The ride back to the Li family estate was tense, with an uncomfortable silence that filled the space between Suyin and her father. The car's luxurious interior did nothing to soothe her burning rage. Suyin stared out of the tinted window, her jaw clenched so tightly it ached. The image of Jin Hu, standing victorious with that smug expression, replayed in her mind like a taunting echo.
Her father sat beside her, rubbing his temples in frustration. He had seen Suyin's outbursts before, but tonight, she had gone too far, and it hadn't even worked. The Li family's reputation had taken a blow, and worse yet, Jin Hu had taken the amulet which was an artifact of critical importance.
The car pulled up to the grand gates of their estate, and as soon as the driver opened the door, Suyin stormed out, her high heels clicking angrily against the cobblestone driveway. She didn't wait for her father; she charged into the house, throwing open the massive double doors, her rage barely contained.
"Suyin!" Her father's voice was sharp behind her, but she ignored him, heading straight to the grand staircase.
"Stop right there!" he commanded.
She froze halfway up the stairs, turning around slowly to face him. Her face was flushed with anger, her eyes wild with fury. "You have SOME nerve!, Father. You wanted me to win that ridiculous amulet, and for what? So I could get humiliated by that cold-hearted bastard Jin Hu in front of half the city? One billion yuan, Father! Do you realize how much of a fool I looked like?"
Her father's face darkened. "Suyin, you don't understand—"
"Understand what?" she interrupted, descending the stairs with a haughty, almost predatory grace. "That you sent me into a war I wasn't prepared for? That you made me look like an idiot while you did nothing? What could possibly be so important about that STUPID amulet? Why didn't you just outbid him?"
Mr. Li took a deep breath, trying to control his own temper. "This is bigger than just money or reputation, Suyin."
Suyin laughed bitterly. "Bigger than reputation? In this family? Everything is about reputation, Father. What's so special about this trinket that I had to get humiliated for it?"
Her father stared at her for a long moment, as if weighing whether she was ready to hear the truth. Finally, he spoke, his voice grave.
"The amulet… it's connected to you, Suyin. To your future."
Suyin blinked, momentarily thrown off by the seriousness in his tone. "What are you talking about?"
Mr. Li gestured toward the study at the end of the hallway. "Come. There are things you need to know, things your mother and I have kept from you until now."
Suyin hesitated, but curiosity which mingled with the remnants of her anger compelled her to follow. She had never seen her father this serious, this intense. It was unnerving.
Inside the study, her father shut the door behind them. The room was dimly lit, with shelves lined with ancient texts and artifacts that Suyin had never bothered to pay attention to. Her father crossed the room, pulling out a heavy book from one of the shelves. The leather was worn, and the pages looked centuries old.
He placed it on the desk and opened it to a page filled with drawings of dragons coiled, fierce, powerful. Suyin frowned, looking at him, confused.
"Father, what is this? Why are you showing me—"
"Suyin, you are not just an ordinary person," Mr. Li interrupted, his voice low and steady. "Our family carries the bloodline of the dragons, a legacy that has been passed down through generations. You… you are half-dragon."
Suyin's heart skipped a beat. She stared at her father, expecting him to laugh or reveal this as some kind of expensive joke. But his face was deadly serious.
She blinked, shaking her head. "What? No. No, that's—Father, that's ridiculous. Dragons? Bloodlines? This sounds like some ancient myth. What are you talking about?"
"You're not just some pampered heiress, living off of luxury," her father said sternly. "You are the descendant of the Imugi, a creature that has waited for generations to ascend to its full dragon form. And when you come of age, your powers will awaken."
Suyin stared at her father in disbelief, the weight of his words sinking in. "An Imugi? Dragons? You have really got to be kidding me…"
Mr. Li flipped through the pages, revealing more detailed illustrations of dragons, surrounded by ancient symbols. "This is not a myth. The Li family has always been protectors of a great power. And you, Suyin… you are destined for something far greater than you ever imagined."
Suyin's chest tightened, a strange feeling of unease creeping into her. "No. This can't be real. I've never—"
"You've never shown signs," her father said, cutting her off. "Because you are not of age yet. But your 21st birthday is tomorrow, and when it comes, your dragon powers will awaken. You will no longer be just the spoiled daughter of a billionaire family. You will become a force of nature, one of the few remaining descendants of the ancient dragons."
Suyin took a step back, shaking her head. "This is insane. Powers? Dragons? Why are you telling me this now?"
Mr. Li sighed, his expression softening for the first time. "Because the time is coming, Suyin. You need to be prepared. You have a destiny that you cannot escape."
"Destiny?!" Suyin practically spat the word out. "You mean to tell me that all this time, my whole life, you've been grooming me for something like this and never said a word? I'm supposed to just accept this?"
"It's not just about you, Suyin," her father said firmly. "This is about our family's legacy. You are the last hope to protect our bloodline. The chosen shaman is out there, someone who is destined to destroy us."
Suyin laughed, a cold, disbelieving sound. "And let me guess… I'm supposed to kill them? What, I'm going to transform into some dragon warrior and hunt down this Shaman like some kind of fantasy novel?"
Her father's eyes darkened. "Yes."
Suyin froze. She could see it in his face that he wasn't joking. This wasn't some elaborate prank or test. He was dead serious.
"And the amulet?" she asked, her voice quieter now, laced with confusion.
"The Dragon Amulet is tied to your awakening. It was supposed to help control the immense power you will have," Mr. Li explained, his voice grim. "Without it… things may be more difficult."
Suyin collapsed into the chair behind her, her mind spinning. All her life, she had lived in a bubble of wealth and privilege, thinking she was untouchable. Now, she was being told she had a destiny, a destiny that involved dragons, powers, and some ancient enemy.
"This… this is too much," she whispered, her hands trembling. "I don't want this."
Mr. Li's voice softened. "I know this is hard to accept, Suyin, but it's the truth. You were never meant to have an ordinary life. You are meant for something greater."
She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of anger, fear, and disbelief. "I didn't ask for this."
"No one asks for their fate," he said gently. "But you can't run from it."
Suyin clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "And what about Jin Hu? Does he know about this?"
Her father's eyes narrowed. "The Hu family… they've always been our enemies. Jin Hu's role in this is still unclear, but we cannot afford to focus on them until we have found the Shaman. Not now."
Suyin's rage flared again, fueled by this revelation. Jin Hu had humiliated her tonight.
"Well, Father," she said, her voice dripping with venom, "if I'm supposed to be this all-powerful half-dragon, then I'll make sure Jin Hu regrets ever crossing me. I'll make him pay."
Her father watched her, a hint of concern in his eyes. "Suyin, this isn't about revenge—"
"For me, it is," she snapped, standing up abruptly. "I'll deal with my destiny. But Jin Hu? He's going to wish he never met me."
With that, she stormed out of the study, her mind racing with a thousand conflicting emotions.