Chapter 15

And yet, she could find no legitimate reason to lose her temper at him. The whole situation pissed her off. The only reason she was even sitting on this plane to Washington was because Xia Lin lured her on with enticing food recipes.

~~~

"Lily, you're going the wrong way. Over here." Shu Kori reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her away from Xia Lin and towards him.

Lily raised her eyebrows at his ever-smiling face and narrowed her eyes. Shu Kori hadn't spent all his time around women for nothing. He let go of her hand with an insurmountable level of grace and smiled apologetically. "They're going to get Zhong Ni's race car. They have some things to take care of. You'll be safer with me."

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Lily had figured some things out from Shu Kori in the last couple days. Su Luo was from the reigning gang in San Francisco, which also happened to be one of the highest-ranking gangs in the United States. The Di Clan had a lot of power, but consequently, also a lot of enemies. The title of King Racer was apparently extremely sought after due to the significance of the position, and every participating gang had its eyes on the prize. Zhong Ni would be safer with Su Luo, who was familiar with the way the underworld worked.

Shu Kori's words convinced Lily to follow him. Life, of course, was precious. Lily had no intentions of joining them in battle. After all, she had just recently gained her freedom.

~~~

The sky had begun to darken by the time the others finished whatever things they had to take care of. Originally, Zhong Ni, Su Luo, and the rest had intended on staying indoors for safety reasons, but when Lily decided she couldn't stay cooped up anymore, they ended up following her out.

They were currently in Chinatown — or, according to Lily, "anywhere where Chinese people live."

"Delicious," Lily exclaimed as she grabbed a dumpling that was just served to them in the restaurant they were in. The arrival of food made her grin.

Shu Kori laughed while putting more freshly made dumplings on Lily's plate. "Your sense of smell is like a dog's. It astounds me that you smelled this restaurant from so far away."

Lily had ended up at this place after strolling through Chinatown. The Chinese decorations and vibes the area exuded filled her with a kind of happiness that made her grin from ear to ear. Her excitement prompted Shu Kori to join her amusement, occasionally tossing out interesting information like a tour guide. He seemed more aware of Chinese history despite having been born in the States, as opposed to Lily, who had been born in China.

Zhong Ni ate two dumplings and said with a grimace, "This tastes awful."

Lily rolled her eyes at him. White boy, she thought. Don't eat it if you don't like it, but don't talk smack about Chinese food.

Xia Lin laughed. "Keep your opinions to yourself," she warned him, "otherwise Lily will kill you."

Zhong Ni had never witnessed Lily flipping out over food, but Shu Kori had. "Shut up, man," he joked. "Asians are in the majority over here."

Zhong Ni scrunched his face, mumbling. "I can't piss y'all off, but I can hide."

Everyone started laughing.

"Don't tease him," Su Luo chortled. "These dumplings really aren't as good as Xia Lin's."

Xia Lin and Shu Kori smiled, but said nothing. Lily's taste was really something. The dumplings were quite authentic, but truly could not even begin to compare with Xia Lin's. The fact that Lily was able to eat to such satisfaction was the source of everyone's bemusement.

She was, however, well aware that the reason she loved the dumplings was because of their strong, authentic taste. They possessed the same aroma as Xia Lin's dumplings. Lily was not a picky eater; all she sought was this taste of home.

After everyone had eaten to their hearts' content, the group got up to leave. However, the moment Wun Sen and Zhong Ni stepped foot outside the restaurant, a gunshot sounded.

Lily's body moved to the side instinctually, but Shu Kori was faster. In a flash, she found herself pressed against the restaurant's door. Immediately, another round of shots sounded out, followed by screaming. Lily furrowed her brows and shuffled her body in an attempt to peer through the door crack.

"Don't be afraid, everything is okay," a low voice breathed in her ear. Lily felt Shu Kori's arms tighten around her, making it impossible for her to move. She paused for a moment, startled.

This was the first time someone had protected her.

After a seemingly long while, she grit her teeth. "Let go of me," she demanded. "I'm fine. Let me go see."

Shu Kori heard no shake in her voice, nor was there any trace of fear. He couldn't help turning his head to look at her. The woman in his arms stared back at him with calm, clear eyes that carried a hint of curiosity. He scrunched his eyebrows.

Feeling Shu Kori's hold loosen, Lily turned around immediately and peered through the door crack. She could see people screaming all around, crouching or crawling towards safety.