章 25: A Clash at Maple Evening Tower

Back in the family car, Lucius gave a simple command: "Maple Evening Tower." As the driver started the car, Scarlett turned to Jack, who was wearing a mask, and softly asked, "Did the doc say your wound shouldn't be exposed to the wind?"

Jack, annoyed by the pile of meds prescribed by the doc, didn't respond. Lucius, sitting shotgun, quietly said, "It shouldn't be exposed to people."

Scarlett instantly got it. The kid had a vanity streak. She had always thought he didn't care about his looks, but it turned out he knew he was a looker.

Jack looked out the window and muttered, "You two go to the restaurant first."

Scarlett asked, "What about you?"

Jack replied, "The person you're always thinking about is right next to you. Why do you always drag me along?"

Scarlett didn't expect Jack to say that. With Lucius sitting in front of her, any misunderstanding could be huge. After thinking it over, she calmly replied, "Alright, I won't ask you anymore. There's no need to push me into the river just because you're embarrassed."

Jack didn't add insult to injury, and Scarlett didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

After about ten minutes, the car stopped in front of a tastefully decorated building. It wasn't tall, only five stories, but it had a large storefront and luxury cars lined the ground. Scarlett remembered this place from her first day in Deep City. Mia Chan and her father had dined here. The place was expensive, with an average cost of two to three grand per person. Mia, used to being frugal, joked that she would spend every penny from Old Chan's wallet.

When the car stopped, only Lucius and Scarlett got out. The driver took Jack away. Scarlett, not wanting to be alone with Lucius in the middle of the night, subtly asked, "Where did Jack go?"

Lucius replied, "To the mall, to buy a hat."

Scarlett was surprised and couldn't help but laugh, "He's so vain."

Jack had a wound near his eye that the mask couldn't cover. He was going to buy a hat in the middle of the night because he thought it looked bad.

Knowing that Jack would be back soon, Scarlett felt relieved and followed Lucius inside.

Lucius seemed to be a regular here. As soon as the doorman saw him, he greeted him with a smile, "Good evening, Mr. Zhou," and also smiled at Scarlett, giving her an extra glance.

Lucius was wearing a shirt and casual trousers, while Scarlett was more down-to-earth, wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants, her half-dry hair casually twisted behind her head, and her face bare.

They were standing a step apart from each other, maintaining a clear distance. Their behavior was not intimate, but inexplicably ambiguous. What kind of woman would walk beside Lucius without makeup? Either before bed or after.

Lucius walked ahead confidently. A group of men and women appeared a few meters ahead, seemingly just out of a private dining room after dinner. The man leading the group was tall, about the same height as Lucius. He was casually dressed, sporting a retro 'heart-shaped fringe' hairstyle from the 80s and 90s, and had very fair skin. He was chatting and laughing with the people around him, but when he saw Lucius, his smile faded slightly.

Scarlett noticed him too. Not only was he tall and fair, but his features were striking, and with his hairstyle, he looked like a character out of a comic book.

She was always sensitive and clearly felt that when this group of people saw Lucius, their smiles disappeared. Their expressions tightened, and they instinctively averted their gazes. It wasn't that they were ignoring him, but rather they didn't want to make eye contact.

Scarlett glanced at them and quickly looked away. As the two parties were about to cross paths, she subtly moved to the left, not wanting to get too close to the people approaching. The fair-skinned man had just brushed past Lucius, ignoring each other, and Scarlett thought the matter was over. But to her surprise, the man moved past Lucius and came straight towards her.

He did it on purpose. Otherwise, why would he suddenly sway in front of her when he had been walking straight all along? Scarlett felt a jolt in her heart. Before her body could react, she felt her arm being grabbed and pulled. She moved to the side with the force, but her injured right leg couldn't support her, and she instinctively reached out to grab something.

The whole incident happened in an instant. By the time Scarlett came to her senses, she realized she had fallen into Lucius. One of her arms was being held by him, and the other was draped across his chest, clutching his shirt.

This position was too embarrassing and too intimate. She quickly stepped aside, enduring the pain, and Lucius let go of her arm, his facial expression stern as he glared at the fair-skinned man.

Indeed, Scarlett held grudges. She had already silently given the man a nickname in her heart: Little Gigolo.

Seeing the situation, Little Gigolo smirked, his smile not reaching his eyes, and said, "Why such a big reaction? Did I step on your head?"

Lucius replied in a deep voice, "Are you asking for trouble?"

Little Gigolo remained unfazed, glanced at Scarlett standing next to Lucius, and after three seconds said, "You were the one in the car last time, weren't you?"

Scarlett watched him warily but remained silent.

Little Gigolo's smile deepened as he looked back at Lucius, "No wonder you ran like the wind. You had 'urgent business' at home."

Lucius said, "If you want to die, just say it.I'm ready whenever you are."

Little Gigolo provoked, "Your new love is here. Would you dare to die?"

Lucius's aura was heavy. Without a word, he moved. The people behind Little Gigolo were visibly nervous, like they were facing a great enemy. Scarlett instinctively reached out to stop him, "Lucius..."

She stood in front of Lucius, effectively placing herself between him and Little Gigolo. Lucius's gaze passed over Scarlett, his cold eyes staring at the man in front of him, "Get lost."

There were also people behind the man quietly persuading him, "Easton, stop messing around."

He fearlessly met Lucius's gaze. After a few seconds of eye contact, he suddenly lowered his gaze to Scarlett, smiled, and asked, "What's your name?"

Scarlett was afraid he would continue to cause trouble, and Lucius would definitely fight back. Two fights in one day would be too much for anyone, let alone her, who was currently injured.

With a stern face, she looked at Little Gigolo and said, "Can you leave now?"

Little Gigolo's eyes twinkled with amusement. He deliberately lowered his voice and said in a flirtatious tone, "I'll remember that. Since you asked me to leave, I'll go."

With that, he gave Lucius a mocking look. Before leaving, he dropped one last comment, "Your woman is really obedient, answering every question."

Scarlett watched the man's retreating figure, finally realizing that he was the owner of the red sports car from before. He had been provoking Lucius all along. If she hadn't intervened, the whole street might have turned into their battleground.

As she was lost in thought, Lucius had already turned around and walked inside. Scarlett followed him into a private room, and a waiter came in. After he ordered, the waiter nodded and left.

As soon as the door closed, Lucius's low voice filled the room, 'You answered his every question. What is he to you?'

Scarlett sat across from Lucius, separated by a large round table. She could still feel his anger. It seemed he wouldn't let this go.

Scarlett kept a neutral expression and replied, "He's nothing to me."