"Don't worry."Ava puffed out her cheeks dramatically."You're the only one I give these special treatments to I wanted to see you so much that I left my friends and rushed over here."
"And now I'm even taking you out to eat You won't even call me."She said looking genuinely wronged.
Matthew crossed one leg over the other, leaning comfortably against the passenger seat."I was about to call you."
"You are lying."Ava answered without hesitation, her expression completely blank.
"Absolutely yes."Matthew confirmed without the slightest intention of taking it back.
Ava stared at him for two seconds before clicking her tongue.
The black sports car continued gliding through the quiet roads of Silver Arc District's Core Area.
Behind them, the residential towers and luxury condominiums slowly faded from view as Ava followed the curved boulevard leading toward the district's outer ring.
The scenery gradually changed.
The peaceful atmosphere of the Core Area gave way to roads carrying noticeably more vehicles.
The elegant residential streets were replaced by lively commercial avenues lined with designer boutiques, cafés, bookstores, cinemas, and themed restaurants.
Young couples strolled along illuminated sidewalks while groups of university students laughed outside dessert cafés, many still dressed casually after spending the afternoon enjoying the district.
Luxury cars flowed steadily through the wide roads alongside ordinary sedans and motorcycles.
Above them, holographic traffic signs quietly updated routes while advertising projections floated across the glass walls of nearby buildings.
As they approached the district's boundary, the iconic skyline of Silver Arc slowly stretched behind them.
The enormous silver monument engraved with SILVER ARC DISTRICT stood proudly beside the multi-lane exit road, surrounded by landscaped gardens and softly illuminated fountains.
Security drones hovered silently overhead, scanning every vehicle passing through without disrupting the smooth traffic.
A steady stream of vehicles entered while another left.
Families returning home.
Young people heading toward the nightlife.
Business executives ending late meetings.
Sports cars roared past before disappearing onto the city's main roads.
Ava's car passed beneath the towering district arch.
The navigation display chimed softly.
You are now leaving Silver Arc District.
Within seconds, the atmosphere changed once again.
The roads became broader.
Traffic thickened.
The dazzling nightlife of Velmora City's main urban district unfolded before them, endless rows of skyscrapers glowing beneath the night sky as the Silver Arc District slowly disappeared in the rearview mirror.
"So... what are you craving? Some noodles?" Ava asked as she steered onto the main road.
"Nah."Matthew clicked his tongue lightly."Had noodles this afternoon."
Ava gasped dramatically.
"Oh? So you had ramen and chilled with someone else while I wasn't around?"
Matthew reached over and flicked her forehead.
"Ow!"She rubbed the spot with an exaggerated pout.
"Let's have hotpot Or barbecue," Matthew suggested.
"Sure I know a street stall that serves both."
Ava smiled as she switched lanes smoothly.
Matthew turned to look at her, his gaze lingering for a moment as though something had just occurred to him.
"What?"Ava caught the look immediately. "What have you realized?"
She grinned, dimples showing.
"That I'm a total baddie and you've been missing your chance with me?" she teased sweetly.
"Baddie?"Matthew looked her up and down before shaking his head."A perverted player suits you better."
He leaned back comfortably against the seat."What I'm actually wondering is why someone with your background knows so many street food stalls, back alleys, and hidden places."
Ava snorted.
"So you're saying you're missing your chance with a player?"
She laughed before shrugging.
"As for knowing those places I'm a wild cat I don't discriminate between rich and poor I'm not one of those rich kids who keep saying they want an ordinary life."
"Being rich has its perks I love it Money buys happiness Money buys convenience It buys freedom But being poor has its own perks too."She turned the steering wheel smoothly as the traffic light changed.
"You get to discover places rich people don't even know exist Have you ever been to an underground party club in the slums?"She clicked her tongue dramatically.
"Damn You're missing out And besides My family is crazy."She counted on her fingers.
"My grandma,My grandpa,My parents,My brother ,Me."
She paused for a second.
"And Sophia too, even if she's a white lotus So yeah Wild cat stuff."
Matthew listened quietly before giving a small nod.
"So In conclusion You're part of the crazy side of the family?"
Ava grinned proudly.
"The premium version."
Matthew looked out the window and sighed.
"...That explains a lot."
The sports car left the main road and turned into one of Velmora City's most famous food streets.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The wide boulevard gave way to a lively avenue overflowing with people.
Rows of brightly decorated food trucks stretched along one side of the road while restaurants, barbecue houses, dessert cafés, and roadside stalls stood shoulder to shoulder on the other.
Smoke drifted lazily into the evening sky.
The rich aroma of grilled meat mixed with garlic butter, spicy chili oil, roasted seafood, fresh herbs, and simmering hotpot broth.
A young vendor flipped dozens of skewers over glowing charcoal before shouting, "Fresh beef! Five for one set! Don't miss it!"
Across from him, a middle-aged couple argued playfully over whether to order barbecue or seafood while their little son secretly reached for a grilled squid skewer cooling on the counter.
Two university students rushed past carrying trays stacked with grilled chicken wings and bubble tea, laughing so hard that one almost bumped into an elderly man leaving a noodle shop with takeaway boxes in both hands.
A taxi stopped by the roadside.
Three tourists climbed out, immediately raising their phones.
"So this is the famous food street?"
"It smells amazing."
"Forget dinner, we're eating everything."
Nearby, a family of six walked out of a restaurant rubbing their full stomachs while the grandmother happily stuffed leftover barbecue into takeaway containers.
Delivery riders continuously came and went, weaving carefully through the crowd before disappearing into different streets.
Several influencers occupied the busiest stalls.
One girl excitedly held a dripping barbecue skewer toward her camera.
"Guys! Look at this!
Not far away, another streamer sat before a bubbling seafood while thousands of comments floated across the screen.
"Should I add more chili?"l
"Ten thousand likes and I'll finish this entire pot!"
His cameraman suddenly turned as someone whispered loudly—
"Move! Move! A supercar is coming!"
Heads turned almost at the same time.
The deep mechanical growl of an engine rolled into the lively street.
A sleek black sports car slowly entered the food street.
The lively chatter didn't stop...
It simply changed direction.
"...Wait."
"That logo..."
"No way."
"It can't be fake."
"Only two exist in Elysia."
"And both owners customized theirs."
"So... this is one of them?"
People instinctively stepped aside, leaving enough room for the sports car to move forward.
Phones appeared almost instantly.
Some abandoned their meals halfway.
A woman forgot to take the barbecue from the vendor after paying.
The influencer livestreaming hotpot quickly spun her camera around.
"Guys! Forget the food! Look behind me!"
Comments exploded across her stream.
『IS THAT THE CAR?』
『NO WAY!!』
『WHO'S INSIDE?』
Click.
Click.
Click.
Cameras flashed nonstop.
Videos were already being uploaded before the car had even stopped.
The sports car finally came to a halt before a modest-looking restaurant.
Compared to the surrounding establishments, it looked almost ordinary.
A simple wooden sign hung above the entrance.
Smoke drifted from the open barbecue grill where rows of meat slowly caramelized over charcoal.
Inside the front window, customers gathered around steaming hotpot tables while chefs worked behind an open kitchen.
The restaurant had no luxurious decoration.
Its reputation came entirely from its handmade barbecue sauce and generations-old hotpot broth recipe.
The driver's door opened.
Ava stepped out first.
She had long since grown used to attracting attention.
Without even looking at the surrounding cameras, she casually lifted the back of her hand, covering the lower half of her face as flashes continued going off around her.
She walked around the front of the car and opened the passenger door.
Matthew stepped out, his head slightly lowered beneath the countless cameras aimed in their direction.
Neither of them stopped.
Neither acknowledged the crowd.
But those standing closest had already seen enough.
"..."
"...Did you see them?"
"They're so young..."
"The girl..."
"No... both of them..."
"They're ridiculously good-looking."
"I thought celebrities looked unreal."
"They look even better."
"Which family are they from?"
"Wait... who owns the car?"
"The girl drove."
"But the guy doesn't look ordinary either."
"Could they both be heirs?"
A teenage girl quietly lowered her phone, staring blankly at the pair.
"...Life is really unfairRich And they look like that too..."
Beside her, her boyfriend looked at Matthew before touching his own face with a complicated expression.
"I suddenly don't feel handsome anymore."
His girlfriend burst into laughter.
"You were never in the competition."
As the restaurant door closed behind Ava and Matthew, the discussions outside only grew louder.
The food street quickly returned to its usual rhythm.
Influencers resumed filming.
Customers kept eating.
Yet every few seconds, someone would still glance toward the restaurant entrance, wondering who the mysterious pair really were.
The moment Ava pushed open the restaurant door, the lively atmosphere inside continued as usual.
The sharp crackle of barbecue fat dripping onto hot charcoal.
The bubbling sound of hotpot broth boiling away.
The clinking of beer bottles.
Children laughing.
Friends arguing over who had eaten the last slice of beef.
A waiter hurried past carrying two enormous trays stacked with marinated pork, fresh vegetables, and bowls of steaming rice.
Near the window, three office workers had rolled up their sleeves, loudly debating football while flipping meat over the grill.
An elderly couple quietly shared one hotpot between them.
A birthday celebration at the far corner erupted into applause as a cake covered in sparklers was carried over.
The restaurant was packed.
Every table was occupied.
Servers moved constantly between customers, calling out orders.
"Table twelve, more lamb! Two bottles of soda!"
"Extra spicy broth coming!"
It was loud.
Warm.
Comfortably chaotic.
Then Matthew stepped inside.
Silence.
It wasn't complete silence.
The grills still hissed.
The hotpot still boiled.
Someone's chopsticks still slipped from their fingers with a tiny clink.
But the conversations...
Stopped.
Heads turned one after another.
Eyes instinctively followed him.
He wore a crisp white crew-neck cotton T-shirt beneath an oversized dark charcoal plaid flannel left casually unbuttoned.
Ultra-wide black track pants draped naturally over his long legs, a thin white stripe running cleanly down each side, while minimalist white sneakers completed the effortless outfit.
A black leather watch set with subtle diamonds rested against his wrist.
A simple silver necklace disappeared beneath the collar of his shirt.
Nothing he wore screamed for attention.
Yet somehow...
Everything suited him perfectly.
Standing just over six feet tall, his slender yet toned frame carried an effortless elegance.
His pale porcelain skin appeared almost flawless beneath the restaurant lights.
A soft oval face balanced delicate features with unexpectedly sharp lines around the jaw.
His black almond-shaped eyes remained calm and unreadable beneath naturally neat brows.
A straight refined nose.
Soft red lips that naturally formed the slightest pout whenever he looked mildly inconvenienced.
His silver-black hair fell in fluffy, slightly messy layers that somehow looked intentionally perfect.
He didn't resemble someone walking into a neighborhood barbecue restaurant.
He looked like someone who had accidentally stepped out of an ancient painting Or a deity who had wandered into the human world out of curiosity.
Then Ava followed.
Her black pinstriped blazer hugged her slim waist perfectly over the striped lace bow mini dress beneath it.
The layered white ruffles framing the chest cutout softened the bold design, while the long satin ribbon swayed gently with every step she took.
Blue-and-white diamonds rested elegantly against her snowy neck.
The pearl bangle, silver watch and designer handbag completed the outfit without making it feel excessive.
Her fiery red hair, braided into a halo before cascading into waist-length corkscrew curls, bounced lightly behind her.
Diamond earrings sparkled each time she moved.
Her skin looked almost unreal White as fresh milk.
Smooth enough to reflect the restaurant lights like polished glass.
Those hazel-blue siren eyes lazily swept across the room before settling on Matthew for a brief second.
Together...
They looked less like a couple visiting a roadside restaurant...
And more like two luxury fashion models who had accidentally walked onto the wrong movie set.
"..."
Someone quietly lowered their chopsticks.
One young waitress nearly walked into a chair while staring.
A university student halfway through wrapping barbecue in lettuce completely forgot what he was doing.
The little girl celebrating her birthday blinked twice before whispering to her mother,
"...Mama Is that a prince and princess from TV?"
Her mother stared for several seconds before quietly replying,
"...I don't think TV has someone like them."
Only after Ava and Matthew calmly walked toward an empty booth did everyone slowly begin breathing again.
The conversations gradually resumed, though far quieter than before.
Every few seconds...
Someone would secretly glance in their direction again.
A waitress hurried over, trying her best to maintain a professional smile despite her racing heartbeat.
"Welcome. May I take your order?"
"I want a hotpot," Ava said casually, flipping open the menu before pushing it aside again. "Give us your best set."
She looked at Matthew.
"And the barbecue too. Your best option."
The waitress nodded frantically while trying not to stare.
"And Tell the owner to bring his special homemade drink" Ava added.
The waitress froze for a split second.
"Y-Yes, Miss."
She hurried away almost faster than she had arrived.
The moment she disappeared behind the kitchen curtain
The other female staff immediately surrounded her.
"Well?"
"How did they look up close?"
The waitress pressed both hands against her burning cheeks before letting out a breath.
So damn hot..." the waitress whispered the moment she returned behind the counter, both hands pressing against her burning cheeks. "Seeing them up close is even worse. The boy is freaking gorgeous."
Several staff members immediately crowded around her.
"The girl too," another waitress added in a daze. "I've never seen skin that looked that flawless in real life."
"They're the kind of people that make you question whether humans are actually supposed to look like that."
A young male waiter peeked toward Matthew before clicking his tongue.
"Probably a player..."
He shrugged.
"Or maybe a kept boy."
He nodded toward Ava.
"Look at how she's dressed. That's obviously a custom design. The guy's probably living off her."
A female cashier folded her arms, unable to hide the jealousy in her voice.
"If they're really that rich, what are they doing eating here?"
She scoffed.
"Probably scammers."
"Scammers your head!"The owner's booming voice suddenly came from the kitchen."What are you all standing around gossiping for?"
"If I catch anyone slacking again, your salaries are getting deducted!"he added
The workers scattered immediately.
The waitress hurried into the kitchen, passing the order to the chef before looking toward the owner.
"Boss the girl wants your homemade special drink."
Before she could finish speaking...
The owner had already thrown his apron over one shoulder and rushed out of the kitchen.