Sugarcane may have residue, but it's sweet.

The pleasure boat slowly departed from the dock, cutting through the tranquil river surface and scattering the reflections of neon lights.

Old Yangcheng was divided by the river. South of the Yue River, the older generation was accustomed to calling it "Henan"—not the Henan on the larger map, but simply the locals' term for the land across the water.

After all, in the past, there was no Haizhu Bridge, and crossing the Yue River required taking a ferry. Hence, the southern side came to be called Henan.

Of course, the name had long faded from common use. Nowadays, the younger generation preferred to identify their location by district names.

The night cruise route wasn’t long, circling the core river scenery just enough to take in the most dazzling sights on both shores.

The newly built bridge stretched across the water, its entire structure illuminated, while in the distance, the newly developed Jiangxinsha Park blazed with lights.

This was the perfect moment, when the lights were at their most vibrant.

The two of them stepped onto the deck, feeling the cool breeze and admiring the view.

Jiang Yunlu leaned against the railing, her hands gripping it lightly, her face unable to hide her joy. Her eyes sparkled with the reflections of the city lights.

"I’m really happy today," she said, turning her head slightly, her voice softened by the wind.

"We won the competition, had dinner together, and now we’re on a boat enjoying the night view. It feels like... it’s been so long since I’ve been this relaxed."

Then, as if suddenly remembering something crucial, she frowned and shot Lin Mo a questioning look.

"So why didn’t you ask me even once whether we won or lost today?"

Lin Mo chuckled, shifting his gaze from the distant Canton Tower back to her pouting face.

"Why ask? Isn’t the answer obvious?"

"What’s obvious?" Jiang Yunlu retorted indignantly.

Lin Mo grinned as he analyzed, "Of course you won. If you’d lost, someone would’ve been crying the moment we met. Oh wait—actually, someone was already crying when I first saw them."

Jiang Yunlu’s cheeks instantly flushed red, as if all her little secrets had been exposed. In a mix of embarrassment and annoyance, she raised a small fist and lightly thumped Lin Mo’s chest.

"You always guess right!"

After a few half-hearted punches, she stopped on her own, her soft blows barely registering.

The wind on the deck tousled her hair, and she instinctively tucked a loose strand behind her ear. But then she paused, her gaze drifting away uncertainly.

"Then... tomorrow..." Her voice grew quieter, losing its earlier confidence, replaced by a cautious hesitation. "Will you come watch my match?"

Lin Mo didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked out at the river, watching as another pleasure boat passed by, its passengers cheering.

After a moment, he finally responded casually.

"Yeah, if I’m free, I’ll come."

The flippant reply instantly deflated the small hope that had risen in Jiang Yunlu’s heart.

Her head snapped up, disappointment quickly turning into irritation.

"Hmph! Suit yourself!"

She punched him again, this time with noticeably more force, before turning her back on him, arms crossed, leaving him with nothing but her stubborn silhouette.

--System: Today’s recommended song—"Scumbag" by Juno Mak--

After disembarking, Jiang Yunlu’s family Bentley was already parked by the roadside, her female assistant standing beside it.

Perhaps the second floor allowed for a quicker exit.

Lin Mo could see the assistant’s eyes darting between his face and the young mistress’s lips, as if searching for some telltale sign.

But Lin Mo had nothing to show her.

Declining Jiang Yunlu’s offer to drive him home, he waved them off, watching as the car disappeared into the distance.

"Whew, dating a young girl really does make you feel younger."

Men were consistent—they liked eighteen-year-olds in the past, they liked eighteen-year-olds now, and they’d still like eighteen-year-olds when they got old.

But Jiang Yunlu’s words on the boat had struck a chord in his heart.

It wasn’t a big deal—just that no one would be coming to his parent-teacher meeting next week.

Lin Mo was used to it.

In his previous life, no one had cared enough to attend.

This life? It didn’t matter either.

Lin Mo walked along the riverbank like any other stroller.

There were plenty of people out for a walk, and Lin Mo was just one of them.

Eventually, he sat down on a stone bench, taking in the surroundings before slowly closing his eyes.

The story left behind resentment, unable to sever the scars cleanly, dreams torn apart.

Lin Mo had always carried another wound—his parents’ death was one.

The other was the loneliness and uselessness that had shadowed him all these years.

He had come to terms with his parents’ passing.

But the loneliness remained, clinging to him like a persistent shadow.

In this life, Lin Mo was no longer that powerless man. The system had granted him strength, allowing him to navigate everything with ease.

It let him fulfill all the regrets of his past.

[This system does not encourage the host to become a scumbag. The host already has scumbag tendencies.]

"Ever eaten sugarcane? It’s got bits, but it’s sweet."

[Congratulations, host, for letting go of your past self. This will help you sever inner demons when breaking through to the Golden Core stage.]

Lin Mo opened his eyes. The pedestrians around him had all left.

Pulling out his phone, he saw it was already 2 a.m.

Just a brief moment of introspection had taken so long.

There was also a message from Jiang Yunlu, sent hours ago when she got home.

"Ah, time to go. The bell tolls the call home!"

Lin Mo stood up smoothly and continued his leisurely stroll.

Having shed the weight of the past, he felt lighter. As he walked along the pedestrian path of the cross-river bridge, cars still streamed across.

Such was the bustle of a big city.

Then, his spiritual sense picked up something unusual.

Wait—

Since when could speedboats come and go so freely on the Yue River?

One speedboat zigzagged ahead at full throttle, pursued closely by three others.

Lin Mo’s divine sense swept over the people on the boats.

The lead speedboat carried only a woman and an unconscious little girl.

The three chasing boats each held four men, all armed with firearms.

More importantly—their faces were unmistakably Southeast Asian.

"The boss said we have to capture the girl alive. Only use guns if absolutely necessary. We’re not in Pengcheng anymore."

They were speaking Vietnamese.

After realizing last time that he couldn’t understand the language, Lin Mo had taken the time to study foreign tongues.

Who knew it’d come in handy so soon?

With that much information, Lin Mo already knew how to handle the situation.

He stood at the edge of the bridge, watching the four speedboats pass beneath.

His fingers curled slightly.

With a casual swipe through the air—

Seventy-Two Divine Abilities—Sever Water!

A fissure suddenly split the river’s surface ahead of the three pursuing boats, like a broken bridge.

Yet, inexplicably, one of the three speedboats abruptly lifted into the air, clearing the gap in the water.

The lead boat, racing ahead, didn’t notice what was happening behind.

Xia Zhi, gripping the engine tightly, only thought of pushing the speed further to escape her pursuers.

Lin Mo watched the two speedboats swiftly retreat into the distance, clicked his tongue in admiration, and then vanished from the bridge in an instant.