The matter of Coach Long had passed.
The disappearance of one person seemed to stir little ripple.
After just two days, no one mentioned Coach Long anymore.
Lin Mo returned to class after finishing his Olympiad math training session.
Today, he was going to Chu Miaomiao’s house for dinner—it had been too long since his last visit, and Chu Lintian had even called to ask why he hadn’t come over.
So today, no matter what, Lin Mo was determined to go for a meal.
He also planned to give them the protective talismans he had prepared. After all, the two of them stood out so much that it wouldn’t take much for someone to lose their mind around them.
Back in the classroom, most people had already left.
Zhang Yuzhong was packing up his things and waved at Lin Mo when he saw him return.
"Working another weekend job?"
"Yeah, the pay’s decent."
Lin Mo nodded but didn’t elaborate. Zhang Yuzhong’s health was fine—no signs of malnutrition. Though he opted for cheaper meals, he never went hungry.
Xu Sheng, still wearing his cap, walked over.
"Hey, Lin Mo, wanna play Three Kingdoms Kill this Saturday? We also need to help Mai Zirong buy drinks for the school sports meet."
"Nah, I’ll leave that hassle to you guys."
"You—!" Xu Sheng pointed at Lin Mo, then noticed Chu Miaomiao standing behind him.
"Fine, just watch your back. Don’t end up with your head chopped off and carried on a boat."
Ah, another Infernal Affairs reference.
Walking with Chu Miaomiao, Lin Mo asked, "What have you been up to lately?"
Chu Miaomiao counted on her fingers. "Doing homework, writing stories, chatting with Xie Yuling."
"Wait, you and Xie Yuling chat? I’ve never seen you two interact much."
Like Chu Miaomiao, Xie Yuling rarely left the classroom except for bathroom breaks.
"On QQ. Xie Yuling messages me every day."
Ah, that made sense. Now that Xie Yuling had a new phone and internet access, chatting was natural.
It was surprising, though, that the two had become friends. But sometimes, introverts bonded precisely because they cherished new connections.
On the shaky bus ride, Lin Mo enjoyed the warmth of her presence while also shielding Chu Miaomiao from unwanted attention.
Chu Miaomiao liked it too—though they weren’t actually embracing, it felt like they were.
At Chu Miaomiao’s house, Chu Lintian was already setting out plates.
"I bought some crayfish. Heard they’re tasty—let’s try them."
Lin Mo had bought crayfish for Xie Yuling before, but she found the meat too scant compared to boiled shrimp’s sweetness, so he rarely got them afterward.
During dinner, Lin Mo pulled out two laminated triangular talismans from his pocket.
"These are protective charms for you. They’re very effective—keep them with you at all times."
Chu Lintian picked one up casually. Whether or not it worked, it was the thought that counted, so she slipped it into her pocket without fuss.
Chu Miaomiao, however, took hers carefully.
"Thanks. How much do they cost?" Chu Lintian reached for her wallet.
"They’re drawn by a master—not for sale. I laminated them so they’d survive if you accidentally washed them."
Hearing this, Chu Lintian didn’t think much of it.
But Chu Miaomiao tucked hers into her pocket solemnly before resuming her meal.
After finishing dinner, Lin Mo wasn’t in a hurry to go home.
As for Chu Lintian, she had originally planned to drive Lin Mo home, but she suddenly received a phone call requiring her to return to the company to retrieve an important supplementary contract.
Without bothering to put on makeup and still in casual clothes, Chu Lintian drove straight to the office.
She didn’t drive too fast—after all, traffic jams were the norm in Yangcheng on weekend nights.
Once she arrived at the company, Chu Lintian immediately printed out the supplementary contract.
Getting back into her car, she hurried toward the venue where her subordinates were entertaining clients.
After all, sealing a deal often depended on timing.
Despite her urgency, Chu Lintian refused to speed.
Fortunately, the dinner meeting hadn’t ended yet, and she managed to deliver the contract in time.
However, she didn’t go upstairs to greet the clients. Instead, she relaxed and began driving home.
But in the distance, a semi-truck spotted Chu Lintian’s car and, without slowing down, rammed straight into its side.
The airbags deployed instantly.
Her car was sent flying, tumbling several times in midair before crashing onto the road and rolling further.
The semi-truck, as if fleeing the scene, drove off without a second glance at the wreckage.
Bystanders were present, and some called the police while others summoned an ambulance.
Yet, to everyone’s astonishment, someone actually crawled out of the mangled vehicle.
Chu Lintian, dazed and bleeding from her head, was still alive.
Sitting by the roadside, she waited as the police and ambulance arrived almost simultaneously.
Soon, she was loaded into the ambulance.
When Chu Miaomiao received the call, her entire body trembled.
Lin Mo, standing beside her, heard everything clearly.
"Let’s go. I’ll go with you," he said, taking Chu Miaomiao’s hand as they prepared to leave.
At the hospital, even the attending officer couldn’t help but remark, "You’re incredibly lucky. Your car was completely wrecked, yet you only suffered minor injuries."
Chu Lintian herself was equally bewildered.
She remembered seeing the truck barrel toward her and recalled her car flipping multiple times in the air.
Yet when it finally hit the ground, she hadn’t felt any pain.
How was this possible?!
Her hand slipped into her pocket and brushed against something.
Pulling it out, she found a triangular plastic case—one that had once held a yellow talisman.
But now, the talisman inside had turned into a pile of black ash.
"Was this thing real?"
She tucked the plastic piece back into her pocket, her thoughts inevitably drifting to Lin Mo.
Where had these talismans come from?
Unbeknownst to her, these talismans weren’t just imbued with protective charms—they also carried Lin Mo’s divine abilities to ward off calamity and dissolve misfortune.
Their sole purpose was to ensure safety.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Lin Mo immediately located Chu Lintian’s room without needing to ask the nurses, guiding Chu Miaomiao straight there.
The moment she saw Chu Lintian, Chu Miaomiao burst into tears and rushed to her side.
No words were needed—her sobs said everything.
"It’s okay, I’m fine," Chu Lintian reassured her.
Meanwhile, Lin Mo approached the officer nearby.
"Excuse me, Officer. Could you tell me what happened to my sister?"
The officer waved his hand. "Your sister is one lucky woman. A semi-truck plowed straight into her car—it was completely destroyed. Yet she walked away with just scratches."
Lin Mo narrowed his eyes. "A semi-truck? Was the hit-and-run driver caught?"
"Not yet. The bastard drove off right after. Don't worry, young man, we'll track down that kind of scum—utter disregard for human life."
Lin Mo frowned. The perpetrator was still at large?