Rumors of Blake Lin's defeat spread quietly in small circles around Beijing.
Many know the truth, but most keep their mouths shut.
Oceanport City.
Evan had already resolved the issue with the Rejuvenation Beauty Pill and didn't bother going back to Angel Epoch headquarters.
This time, Lily Zhong didn't tell him about the trouble, probably hoping to handle it her own way so Evan wouldn't have to deal with more hassle.
Evan understood Lily's thinking, but couldn't help feeling a bit complicated about it.
This woman nearly risked her life just to spare him some trouble.
He couldn't decide if she was foolish or just too kind.
Evan didn't bother lecturing Lily any further—he simply and decisively announced his ownership of Angel Epoch.
That way, Lily wouldn't feel awkward the next time they met.
A strong-willed woman is far more precious than one who just wants to be pampered.
Evan wandered the streets of Oceanport City.
He had nothing urgent to do for now.
Evan wasn't in a hurry to head back to Harborview City.
He wandered aimlessly, and before he knew it, he'd ended up outside Oceanport University.
Last time he came to Oceanport University, it was with Faye Zheng.
He'd later run into Rachel Liu here.
By then, Rachel Liu already had someone new by her side.
For Evan, his heart had grown calmer—maybe to the old Evan, someone like Rachel Liu was an unattainable goddess.
But now, Evan could face different girls with complete composure and calm.
Evan walked past the gates of Oceanport University without going in, just heading straight down the street.
At the campus gate,
A crowd came out.
Boys and girls clustered together—a few guys in basketball jerseys, looking sunny and handsome.
Some of the girls were bright and youthful.
But the main focus was a tall girl with a slightly cold expression.
"Today's basketball match against Oceanport Sports University would've been a disaster if Rachel hadn't cheered us on. Otherwise, we probably would've lost ugly."
A handsome guy flashed a sunny smile at Rachel Liu. "Rachel, will you come watch us next time we play?"
Rachel Liu is pretty famous at Oceanport University—her looks alone are enough to make guys fall for her.
And that's not even counting the rumors: Rachel Liu might be from Seacrest, but the Liu family is one of the richest in the area, with assets easily in the tens of millions.
On top of that, not long ago, Nathan Li—the son of Patrick Li—started openly pursuing Rachel Liu, making her an even bigger campus celebrity.
But then, for some reason, Nathan Li suddenly vanished, and his dad Patrick Li—who'd dominated Oceanport City for years—also disappeared without a trace.
Rumor has it some mysterious big shot took them out with a single move, kicking Patrick Li out of Oceanport City for good. Other street talk says Patrick Li and Nathan Li messed with the legendary Master Lin from Seacrest, so they got crushed until Patrick finally gave up everything and left.
Nobody knows if any of it's true, but that doesn't stop Rachel Liu from being the hottest target for every guy at Oceanport University.
After all, if even Nathan Li couldn't win her over, then bagging her would basically mean you're better than Nathan.
So everyone's scrambling to chase her.
But Rachel Liu keeps a low profile. If she hadn't been begged a million times, she wouldn't have bothered coming to the basketball game.
"We'll see when the time comes."
Rachel Liu didn't show much emotion.
"How about this—since we won today, I'll treat everyone to a movie?"
The guy wasn't discouraged—while talking, he kept his eyes locked on Rachel Liu's face.
"Come on, Sun Yu, you just want to invite Rachel to the movies. Why drag us along?"
A girl saw right through him and teased, but Sun Yu didn't look embarrassed at all. He didn't even try to deny it. "It's all the same, really. We're all together."
"Everyone's just here for a good time, that's all."
Sun Yu laughed out loud.
"Then you'd better ask Rachel yourself."
The girl covered her mouth, laughing. "But honestly, I think your chances are pretty slim."
"You don't know it, but Rachel actually has someone in her heart."
As she said this, a bunch of people turned to look at Rachel Liu.
"Someone? Who?" Sun Yu grinned. "Don't tell me it's Nathan Li?"
"But Nathan Li didn't succeed, did he? I don't believe there's anyone Rachel cares about more than him."
"Exactly. Even someone like Nathan Li couldn't win Rachel Liu's heart. That news rocked the whole Oceanport University town." Another guy nodded, and at the mention of Nathan Li, the guys who'd been eyeing Rachel all looked away.
No chance.
Nathan Li was a rare catch to begin with.
His family background alone blows away most of the guys here.
But even so, Nathan Li still crashed and burned with Rachel Liu.
Everyone looked at Rachel Liu, curiosity in their eyes.
Rachel Liu stayed silent, but in her mind, she saw that day in the restaurant—when the arrogant Patrick Li instantly backed down after seeing Evan sitting there.
Rachel never knew what kind of pressure Patrick Li faced after that. She once asked her father, but he just dodged the question.
But one thing was clear.
The Li family, who'd been powerful in Oceanport for over a decade, fell from grace. The business titan Patrick Li faded into silence and disappeared.
Patrick Li faced all kinds of pressure from different directions—forces Rachel Liu couldn't touch or even imagine.
But Rachel Liu was sure that overwhelming force came from a single sentence spoken by Evan that day in the restaurant.
Evan, now known as Master Lin of Seacrest, was no longer the naive boy he once was.
The power he held was as unfathomable as the sea.
Rachel Liu pictured that boy's face in her mind.
Suddenly, she paused and instinctively turned her head, glancing toward the street east of the campus.
The group waiting for Rachel's answer all turned their heads, following her gaze in that direction.