In Class 7 of eleventh grade, Mia Chen sat at her desk reading.
Today, Class 7 and Class 5 were playing a practice soccer match. The official Summer Spring Cup was only a few days away.
"Trevor Liu!" Someone in the classroom spotted Trevor Liu and his crew walking over, and cried out in surprise.
But when they saw Tyson Liu walking beside Trevor, their faces instantly changed.
Mia Chen heard the commotion, looked up slightly, and glanced toward the classroom door.
Trevor Liu had already walked in by now, scanning the room for Evan Lin, but didn’t spot him.
Trevor Liu noticed Mia Chen sitting there, sauntered over with a smirk: "Mia, have you seen Evan Lin from your class around?"
"Don't call me Mia," Mia Chen frowned, eyeing Trevor Liu warily. "Why are you looking for him—here to stir up trouble again?"
"How could you call it trouble? My big bro just wants to talk to him about something." Trevor Liu grinned, his smile not reaching his eyes.
There was a hint of longing in Trevor Liu’s gaze toward Mia Chen. He’d always been determined to win her over, and thanks to his relentless pursuit, they’d been getting closer—until Evan Lin suddenly showed up.
How could Trevor not be pissed? Evan Lin had beaten him up twice in a row, even dragged him into the classroom to make him run laps on the field while shouting slogans. If word got out, Trevor would lose face completely.
"Your big bro?" Mia Chen’s heart skipped a beat.
"Yeah. My little brother got beat up by someone from your class, so I’m here to help him get some face back." Tyson Liu stepped forward from behind Trevor, tilting his head at Mia Chen, a sneer on his lips. "Mia Chen, right? Pretty cute, no wonder my brother’s liked you for so long. But little girl, you’d better learn to play along."
"After all, as a girl, don’t push your luck. I don’t mind you acting all high and mighty, but you’d better know your limits."
Tyson Liu chewed his gum, his eyes cold as he stared at Mia Chen.
Mia Chen gripped her pen tightly, glaring at Tyson Liu, stubbornly biting her lip.
Since his first year, Tyson Liu had been able to intimidate all of Brightsea No. 2 High with his real fighting skills.
"My brother only puts up with you because he likes you, but just because he has patience doesn’t mean I’ll let you waste his time."
"I heard you won’t even have a meal with my brother, is that right? Hm?" Tyson Liu leaned forward, staring Mia Chen down. "This kind of thing—don’t let it happen again. Girls should know how to behave, got it?"
Mia Chen’s eyes reddened. She bit her lip, her grip on her pen tightening even more.
Tyson Liu glanced at Mia Chen, his smile turning cold. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed a nearby boy by the collar: "Where's Evan Lin from your class?"
"He... today our class is playing a practice match against Class 5... Evan should be on the soccer field," the boy stammered, face flushed and voice trembling, eyes wide with fear as he looked at Tyson.
Tyson turned, gave the boy's cheek a patronizing tap: "Good. No need to freak out—just do what you're told and I won't lay a finger on you. I'm not unreasonable, you know."
"Y-yes, Tyson bro..." the boy replied, voice shaking.
Tyson let go, took a deep breath, shot Mia one last look, and strode out of the classroom: "Let's go—time to hit the field. Today I'm gonna teach that punk a lesson he won't forget. Some people just don't know who they're messing with!"
Trevor Liu glanced at Mia Chen before quickly following Tyson out.
Mia Chen sat at her desk, body trembling with anger, eyes red and brimming with tears.
"Class rep... you okay?" a boy whispered, still too scared to breathe properly after Tyson's stunt.
Mia didn't even look at him. She wiped her face, stood up from her seat.
"No way. I can't let them go after Evan just like that—otherwise, something big is bound to happen."
"I need to find a teacher."
Mia steadied herself, hurried out of the classroom, mind racing with thoughts of Evan—remembering his fearless, cocky grin when he faced Trevor Liu that day.
Compared to the terrified boys in the classroom now, Evan's cool confidence made them all look pathetic.
Mia paused, then broke into a run, heading straight for Mr. Zheng's office.
...
On the soccer field, Evan Lin sat at the sideline, eyes closed, resting and cultivating.
"Qi enters through the Bubbling Spring Point, travels the meridians, passes Central Pole, rises to Hundred Meetings, forms a qi vortex, then sinks and returns to Bubbling Spring Point."
"All things and endless changes are born from one breath, coming from the Dao and returning to the Dao."
Evan silently recited his Grand Dao Qi-Refining Art, feeling tingling energy run through his body. His muscles warmed, a faint heat radiating from his skin.
A thin white mist drifted off Evan's skin—barely visible unless you looked closely, thanks to the lighting.
"Fang You, isn't that your friend? Why's he sitting over there alone, dozing off?" A girl beside Fang You glanced at Evan Lin, who was sitting at the edge of the field, and tugged on Fang You's arm.
Fang You was from Class 5. Today, her classmates had dragged her out to cheer for their soccer team.
But with Ethan Yi not here, Fang You couldn’t care less.
"Yeah, yeah, he's my friend," Fang You replied absentmindedly, glancing at Evan Lin sitting there like he was asleep, feeling a weird mix of emotions inside.
"Ethan Yi doesn't like me getting too close to Evan Lin, so I keep my distance."
"I mean, I came to Brightsea No. 2 High just for Ethan Yi anyway."
Thinking this, Fang You tilted her head and looked away from Evan Lin.
It all made sense logically, but Fang You still felt a vague, inexplicable discomfort in her chest.
She remembered that night at Imperial Grand Karaoke Club, when Evan Lin fought a whole group of black-clad thugs alone. If Ethan Yi had been there instead, what would he have done?
Fang You’s mind was a mess.
"Ugh, he looks like a normal guy, but why would he send you sexy lingerie? That’s just twisted. Best to ignore him." Another girl chimed in, her eyes full of disgust as she looked at Evan Lin.
Fang You stayed silent, not knowing how to explain. Her gaze dropped to the soccer field.
On the field, Victor Feng charged into Class 5's penalty area and unleashed a powerful shot, but the goalkeeper leapt up and punched the ball away.
A wave of disappointment swept through Class 7.
If Ethan Yi had taken that shot, it probably would've gone in, Fang You thought, then suddenly noticed a group of people walking in from outside the field.
At first, Fang You didn’t care, but as they got closer, her heart skipped a beat.
Even the Class 7 and Class 5 players who'd just been running around stopped in their tracks, turning to stare at the five newcomers stepping onto the field.
The whole field suddenly felt heavy.
Everyone’s eyes locked onto those five, even the girls from Class 5 watching from the sidelines.
Only one person wasn’t fazed—Evan Lin sat at the sideline, his qi making a small circulation, returning to Bubbling Spring Point. He still hadn’t opened his eyes, just quietly savoring the aftertaste of his cultivation.
In that moment, it was as if he alone existed between heaven and earth; nothing else mattered.
All that mattered was seeking the Dao; anyone who tried to block him wasn't worth noticing.