Night fell over the city, and neon lights began to flicker awake.
Just beyond the edge of campus, a cozy old-style diner glowed with warm yellow lighting. Through the windows, laughter and cheer spilled onto the quiet street.
"Here's to Lu Chen—for that stunning performance today!"Gao Yuan raised his glass high, voice loud and proud.
"Cheers!" the others echoed, lifting their drinks.
Lu Chen sat at the center of the table, holding a steaming soda can, a faint smile playing at his lips.
"Ease up. I still have class tomorrow."
"Cut the act—you're Tianyao's biggest star today!" Gao Yuan grinned."You know what the teachers said about your speech? 'Structurally tight, professionally delivered.' Word for word!"
"Someone even said you've got the presence of a national debate champion," another classmate added with a laugh.
"That's all thanks to Su Qingyu. She was the backbone."
"Stop being modest," someone teased."The goddess barely acknowledges anyone, but she coordinated perfectly with you."
Lu Chen chuckled, offering no rebuttal.But deep inside, he understood:It wasn't about her "acknowledging" him.It was about them—seeing the world through the same lens.
Just as the laughter reached its peak, the diner's front door burst open with a bang.
"Well, well. Looks like quite the party."
Zhao Qi swaggered in, two lackeys behind him. He twirled a half-empty beer bottle in one hand, the glass sloshing ominously.
The diner fell silent for a beat.
Lu Chen turned, brows tightening.
"What do you want?"
Zhao Qi grinned darkly.
"Heard you were celebrating. Thought I'd drop by. After all, I was your stepping stone to fame today, wasn't I?One toast seems fair."
Gao Yuan stood up, shielding Lu Chen.
"This is a private gathering. If you're here to start trouble, we'll call security."
"Security?" Zhao Qi sneered."You think I'm scared of anyone?"
SMACK.
An empty glass bottle hit the counter with a sharp crack.
A girl's voice followed—soft, youthful, and dangerously calm:
"I wonder if you're scared of me."
Everyone turned.
At the door stood a petite girl in a black athletic jacket, hood pulled low over her face. Only her pale, delicate features peeked out—looking no older than fifteen or sixteen.
Yet the aura she radiated was suffocating.Dangerous. Sharp. Unmistakable.
Zhao Qi blinked.
"Kid, don't play games. This isn't a place for you."
The girl walked forward slowly, tilting her head.
"Who were you yelling at just now?"
"I said—mind your own—"
CRACK.
A slap—clean, fast, lethal.
Zhao Qi stumbled back, crashing into a table. His beer bottle hit the floor and shattered.
The room froze.
"I hate bullies," the girl said calmly.She pulled off her hood, revealing fierce, intelligent eyes that sparkled beneath heavy lashes.
Then she turned to Lu Chen.
"You're Lu Chen, right?"
"Next time someone gives you trouble, just drop my name.Tang Luoyin."
"Anyone on Tiannan Street will back off immediately."
Gao Yuan's lips twitched.He whispered, stunned:
"Did she just say… Tiannan Street?"
Lu Chen blinked.
"You know me?"
Tang Luoyin raised an eyebrow.
"Nope. I have a rule:If I see someone I don't like, I hit them.You? Seem decent.Him? Not so much."
She pulled out her phone and tapped Zhao Qi's cheek with it.
"If you've got a brain in that head, go home and ask your brother whether the name Tang Family is worth messing with."
Zhao Qi's face had gone paper-white.
Seconds later, he grabbed his lackeys and fled—stumbling over chairs as he went.
Tang Luoyin watched him go, then turned back to Lu Chen and gave him a small nod.
"You owe me a meal. I'll collect next time."
With that, she spun on her heel and left—Like a sudden storm that slapped down and vanished,leaving only shattered glass and a stunned silence in her wake.
The diner remained speechless for a long moment.
"…Was that a loli?" Gao Yuan finally whispered.
Lu Chen stared at the cup in his hands, expression unreadable.But deep inside,his heartbeat had kicked unexpectedly… faster.
He was beginning to understand:
The world… was far more complicated than he once believed.
And he—step by step—was being pulled into a realm that belonged to the truly powerful.
As for the girl who'd just walked in, so small yet so overwhelming—
She had left behind more than a broken bottle.
She'd left a spark.
A deep, burning mark etched in his memory.