C15 Your Protector Is Starting Again

As she approached, she smiled brightly. “Brothers.” Her voice was cheerful. “Are you waiting for me?”

She looked stunning today. A long red dress, matching high heels and a calm confidence that naturally drew attention wherever she went.

For a moment, I just watched her. We aren’t even that important, I thought. So why does she look this happy just seeing us?

I nodded slightly. Chris, however, said nothing. Instead, he immediately asked, “How did you do it? Tell us quickly. We’ve been waiting.”

I tried not to laugh. So this is what admitting looks like when you deny it. Alicia smiled calmly. “My father made a few calls.” That was all she said.

Neither Chris or I fully understood what that meant, but we nodded anyway. “Thank you,” I said quietly. Chris followed after a moment. “Yeah… thanks.”

Alicia immediately waved her hand. “Come on, brothers. Don’t thank me.” “I’m just your younger sister looking out for you.” Then she added casually, “And besides… I was involved in it too.”

We all walked into the company together. But something felt different this time. The atmosphere. The stares. The silence from people who had been gossiping just yesterday. Everything had changed overnight.

We went back to our different departments and worked as usual.

When lunchtime arrived, Alicia came to our department. She knocked lightly before walking straight toward my desk.

My colleagues were surprised to see such a beautiful woman coming directly to me. They had seen her around the company before but since she worked in a different department, all they could do was admire her from a distance.

Her formal dress perfectly outlined her elegant figure and her long hair was tied neatly into a knot.

Even Team Manager Josh looked surprised, but since it was lunchtime, everyone could only watch.

When I looked up, I saw Alicia standing in front of me. “Hey, Nerd. Time to eat. Let’s go.” I stared at her for a moment without responding.

Seeing that I was daydreaming, she spoke again. “Come on. Stop staring into space. Your Protector is already waiting for us.” I couldn’t help but laugh at the title.

“Protector?” Amused, I locked my screen, stood up and followed her outside. Today we decided not to go to the café. After what happened last time, none of us wanted to be photographed again.

Instead, we found a quiet spot outside and ate the lunches we had brought with us.

As we ate, Chris suddenly asked, “So, Alicia, are you really serious about wanting to team up with us? You don’t have any hidden intentions, right?”

The moment he asked that, I remembered how Alicia had called him “Protector” earlier. I laughed. As if she had read my thoughts, Alicia immediately said, “See? Your Protector is starting again.”

“Protector?” Chris repeated. His expression instantly darkened. “Who is protecting who exactly?” I laughed even harder.

Ignoring his complaint, Alicia answered his question. “No, I don’t have any bad intentions. Like I told you before, those rich young ladies always bore me.”

As they spoke, I remembered several questions that had been bothering me. Chris seemed to have the same idea.

“So,” he continued, “do you want to be our friend, or are you trying to become our younger sister?” Alicia’s eyes lit up. “Younger sister!”

I nearly choked on my food. Chris looked equally stunned. Trying to remain serious, I cleared my throat.

“Alicia, please don’t mind my curiosity. There are a few things I’ve been trying to understand.” Chris nodded. “Same here.”

Alicia smiled. “You two are very unpredictable. One moment you’re laughing, the next you’re acting serious.”

She pointed at me. “Go ahead, Nerd. Ask your questions. Just don’t make them technology-related. My brain is tired.” We all laughed.

I hurried to ask my question first. “The first time you approached us, you looked like a shy little girl. But now your tongue is sharper than a knife. Which one is the real Alicia?”

Chris nodded immediately. “Exactly. Mike even felt guilty after I rejected you because you looked like you were about to cry.”

Alicia blinked. A teasing smile appeared on her face. “So you felt guilty?” She leaned forward slightly. “Feeling guilty means you cared, right?”

Chris looked at me. I looked at Chris. Neither of us knew how to answer.

Chris finally spoke. “Don’t misunderstand us. Why do you always answer a question with another question?”

Alicia laughed softly. “I wasn’t shy. It was simply my first time approaching people like that. It took a lot of courage.”

“Then I got rejected before I could even introduce myself.” She pointed at Chris. “And your Protector here looks scary enough to make girls cry.”

We burst out laughing. “So you’re not shy?” I asked. “No.” She shook her head confidently.

“In my family, being shy is considered a weakness. Nobody is allowed to be weak. I hope that doesn’t sound like bragging.” We both shook our heads.

Then I asked the question that had been bothering me most. “Did you check our backgrounds before approaching us?”

Alicia looked confused. I continued. “We’re nowhere near your standard. We ride bicycles. You arrive in expensive cars.”

“We work hard to earn the little things we have, while you’re surrounded by luxuries that most people dream about.” “So why would someone like you want to be around people like us?”

Chris immediately joined in. “That’s what confuses me too.” “Most rich people treat us like trash. Just look at the Vice Director.” “So why are you willing to spend time with us?” Alicia became thoughtful.

After a few moments, she answered honestly. “Sometimes being rich blinds people.” “But those who worked hard to become rich rarely look down on others because they remember where they came from.”

She looked at her hands. “To be honest, my life feels empty.” “Every day somebody gives me something. Clothes. Jewelry. Bags. Money.”

“It’s like I’m just a vase waiting for someone else to fill it.” “I’m growing up now. I’ve realized that I can’t spend my whole life waiting for things to be handed to me.”

“That’s why I wanted to start from scratch.”

She smiled warmly. “So please, just treat me like a normal person. I’m not a goddess.”

Chris and I exchanged glances before nodding. I understood her explanation. Turning toward Chris, I said, “Brother, your turn.”

Chris didn’t waste any time. “Why are you always provoking me?” “If I accept you as my younger sister, I’ll probably die of heart disease.” I laughed. Alicia laughed too.

“Because you’re always acting tough.” “You keep trying to play the Protector role.” Chris coughed awkwardly. “There you go again.” Alicia smiled. “What’s your next question, Brother?”

The way she said “Brother” sounded strangely sweet. Chris looked irritated, but at the same time, I could tell he wasn’t completely against it. After all, he had never had a sister.

Finally, he asked, “Do you have a boyfriend?” Alicia nearly spat out her water.