STEAMY & BILLIONAIRE'S THIRSTY

On a strange street swept by a cold, bitter wind, a few sanitation workers in orange uniforms were busy cleaning up the road.

Not far from the school gates, a small cart was selling Swiss rolls, the sweet and sticky aroma drifting over.

Sunny sniffed the glutinous scent in the air and couldn't help but swallow. Her stomach felt like it was home to a little cat that scratched and clawed whenever it was hungry-completely restless.

Clutching her stomach, she walked up to the Swiss roll cart and pitifully said to the vendor, "I'd like one, please."

"Alrighty! Five dollars."

The vendor handed her a steaming hot Swiss roll.

Sunny hesitated for a moment, then pulled out the only bill she had left and handed it over.

The vendor turned the bill over a few times, frowning. "What kind of money is this? I've never seen it. Is it fake?"

"It's not fake," Sunny quickly explained. "Just... if you keep this bill for twenty years-no, ten years tops-it'll be usable, I promise."

The vendor gave her a strange look, as if she were crazy. But seeing her fair skin, clean and delicate features, she looked like some pampered daughter from a wealthy family-not exactly the scamming type.

In the end, he didn't take her money.

"Running away from home is not a good idea. Go back to your parents. They must be worried sick."

"Um... thank you!"

Sunny took the warm Swiss roll and leaned against a wall, devouring it in big bites.

This was her third day after being reborn. There was nothing cool or overpowered like in the novels. Right now, she was just starving-and surviving was already a problem.

That car accident had led to her rebirth. She thought she had traveled back to her own fifteen-year-old self-ready to study hard, ditch the spoiled rich-girl persona, learn some real skills. That way, when her dad eventually got screwed over and went bankrupt, she could actually help him instead of being useless.

But no... she didn't go back to her own fifteen. She went back to her dad's fifteen!

Chicago was still the same old Chicago. The streets were familiar, but not a single person here knew who Sunny was.

Because... she hadn't been born yet.

Sunny, as an unregistered, unborn "three-nothings" person, had wandered the streets of early-1950s Chicago for three days-experiencing, for the first time, what it really meant to beg for a living.

Even when her dad went bankrupt and she fell from being a rich girl to a penniless nobody, she'd never been this down and out.

If she couldn't find her young dad Lucas soon, she might actually starve to death on the street.

Sunny had asked around and made her way to Lucas's old school-Chicago No. 3 High School.

Chicago No. 3 High School was one of the oldest schools in the city. Even when Sunny was born, it was still up and running, and eventually became a national key high school.

Sunny had attended this school too. Her dad often talked about it-how it held the wild memories of his reckless youth.

Sunny had gagged many times over those words.

Now, standing in front of the school's green-painted gates that screamed vintage, she actually felt a bit excited.

How many of those unforgettable, shameful wild memories were hidden inside?

She waited outside the school for three days-and still didn't see a trace of Lucas.

"Excuse me," she asked a student, "Do you know Lucas?"

"You mean Master Lucas? He doesn't come to school much."

"Where could I find him, then?"

"Maybe on Entertainment Street, hanging with his gang. I'd advise you not to go there-it's a mess."

"..."

Still, Sunny chose to wait outside the school. She was in a very delicate situation-not exactly safe to wander around.

Three days at the school gate, and still no Lucas. Apparently, this "Master Lucas" skipping school was a regular thing.

Thinking of her future cold, strict, CEO dad, she just couldn't reconcile him with this wild delinquent people kept describing.

Sunny sat by the street, bored out of her mind, not noticing a few girls nearby staring at her.

She was pretty-especially that tiny waist, so slim it looked like you could wrap one hand around it. In her past life, she'd been crowned "campus goddess" her freshman year, turning countless nerds into fans.

Even now, at just fifteen, Sunny's beauty was enough to stir up jealousy-and that turned into instinctive hostility from the other girls.

"I heard she's here every day now."

"She keeps asking people about Lucas."

"Ugh, shameless. She's even hanging outside the school gates."

...

Sunny knew that teens from her dad's time were way more conservative-drawing lines between boys and girls, blushing just from eye contact.

Her bold, straightforward actions outside the school probably seemed scandalous to them. Plus, Lucas was extremely popular.

So yeah, she was basically a walking headline.

But what could she do? She was an unborn, undocumented nobody. She needed food.

Besides her dad, she had no one to turn to. She couldn't go to the police-they'd either toss her in a welfare home or a mental hospital.

She couldn't help overhearing the girls' gossip...

"She's so persistent, waiting every day. Doesn't she know Lucas already has a girlfriend? And she's the school beauty!"

Sunny's ears perked up. She listened carefully.

So Lucas already had a girlfriend? Could it be... her mom?

"Wait, I heard Amelia and Lucas already broke up."

"What? But weren't they super close? Amelia's gorgeous. They looked perfect together!"

"Just rumors, but apparently Amelia's been getting close to... him."

"Him who?"

"Alexander."

"..."

The girls went dead silent for half a minute.

"She's nuts. Why would she mess with him?"

"That guy gives me chills just thinking about him. So gloomy."

"Plus, he's poor. How's he supposed to support someone like Amelia?"

...

Sunny shivered at the name Alexander, cold sweat breaking out on her back.

Alexander-the future power player of Chicago, who would, after years of scheming, ruin her dad's business and step all over him.

She was terrified of him.

She didn't expect Alexander and Lucas-those two future enemies-to actually be high school classmates.

And based on the gossip, Lucas's school beauty girlfriend might've dumped him for Alexander?

"Shh! Quiet, Lucas is coming out!"

Sunny looked up and saw Lucas riding a motorcycle, followed by a group of rebellious-looking boys.

He wore a white shirt with the collar slightly open, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, showing off his tan arms.

His features were handsome and defined, but what really caught attention were his flirtatious, upturned peach blossom eyes-charming and wild.

Sunny had inherited those same eyes. People used to joke that both father and daughter were "born heartbreakers."

But seeing Lucas now, Sunny felt her dad was way more of a flirt than she ever was.

Lucas was the heartthrob of Chicago No. 3, a rich kid with style and charm, effortlessly drawing attention on the 1950s street.

Sunny couldn't believe that her future calm, composed dad was once this flashy.

As his bike passed by, she jumped forward and blocked his way.

Lucas slammed on the brakes. The tires screeched to a stop just half a meter away from her.

"Are you crazy? You trying to die?!"

Seeing her dad up close, and thinking of all her recent misery, Sunny's eyes welled up instantly.

The word "Dad" was right there on the tip of her tongue, thick with tears.

"You're crying now? You trying to scam me or something? If I really hit you, I'd be the one crying! Move!"

Sunny didn't budge, gripping the handlebars tightly.

"Oh, so you're not moving? Fine." Lucas pulled out his wallet and started flipping through bills. "I'm in a hurry. Name your price. How much for you to scram?"

He had all the arrogant energy of a spoiled rich brat.

His friend, Leo, patted him on the shoulder. "Don't be so harsh, man. She looks scared. It's probably not about the money."

He handed Sunny a dark handkerchief. "Here, kid. Wipe your face."

"Thanks, Uncle Leo, but I'm good."

Leo, ...

Uncle?

Sunny smoothly accepted the cash from Lucas, then grabbed his hand and started bawling. "Dad, Sunny's starving... I haven't eaten in two days. Please, be kind, give me a bit more!"

Lucas, ...

What the actual-?

They stared at each other for a moment. Lucas sighed and handed her a few more bills. Sunny sniffled and said, "It's not about the money, really. I need to tell you something important."

Lucas twitched. You scam me for money and now say it's not about the money?

Sunny suggested, "Let's go to a diner and sit down. I'll explain everything."

"Oh, so now you want a meal too? You've got no shame, huh?"

Sunny turned to Leo for support. "Uncle Leo, help me out here!"

Leo looked at her-just fourteen or fifteen, sweet, with delicate features, smooth brows, and long lashes wet with tears. She was incredibly endearing.

And, to be honest, she really did look a lot like Lucas.

Leo glanced at Sunny, then back at Lucas.

Lucas growled, "What are you staring at!"

Leo muttered, "Lucas... she looks just like you."

Lucas finally gave her a proper look. Sunny raised her chin and tucked her hair behind her ear to show off her full face-definitely his daughter, no doubt about it.

She had a soft, snowy face, and her earlobes were red from the cold.

Lucas, when agitated, also had red ears.

So now, between the two of them, four cherry-red earlobes were on full display. The resemblance was uncanny-not to mention the matching features.

Lucas's expression shifted slightly. He suddenly thought of his little sister who'd been kidnapped two years ago. She'd be about the same age now... and she looked like this too...

Right then, his Nokia beeped.

Lucas glanced at the screen and his eyes darkened. "Sh*t. That bastard Alexander is already at the pool hall!"

The boys revved their bikes to leave.

Sunny looked at him helplessly. "Dad, what about me..."

Lucas, with full big-brother swagger, waved her over, "Hop on. We're going to throw hands first-then we'll deal with your stuff."