Click.
The key turned in the lock, and the door opened. Lillian entered and shut it behind him.
The place was cold and desolate, and very small—less than thirty square meters in size. Perhaps it should not even be called a home. After all, it was merely a rented apartment; calling a rented space "home" felt somewhat strange.
As for his original house, it had long since been sold by relatives who had acted as his nominal guardians after the accident that took place when he was still too young to understand. They claimed it was to "raise money for funeral arrangements," but once the paperwork was completed, they sent him to an unknown city and left him at an unregulated orphanage.
It did not matter. Lillian had long stopped caring about such things. After leaving the orphanage, he never sought trouble or revenge—he simply worked part-time jobs while attending school.
---
Sitting at his desk, Lillian glanced at a photograph placed on the tabletop. It showed him as a small child, each of his hands held by one of his parents.
He picked it up. On the back of the frame, in elegant handwriting, were the words:
Grow up well. Study hard. After you graduate from high school, Mom will take you abroad for a trip~
It was something written casually long ago, yet Lillian had taken it seriously.
He set the frame face down, then turned to the bookshelf beside him and took out a book to read. This was how he resisted the world—no matter what reality was like, at least within books he felt safe.
---
Two hours later, a "ding-dong" sound rang out. Lillian switched off the alarm, closed the book, stretched, and prepared to go to work.
Rent and food both required money. The government subsidy each month was hardly enough even to fill the gaps between his teeth—he still had to work to support himself.
He left the apartment, mounted his bicycle, and headed toward the city center, stopping in front of a magnificent, brightly decorated building.
"You're here."
The security guard at the entrance greeted him. Lillian nodded in response.
This was his workplace—a large entertainment establishment. Working here was nothing unusual. They supported night shifts, and the salary was decent—enough to meet Lillian's modest needs.
He entered the staff room, changed into a cleaner's uniform, and prepared to begin his duties.
He was not a waiter or anything of the sort. On one hand, he was too young; on the other, his appearance was ordinary. The guests who came here, regardless of their looks, were all wealthy, and naturally they preferred to be served by handsome men and beautiful women.
But this suited Lillian perfectly well. Rather than constantly wearing a flattering smile and catering to others, he would much rather hold a mop and clean up the vomit left behind in the restroom by those who appeared refined on the surface.
"Lillian, come here."
Just as he was about to clean the hallway, someone called out to him. Turning around, he saw the night shift manager. The man's high-end suit, polished leather shoes, and carefully styled hair clearly marked his status—distinct enough that guests could easily find him whenever they needed assistance.
"Manager, what is it?"
"Be extra careful tonight. An important figure is coming to celebrate a birthday," the manager said. "Someone we absolutely cannot afford to offend. No one is allowed to make mistakes!"
"Understood."
Lillian nodded. It was nothing unusual. As the most luxurious entertainment venue in the city, wealthy individuals frequently came here to celebrate birthdays, hold parties, play games, or indulge in various entertainments—but all of that took place on the upper floors, where Lillian had no access.
"Alright, get back to work."
Lillian nodded and left, beginning to clean the corridor.
There were others around his age working here, but few chose to be cleaners. Most started as waiters, then aimed to become team leaders, and eventually managers. After that, they would strive to reach the upper floors.
Everyone knew that the higher floors offered better pay and greater benefits. A single private room could spend hundreds of thousands in one night; even a small commission could support a lavish lifestyle for months. But the most important factor was the opportunity to establish connections with powerful figures.
Throughout history, some people had admired self-reliance, but most dreamed of rising to the top overnight—of seizing a single chance to transform their fate. Men were no exception. Those with good looks tried desperately to gain exposure, hoping that some wealthy young woman might notice them.
Lillian held no opinion about such people.
He simply had no interest in those pursuits.
Unlike most children from the orphanage, who desired everything precisely because they had once possessed nothing, Lillian had grown into someone with minimal desires. His material needs were kept to the bare minimum, while he was extremely selective about spiritual and intellectual fulfillment.
A person like that was unlikely to be popular—yet the other employees treated him well, precisely because he posed no threat as a competitor.
If one day he showed any ambition to climb higher, their kindness would likely transform into blades and spears in an instant.
Here is your smooth, detailed English translation of Chapter 355, with Lillian kept male and the narrative polished for natural flow and continuity.
"I wonder what kind of person is coming today."
"I heard it's the second heir of Royal Real Estate!"
"Seriously? That's huge…"
"Yeah, most of the prime land in the city was developed by Royal. But I heard that second heir was studying in the U.S.—why'd he come back?"
"Hey, Lillian, that kid is even younger than you. I think he's not even an adult yet. Seriously… born with a golden spoon."
Lillian had long since grown used to hearing such bitter, envious remarks. He simply replied, "Yeah."
"When they arrive later, don't say anything stupid—well, actually, what am I saying? People like that wouldn't even play on this floor. They'll probably go straight to the top-level 'Dragon,' right?"
"Obviously. With a fortune worth tens of billions, renting a private room that costs a hundred thousand an hour is probably as easy for them as buying a bottle of water for us."
"That's true…"
As they chatted, their hands never stopped moving, quickly cleaning the corridor and lobby area.
Lillian noticed that several managers were stationed on the first floor today. They really are taking this seriously, he thought. It wasn't even eight o'clock yet—guests who came to have fun would usually arrive around nine or ten at the earliest. Yet they were already waiting.
Just as he had predicted, more than an hour passed. It was nearly ten o'clock when several sleek luxury cars finally pulled up outside.
Many employees watched with undisguised envy. Lillian didn't know anything about cars and couldn't recognize the exaggerated designs or brands. He only knew they were the kind of vehicles ordinary people could never afford in several lifetimes.
"They're here! Stay sharp!" the manager ordered, then turned and glared at several cleaners. "You guys, head back to the staff room!"
The cleaners exchanged glances. Their uniforms were indeed dusty and far from presentable. They turned to leave.
At that moment, the door of one of the cars opened, and a girl stepped out. She brushed aside the strands of hair stirred by the night breeze and looked around with an indifferent expression.
She wore a warm-colored wool sweater, a short jacket over it, and a long teal skirt. An air of refinement—something no ordinary girl could possess—radiated from her, clearly marking her as someone from a prominent family.
"Ria…"
Lillian stared blankly at her face. For a moment, his thoughts completely froze.
Why? Why would she come to this city…
His gaze lingered on her. Even from dozens of meters away, the girl seemed to sense something. Her lively eyes swept in his direction. Lillian immediately lowered his head and hurried after the other cleaners.
How could this be?
Even after so many years, he had recognized her at a single glance. It was not that her appearance had remained unchanged—rather, it was that unique liveliness between her brows, something no one else possessed.
Back in the staff room, his emotions still refused to settle.
He remembered that after she left, he had looked into the couple who had adopted her. They were famous wealthy merchants from another city—. What he could not understand was why she had returned here.
There was no reason… no reason to ever come back.
This city, that orphanage—were they not places filled with painful memories for her, for all of them? Why would she willingly return?
"Hey, Lillian, what are you thinking about?"
Seeing him lost in thought, the other cleaners teased him. "You were staring at that rich beauty just now like you were in a trance. What, did you fall for her? Stop daydreaming. People like us couldn't possibly have anything to do with someone like her—we wouldn't even get the chance to speak to her."
"Exactly. She's lived in luxury since childhood. Why would she ever look at people like us? But then again, don't TV dramas always show rich girls falling for poor guys? Hahaha. Too bad, Lillian—you're poor, but you ain't handsome enough!"
"Hahahaha!"
The group burst into laughter, though beneath it lay a hint of self-mockery.
Lillian ignored them, placed a hand on his stomach, and said, "I'm going to the restroom."
He left the room. The hand covering his stomach dropped away as he walked down the corridor to the edge of the main hall, secretly watching from a distance.
Several managers were currently receiving a group of about ten young men and women. At the front stood a flamboyantly dressed youth with dyed red hair—he was likely the so-called second heir of Royal Real Estate.
And the girl who had once been the "princess" of the orphanage now stood beside him, her arms folded across her chest.
"This beautiful young lady looks unfamiliar," a manager said with a smile. "May I ask—"
"My name is Ria Shane," the girl replied.
The moment her voice sounded, Lillian's thoughts were pulled back nine years—to the day they first met.
...
A staff member had led two children into an office before leaving to handle paperwork, leaving the two alone inside.
"What's your name?" the little girl asked first, looking at the timid boy.
"I… Lillian…"
"Li…llian ?"
"Mm. And you?"
"I… I don't have a name," the little girl said sadly.
Unlike Lillian, she had been abandoned by her parents at birth and had never even been given a name.
"But… but I want to choose one for myself!" she suddenly declared. "Have you heard a line of poetry?"
Lillian shook his head.
"It goes, 'Let life be as splendid as summer flowers, and death as serene as autumn leaves.' I… I really like it, so I want to be called Ria—! Do you think it sounds nice?"
"Mm!" Lillian nodded. Though he did not understand the meaning of the poem, he still answered, "It sounds nice."
The little girl—no, Ria—revealed a sweet smile.
"I just looked at your information card. You're one year younger than me, so that makes you my little brother."
"Oh…"
Here is your smooth, detailed English translation of Chapter 356, with the character revised so Lillian is male and the narration flows naturally.
"Don't be afraid. We came together—I'll protect you."