Chapter Six: The Essence of Brotherly Devotion

In truth, Rachel Liu was somewhat surprised. She had never encountered anyone seeking her help before, and the sensation was… well, rather complicated. She hesitated; after all, she couldn't possibly agree without a second thought—there was always a process of consideration. Minhyuk Ryu and Won Kim exchanged a glance, worry evident in the man's eyes. Looking closely, the once-dashing gentleman had become a haggard, weary figure. Won Kim thought to himself that this friend must have truly exhausted him.

"Alright," Rachel finally said, unable to let the two men wait awkwardly any longer—besides, this was indeed a moment to lend a helping hand.

Minhyuk visibly relaxed, a grateful smile breaking through. "Thank you," he said.

The three ate breakfast downstairs. Minhyuk only managed a hurried bowl of porridge and a steamed bun before jotting down the hospital address and room number on a piece of paper for Rachel. He looked utterly drained, his eyes bloodshot, as he headed upstairs.

After Minhyuk left, only Rachel and Won remained. They were much more familiar now, so there was no awkwardness between them.

Rachel asked, "It's that woman we saved last time, isn't it?"

Won nodded. "I think so." He noticed Rachel's small dish of kimchi was empty and brought her another. "I didn't recognize her that day either, but Minhyuk called to say her name is Yinying Eun, the daughter of actress Soo-jin Shin."

Rachel shrugged, indicating she didn't know her. Won continued, "Minhyuk said her fiancé cheated on her, so she's been quite unstable emotionally."

Normally, he wouldn't have shared this, but if he hadn't, Rachel's trip to the hospital would have been pointless.

Yet, the moment Won mentioned 'cheated,' he noticed Rachel freeze.

He paused, wondering if he'd said something wrong.

But the girl across from him soon resumed eating as if nothing had happened, making him almost think he'd imagined it.

Cheating? Fiancé?

Rachel nearly laughed out loud—so like Kim Tan.

But for a woman like Yinying Eun to be driven to attempt suicide, her relationship was probably nothing like the empty engagement between Rachel and Kim Tan. She smirked at herself—after all, how many people, tied together by the red string of marriage, spent every waking moment trying to break free from it, as they did?

But Won probably didn't know yet that his "precious" brother had fallen in love with someone else.

Feeling a little lost, Rachel finished a bun in a few bites, wiped her hands, and asked, "By the way, oppa, when will you be going back?"

"Why don't I wait and return with you?" The answer came without hesitation, as if he'd already decided. In fact, he'd planned to leave the next day—his ticket was booked before the trip. But now, with Rachel helping Minhyuk, he couldn't just leave her here alone.

Rachel nodded. "Alright, let's book for three days from now."

School was about to start, and she still had after-school classes to attend. She couldn't afford to delay, or else she and her mother would erupt into another battle.

After breakfast, Rachel returned to her room to change. The T-shirt she'd washed last night was dry. She bought a pair of pants for twenty yuan at the shop downstairs—they fit well enough. Her shoes were still those old canvas ones, and she donned a large, frilly sunhat. After tidying up, she was ready to go; Won was waiting for her at the door. Ji-eun Han was still asleep.

Rachel closed the door. "I'll go by myself, oppa. No need to walk me out."

"Alright." Won studied her outfit, a soft smile tugging at his lips.

This was the seventeen-year-old Rachel Liu—youthful and lively, like a little sister, absolutely adorable.

For some reason, a feeling of brotherly affection washed over him, and he couldn't think of a word to describe how he felt.

"Sister complex, perhaps," Young-jae Lee chimed in at just the right moment.

The movie star, still wearing his deep-V blue T-shirt, appeared beside Won, watching him gaze after Rachel as she entered the elevator, grinning mischievously. "Fallen for your sister, have you?"

This time, Won didn't brush him off with his usual cool indifference; he actually smiled. "Don't be ridiculous; she's my brother's fiancée."

Young-jae snorted. "Your brother, huh? Honestly, you'd be better off dealing with him sooner rather than later."

Won said nothing.

Young-jae had filming to do, while Won, with nothing in particular on his agenda, had come to China to unwind. He thought he'd kill some time at the pool. But as he headed downstairs, he saw Rachel hesitate on the sidewalk across the street.

Won guessed she was unsure which bus to take—this place was unfamiliar to her, after all. He intended to go over and help, but before he could step out the revolving door, someone dashed past him, quickly hooking their arm through Rachel's.

All he could do was stand aside, watching as the two girls hailed a cab and drove off.

Beside him, Young-jae Lee broke into undisguised laughter.

Rachel had noticed Won following her out, but at that moment, she received a call from Ji-eun Han, who asked if she wanted company. Rachel considered it—going to the hospital alone in a foreign country where language was a barrier felt daunting—so she stayed put, waiting for Ji-eun.

Thus, she and Won ended up facing each other across the street.

Ji-eun, meanwhile, still assumed Won was Rachel's boyfriend. Although Rachel always denied it, Ji-eun was convinced he was still in pursuit. Watching the two gaze at each other across the bustling crowd, Ji-eun's imagination ran wild.

It seemed that by the time they returned to Seoul, she’d have the first thirty thousand words of her novel ready; after that, all she needed was a bit of melodrama.

Clinging to Rachel was also a way of gaining some romantic insight—she had no experience in love herself, after all.

"Where are we headed?" Ji-eun asked sleepily.

Rachel was speechless—her friend would probably help count the money if she were ever sold off. "To the hospital to see a friend. She attempted suicide."

She was concise. There was no need to hide it; Ji-eun would find out soon enough, and perhaps Ji-eun could offer more comfort than she could herself.

Sure enough, Ji-eun's eyes widened. In her world, there was no obstacle that couldn't be overcome; after even the worst day, a good night's sleep would set things right.

For a moment, she was at a loss for words and simply sat quietly in the car.

Minhyuk had written the hospital’s address and room number on a slip of paper, so finding the place wasn’t difficult.

But the ward… both Rachel and Ji-eun found it odd.

The hospital was as crowded as a train station, but after asking directions, they were led to a remote, almost neglected part of the building that felt like the inpatient ward for the destitute.

Even Ji-eun sensed something was off.

Rachel remembered Minhyuk mentioning at breakfast that Yinying didn't want to go home because her family suffocated her—so she’d come to China alone. After her suicide attempt, she hadn’t contacted her family; the only person in her contacts was Minhyuk, and that was a coincidence from their meeting at the hotel.

"We're here," Ji-eun said, pointing to the number on the door.

Rachel steadied herself. Truthfully, she was a little frightened too.

But Ji-eun squeezed her hand, offering a gentle, reassuring smile. Her dimples made her look irresistibly sweet.

"Let's go in," she said.

Compassionate to a fault, Ji-eun couldn't turn away from a fellow countrywoman attempting suicide abroad, even if she was just a friend of a friend. She had to check in.

It was at that moment Rachel realized Ji-eun seemed older, more like a big sister. Rachel smiled faintly and pushed open the door.

But the room was empty.

No one?

They exchanged glances, just as a doctor hurried over.

"Are you friends of Ms. Yinying Eun? She's downstairs, signing discharge papers," the doctor said anxiously. "Try to persuade her to return to Korea for treatment."

As the doctor led Rachel and Ji-eun downstairs, he explained that while Yinying's mental state was indeed troubled, it wasn't severe. Communication was difficult, making treatment harder, and she refused to contact her family, which complicated matters further.

Downstairs, they found Yinying talking with another doctor. She was beautiful, with a delicate, angular chin from being so thin, her entire face small and fragile, though it lacked vitality—she looked utterly forlorn.

Rachel hesitated, but Ji-eun spoke first, "Hello, Yinying. We're… uh…"

"We're friends of Minhyuk Ryu," Rachel stepped forward, finishing the introduction.

At the sound of familiar Korean, Yinying finally relaxed. She still looked pale, but not like someone who had lost all hope in life. Had she really tried to kill herself? Rachel was confused.

"I’m just discharging myself," Yinying said, embarrassed. "You don't need to worry about me, I'm fine." After all, these two girls were strangers and seemed much younger than herself.

The doctor interjected, "You need to be careful about the memory issues caused by your near-drowning. You said you fainted before falling in, right?"

Yinying nodded.

"Your blood pressure is too low," the doctor said. "Stop dieting so hard and eat a balanced diet."

So it wasn’t a suicide attempt after all.

Perhaps Rachel had only seen Yinying walk into the lake that day—not intending to die. But none of it mattered anymore; with Yinying being discharged, the three of them decided to go straight to the hotel. But another problem arose—the hotel refused to let Yinying check in.

It was understandable, given that Yinying had "attempted suicide" there. They processed her checkout and handed her luggage over.

Under the blazing sun, Yinying, carrying her travel bag, set off to find another hotel. Rachel wanted to call Minhyuk, but Yinying stopped her. They weren’t really close, and she already felt guilty about inconveniencing him so much.

So Ji-eun, without giving her a chance to refuse, grabbed Yinying’s luggage. "Rachel and I will help you find a hotel!"

Rachel could only sigh. Could she not be included in this?

Fortunately, hotels in the area were easy to find. In less than half an hour, Yinying had checked in elsewhere. After dropping off her things, the three girls decided to have lunch. But as soon as they stepped outside, they ran into Young-jae Lee.

"Hi, girls!" Young-jae removed his sunglasses and flashed a dazzling smile.

Wow, three beauties at once—what a lucky day.

Rachel wanted nothing to do with him, brushing past with a frosty expression. Honestly, this was her true nature—why had she been playing the role of the ever-helpful good Samaritan ever since arriving in China?

Young-jae said, "Won called—he’s made a reservation for lunch. I’ll take you there, since we’ve run into each other."

He smiled, looking particularly endearing. His little eyes twinkled, and Ji-eun blushed faintly.

When Rachel realized Won had made the reservation, she stopped in her tracks. She double-checked her phone, finally believing Young-jae's story.

Young-jae pouted. "Ah… a little heartbroken."

Ji-eun just snorted.

The restaurant was nearby, so the four of them walked. Yinying recognized Young-jae—her mother was in the entertainment industry, after all—and was too astonished to speak.

But the surprises didn't stop.

"Is that Young-jae Lee? It's him, isn't it?"

"Wow, he’s so handsome!"

"I heard he’s here filming—must be him!"

No matter where you are, fans are wild. Young-jae had taken off his sunglasses and hadn’t hired a car, so it was no surprise that teenage girls recognized him on the street.

As usual, Young-jae made a run for it, but at least he had the decency to grab the girl beside him—Ji-eun Han. (Rachel and Yinying had been slightly behind them anyway.)

"Hey, what's with that look of disgust?" Young-jae complained.

Ji-eun didn’t hesitate to kick him.

Meanwhile, Rachel and Yinying were left behind and quickly surrounded.

"Are you stars too? You’re both so pretty!"

"Your skin is amazing!"

"Have you had cosmetic surgery…?"

Rachel finally extricated herself from the crowd and, seeing Yinying still trapped, pulled her free and dashed into an office building’s restroom.

Both girls were left panting, Rachel practically grinding her teeth.

Her trip to China was turning out to be nothing short of breathtaking.

But Yinying, catching her breath, burst out laughing—she couldn't stop.

Rachel straightened up, intending to check outside, when the restroom door was pounded loudly. Someone called out.

She didn’t understand, nor did she respond. The next moment, the door was locked.

"…Hey!"