Chapter 42: Returning to River City Again

Ye Ke stood frozen in place, the bright red handprint on her cheek glaringly conspicuous. She had not expected Yang Fan to actually raise his hand. Zhang Yuyan was also startled.

"Move aside."

Yang Fan’s gaze was icy, his tone brimming with anger. His patience was thin, especially toward Ye Ke; this woman wore on his nerves. If the two women refused to take the hint and continued to pester him, Yang Fan had no qualms about being ruthless.

“He’s hitting people! The thief is hitting people! Everyone, come, catch the thief!” Zhang Yuyan began to shout.

At the call of “thief,” people in the station quickly gathered round.

“Everyone, help! This man is a thief! He stole from me and refuses to return it!” Zhang Yuyan pointed at Yang Fan, her voice carrying clearly to those around.

With so many people present, she felt sure someone would help and Yang Fan would be apprehended. Once he was caught and sent to the police station, Zhang Yuyan could use her family’s influence to take him away.

Yang Fan's eyes grew colder, and he slapped Zhang Yuyan across the face.

“If you make accusations, you’d better have proof,” he said coldly, his gaze intimidating.

“Damn it, a man who hits women—I can’t stand men like you!” a young man, unable to watch any longer, rushed over to confront Yang Fan. Of course, there was also an element of showing off in his mind; after all, both Zhang Yuyan and Ye Ke were stunning women, and perhaps he could gain their favor.

“Enough, I can’t stand it either!” Another young man joined in, unwilling to be left behind.

The two men stormed up to Yang Fan, fists swinging.

Bang! Bang!

Two muffled thuds sounded, followed by cries of pain. The two would-be heroes were struck hard and sent flying. All they remembered was a blur before being hit with tremendous force, pain exploding throughout their bodies.

Lying on the ground, both men groaned in agony, their faces drained of color.

“Damn, this guy’s a beast, thank goodness I didn’t try anything,” someone exclaimed, seeing how effortlessly Yang Fan had dispatched the two young men.

No one had even seen what happened clearly before the two men were taken down. For a moment, everyone looked at Yang Fan with a newfound sense of awe and fear.

“Fools,” Yang Fan muttered, not sparing the two men a glance as he strode away.

Zhang Yuyan and Ye Ke were so frightened they didn’t dare try to stop him again, and no one else dared approach.

Quickly, Zhang Yuyan pulled out her phone to call her family.

“Dad, Yang Fan has appeared—he’s back in Jiang City!” she said urgently.

“Where is he? Grab him at once! We must not let the Yang family find him first,” her father’s anxious voice came through the phone.

“I can’t do it alone, he’s too strong,” Zhang Yuyan replied helplessly.

“Then keep an eye on him. I’ll send someone over,” her father said quickly.

Zhang Yuyan agreed at once.

When she left the station, however, Yang Fan was nowhere to be seen. She searched the area but found no trace of him. In the end, she had no choice but to return home. Since Yang Fan had returned to Jiang City, the Zhang family’s influence here would make finding someone like him a simple matter.

After seeing Zhang Yuyan leave, Yang Fan emerged from another exit and waited for a cab nearby.

——————

Ever since Lu Yuxi discovered her misunderstanding with Yang Fan, she had been in low spirits, often staring vacantly at home. She had tried every way she could think of to find Yang Fan, but all her efforts yielded nothing. Wracked with guilt, she muddled through her days, unable to focus on her studies.

Watching her cousin sink deeper into melancholy day by day pained Zhang Meng. She knew this was all her fault. Regret and guilt gnawed at her heart.

Wanting to help Lu Yuxi shake off her gloom, Zhang Meng bought two train tickets and took her cousin away from Jiang City for a trip. She hoped that venturing out into the world would help Lu Yuxi recover her spirit.

“Cousin, I hope this trip will help you pull yourself together and get back to your studies,” Zhang Meng said softly. “It’s best if you forget about Yang Fan—he’s probably already left Jiang City.”

Lu Yuxi forced a bitter smile and shook her head, her voice hoarse. “How could I possibly forget him? Now, every time I close my eyes, all I see is him. How can I forget?”

Ever since realizing her mistake, Lu Yuxi had been consumed with remorse. Yang Fan’s departure left her feeling empty inside, making her finally realize just how deeply his presence lingered in her heart. What had once been a vague awareness was now painfully clear.

She didn’t want to lose Yang Fan—this feeling was overwhelming.

Zhang Meng didn’t know what to say. In truth, she also wanted to see Yang Fan and apologize to him in person.

Lu Yuxi and Zhang Meng made their way toward the station. As they approached the entrance, Lu Yuxi stopped in her tracks, stunned.

In the distance, a familiar silhouette caught her eye.

“Yang Fan! Zhang Meng, I see Yang Fan!” Lu Yuxi suddenly cried out.

“Really? Where?” Zhang Meng asked in delight.

She followed Lu Yuxi’s gaze but saw only a crowd of passersby.

Over there, Yang Fan hailed a cab and climbed in.

Lu Yuxi ran over, hoping to call out to him, but the car had already pulled away.

“Yang Fan!” Lu Yuxi shouted after the vehicle, tears streaming down her face.

“Cousin, don’t do this,” Zhang Meng hurried to her side. “You must be missing him so much that you’re seeing things.”

“But that figure looked just like Yang Fan,” Lu Yuxi said blankly.

“Let’s go, our train is about to leave,” Zhang Meng urged, pulling her cousin into the station.

Lu Yuxi’s expression was bitter, her heart laced with self-mockery. “Maybe I was mistaken.”

In truth, Yang Fan had heard Lu Yuxi calling, but he didn’t respond—he wanted nothing more to do with her. All he wished for now was to cultivate in peace, raise his strength, and then leave this place behind. To him, Lu Yuxi was nothing more than a passerby in his life.

After leaving by car, Yang Fan headed to the address provided. This time, his first priority was to cure his client’s illness and earn a good sum for it. Once this task was complete, his next step would be to find a way into the aristocratic high school to search for spirit stones.

Upon arriving at the client’s location, Yang Fan did not go in directly. Instead, he found a hotel nearby to stay the night, deciding to visit the client the next day.

As he walked along the street, he passed a dimly lit alley and noticed a group of men wielding knives, attacking a lone figure.

Yang Fan had no intention of getting involved—until he saw who it was: Wang Gang, someone he’d met once before.

At this moment, Wang Gang was covered in blood, his body riddled with wounds.