"Eh," Li Yuan casually waved his hand. "We're all family here, no need for thanks."

"The keys are on the bike, Xiao Long; go have fun with it!"

"From now on, the motorcycle is yours!" Li Yuan proclaimed generously.

"Thanks, Uncle!" Lin Yu eagerly seated himself on the bike, revving the engine with a twist of the throttle, the roar igniting a visceral thrill.

Riding the motorcycle away from the back entrance of the mahjong parlor, Lin Yu's first stop was a motorcycle accessory shop to acquire a cool helmet that matched his new ride.

Safety was one reason for the purchase, and secondly, Lin Yu didn't want to risk being spotted by Xia Mu Zhu. Given his persona in her eyes—just a poor orphan—it would be hard to explain possessing such an expensive motorcycle. Would it not mean immediate 'death' to their friendship founded on deceit?

Riding on, Lin Yu maintained a moderate speed through the city streets. He knew how to race, but he didn't enjoy it.

Before his life took this unusual turn, Lin Yu often mixed with martial arts wanderers, loving the rush of zooming through traffic on a motorcycle. That changed after a fellow student had an accident that left both him and his bike in pieces—Lin Yu never exceeded sixty miles per hour since.

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During an evening bathed in golden sunset, Lin Yu idly cruised around the vast city, first passing by the Tang mother's food stall to observe. Only Tang's mother bustled there; Tang Manman and the delicate boy were absent.

Watching from a distance for a moment, Lin Yu continued on his ride.

After some time, he approached Xia Mu Zhu's neighborhood. Circling the area to commit it to memory, Lin Yu prepared to head out. His next destination was the coastal freeway—a quiet road, perfect for letting loose, pushing at least seventy miles per hour.

Minutes after leaving Xia Mu Zhu's complex, a commotion caught Lin Yu's eye. Intrigued by the drama unfolding, he steered closer, intending to park. Recognizing the squabbling figures, Lin Yu grew more amused.

You've got to be kidding!

All familiar faces!

The sight of Purple Hair, who called himself 'Brother Mao,' clashing with the purple-haired girl who bullied Tang Manman, provided Lin Yu with sheer entertainment, a classic case of dog-eat-dog.

Hiding behind a corner, helmet in hand, he eavesdropped on their dispute.

"Gu Yue, when the hell are you going to bring Tang Manman around?" the expelled purple-haired delinquent, Brother Mao, snarled ferociously, almost ready to devour the timid-looking girl opposite him.

"Mao, Brother Mao, I really can’t do it."

"If Long Brother finds out, he’ll kill me," Gu Yue trembled against the wall, her made-up face marked by fear and struggle, the left side notably swollen from an earlier scuffle.

"Long Brother?"

"He’s nothing of a Brother Long!"

"Gu Yue, I’m warning you!" Brother Mao raged with abandon, forgetting he was the architect of his own downfall. "It’s all because of you I got expelled, and you owe it to me to deliver Tang Manman!"

The ranting young delinquent seemed oblivious to his culpability in the debacle, deserving his misfortune.

"Mao Brother, it's impossible."

"Long Brother will kill me if he knows."

"Aren’t you afraid of retaliation from him?"

"His uncle is…"