White Dragon Mountain is a fair distance from Brightsea City—it takes about an hour by high-speed rail.
On the train, Yolanda Fang sat with Evan Lin, while Lynn Chen had been invited by Jason Zhao to another row of seats.
"Hey, aren't you even a little jealous?" Yolanda turned to Evan, who was gazing out the window, curiosity written all over her face.
"Jealous of who? You?" Evan glanced at Yolanda.
Evan had heard of White Dragon Mountain before—it was a 4A-rated tourist spot. In his previous life, though, he never had the chance to visit places like this for fun.
"Seriously, you're no fun at all. Can't you see your Lynn is getting 'conquered' by that Jason guy? What if he really wins her over? Wouldn't you feel bad? Not even a little upset?" Yolanda pouted, ripped open a bag of chips, and popped one into her mouth.
Evan shifted his gaze to Lynn, who was sitting diagonally across from him.
Beside Lynn sat Jason Zhao, who seemed to be chatting her up. The two were laughing and talking, while in the row ahead, Liam Li and Rachel Shao kept turning back to join in. The four of them looked like they were having a blast.
"First off, Lynn isn't mine. Second, whether Jason 'wins' her or not has nothing to do with me."
In his previous life, Evan saw Lynn as a white swan he could only admire from afar. Now, as the Nine Mysteries Immortal Lord, his feelings for her were much more indifferent.
After all, Evan was no longer that insecure, timid, sensitive kid he used to be.
If it weren't for Lucy Lu, Evan probably wouldn't have bothered joining this mountain hike with a bunch of kids. He'd rather be squeezing some cash out of the Shaw family or finding a quiet spot to cultivate—way better than wasting time here.
"Tch, don't think I don't get it. You're just a typical guy, too proud to admit it. You should learn from me! I may be a girl, but when I say I like Ethan Yi, I mean it. I could yell to the whole world that I want to jump him—I'm just that bold!" Yolanda Fang bragged, puffing out her chest and crunching a chip. Half the chip broke off and slid right down her shirt, landing on her pale skin.
The boys in the nearby seats couldn't help swallowing hard at the sight—especially Simon Li, whose crooked mouth twisted even more with frustration.
If Evan hadn't suddenly shown up, Yolanda would definitely be sitting with him, Simon Li thought bitterly. Now, thanks to this guy, he was missing out.
Simon Li ground his teeth in annoyance.
"Yeah, you're bold, you're confident, you've got a great figure, and you're pretty too," Evan said helplessly, making Yolanda even prouder.
"But..."
Evan switched gears: "Isn't Ethan Yi just not interested in you? You keep shouting about wanting to jump him, but you still haven't pulled it off. Maybe your charm isn't all that after all."
Yolanda's face fell at Evan's words. She punched his arm with her dainty fist, grumbling, "That's just because Ethan Yi doesn't know how to appreciate me! He keeps staring at that Sisi Shao—what an idiot."
After complaining, Yolanda suddenly stopped, her eyes darting as she sized Evan up. Her smile grew sly, blooming across her face like a lily—she winked at Evan, wearing a fox-like, mischievous grin.
"Evan~"
Yolanda's voice turned soft and syrupy, making Evan shiver all over. He quickly scooted away, eyeing her warily as she switched to a cute, little-girl act. "What are you up to?" he asked.
Yolanda scooted closer too, grabbing Evan's arm. "How about you teach me a few moves? Then I can go tie Ethan Yi to the bed myself."
"Or better yet, you just go knock him out for me—as long as you don't give him a concussion or anything. Then I can go have my way with him, two birds with one stone! I'm a genius, right?" Yolanda looked at Evan, full of anticipation.
Evan shook his head, refusing without hesitation.
Yeah, right. Evan didn't like Ethan Yi much either, but if he really hit him, he might accidentally kill the guy with his strength.
"No way, that's way too shady. You're so confident—just go conquer him yourself."
Yolanda punched him again. "Stingy!"
"No wonder Lynn isn't interested in you, hmph."
Yolanda slouched back in her seat and started munching on her chips again.
With Yolanda quiet, Evan was happy to enjoy the peace. He turned to watch the scenery flying past outside the window.
"Lynn, what are you looking at?"
Jason Zhao glanced at Lynn Chen beside him, flashing a bright smile. His face had only just stopped swelling, so his grin looked a little stiff.
"Ah? It's nothing."
Lynn snapped out of her thoughts at Jason's words and shook her head.
Are Evan and Yolanda having so much fun chatting? What are they talking about—could it be about me? Damn that Yolanda, it feels like she's always trying to pair me up with Evan.
Lynn muttered to herself, not even sure what she was thinking anymore.
"We get to hike and soak in the hot springs this trip. Back in River City, I'd always heard about White Dragon Mountain's hot springs and wanted to come, but it's a hassle alone. Now, being able to go with you, I'm really happy." Jason Zhao said, his voice as gentle as he could make it.
He looked at Lynn Chen beside him, eyes full of admiration.
Lynn really was a beauty—the kind that made your heart itch just looking at her.
If she put on a maid outfit with black stockings or thigh-highs, just imagining it made Jason Zhao's heart race.
This trip to Brightsea was supposed to be about meeting Chen Qiangshan's daughter—his dad, Victor Zhao, wanted them to pair up.
Chen Qiangshan had invited him over a few times, even saying he'd tidied up the house just for him.
But Jason kept making excuses, figuring Chen Qiangshan was so eager because his daughter must not be very attractive—hoping to snag a handsome guy like him.
If Chen Qiangshan's daughter was as pretty as Lynn Chen, I'd jump on it in a heartbeat, Jason thought. But I can't just ignore my dad's wishes. Still, if I can get Lynn, I'll have fun in Brightsea all the way through graduation.
Jason mused to himself. But today, the usually warm Lynn Chen seemed distracted, not her usual self.
That left Jason feeling a bit dissatisfied.