“Steven Clark classmate, you…”

“Ms. Harris, just call me Steve Clark, there’s no need to be so formal. Always saying ‘classmate, classmate’ is so tiring!”

“Steve Clark, how old is your cousin this year, where does he work, and does he have a girlfriend?”

“Uh…”

“Don’t get me wrong, I have a boyfriend. I’m just asking because I want to introduce a girlfriend to him… So, does he have a girlfriend?”

“N-no… I don’t think so.”

“What, he actually doesn’t have a girlfriend!?”

“……”

Seeing the conversation go off track from the very start, and with Emily Harris’s eyes shining like she was about to devour someone, Steven Clark couldn’t help but turn pale.

He knew there were differences between people, but this was just too much. Now he wasn’t worried about Jack Linton trying to hit on Emily Harris; he was worried Emily Harris would turn around and chase after Jack Linton.

For the sake of the Zhou family’s single line of descent, Steven Clark narrowed his eyes slightly and unleashed the ultimate move in the art of eliminating romantic rivals.

This move had never failed him; he had yet to meet a worthy opponent.

“Ms. Harris, aren’t you curious why Brother Jack is so outstanding but doesn’t have a girlfriend?”

“Yes, why is that?”

“Heh heh…”

Steven Clark glanced at the kitchen and, seeing Jack Linton still washing dishes, whispered, “I’ll tell you a secret, but you mustn’t spread it. Brother Jack doesn’t have a girlfriend because he likes men.”

“No way!?”

“Keep your voice down. If he hears, I’m dead.”

Steven Clark glanced at the kitchen again, put on a sincere face, and said, “I know you don’t believe it. I didn’t believe it at first either, but… Brother Jack peeked at me while I was showering. Would I make something like that up?”

Emily Harris: “……”

……

In the days that followed, with Emily Harris tutoring him, Steven Clark’s grades improved by leaps and bounds.

And because of his one-against-ten fighting skills, he was greatly admired by his classmates, quickly becoming a legendary figure at Edinburgh Secondary School. No matter the grade, everyone greeted him as Brother Steve.

His relationship with Emily Harris also grew increasingly strange. To call them teacher and student didn’t quite fit, as there was something else mixed in; to call them lovers was even less convincing, since Emily Harris still had a boyfriend who was the head of the anti-gang unit; to call them ordinary friends, a pure friendship…

Come on, that’s just a lie.

The relationship between Jack Linton and Emily Harris was even stranger. Emily Harris always brought up bizarre, mystical topics with him, making him feel this woman was a bit eccentric and completely unreserved, often going off the rails after just a few sentences—she was anything but innocent.

In short, while Steven Clark was undercover at Edinburgh Secondary School, everything was going smoothly except for the case investigation.

Jack Linton wasn’t idle either. He wasn’t about to waste a whole month of vacation and intended to make full use of it.

He liked to plan before acting, and this month was no exception.

The first week, he carried a Hong Kong Island map, took buses and light rail, got familiar with the area, and memorized the map.

The second week, his original plan was to sign up for an actor training class at the TV station, show his face, and maybe get spotted by a passing director who’d see his potential.

But the night before he set out, he had a dream. In the dream, a figure sat cross-legged, drawing something in the air with his hand…

Because it was a dream, he had no memory of what was drawn, but he clearly remembered a few scattered words—the nine-character mantra he’d never figured out.

临兵斗者，皆阵列前行。

“临, 兵, 斗, 者, 皆…”

Jack Linton frowned deeply. Just nine short characters, but even when he calmed his mind, he couldn’t recite them smoothly in one go.

What troubled him even more was that, though both were considered ‘techniques’, Iron Shirt could be upgraded with money, but the nine-character mantra didn’t even have a window—there was no way to cheat the system.

After several failed attempts, Jack Linton was still unwilling to give up. He decided to change his plans and go to the library the next day, determined to tackle Taoist classics until he either succeeded or perished trying.

And so, Jack Linton spent his days at the library, occasionally browsing the flea market, and his nights reading borrowed books under the lamp. His days were busy and fulfilling.

……

Sharing the apartment, Steven Clark watched Jack Linton burning the midnight oil every day, focused solely on reading the classics, and sighed that with such diligence, he’d never find a girlfriend.

He secretly rejoiced, completely unaware that someone had their eye on him.

And that someone was no ordinary person—it was Officer Howard, the head of the anti-gang unit and Emily Harris’s boyfriend.

Officer Howard was an experienced investigator with keen observation skills; nothing escaped his notice. He’d seen Emily Harris’s recent odd behavior and felt pained by it.

He realized he might be getting cheated on.

What to do?

Of course, forgive her.

Officer Howard didn’t want to make things awkward for everyone. While there was still a chance to salvage things, he invited Emily Harris to dinner. He could ignore her friend named Jack Linton, but she had to stop tutoring Steven Clark.

Having been seen through by her boyfriend, Emily Harris was very embarrassed. Her rational side took over, and she decided to have a talk with Steven Clark.

Receiving the signal that Emily Harris wanted to talk alone, Steven Clark immediately misunderstood, thinking that after all his efforts, he had finally won Emily Harris’s heart.

As a self-proclaimed gentleman, he decided to confess before Emily Harris could.