A Surprise

Jace hung up the phone in a daze, unable to process the fact that his seemingly dim-witted daughter had suddenly become a prodigy.

Over the past few months, Lina had brought home stacks of reference materials and locked herself in her room to study. He hadn't thought much of it, assuming it was just a passing phase.

But to his surprise, she had actually made it!

Shelley quickly asked Sierra, "Is there only one letter? Where's your acceptance letter?"

Sierra, clearly upset, stomped her foot and retorted, "How would I know!"

"Weren't you saying the exam was easy, that you could pass?"

"If you're asking me, who am I supposed to ask!" Sierra, frustrated, stormed back into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Jace stood on the balcony, making calls to relatives to share the good news.

Lina had made it, Sierra hadn't, and Shelley felt too embarrassed to ask Jace to pull some strings to get Sierra into school.

Turning around, Shelley found herself meeting Lina's gaze.

Lina was looking at her expressionlessly, a slight smirk playing on her lips.

Shelley could see the mockery in her eyes.

She had a feeling that this young girl was deliberately targeting her. Could it be that she knew something about the incident when she had gotten lost years ago?

A cold sweat broke out on Shelley's back.

Jace later consulted a doctor, who suggested that his beloved daughter's condition might be slowly improving. It was rare, but it wasn't impossible.

Jace was overjoyed, even throwing a grand celebration banquet, inviting many business partners to share the news of Lina's admission to Northville.

A few days before school started, Talon mysteriously led Lina to the backyard of their large mansion, promising her a surprise.

Curiously, Lina followed him and was astonished to find a brand new Giant bicycle on the lush green lawn!

Truth be told, Lina hadn't ridden a bicycle in years. Since high school, her father had arranged for a driver to pick her up after school to prevent her from hanging out.

Deep down, Lina had always envied her classmates who had bicycles, who could ride to and from school together.

Now, Talon had given her a brand new bicycle, which in a way, felt like a form of compensation.

Excited, Lina hugged her father and couldn't wait to ride this elegant women's bicycle.

The bike wasn't too big and matched her petite figure. Talon, with his typical straight male aesthetic, thought all girls liked pink, so he chose a bike in a particularly soft pink color.

This aesthetic had persisted into his middle age, whether it was Lina's dresses when she was a child or the design of her room, everything was in a girly pink style.

Lina loved to ride her bike aimlessly. At that time, most of the bicycles on the street were old models, so owning a niche trendy bike was quite a cool thing.

The outskirts of North City were not yet developed, so it seemed particularly small, and you could run into acquaintances anywhere on the main road.

As Lina turned a corner, she suddenly spotted the tall figure of Kairo.

He was wearing a tank top, carrying a bag of golden pears, heading towards a nearby apartment building, seemingly on his way home.

Lina quickly pedaled to catch up, maintaining a distance of about twenty feet to avoid being noticed.

The alley was home to many residents. Many families cooked directly in the alley using honeycomb coal, and there were clothes drying, children running around with paper airplanes...

Such alleys were always filled with a strong sense of life.

Kairo's upright figure was bathed in a soft glow in the setting sun.

The mischievous children running around would scatter at his approach, shouting "the bad guy is here," and hiding far away.

A woman who was hanging laundry near the alley's entrance, after seeing Kairo pass by, deliberately raised her voice and complained, "That kid is always making so much noise, my kids can't even focus on their homework. Someone needs to teach him some manners."

Kairo's steps faltered, and he turned to give her a cold look.

The woman, swept by his icy gaze, felt a bit scared, but mustered up the courage to retort, "It's true, and you won't let people say it, really."

Kairo didn't argue with her and turned to walk towards the apartment building at the other end of the alley.

As Lina rode her bike through the alley, she deliberately sped up, aiming for a puddle next to the woman.

With a splash, the bike kicked up the muddy water from the puddle, splattering it on the woman's freshly hung sheets, a sorry sight.

Caught off guard, the woman was furious, cursing at Lina, "Are you blind!"

Lina gave her a provocative smile, pedaled away, and left like a gust of wind.

The woman wanted to chase her, but with her plump figure, she was panting after only a few steps and could only stand at the entrance of the alley, cursing.

Lina had never encountered such a fierce street woman before, and being chased and cursed at made her a bit nervous. But seeing Kairo being bullied, Lina felt uncomfortable.

He was like a tightly wound spring, and she didn't know when he would hit rock bottom and bounce back.

All his sharp edges would eventually be directed at Talon, at their family. Like his crazy revenge against Talon in those years, grinding him down to bankruptcy in just a few short years.

As Lina rode her bike past Kairo's apartment building, she was suddenly grabbed by the collar and pulled off her bike.

Lina let out a surprised cry, and before she could see clearly, she was pinned against the wall by a strong arm.

"Why are you following me?" His voice was deep and powerful.

Looking at his close-up features, Lina's heart rate suddenly accelerated.

His facial features were exceptionally rugged, his eyebrows sharp, his eyes cold, and his whole body exuded an aura of 'keep your distance'.

"I saw you just now and wanted to say hi," Lina said, feeling guilty. "You're hurting my hand."

Kairo's gaze shifted, and sure enough, he was holding her slender wrist, and her fair, delicate skin was quickly marked with a sensitive red mark.

Girls weren't like boys, they were delicate and couldn't be handled roughly, especially this pampered young girl.

He loosened his grip slightly but leaned closer to her face, looking into her evasive eyes, and said, "What, are you interested in me?"

Lina, leaning against the wall, blinked her bright eyes, staring at him dumbfounded.

"Yes," she admitted frankly. "Can we go to the arcade together someday?"

Kairo scoffed.

He was self-aware. A pampered rich girl like her would never be interested in a poor boy like him.

"I don't have time. If you want to play, ask your brother..." Before he could finish, Lina reached out and touched the corner of his bruised lip.

"Did you get into another fight? Was it my brother?"

Kairo, as if electrocuted, immediately stepped back two steps, his lips still feeling the cool touch of the girl's fingertips.

"No," he turned his head, avoiding her gaze, his heart rate suddenly increasing.

At that moment, a deep coughing sound came from a nearby door, followed by a hoarse middle-aged voice, "Kairo, who are you talking to?"

"Just a classmate."

Lina glanced at the dark door, but Kairo quickly closed it, telling her, "Go, and don't come back."

Feeling rebuffed, Lina picked up her bike from the ground and took one last look at where he lived.

The damp ground floor, with its dark windows behind iron bars, looked oppressive and stifling.

"By the way, I got into Northville Middle School, so we'll see each other often," Lina smiled at him. "Uncle Kairo, please take care of me."

"Take care of what? Get lost."

Lina quickly mounted her bike, pedaled faster, and left the alley.

He watched her figure recede into the distance, a faint smile on his lips, murmuring to himself—

"Who the hell is your... uncle?"