"Evan Lin, I have one more question I want to ask you."
A few meters apart, under the scattered lights of the residential complex, Lynn Chen stood there in her princess dress.
She looked at Evan Lin in front of her, hesitated for a long time, and before Evan could refuse, she spoke again: "Do you have someone you like?"
As Lynn Chen asked, her heartbeat grew faster and faster, and deep inside she felt a flutter she couldn't put into words. If the lights weren't so dim, hiding her face as it turned red, she probably wouldn't have had the courage to ask so directly.
To outsiders, Lynn Chen was the sweet, goddess-like top student who had never asked any boy such a question. If the students at Brightsea No. 1 High found out, it would probably cause a sensation.
She looked anxious, gazing at Evan Lin in front of her. After asking, even the air around them seemed to grow heavier.
"Someone I like..."
Evan Lin lowered his gaze, glanced at Lynn Chen, and after a moment's pause, said, "Maybe I do, maybe I don't."
Evan's tone was calm and indifferent.
If it were the Evan Lin of his previous life, hearing Lynn Chen ask such a thing would have left him excited and overjoyed.
But the Evan Lin of today, though still Evan Lin, is actually the reincarnated Nine Mysteries Immortal Lord, Lin Jiuxuan.
"Maybe I do, maybe I don't."
Lynn Chen was briefly stunned by this answer. She looked at Evan Lin standing before her for a long while, then nodded and smiled: "I see."
"Thank you for walking me home. Good luck with the college entrance exam, Evan Lin."
Lynn Chen waved to Evan Lin: "I'll head home now. Say hi to the two older sisters for me!"
She turned and walked along the cobblestone path of the complex, a hint of inexplicable sadness in her eyes.
"So all along, was I just being sentimental by myself?"
Lynn Chen murmured to herself, but soon the corners of her mouth lifted in a gentle smile: "But that's okay. Since even you aren't sure if you have someone you like, maybe you'll like me in the future."
"Right, Evan Lin?"
Lynn Chen was talking to herself.
Evan Lin's answer eased much of the confusion Lynn Chen had been feeling lately.
If Evan had just said he liked someone, Lynn would have had to keep pressing him. But hearing his vague reply actually made her breathe a sigh of relief.
As long as nothing is set in stone, she can keep hoping and looking forward to the future.
"Come on, Lynn Chen, you have to work hard for the college entrance exam. No matter what, you can't let him get too far ahead of you."
Lynn Chen quietly clenched her small fist, making up her mind.
No matter what, she still has a chance. As long as there's a chance, she can still fight for it.
Talking about all this in senior year might be a bit rushed, so Lynn hopes to leave it for the future.
A young girl's feelings are one of the rare beauties of this world.
Evan Lin watched Lynn Chen's figure gradually disappear into the distance. His expression remained calm, and only after a long while did he slowly turn away.
Evan walked along the street outside the complex, the further he went, the quieter it became.
Even the sounds of cars that could be heard before gradually faded away.
Evan Lin walked into a park and slowly sat down on a bench inside.
It was late, and the park was nearly deserted and quiet.
Leaning back on the bench, Evan shifted his gaze toward a shadowy spot nearby and spoke calmly: "Come out. You've been following me since dinner. After trailing me for so long, we should at least meet face to face."
As soon as Evan spoke,
a figure slowly emerged from the surrounding darkness.
The man wore a dark brown camouflage outfit and a sun hat. He looked to be in his twenties, with slightly tanned skin.
He stopped more than ten meters in front of Evan Lin, studying him with interest. "How did you spot me?" he asked.
He grinned, showing no sign of being a stranger, and kept his eyes fixed on Evan, sizing up the young man before him.
"With tracking skills that weak, it would be harder not to notice you," Evan shook his head and looked at him calmly. "Whatever you have to say, say it now. You'd better hope it's satisfying—otherwise, you might not live to see tomorrow's sunrise."
"Are you threatening me?" The man's brows furrowed, clearly displeased. "When I first got your file, I already thought you were pretty strange. Plenty of people want to join Nightstar, but it's the first time I've seen someone radiate killing intent the moment we meet."
He adjusted his hat and continued, "Enough small talk. I don't care how old you are or what you're thinking right now. Since you want to join Nightstar—even if Old Master Xu personally recommended you—you still have to pass my first test."
"Also, I heard you defeated Grant Yuan. Maybe that's something to brag about, but you should know—you're not the only one who's beaten him."
The man shook his head and looked at Evan Lin. "Come on, let's go. As long as you can last ten minutes against me without falling, you'll pass the first test and earn your ticket into Nightstar."
After saying that, he stared at Evan Lin in silence.
"Nightstar..." Evan Lin was slightly taken aback when he heard the name.
The last time, after defeating Grant Yuan at the Jinnan Military District, Ethan Xu did invite Evan Lin to join this so-called Nightstar. Nightstar is more like a combat unit ranked even higher than the special forces.
At that time, Evan turned down Ethan Xu's offer and didn't bother with it afterward.
Later, Victor Su told Evan that although he refused Ethan Xu, the old man still submitted Evan's name to Nightstar. That's probably why this guy showed up tonight.
"Alright, let's get started. No need to waste time—timing only begins when you make your move."
The man nodded, wearing a stopwatch on his wrist.
He thought the kid was just sitting there to stall for time, something he'd seen before.
Nightstar stands for more than honor—it represents strength and willpower.
Being able to join Nightstar is something countless people dream of.
After a few seconds, the man watched as the young man lazily got up from the bench.
The man's face tensed immediately, shifting into combat mode.
But before he could react, he saw the young man with his hands in his pockets simply walk down the path he came from—as if he was just leaving?