Evan Lin opened the car door, and Xuan Ling stepped on the gas without hesitation.
"Yolanda Fang just went to see you."
Xuan Ling drove, eyes fixed ahead, her voice calm and indifferent.
"Yeah."
Evan Lin nodded, looking completely unruffled.
His attitude made Xuan Ling raise her eyebrows in surprise. She glanced at Evan Lin, a hint of curiosity in her tone: "You're not surprised?"
"Nothing to be surprised about. You’ve been tailing us since we left Brightsea Garden Court, so it’s only natural you’d know."
Evan Lin’s plain words made Xuan Ling arch an eyebrow. She looked at him, interest piqued: "So you’re not just smart, you’re sharp. What’s your relationship with Wayne Wang from Wansheng Real Estate?"
Earlier at the station, Xuan Ling saw Wayne Wang treat Evan Lin with a respect you’d never show to a mere kid.
Especially when Evan Lin told Jason Zhao to get lost and go back to River City—even in front of Wayne Wang and Victor Zhao, neither of them got angry. If anything, they actually looked relieved.
That scene was still stuck in Xuan Ling’s mind—she couldn’t shake it off.
Now, in the car, Xuan Ling glanced at Evan Lin in the passenger seat, her eyes full of probing curiosity.
She suddenly really wanted to know what this boy’s true background was.
"I’ve got nothing to do with him," Evan Lin replied crisply.
"Then why did it look like he valued you so much?" Xuan Ling obviously didn’t buy Evan’s answer. If there was no connection, why would Wayne Wang, with his status, treat some random kid like that?
"He’s afraid of dying."
Those three words came out of Evan Lin’s mouth calm as ever. Xuan Ling’s expression froze for a second. She narrowed her eyes, clearly annoyed, feeling like Evan was just brushing her off.
Xuan Ling’s face grew cold, her voice taking on a chill: "Are you saying he’s afraid you’ll kill him?"
"I thought you’d be more mature than your peers, but turns out you’re just a kid after all. Do you know who Wayne Wang is? He’s the chairman of Wansheng Real Estate. You think someone like him would be afraid of a high-schooler like you? Who do you think you are?"
Xuan Ling fired off her words in rapid succession, expecting at least some reaction from Evan Lin. But to her surprise, his expression didn’t change at all—not a flicker of emotion.
"Doesn’t matter who I am—Wayne Wang respects me because he’s afraid of me."
Evan Lin spoke calmly: "You didn’t call me out here just to ask about that, did you?"
Hearing Evan’s words, Xuan Ling went quiet for a moment. The car sped along until she pulled into a quiet alley.
It was peaceful around here. Not far away, the SK Bar sign glowed brightly over the commercial street.
These days, Big Tank has basically taken over all the bar and KTV business in the area.
Xuan Ling stopped the car, stared ahead, pulled out a lady’s cigarette from her purse, lit up, took a deep drag, and exhaled a smoke ring. "What a shame," she said.
"You’re smart enough to guess why I called you out. When I asked about your relationship with Wayne Wang, the best answer would’ve been to say you have some connection to him. Instead, you went with that childish ‘he’s afraid of dying’ nonsense."
Xuan Ling lounged in her seat, looking slightly lazy: "If you said that in front of Yolanda Fang or Lynn Chen—those little girls would probably think you’re amazing. But with me? That kind of talk doesn’t fly."
"I don’t think you’re impressive at all. Honestly, you just sound immature and way too arrogant. A bit of youthful boldness is fine, but if you go too far, you’ll never accomplish anything real."
After her blunt critique, Xuan Ling turned her head and saw Evan Lin still silent. She narrowed her eyes: "That blessing string in your hand—Yolanda gave it to you, right? She prayed for it at a temple when she was a kid, wore it for years, and now she’s given it to you. Didn’t expect that, did you?"
"Enough with the chatter. Just get to the point," Evan Lin said, making Xuan Ling’s face turn even colder.
"Stay away from Yolanda. Tonight is the last time you’ll ever see her. You two aren’t from the same world. The fact you crossed paths is already more than fate owed you—but now, it’s time for all of it to end."
Xuan Ling’s voice was firm as she continued: "I don’t care what’s between you and Yolanda, or what you feel for each other. From tonight on, leave her alone. It’s for her own good."
"If you’d claimed to be Wayne Wang’s relative or elder—someone he actually feared—maybe you’d have stood a chance. At least I wouldn’t have confronted you so directly."
Xuan Ling shrugged: "But clearly, you don’t have the background I imagined. Even if you were Wayne Wang’s own son, you still wouldn’t be good enough for Yolanda’s father, Fang Qiuji. You and Yolanda? Impossible. You’re not worthy of my daughter. Leaving her is your best option—otherwise, you’ll just suffer later."
"Doesn’t matter what’s between me and Yolanda. In this world, nobody can threaten me," Evan Lin replied, his tone flat and unhurried.
On the nearby street corner, more than a dozen men in black coats glanced at the parked Cadillac, huddled together and whispered among themselves.
Meanwhile, five black Mercedes sedans rolled slowly down the street, looking absolutely imposing.
In the lead car, Big Tank sat in the back seat, looking pleased as can be.
He’d just come back to Minghai a few days ago, and tonight he was planning to check up on a few bars. Even if no one’s causing trouble anymore, you still have to handle business right.
Big Tank was terrified of letting Evan Lin down. He treasured everything he had now, knowing it was all thanks to Evan.
Inside the Cadillac, Xuan Ling’s face grew even colder: "Nobody can threaten you? That’s a bold claim. Ever heard of the Oceanport Oracle, Fang Qiuji?"
Xuan Ling stared at Evan Lin. He answered, crisp and direct: "Nope."
Some no-name big shot? Evan Lin couldn’t care less. Besides, in his last life, he’d never even been to Oceanport.
"He’s Yolanda’s father! If you ever get the chance to hear his name, maybe you’ll finally be qualified to step inside our world. But the gap between you and Yolanda is still heaven and earth!"
"You could spend your whole life and never touch the Fang family’s threshold. Give up now—and don’t even mention your ridiculous arrogance!"
"And one more thing: thanks to Fang Qiuji’s arrangement, Yolanda is set to get engaged in two years. Her fiancé? He’s from a real top-tier family."
Xuan Ling paused for effect: "A real elite family!"
As she said it, pride flashed in Xuan Ling’s eyes. Just thinking about Fang Qiuji’s plans for Yolanda made her visibly excited.