Chapter 206 He Is a Peerless Good Brother
Lily regarded the strikingly handsome features before her, utterly unmoved by Peter’s words.
She knew all too well how much Peter relished performing—both on stage and in life.
With a genial smile, Peter leaned in and murmured, “I’ve heard your team is in need of sponsorship. Let me help you. Just play along, all right?”
Lily had no desire whatsoever to cooperate.
Yet Peter’s grip on her shoulder was unyielding, feigning an affectionate closeness as he ushered her inside.
She noticed, to her dismay, that there were media photographers present. Clearly, Peter had orchestrated every detail in advance.
Were they anywhere else, Lily would never have gone along with his charade.
But here, at the team’s base, any scene she caused would only cast a shadow over her teammates.
After all, Peter was a celebrity—he’d changed his stage name at debut and had never exposed any information about his family.
What was his true intention now?
Lily was uncertain.
Turning to the cameras, Peter addressed them with practiced ease, “Everyone’s been curious about the injury on my face—it was my sister who gave it to me. We’ve been sparring in boxing lately, and she’s improved so much that even I, her older brother, can’t beat her anymore.”
In public, Peter always wore the mask of the warm, doting brother.
Predictably, his fans expressed their envy at Lily’s good fortune in having such a sibling.
Lily’s expression remained stony.
Suddenly, a voice called out to her, “Your brother treats you so well, even going out of his way to boost your popularity and secure sponsorships. Why the sour face?”
Lily looked up to see Samantha and Sophie among the fans.
So Samantha was a Peter fan?
Sophie chimed in, “Lily, why not smile? Anyone would think you resent Peter.”
Lily’s fingers curled into a fist—how exasperating.
Peter turned his head toward her, his voice lowered to a near whisper, “Just cooperate, will you? It’s for your own good, isn’t it?”
But she had never asked for any of this.
It was always the same—compensation on their terms, according to their own designs.
"Why should Lily cooperate with family members who aren't good to her? She's already cut ties with her family. Everyone should know about this."
A girl wearing a baseball cap stepped forward.
The sight of her brought a sudden sting to Lily’s eyes—it was Violet, the class president.
Sophie was visibly startled to encounter an old classmate.
Peter’s gaze chilled, though his expression remained unchanged. “I only learned of this recently. It’s true that my sister and the family had a serious falling out. But in my heart, she will always be my sister—irreplaceable.”
Violet pointed at Sophie. “And what about her? You always treated your adopted sister better than Lily.”
At the mention of her adoption, Sophie bit her lip, her eyes reddening—she loathed any reference to her origins.
Tears welling, she protested, “Violet, we were classmates once. I know you and Lily have always been close, but you can’t just say such things. Our brothers have always treated us equally.”
“Is that so? Then why, when you were all ill, did Lily have to fetch meals and run errands? Why, when Lily had stellar SAT scores, was she forced to decline Empire City University’s offer and attend a lesser school with you? Who would want such ‘fairness’?”
Violet knew better than anyone what had transpired during those three years of high school.
A hush fell over the crowd; even the reporters were stunned by this revelation.
Peter’s face darkened. He leaned in and spoke in a low voice to Lily, “Your friend is loyal, but she shouldn’t have aired all this in public. Tell me, should I teach her a lesson?”
“Don’t you dare lay a hand on her.” Lily was well aware of Peter’s methods.
His smile only grew brighter. “Then you’d better explain yourself, or your friend will find herself in trouble.”
Lily clenched her jaw, glancing at Violet across the way.
She was deeply grateful for Violet’s stand, but she could not let her suffer for it.
She forced a smile and spoke, “It’s true those things happened, but none of it was Peter’s doing—he’s always treated me well.”
Peter’s smile widened, and he murmured, “That’s more like it.”
After a brief period interacting with fans, Peter concluded the meet-and-greet and slipped away through the back of the base.
With his departure, the fans dispersed as well.
Samantha hurried off in pursuit of her idol, while Sophie cast Lily a jealous glare—she had never expected Peter to come out to boost Lily’s popularity.
It made no sense—she had already sown discord between Peter and Lily at the banquet.
Something felt off to Sophie; she resolved to seek Peter out for answers.
Once the crowd had dispersed, Lily approached Violet. “What brings you here?”
“I was at the finals, too. When I heard you’d become captain of Empire Team, I knew I had to come see you. I never expected to walk into all that, but I couldn’t just stand by.”
“Why didn’t you message me first?” Lily asked.
Violet smiled shyly. “I felt a bit awkward, honestly.”
After all, in high school, she and Lily hadn’t been especially close—only later had their friendship blossomed.
Violet still felt guilty for having once participated in Lily’s isolation, and had always been too ashamed to reach out.
“There’s no need to feel awkward. Let me introduce you to the team. Didn’t you once say you wanted to visit Empire Team?”
Seeing an old friend lifted Lily’s spirits considerably.
Violet, however, looked worried. “What’s Peter trying to do now, using moral pressure against you?”
She had witnessed Peter’s treatment of Lily before—even seen him strike her in the school infirmary.
He hardly seemed a good person, no matter how you looked at it.
Lily’s smile faded. “You know how he loves to play the doting brother in public. I suppose he just wants to explain away the bruise on his face.”
“Was it really you who hit him?”
Lily nodded. “Yes.”
Violet burst out laughing. “Good for you!”
Lily gave Violet a tour, introducing her to Zoey and Poppy.
Since Violet rarely had the chance to visit, Lily decided to treat everyone to dinner that evening.
After training, Lily and Violet left campus together, but Lily noticed a business van idling by the curb.
She hesitated, pretending not to see it.
But her phone rang—it was Peter.
She knew if she ignored his call, he would not let the matter rest.
Stepping aside, she answered, “What is it?”
“Get in the car. I have something to discuss with you.”
“I’m going to dinner with friends. If you have something to say, say it now.”
Peter’s tone was edged with impatience. “I’ll say this once more: get in the car. Unless you want your friends to have problems.”
Lily tightened her grip on the phone, glancing at the van.
In the end, she asked Zoey and Poppy to take Violet to the restaurant ahead of her, promising to join them soon.
She turned and boarded the van.
Inside, she found not only Peter, but Sophie as well—her head bowed, as if she had been crying.
Peter patted the seat beside him. “Lily, come sit.”
Lily remained where she was. “What do you want?”
“I know I went too far at the banquet yesterday, and I wronged you. But it was only because I was misled by Sophie.”
Lily was perplexed—what exactly was Peter up to?
Peter glanced at Sophie. “Come here and apologize to Lily.”
Reluctantly, Sophie stood. “Peter, I only did it for David and Michael’s project, I—ah!”
Peter struck her sharply across the face, leaving her cheek instantly red and swollen.