Lin Mei despised people like that.
So, if given the chance, he had no problem messing with them.
The Next Morning,
Lin Mei sat at the breakfast table, glaring at the young man across from him with resentment.
Last night, he had finally managed to excuse himself, claiming he needed rest because he was still growing. He left Nick Fury and Tony Stark to deal with the mess, thinking he had made a clean escape.
But the moment he opened a portal to his room, he was yanked right back—like a helpless kitten—forced to deal with vampire corpses.
Resist? Not a chance.
Lin Mei had tried to fight back, but all it took was a casual flick from Lin Tian, and any resistance crumbled instantly.
Reality hit hard. Even though Lin Tian's inheritance was incomplete, it was still more than enough to completely overpower Lin Mei.
Melissa, Lin Mei's mother, placed a plate of eggs, ham, and a sandwich in front of him.
Not even a second later—poof!—the eggs and ham were gone.
"Hey! That was mine!" Lin Mei snapped, reaching for his stolen breakfast.
Across from him, Lin Tian had already stuffed the food into his mouth, chewing with a satisfied smirk.
"What? Your father worked hard all night. Can't I at least get some of your food to replenish my energy?" Lin Tian teased, looking at his son with a deliberately provoking gaze.
Lin Mei had long since grown used to these shameless remarks.
"Mom! Are you just going to let him do this?" He clutched his lone sandwich, glaring at his mother in protest.
Melissa merely smiled, saying nothing.
She had long accepted that this was just how the father and son got along—constantly competing, never backing down.
Sighing, she placed another portion of eggs and ham on Lin Mei's plate, then handed the rest to Lin Tian.
"Thank you, my dear!" Lin Tian grinned, blowing her a kiss.
Melissa playfully caught it, forming a heart with her hands.
"Ugh!"
Lin Mei groaned in frustration.
Not only had he been up all night, but now he had to witness his parents being this disgustingly affectionate? It was like taking a 10,000-point critical hit straight to the heart.
Deciding to ignore them, he focused on his breakfast instead, shoveling the food down in three big bites. After wiping his mouth, he pushed back his chair, ready to escape the sickening display of love.
"Wait, brat."
Lin Tian's voice suddenly turned serious.
Lin Mei hesitated. It was rare for his father to sound this serious, so he turned back, curious.
"Don't come home after school today," Lin Tian said, a mischievous smile curling on his lips. "Tonight, I'm leaving the house to your mother and me. We're having a romantic evening—just the two of us."
His gaze flickered with deep affection for Melissa.
Lin Mei's eye twitched.
Here we go again.
This wasn't the first time his parents had tried to kick him out for their so-called "two-person world."
Without another word, Lin Mei grabbed his bag, marched out of the house, and got into the car.
As soon as the door closed—ugh!—his stomach lurched.
It had been half a year since he last rode in a car, and he had completely forgotten about his motion sickness.
Slumping onto the seat, he groaned in misery.
The driver glanced back, slightly surprised. This wasn't the first time his young master had gotten carsick.
"Young Master, sit tight. We're heading out."
Ignoring Lin Mei's retching, the driver calmly started the car and set off for school.
Half an hour later, Lin Mei finally arrived, looking pale but recovering.
"Lin! Morning!"
A cheerful voice greeted him as soon as he stepped out.
He turned to see a tall, blonde girl stepping out of a police car parked nearby.
"Morning, Gwen," Lin Mei mumbled weakly.
But before he could relax, he felt an intense gaze locking onto him.
He looked up.
Sitting in the police car was a middle-aged man with a strong build, sharp features, and piercing brown eyes—staring straight at him.
George Stacy.
Lin Mei recognized him immediately.
Gwen's father. A very high-ranking officer—not quite the police chief, but already a deputy director.
A man with a sharp mind and a future full of potential.
George Stacy's gaze was intimidating. It was the kind of look that could dissect a person, as if peeling back their very soul.
Lin Mei felt his skin prickle under the scrutiny, but he forced himself to stay calm. Turning slightly, he threw a questioning look at Gwen.
But before he could say anything—
Gwen suddenly grabbed his arm, beaming at her father.
"Dad! This is Lin Mei, my new deskmate—the one I told you about!"
George Stacy's expression shifted instantly.
A second ago, he was giving Lin Mei the death stare.
Now? He was all smiles, his face softening into the perfect image of a kind, doting father.
"Oh? Is that so, sweetheart?"
He leaned out of the police car, his voice warm and friendly, as if the piercing eagle-eyed stare from moments ago had been a mere illusion.
"I'm glad to meet you, Lin Mei. Gwen talks about you often—says you're quite the smart kid."
Lin Mei resisted the urge to sigh.
Yeah. Smart enough to know I'm being evaluated right now.
Lin Mei was secretly impressed by how quickly George Stacy could change his expression, but she kept her face neutral and responded politely,
"Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Stacy. I'm also glad to know Gwen—she's a great friend."
George Stacy nodded, a faint glint in his eyes.
"Alright, sweetheart, I have to get to work." Then, shifting his gaze back to Lin Mei, he added, "If you ever run into trouble at school, don't hesitate to come to me."
"Yes, Mr. Stacy," Lin Mei replied respectfully, though inwardly, he couldn't help but feel weirded out by the deputy director's oddly attentive attitude toward him.
Gwen, meanwhile, beamed as she watched the exchange, her expression full of pride—both for her father and her growing friendship with Lin Mei.
"Come on, Lin Mei, we're gonna be late," she said, tugging at his sleeve.
The two of them walked toward the school together.
Strangely enough, Lin Mei sneezed several times along the way, an unsettling feeling creeping over him. It was as if someone, somewhere, was talking about him.
Here we go again.
The mind-numbing boredom of class was settling in fast.
Lin Mei sighed and casually pulled out a book titled Voyage with Vampires to pass the time.
Written by none other than Gilderoy Lockhart.
Yes—that Gilderoy Lockhart. The infamous fraud.
His books claimed he had fought various magical creatures in epic battles, but in reality? Every story was stolen from actual wizards who had lived those experiences. After gathering their tales, Lockhart would simply erase their memories with a well-placed Obliviate spell.
A complete con artist.
Still, that didn't stop Lin Mei from reading his books.
Even if Lockhart was a fraud, the stories were still exciting—full of twists and turns that made them perfect for passing time in a dull classroom.
Lin Mei flipped to the next page.
And then—
Silence.
A strange, unnatural silence.
The scratching of chalk against the blackboard stopped. The shuffling of papers and the scribbling of pens came to a halt. Even the low murmurs of students whispering behind him—students who never seemed to stop talking—vanished.
Something was wrong.
Lin Mei slowly lowered his book, his instincts kicking in.
Something had definitely changed.
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