Hero and the Undying Race Battle for Three Hundred Rounds

Qin Yanan caught a familiar scent. Without a doubt, only the most authentic Qin family lard and scallion noodles possessed such an identical aroma.

Liu Chang'an brought out two bowls of lard noodles, grabbed a small bamboo stool, and sat by the doorway with Qin Yanan to eat.

"How do you know how to make this?" Qin Yanan asked, somewhat surprised. The connection between Liu Chang'an and her family seemed, just as he had claimed, far more intimate than she had imagined.

"Your great-grandmother loved this noodle dish the most, and your great-grandfather loved it too. The version I make is the most authentic." Liu Chang'an had already begun to eat heartily.

While the noodles sounded simple, the preparation of the lard sauce was actually quite particular. Most households would just toss some ginger and garlic into lard when they felt like eating it, but the flavor profile was different, and the choice of noodles changed the experience entirely. Holding this bowl of scallion and lard noodles, it felt as if it had been made in her own home.

"Did your great-grandfather teach you?" Qin Yanan asked tentatively. In truth, she knew nothing about the elders in Liu Chang'an's family.

"I taught your great-grandfather." Liu Chang'an finished his meal, set down his bowl and chopsticks, and looked at Qin Yanan.

Qin Yanan recalled their first meeting, when he had referred to her great-grandfather as an "old friend." Was this kind of joke, which showed so little respect for one's elders, supposed to be amusing?

A clear look of displeasure appeared in her eyes; Liu Chang'an was being far too insolent.

After Qin Yanan finished her noodles, Liu Chang'an went to wash the dishes.

"May I come in and take a look?" The small design of the exterior made Qin Yanan curious about Liu Chang'an's room. Hearing his consent, she walked inside.

His room was nothing special; it was plain and unremarkable, no different from the temporary dwellings of many others. There were no particularly thoughtful decorations, only a desk against the wall piled high with books, stacked like a mountain.

On the desk lay a sheet of white paper with the four characters "Ziqing, my younger brother" written at the top.

"Ziqing" was the courtesy name of Qin Peng. Qin Yanan certainly knew that, but who could possibly write a letter to Qin Peng using the term "my younger brother," which clearly implied the writer was the elder?

Setting aside status and identity, just considering the age factor alone, there were very few people in the entire world older than Qin Peng who were even interested in challenging the Guinness World Record for longevity.

Liu Chang'an had said he would write a letter, which led Qin Yanan to associate the "Ziqing" on the paper with her great-grandfather. But upon further reflection, it was clearly impossible. No matter how insolent Liu Chang'an was, he couldn't possibly address Qin Peng in such a manner.

Qin Yanan put down the paper and couldn't help but ask, "Did you write this?"

"This..." Liu Chang'an nodded. "My great-grandfather wrote it."

Qin Yanan was extremely surprised that Liu Chang'an's great-grandfather was still alive. But where was he? Was this a man who lived as a legend, only to vanish without a trace and then reappear just as quietly?

"Bang!"

The door was hammered heavily. A hand reached out from the morning light, the middle finger hooked once, then lazily dropped. The figure turned, leaving only a long shadow behind.

Liu Chang'an walked out, and Qin Yanan followed behind him.

Six men stood outside. Leading them was Ma Benwei, his cheek still swollen and his hair disheveled, though he had changed into a sharp suit and polished leather shoes. He held a baseball bat in his hand. The five men behind him carried no weapons, but in the cool morning air, they wore tank tops that revealed bulging muscles, looking quite imposing.

"Yo... buddy, you really aren't short on beauties..." A mature woman always possessed a more direct and alluring charm. Her graceful curves were captivating, and the coquettishness in her eyes still radiated through her slightly displeased expression. When Ma Shilong first saw An Nuan, he had been stunned but managed to restrain himself. Today, however, he had intended to let loose, and seeing a woman like Qin Yanan, he couldn't help but feel that today's program needed a little extra spice.

"Who are these people?" Seeing that the visitors were ill-intentioned, Qin Yanan asked.

"Warriors."

"Warriors?" Ma Benwei laughed. "Flattery won't work now. You were quite happy with your livestream yesterday... do you want me to start another one for you today?"

Ma Benwei was only talking. Someone had messaged him Liu Chang'an's home address yesterday, and he had already planned this out. He couldn't block people at the Affiliated High School; once some busybody filmed a video of a beating, a video involving a student being assaulted at a school gate would be impossible to contain. As a streamer himself, Ma Benwei was very clear on this point... as for livestreaming a beating, that would be even more foolish.

"Get lost, immediately," Qin Yanan said with disgust. As for how Liu Chang'an had provoked these people, she didn't want to ask, but if Liu Chang'an were beaten in front of her, she wouldn't be able to answer to her great-grandfather.

"Little beauty, you've got quite a temper. Don't be impatient. I'll deal with him first, then I'll take you out to have some fun. We'll start a stream—with that face of yours that could make a guy finish in seconds, I'll definitely make you an internet celebrity!" Ma Benwei was still genuinely passionate about his streaming career. He intended to become the top streamer in the industry, and if he had a woman like this helping him, it would be like adding wings to a tiger. Even if he could only use her once or twice to grab attention, it would demonstrate his influence in the streaming world. After all, none of the girls other streamers brought on to boost their popularity could compare to this one, whether in figure, appearance, or temperament.

Qin Yanan sneered, intending to take action. How could the great-granddaughter of Qin Peng truly be powerless? However, she saw Liu Chang'an beside her suddenly frown. He snatched the baseball bat from Ma Benwei, swung his arm, and struck Ma Benwei on the head with swift, precise force. He followed up with a flurry of strikes, knocking down the henchmen who hadn't yet reacted, one by one.

Qin Yanan watched, dumbfounded. Liu Chang'an's movements had an indescribable beauty, flowing like water, as if the opponents' reaction times had been slowed down to accommodate his flair. Several men were knocked to the ground simultaneously in an instant... including Ma Benwei.

"He said that because of your face... your face looks too much like Ye Sijin. I don't like others using this face to talk about vulgar and obscene things," Liu Chang'an explained to Qin Yanan.

Qin Yanan found this reason incredibly strange. Where did he get this protective sentiment toward her great-grandmother?

Yet, he was ultimately defending the elder she respected most. Qin Yanan hoped from the bottom of her heart that she could become a woman like Ye Sijin, so even though she couldn't quite understand his protectiveness, she was willing to accept it.

"I was going to take action anyway, just needed an excuse," Liu Chang'an added.

Qin Yanan increasingly felt that her little cousin was truly a man of character—learned, talented, and exceptionally capable in a fight. With such clean and efficient skills, all Liu Chang'an lacked was the power of a single lethal blow; otherwise, he would be qualified to serve as a bodyguard for leaders at her great-grandfather's level... though, of course, that was only speaking of his combat skills, and combat skills alone were not enough.

Looking at it this way, while she and he weren't a good match, what about Zhu Juntang... if Zhu Juntang could get to know him, might she not fall for him? But he already had a girl he liked.

A woman's intuition told Qin Yanan that among the girls she had seen at the Affiliated High School, the one named An Nuan had a closer relationship with Liu Chang'an. At the dining table, An Nuan's gaze had lingered on Liu Chang'an quite often.

That girl was certainly pretty, but she would be entering university after high school. Such green, campus romance was mostly just the growing pains of youth. She wasn't trying to force a breakup, just thinking about introducing Liu Chang'an and Zhu Juntang. As for how things developed later, Qin Yanan certainly wouldn't interfere.