Evan Lin's tone was calm as his gaze swept across the room.
When Evan's eyes landed on him, Yu Yingjie went pale. It felt like he'd fallen into an ice pit—his whole body started to shake uncontrollably, and a nameless terror nearly made him wet his pants.
"What nonsense are you spouting? You're the one who should get lost!"
Yu Yingjie kept being stubborn. He'd just seen Major Hugh Hu lead people into Easy Breeze Restaurant, and Battalion Commander Hugh Hu was Major Hu's younger brother. Plus, with Linda Guan and Pu Hailingxuan's connections, three forces were at play—how could Evan Lin possibly be the one who gets to stay?
"Evan, can you not be so harsh with your words...?"
Standing in front of Yu Yingjie, Lynn Chen had felt relieved and happy when she saw Evan Lin was fine. But now, hearing Evan's words, she couldn't help feeling a bit uncomfortable.
Lynn Chen didn't like Yu Yingjie, sure, but at worst he'd just been annoying these past few days—like a buzzing fly, never really crossing the line. Getting scolded by Evan the moment he walked in made Lynn a little dissatisfied.
But unlike before, when Lynn would have scolded Evan harshly, this time her tone was much softer—almost like she was trying to negotiate with him.
"Well, Yu, your parents already went home first. Also, Evan isn't transferring schools. You should go home and check in."
After Lucy Lu finished speaking, Yu Yingjie sensed something was off. He greeted Lynn Chen, then turned and slipped away, dashing down the stairs.
After Yu Yingjie left, Charles Chen opened a new private room, ordered a table full of food, and kept urging Evan Lin to eat more and drink a few glasses with him. His enthusiasm left Lynn Chen completely baffled.
After the meal was over—
"Lynn, your mom and I are heading to Furniture City to shop for a sofa. Why don't you take Evan home first?"
Downstairs, Charles Chen grabbed Lucy Lu and headed off, not forgetting to shoot Lynn a meaningful glance.
Lynn paused in surprise, but before she could say anything, Lucy Lu gave her a secret thumbs-up and said to Evan, "Evan, you can walk Lynn home if you want. We might be back late—your Uncle Chen and I haven't had a date night in ages."
Lucy Lu smiled gently. After her words, the two got in their car and sped off.
Evan Lin and Lynn Chen stood side by side on the street, watching the car disappear around the corner. The mood between them suddenly felt a little strange.
"Come on, I'll walk you home."
Evan sighed and took the lead.
Charles Chen and Lucy Lu were obviously setting them up for some alone time.
Back in the day, Evan might've felt a little happy and nervous about this.
Lynn quickly caught up to Evan's pace.
They walked in silence the whole way.
Every now and then, Lynn would glance at Evan's profile, and her heart would start pounding uncontrollably.
"Don't skip the final exams again. With your skills, you could easily get a top ranking."
Lynn had mulled over her words for ages, searching for a topic and hoping to smooth over what she'd said to Evan earlier.
She was worried Evan might think she was siding with Yu Yingjie.
"I definitely won't skip finals. I need to bring home some good grades for Mom—call it a New Year's present."
Evan nodded, totally serious.
Thinking of Joy Zheng, Evan's heart softened a little. He even smiled, feeling much better.
Compared to Evan "Nine Mysteries" Lin, who once shook the world and awed every clan, Evan now much preferred being the son who could bring happiness to Joy Zheng. Someday, Evan would reach the heights again, but right now, he cherished this peaceful moment.
That's why, since his rebirth, Evan had kept his true identity hidden. He didn't want Joy Zheng dragged into unnecessary trouble—he treasured this hard-won, ordinary happiness.
The more extraordinary you are, the more you crave an ordinary life. But for some people, every step is a battlefield—until they're crowned king.
At that moment, Lynn Chen, standing beside Evan, suddenly felt how real he was.
It was like, right now, Evan was still the same person he'd always been.
Lynn stared, dazed, her heart racing—she didn't snap out of it for a long while.
What surprised Lynn even more was that Evan just kept looking cooler and cooler.
Evan walked Lynn home. When they reached her door, Lynn wanted to invite him in, but Evan just said goodbye and left.
Lynn bit her lip, hurried inside, and rushed up to her room on the second floor. She peeked out the window, watching Evan's figure fade into the distance, feeling more lost and frustrated than ever.
"What am I supposed to do..."
Lynn sighed, feeling more and more like she and Evan lived in different worlds.
As Evan left the neighborhood, his phone rang.
It was Warren Wu calling—he'd just arrived in Jinnan with his crew and was talking shop with the Miracle Hand Sect.
Warren quickly explained his plan, then Alex Fu and Celine Lin also called to check in with Evan.
Evan gave a few pointers but didn't meddle in the details of the Medicine King Valley and Miracle Hand Sect merger.
Afterward, Evan headed home. Stella Huang and Irene Xu bombarded him with questions as soon as he walked in, most of them about Lynn Chen. They were both super curious.
Evan chatted with them for a bit, then went to his room, packed his bag, tucked the Four-Directions Sword Casket into his jacket, and pulled out the Southriver Sword Sect's battle invitation to take a look.
The invitation even had the Southriver Sword Sect's address at the bottom.
"Finals are coming up soon, but I guess I've got to handle this sword business first," Evan muttered.
"The Four-Directions Sword Casket still needs three more swords. Wonder if the Southriver Sword Sect has anything that'll catch my eye."
Evan let out a quiet sigh, feeling a wave of emotion.
Medicine King Valley and Miracle Hand Sect might rule their own turf, but honestly, Evan wasn't impressed by what they had to offer.
The only things that were even halfway decent were the Crimson Flame Token and a piece of Thousand-Year Nirvana Leaf.
The next morning, just after sunrise, Evan grabbed his bag, threw on some casual clothes and a black baseball cap, and headed out.
Destination: Southriver Sword Sect.