Unlike Other Women

Especially with Edmond's hand massaging her stiff back, Lily felt her whole body relax. As she settled down, exhaustion seeped into every part of her being.

Lily fell asleep in Edmond's arms. Edmond held her hand in his, staring down at the white bandage, his handsome face clouded with worry. Franklin glanced at the rearview mirror, quickly looking away and turning his face towards the window. A streetlight flickered, casting the road ahead into uncertain darkness.

The car drove into Hua Spring Mansion. Edmond carried the sleeping Lily back to her room, gently wiped her body, changed her into pajamas, and tucked her in before heading downstairs. Franklin hadn't left yet.

Uncle Edmond had said he needed to ask him something, so Franklin waited in the living room. Edmond came down and led him to the wine cellar on the basement level, where they sat at the bar drinking.

Franklin assumed Edmond would ask about Lily's grudge against the Jian family, but instead, Edmond said, "I want Lily to have feelings for me. Can you give me some advice?"

Lily had been through so much tonight, yet she hadn't thought of him. Edmond felt an overwhelming sense of frustration. It was the third time now—first with Aria, then with Franklin, and now her own issues. She never considered seeking his help first. He felt increasingly sidelined.

Franklin, who had a closer relationship with Lily than he did, might have some useful insights. "You want my advice?" Franklin was stunned. Seeing that Uncle Edmond was serious, he calmed down and asked, "Uncle Edmond, when did you start liking Lily?"

Recently, Franklin had sensed that Uncle Edmond definitely had feelings for Lily. But how long had they been married? It couldn't be feelings developed after marriage; it had to have been before.

Edmond downed half a glass of wine, his stern eyes filled with rare wistfulness. "A long time ago. If I had to pinpoint it, it was the day Lily saved my life."

To this day, he couldn't fully describe the feeling. When his car was hit and rolled over, flames licking the underside, he thought he was going to die. In those moments, he thought of many things. And he thought of Lily.

At fourteen, he had been brought to the Zhou family. Under the guise of protection, the old master ignored him, allowing him to be ostracized. His life was hard. Lily often visited the Zhou family to see Royce, who, along with his mother, disliked Edmond, so she usually kept her distance from him too.

But Lily was too kind-hearted. When everyone else shunned him, she slipped him candy. When he had a fever and no one cared, she bought him medicine. When he was locked in the warehouse without food, she slipped him bread. She feared being caught, always sneaking around, never letting him know, passing things through the window or under the door.

She thought he didn't know, but he saw everything. Eventually, he intentionally left the window open, the door unlocked.

In his final moments, he thought of her, just wishing he could thank her. After all, in that emotionless Zhou household, she, an outsider, had given him warmth.

Just as regret was about to take him, a blurry figure appeared, running towards him, getting closer and closer... That day, Lily, running towards him through fire and wind, Edmond would remember forever. He really would.

"I was just moved at first, never thought I could be with her. Just wanted her to be happy. If Royce treated her well, I could keep my distance." At the bar, Edmond downed the rest of his wine. "But I married her. It's my honor. I should be content, but I'm greedy. I want her to have feelings for me, to like me a little."

Franklin didn't know how to respond. "Making Lily like you is difficult."

Lily's twenty-year relationship with Royce had been trampled on. She probably didn't believe in love anymore and wouldn't fall for anyone else.

Edmond understood what he meant. "That's why I'm asking for your help. You know her well, have lots of ideas."

Franklin felt stuffy and grabbed some ice from the fridge, tossing two cubes into his drink. After gulping it down, he felt calmer. "There is a way—fight poison with poison."

Edmond's eyes lit up. "How?"

Franklin explained, "Her issue stems from Royce. Use Royce to cure her. In short, pursue her by stepping over Royce."

Edmond didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

Franklin explained at length, finally raising one finger. "First step, find a reason for Auntie to join you for lunch at the office whenever she's free. I'll create opportunities for her to meet Royce."

Edmond frowned, exasperated. "Are you helping me or giving Royce a chance to win her back?"

Franklin replied, "If you trust me, don't question my method. Lily isn't like other women. This reverse approach is the only way to win her over."

Edmond: "..."

That night, Edmond stayed at the Jian residence half an hour longer. Lily didn't know what he discussed with Brooks or what Brooks and Layla told him. When he returned, he didn't ask her anything—why she lost control, why she specifically went to smash the family photo. It was as if that night never happened. Lily didn't bring it up either.

She was grateful for his silence. If he had pressed her for answers, she wouldn't know how to explain.

Perhaps it was her outburst that night or Edmond's intimidation. Brooks hadn't mentioned her birthday, nor had he contacted her for a week. On the Dragon Boat Festival, he transferred her several large sums of money, totaling eight figures, and for the first time, sent a message to cover it up.

Brooks: [Wishing our little princess a successful grand opening, smooth sailing, prosperity, and boundless fortune. Daddy loves you.] Using the pretense of celebrating her new business, he found some idioms in the dictionary to embellish it, a typical Jian family tactic.

Lily's perspective had changed since returning from abroad. If this had been before, she would have refused and gone back to make a scene, perhaps even tearing the roof off. Now, she thought it foolish to reject money. She had vented and calmed down; there was no need to oppose money.

So, she accepted it. Layla and Leopold also transferred money to her, wishing her business success, and she accepted it all. Leopold even sent a limited-edition bag on Zoya's behalf, which she also accepted.

Yes, she was that money-minded.

On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, many people sent gifts for her business opening. Edmond sent a car, Franklin a camera, Alistair a painting, Yu Cheng and the others flower baskets, Nayla a green plant, the old master an antique ornament, and even Karina sent two large flower baskets... Most of the Zhou family members she had met during the Lantern Festival sent gifts out of respect for Edmond, except for Royce's family.

While helping her register the gifts, Aria commented, "They have no manners. We're family now; they could have at least sent a flower basket. It wouldn't cost much. Royce's stinginess runs in the family; Nadia's pettiness is just as bad."

Lily didn't care; she wasn't interested. What bothered her was the feng shui master.

She had paid a high price for a master to calculate her auspicious date, who said the Dragon Boat Festival was the start of a new journey for her, costing her two limited-edition bags. Despicable! A charlatan! No new journey, no change in fortune.

Since the studio opened, business was sparse. She had taken many photos and entered various competitions, but none gained attention. Her Weibo account also saw no activity. In short, all metrics were stagnant.

Just as she was about to put out a warrant for that charlatan, Aria reviewed all her recent photos and, after two days of hesitation, finally spoke up. "Lily, is it possible that there's something wrong with your photos? I think your recent works... lack soul."

After analyzing each photo, Aria finally slammed the table. "Lily, it's time to pivot. Stop focusing only on landscapes. Let's move into the fashion industry. You're great at photographing people, and I have connections in the fashion world. We can carve out a path for you."

Initially, Lily had been an animal photographer.