"Back when I was in elementary school, this alley wasn't nearly so crowded. The buildings on both sides hadn't been built yet, and the ground was still that old, worn concrete pavement."
Later, when I started middle school, River City began to develop. All the old buildings here were torn down and replaced with high-rises, and the snack street got paved with these stone tiles. River City Elementary used to be right here.
Rachel Liu led Evan Lin down the snack street.
The snack street in River City is a bit of a distance from the city center.
All the way there, Rachel Liu gripped Evan Lin's wrist tightly, afraid he'd suddenly disappear.
Before heading to the snack street, Rachel Liu even found a public restroom to quickly wash off the dog blood she'd gotten on her.
The two of them stopped in front of a barbecue stall and grabbed a table.
"Boss, one hundred lamb skewers."
After Evan Lin ordered, quite a few people started glancing over at their table.
It was getting late by now—prime time for the night owls who roam the streets.
Most of the men at the barbecue tables were wearing sleeveless shirts, bare-chested, drinking beer and eating skewers.
Some had girlfriends with them, but those heavily made-up women looked like hens beside a swan when compared to Rachel Liu.
Rachel Liu poured herself a cup of tea and took a delicate sip. All the ambiguous stares around her made her uncomfortable, but when she glanced at Evan Lin sitting across from her, she actually felt a rare sense of security.
Only, Evan Lin's gaze never landed on her. Compared to the old Evan who'd blush and grin whenever they met, the Evan Lin before her now was colder, but also much more magnetic.
"Hey, I want this table. Mind getting up and moving?"
The discordant voice broke out at that moment.
A young man suddenly appeared beside them, his hair dyed yellow. He was about 1.8 meters tall, all muscle, speaking with a mocking smirk. But it was obvious to everyone that his gaze kept wandering to Rachel Liu across from Evan Lin.
"Are you talking to me?"
Evan Lin turned his head and glanced at the newly arrived youth.
There were four or five more men beside the youth, all in sleeveless shirts with tattooed arms, burly and fierce-looking, surrounding Evan Lin.
"Our bro Bai is talking to you, kid. Show some respect and get lost!"
The burly man next to Bai stepped forward, glaring at Evan Lin with a low, threatening growl.
The crowd all looked over, eager for drama.
"Is that so?"
Evan Lin narrowed his eyes, stayed seated, and lightly tapped the table with his right hand.
A deafening bang rang out.
The thugs who'd just been shouting around Evan Lin were instantly flung backwards, tumbling to the ground and howling in pain.
Their chests were all caved in, looking chilling and gruesome. Lying on the ground, they rolled around, blood pouring from their mouths.
The barbecue stall owner jumped in fright.
"What just happened?"
"No idea, I didn't see a thing. How did they just fly out like that?"
"And that guy looks like nothing even happened to him."
The people eating skewers nearby were all stunned, totally clueless about what had just happened in that split second.
Rachel Liu glanced up at Evan Lin.
In that moment, she felt a wave of qi—subtle, but sharp and intense.
So this is Evan Lin's true strength?
The legendary Vajra Realm?
Back in the Liu family, Rachel Liu had heard tales of the Vajra Realm—inner force unleashed, killing at a distance.
But she never imagined Evan Lin could actually reach that level.
Rachel Liu's expression grew complicated. The barbecue stall owner delivered a hundred lamb skewers to their table. Evan Lin picked one up and started eating, completely ignoring the guys lying on the ground.
Three days at most, one day at least.
The guys Evan Lin just injured with true qi—their organs will shatter and they'll die in agony, like being flayed alive.
But, they had to pay the price for their actions.
The diners who'd been chatting and laughing before all lowered their voices, afraid to provoke Evan Lin. Even the sneaky glances at Rachel Liu vanished completely.
Vroom.
Vroom vroom...
A deep engine rumble came from afar.
A powerful motor, sounding like a beast's roar.
A silver-white Maserati streaked through the street like a ghost, drifting and turning with screeching tires.
It was lightning fast, exhaust spitting flames and leaving a trail of fire across the pavement.
The next second—
The Maserati drifted perfectly into the snack street, spinning 180 degrees and stopping dead in the middle of the road.
"Is that a Maserati GT?"
"Judging by the engine, that's the top-spec model!"
"Saw one at the auto show before, never thought I'd see one here!"
At the stall, a few car-loving guys eyed the silver-white Maserati with envy.
The car door opened, and a man stepped out.
He was about 1.8 meters tall, slim and elegant, dressed in a hand-tailored tailcoat, with hair dyed blue and white.
His looks were striking and a bit sinister, narrow eyes flashing with mischief as he glanced over.
"So handsome!"
"Oh my god, he looks like a star straight out of a drama!"
A few women in heavy makeup shot flirtatious glances at the newcomer, deliberately tugging down their collars to show off their cleavage, hoping he'd look their way.
But the man's gaze didn't linger on them for even half a second. Instead, he locked onto Rachel Liu, sitting at the table with a lamb skewer in hand, resting her chin, staring blankly at Evan Lin.
He walked over.
The crowd buzzed with excitement—his aura was overwhelming.
Both his style and presence screamed upper-class aristocrat.
He had the aristocrat's swagger, and the aristocrat's elegance.
"Luran, I waited at your house for ages. When you didn't come home, I came out to find you."
As he walked over, his gaze stayed level. When he reached the groaning thug on the ground, he casually kicked out with his shiny leather shoe, snapping the man's neck without a second thought.
Clean and ruthless.
Hands in his pockets, he stood at the table, looked at Rachel Liu, and gave her a slight smile.