothing down my hair. "It's time to get back to our usual schedules. Don't worry, honey, I don't mind you having a little fun."

Drinking had almost never brought me anything good in life—well, except for one specific incident in the future. That one particular time was awesome, but that is a whole different story for another day.

Seven hours later, I pulled the Hummer up to the gates of the Feng estate. The dashboard clock read 5:00 PM. Head Tony had insisted I come over for a casual Feng family dinner before we headed out to the track tonight. Naturally, it would have been incredibly rude to decline the very man who was paying me good money.

The same older butler from my previous visit greeted me the moment I stepped out of the heavy SUV.

"Greetings, young Lee," the butler said with a polite bow. "Please follow me. I will take you straight to the dining room if you are ready."

I gave him a quick nod and followed him through the front doors. Today, I was wearing the casual grey suit with no tie—the exact same outfit I wore during my very first encounter with the twins. I considered it my lucky suit now. After all, it was the same clothing I wore when Mary confessed her feelings to me, so it definitely possessed some good luck.

We arrived at a set of large double doors. The butler knocked softly before turning back to me.

"This is a small, informal eating room, so please feel completely at ease. Let us enter."

He pushed one of the doors open and waved me inside. I walked into the room, where the late afternoon sun was still pouring through the massive windows along the western wall. The light flooded the space in bright, warm shades of orange, illuminating a large square table that measured about ten feet on each side.

Tony and Lane Feng sat together along one edge of the table. Across from them, sitting right next to their mother's side, were Jill and Tina Feng. On the side opposite the two younger women was a single empty seat right next to Tony. It was blindingly obvious the spot had been set specifically for me.

"Sorry if I kept everyone waiting," I said, adjusting my jacket. "I thought I was supposed to show up right at 5:00 PM like Tina told me."

Lane, Tina's blonde mother, waved me over with a warm expression. "No, you are perfectly fine, dear. The food isn't even ready yet. We were only discussing some basic family affairs while we waited. Come sit down right there."

As I took my designated seat, I gave a respectful nod to the two Feng sisters. One was a blonde and the other was a redhead, though both inherited their striking looks directly from their mother.

Tony, with his massive, buff build and deep voice, grinned across the table at me. "I got a phone call about your meeting last night. I heard you openly announced your background?"

I gave a casual shrug. "I only found out about it recently myself, but it is apparently the worst-kept secret in the city. There was no real reason to keep hiding it. Besides, it doesn't change my current situation even if my mother belonged to the Tang family. It's just DNA, not anything tangible I can actually use. Though, it definitely explains why I faced so much abuse in the past."

Tony shook his head, his expression turning serious. "No, announcing it like that comes with consequences. Families that hold a grudge against the Tang might approach you now, and it could go standard or bad. A lot of people in the Long family still hold onto old hatreds, and some of their subordinate groups might try to stir up trouble for you. But... Lane assures me they will all end up entirely out of the picture if they try anything."

Lane shifted the conversation, looking over at me with curiosity. "I know you have gone down to our shooting range a few times to practice with the Barrett M107 .50 Caliber. How is the weapon treating you?"

"Once I got fully used to the heavy kick, I found it to be an incredible anti-material rifle," I explained, my mind automatically breaking down the weapon's physical utility. "If I ever need to punch clean through armored vehicle doors, thick walls, or a low-flying helicopter, it gives me massive stopping power at extreme ranges."

Jill let out a soft groan, directing a complaining look at her mother. "Talking about business, killing, and heavy weapons is really not a fun dinner topic for a family. Why can't we talk about things we all actually care about?"

Tina completely ignored her older sister's whining. Instead, she stared directly at my outfit, her eyebrows furrowing. "You aren't seriously planning to race a car in a full suit, are you, Rick?"

I shrugged back at her. "Why not? The clothes make the man, right? Plus, that James Bond guy from the movies always wears one, so I am just trying to look good while sitting in your passenger seat."

Tina pointed her silver butter knife directly at my face. "Idiot. I was originally planning to just wear basic blue jeans and a simple sweater. But if I do that now, I am going to look completely shabby because you decided to dress like this. Now I have to go find something much nicer just to match your energy."

"Sounds like an issue on your end, not mine," I replied, amused. "Just wear whatever you want. You never gave me a specific dress code for tonight. Besides, it's just a race down the mountain. Nobody is looking at the clothes; it's entirely about who handles the downhill run better."

Tony burst out laughing at our bickering, pointing a thick finger at his daughter. "See that, Tina? You have to be careful what you wish for. You wanted a challenger who could look straight past your physical appearance, and now you have a friend who completely ignores that aloof attitude you spent years building up. Better yet, you can't push him around the way your mother pushes me."

Lane shot her husband a sharp look. "Dear, you are making me sound like some kind of terrifying monster. I don't push you around at all, do I?"

Jill let out a long sigh and looked across the table at me. "Rick, do you see what I have to deal with every single day? Oh, by the way, putting my sister's attempts to embarrass herself aside, I absolutely loved that martial arts display you put on the other day. I am not a fighter myself, but the way you moved and channeled those strikes was seriously impressive."

"Thanks, Jill," I said, waving it off. "I was honestly just having a good time out there. To be perfectly blunt, I completely forgot it was even an official challenge until the moment it ended."

Jill tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, leaning forward with a charming, deliberate smile. "Hey, Rick, if you ever decide to just give up on this whole challenge, or if you somehow end up defeated, don't let it get you down. Come talk to me right after. I have a very serious offer for you, and I think you would thoroughly enjoy the consolation prize for that silly little game."

Tina glared at her older sister, her voice turning completely cold and unamused. "First of all, he is absolutely not going to lose or throw in the towel. Second, he doesn't want you making empty offers. He isn't that kind of guy."

Holy hell, was Jill actually trying to angle for a marriage proposal right here? Sure, she was incredibly hot just like her mother and sister, but I didn't feel that way about her at all. Frankly, if I was absolutely forced to choose one woman from this family, I would pick Tina every single time without hesitation.

"Thanks for the thought, Jill," I said, keeping my tone grounded. "But I'm not doing this for some prize. I just want to beat Woo. I already have pretty much everything I could ever want, and I am not a greedy person. I only need enough to take care of my family. But I appreciate the offer anyway."

Tina smirked triumphantly at her sister. "See? So back off, sister."

Like a typical annoying older sibling, Jill pointed her fork right back at Tina to deliver a final, crushing point. "Don't get smug. That just means you are being stupid. You picked the right player, but the winner doesn't even want the reward at the end. What are you going to do then? Don't look down on me just for being practical about the situation. Sorry, Rick, just ignore the two of us."

I waved my hand casually to dismiss the tension as the servants began placing dishes on the table. "No, it's fine. I get it. It's actually good that you two are close enough to bicker like this. I completely understand your bond."

The main course arrived, and we were served a fresh batch of Monte Cristos—wonderful, deep-fried sandwiches loaded with ham, turkey, and melted cheese, all fried together like a rich french toast.

Tina looked like she was sulking through the rest of the meal, but I wasn't overly worried about trying to cheer her up right away since she was mature enough to handle her own moods. Instead, Tony and I spent the time talking about the shifting power dynamics inside Star City that I hadn't caught wind of yet, specifically which major families owned which corporations.

I asked a few targeted questions regarding the Song and Ning families. I learned that the two factions had been locked in a bitter feud for over a thousand years. At this point, they had completely forgotten the original reason they even started fighting, but they simply continued the conflict out of pure habit.

Soon, the casual dinner came to an end. As we all stood up from the table, Tina turned to me, her expression serious.

"Let's go, Rick. We still have a little bit of time before we absolutely need to leave for the track, and you are going to help me choose an outfit."

Soon we were standing right in front of her large bedroom door once again. She pushed it open and turned back to look at me, blocking the threshold without entering just yet.

"Get in here," Tina said, her voice sharp. "My family doesn't care about this, so stop being a pussy. What, are you seriously thinking I'm going to do unspeakable things to you?"

"Nope," I replied, leaning against the doorframe. "But I thought the others downstairs might get the completely wrong idea about us."

Instead of arguing, Tina stepped out, wrapped her fingers tightly around my wrist, and forcefully dragged me straight into her room.

I honestly was not expecting her private space to be so entirely simple. Tan carpeting ran across the floor, leading to a massive white king-sized bed that only held two lone pillows. Everything else in the room was incredibly plain and unadorned. The only area that actually showed any real signs of life was her makeup table, which sat right next to two chests of drawers.

A massive walk-in closet occupied one side of the room, and another closed door presumably led to a large bathing area. Near the wall, she had a white leather couch positioned right in front of a wide television screen.

As Tina headed straight toward the entrance of her walk-in closet, she casually peeled off her clothes, stripping down until she was wearing nothing but her bra and panties.

"I love simplicity," she explained, completely unbothered as she glanced over her shoulder at me. "It keeps my thoughts and emotions clear of any random clutter. Come in here with me and help me choose."

She genuinely seemed to have absolutely no sense of shame about walking around half-naked in front of me. I followed her inside, but the sight of her bright red lace underwear made me immediately question whether this was really a spot I should be standing in right now.

"Hmm," I muttered, looking around to clear my head. "So my car is grey with a dark interior, and I'm wearing grey as well. It's a color that can go with pretty much anything. The real problem is that everyone at the races is used to seeing you standing next to Hana Lee. She sets the bar a bit high when it comes to wearing sexy clothing."

Tina watched silently as my eyes roamed over the massive wardrobe lining her closet. Something unexpected caught my attention among the rows of garments. No, it wasn't one of her standard Black-Widow spy outfits, but rather a crimson vinyl, sleeveless miniskirt dress. It was super shiny, made from a slick material that looked exactly like a high-end rain jacket that would completely repel water.

Tina's eyebrow raised the exact moment she noticed me staring at it, a knowing smile spreading across her face.

"Never seen a woman wearing something like that before?" she teased, walking over to a specific shelf. "Take a look at these over here."

She reached down and pulled out a pair of matching vinyl thigh-high black boots along with black, elbow-length gloves.

"These go perfectly with that dress," she said, holding them up. "What do you think? Do you like it?"

Imagining her actually wearing that outfit felt a bit slutty, making her look like a high-end hooker. The mental image instantly sent my internal fantasies running completely wild, but I also realized it might make the two of us look way too much like an actual couple at the track.

Tina, noticing the exact moment I froze up in my own thoughts, just smiled and immediately began putting the outfit on right in front of me. I found myself mentally questioning how the hell I had ended up trapped in her closet, watching her slowly slide into such an erotic outfit.

"Sigh," I muttered, shaking my head to clear the fog. "You really are good at messing with me. I almost fell for it completely, silly Tina."

She only grinned back at me, lifting one leg and pointing straight down at her footwear.

"Help me zip them up," she said. "They are incredibly difficult to do alone. And as for tempting you, it's because you actively resist me that I like teasing you even more. Besides, I already know you aren't going to actually try anything, so it shouldn't matter what I wear, right? I could hang all over you completely naked and I don't think you would ever make a move. I'm honestly not sure whether I should be proud of your restraint or disappointed in my own charms."

I knelt down, gripping the metal tabs to finish zipping both boots up over her heavy, meaty legs before standing back up.

"No, you are plenty charming," I said, keeping my voice grounded. "I am absolutely sure that if you actually meant it, I wouldn't be able to resist you at all. But if I did that, I would be no better than Number 3, sadly. I really don't want to ruin our actual friendship over pure lust."

After pulling on her long black gloves, she grabbed my arm and pulled me directly in front of her tall mirror. She stood side by side with me, checking our reflections to see exactly how well we matched. With a blank face completely devoid of any emotion, she stared at the glass and spoke directly to our reflections.

"So it was me all along? I see. You can actually see the real me."

Looking at the completely emotionless woman dressed in such a wild, erotic outfit, I kept my eyes fixed on the mirror.

"I don't know why," I admitted softly, "but I think I have always seen you exactly like this, ever since the very beginning of high school. I used to think you looked terrifying and scary. But now I know that you are not what I originally thought you were."

Tina's expression remained entirely frozen, but her gold eyes bored straight into mine through the glass like a apex hunter tracking its prey.

"If I am not scary," she asked quietly, "then how exactly do I look to you?"

I smiled back at her intense killer look, reaching over to gently pat the hand she had wrapped around my arm.

"To me... you look like a dangerous woman."

Her face still didn't move a single inch, but her golden eyes dimmed slightly, sensing I hadn't finished my sentence yet.

"A dangerous woman with a deeply passionate heart," I continued, turning slightly toward her. "For some strange reason, I feel like I owe you something, but to this very day, I have no idea why."

The exact moment those words left my mouth, the dimness completely vanished from her eyes. Her grip tightened like a vice around my arm.

"Rick Lee," she said, her voice dropping to a low murmur. "You may have completely lost the physical memories of our actual meeting, but your heart remembered me perfectly. Hmm. I think your words right now are more than enough."

Then, the emotionless woman in the mirror let out a beautiful, radiant smile as she looked directly at me.

"Rick Lee, I changed my mind," she stated firmly. "The moment you win this race, I am going to marry you. Please make sure to remember... I am a dangerous woman."

A sudden, intense chill ran straight up my spine. I instantly felt like I had spoken the completely wrong words to her just a second ago.

"Then I won't win," I said bluntly.

She looked away from the reflection, turning her head to stare directly into my eyes. With a gentle, soft smile, she uttered a sentence that made me want to punch my own mouth for speaking in the first place.

"No, your heart says it wants to win entirely for me," she countered softly. "There is absolutely no way you will lose now. You are completely invincible whenever you want to protect something, Rick Lee. Since I am changing the rules, it's only fair that I tell you our secret early. You need to know exactly what you are fighting for, right?"

While Tina spoke, she slowly and deliberately stepped forward, pushing me back until my shoulders hit the rear wall of her closet. She didn't break eye contact even once, refusing to blink as she closed the distance. Her lips parted, delivering a shocking revelation.

It happened exactly four years ago...

Right outside the back gates of Star High School, a younger boy had just taken a brutal, merciless beating from an incredibly pissed-off Scott Tang. The beaten and bloody kid was currently held up in the arms of two other local thugs, barely moving or drawing breath. Despite the trauma, a defiant grin and a pair of vacant, unfocused eyes adorned the boy's blood-soaked face.

"Scott, man, I think he is seriously going to die," one of the thugs muttered, his voice trembling with panic. "I am absolutely not taking a murder charge for this. I'm out!"

The two thugs abruptly let go of the boy's limp body, dropping him to the dirt before sprinting away into the alleyways.

"So long," Scott spat, completely tired from the exertion and not wanting to be anywhere near the area if the kid actually expired. "Maybe in your next life, you won't be such a complete piece of shit."

Leaving the broken boy behind, Scott turned and walked away.

Moments later, a young girl with crimson-red hair and piercing gold eyes dropped down silently from the branches of a nearby tree where she had been hiding. She walked over and stood directly over the broken boy. Her black dress billowed lightly in the wind as she looked down at the mess.

"Sorry, kid," a young Tina said, her voice completely detached. "You were just unlucky to be targeted by that piece of shit. Sadly, you are going to die from these wounds anyway, so I will end your life painlessly right now."

The young Tina reached down under her skirt, pulling out a sharp dagger to quickly end the boy's suffering. But the moment her blade drew close to his throat, the almost dead boy suddenly snapped his jaws shut, biting down hard directly on her metal blade before she could cut him.

Seeing a fresh trickle of blood ooze from his lips, she quickly yanked the weapon away before it could cause any serious internal harm. Her heart instantly began racing, the sheer shock feeling like watching a dead body suddenly rise straight from the grave.

Slowly and with immense pain, the boy actually began to stand. It took him four grueling attempts just to get his feet underneath him. Once upright, he began to shamble forward blindly, moving exactly like a zombie from a horror movie.

"Kid, you are right on the verge of death," Tina called out, staring at him. "Where are you even going?"

Shamble. Shamble. Shamble.

The boy didn't seem to hear a single word she said. Tina quietly stowed her knife away and followed right behind him, simply waiting for his body to finally give out so she could make a phone call to have the corpse picked up.

"It won't help you at all," she said, trailing his slow steps, "but do you want me to call someone for you?"

"No," the boy croaked, his voice raw. "I will not die. Mary needs me."

Still following this completely lifeless-looking kid, Tina asked another question. "Mary who? As a final favor, I will help her out after you die."

"My sister," he wheezed, stumbling forward. "I will not die."

Two blocks later, Tina found herself genuinely impressed that the kid was still moving his legs at all. He was incredibly slow, but he kept going. Based on the many people she had personally killed in the past, she figured he had a half-hour left to live at the absolute maximum.

"Willpower alone cannot pump blood," she noted out loud. "So how exactly do you plan to stay alive?"

"If Mary needs me... I am completely invincible," the boy mumbled, his eyes blank. "I am the... Immortal Dragon."

Thinking the boy had completely lost his mind to blood loss, she asked him a playful question. "Then what happens if I stab you straight through the heart right now?"

"I will not die," he repeated doggedly. "I am invincible."

Tina frowned, knowing his time was rapidly running out. For some inexplicable reason, she felt a sudden urge to actually help this kid, so she made an offer.

"Then let me carry you to see Mary one last time," she suggested.

"No," the boy gasped, refusing to stop. "I will not die. Mary still needs me, or she will die too."

Feeling a sudden reluctance to watch this specific death happen, Tina decided to ask one final question.

"I want to remember the name of the Invincible Immortal Dragon," she said quietly. "So what is your name, kid?"

"Rick Lee..." I croaked, my vision blurring completely. "I will not die..."

The young Tina stood frozen in the alleyway, watching the lonely, swaying back of the sad boy—no, the back of Rick Lee. For the very first time in her life, she felt a profound sense of sadness for a dying person.

One week later, right in front of Star High School.

Pfft! Tina completely sprayed a mouthful of water straight out of her bottle because she thought she was looking at an actual ghost.

Shambling through the main entrance with thick white bandages wrapped all over his face and arms, a scrawny freshman slowly and painfully made his way toward his classroom. The light of life was still completely lost in his eyes, but he was upright.

When Tina originally looked into the boy's identity and realized he was the son of that specific man from the bank, she was genuinely amazed. She couldn't comprehend how both father and son managed to persist against such impossible odds.

Tina stepped directly in front of the battered boy, forcing him to halt. He stopped, staring blankly straight into her gold eyes before speaking.

"Can I help you?" I asked, my voice weak. "Sorry, I don't think I know you."

"Did you save Mary?" she demanded.

A tiny flicker of awareness hit my eyes. "She is fine... Do you actually know Mary?"

Tina simply shook her head and walked past me without another word. As she moved away from the crowd, she mumbled under her breath.

"I'll be damned. He actually walked twenty full blocks, saved his sister, and survived. I have never been wrong about a person's limits before today. Then grow for me, little Dragon. Dance for this Phoenix."

Back in the present, inside the walk-in closet, Tina kept her eyes locked on Rick's as she finished the story...

The realization hit hard. The memory of a random classmate asking about Mary years ago finally clicked into place. It had been such a strange encounter, but it had been ignored and forgotten in the chaos of that time.

While his mind was occupied processing this revelation, Tina leaned forward and kissed him. Backed against the closet wall and caught off guard by the history she had just shared, Rick's reaction was delayed.

His hands moved to her shoulders, intending to create space, but he paused for a fleeting second. Sensing that momentary lapse in his resolve, she leaned in closer before abruptly pulling back. She looked at him with an intensity that matched the legend she had just described.

"You will not die... You are the Immortal Dragon. And... I am going to marry you."

Without waiting for his response, she turned and walked out of the closet, leaving him standing alone in the quiet space.

The shock of the proposal and the revealed history left Rick trying to make sense of what had just occurred.