"Take him to the Bay District villa."
Xander gave the order coldly to the bodyguards, not even glancing back as he walked away.
He still had a score to settle—how could he possibly waste time on this bastard?
Jayz's face was a bloody mess, barely recognizable. He reached out in desperation, sobbing and screaming, "Dad! Dad! Please… don't leave me! I'm scared!"
His cries soon turned into helpless, animalistic wails, echoing in the air as the bodyguards dragged him away with brute force.
Only the sound of his anguished howls lingered in the street.
Watching the scene unfold before him, Veil couldn't help but sigh from the heart.
"Looks like Jayz's about to meet God."
Carlin and her parents stood behind him, silently nodding in agreement.
Just then—ding—a notification popped up on Liam's phone.
He unlocked it and took a quick glance.
"One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million…"
He mentally counted the digits, eyes widening in disbelief.
Five million had been transferred into his account!
He had thought Xander's words earlier were just a hasty excuse. He expected the actual compensation to be subject to lengthy negotiation. Who would've thought it would arrive in full, so quickly?
"What are you staring at like that?" Aurora rolled her eyes and stepped up to peer over her husband's shoulder.
She gasped sharply. "Hiss—"
Aurora's pupils contracted in shock.
She turned to look at their modest noodle shop, which had stood for years, and an odd feeling crept up her spine.
Maybe we should fix up the place, bring Jayz back, and let him smash it again?
Otherwise, she felt a little uneasy taking such a large sum for free.
"Mr. Veil, the five million in compensation Xander mentioned just arrived," Liam said at last.
He wasn't a greedy man—that much was obvious just by looking at his daughter.
Most families, faced with a child born with a disability, might abandon them or at the very least try again for a healthy one. But not Liam. He had never once brought up the idea of having another child, all to ensure Carlin never felt unwanted.
So when it came to this massive sum of five million, Liam's conscience weighed heavily.
Yes, the noodle shop had been trashed, but even accounting for all the damage, repairs, and loss of business, it would hardly amount to more than five or six hundred thousand. Five million? That was way too much.
"Mr. Veil, how about this—we take five hundred thousand, and you keep the remaining 4.5 million?"
Liam made the offer sincerely. Despite the lopsided split, the remaining half a million would be more than enough to rebuild the shop and still leave a generous cushion.
Veil almost laughed.
Five million total. He takes 4.5 million. The Lin family takes just 500,000.
And they're still calling him Mr. Veil?
The Veil that got arrested before he transmigrated definitely wasn't treated this politely.
"Uncle, Auntie, there's no need to be so formal," Veil said with a soft smile. "Carlin and I are classmates now. Just call me Veil, no need for all the 'Mr.' stuff."
"As for the money—I never intended to keep it. Consider the extra amount as compensation from Xander and his son for all the stress they put you through."
"Besides, the shop's been trashed so badly that even its reputation might suffer. Use this money to open a larger noodle restaurant. If it gets too busy, hire a few people to help out. That way, you'll also have more time to spend with Carlin, right?"
"Well…" Liam was still struggling with the idea. Something about it just felt… off.
Aurora tugged on his arm and grumbled, "Let's take this inside. Why are you airing this out in public? What, want to announce to the whole neighborhood we've got money now? What if someone targets us?"
The family of three went back inside to discuss.
Veil didn't join them. Instead, he quietly slipped away into Carlin's room.
After a while, Carlin rolled in on her electric wheelchair. She opened the door, slipped inside, then quietly shut it again behind her.
Her cheeks were visibly flushed. Whatever her parents had said during their conversation, it had clearly embarrassed her.
She fidgeted a bit before finally speaking, her voice shy and hesitant. "Veil… earlier I talked things over with my parents. That amount of money really is too much. We shouldn't accept it all."
"But you won't take any of it either… So, they suggested we use the money to open a bigger noodle shop, and you can be an investor. We'll give you a cut of the profits every year. Would that be okay?"
"Of course," Veil replied without hesitation.
He didn't have time to argue over trivial details like this. "Then it's settled. I hope the noodle shop thrives once it opens!"
"Mhm!" Carlin nodded eagerly.
The room fell quiet. Neither of them spoke.
Carlin tilted her head slightly, stealing side glances at Veil from the corner of her eye.
Her gaze traced up from his jaw to his lips, then slowly up to his eyes. The moment their eyes met, she quickly lowered her head again, the blush on her cheeks deepening.
Veil rubbed his face and chuckled awkwardly. "What's with that look?"
Carlin's voice trembled slightly. "Veil… why are you so good to me?"
If it hadn't been for Veil, her family might've faced ruin today.
And then there was that huge amount of money—he didn't take a single cent.
No one is kind for no reason.
With her parents' words still fresh in her mind, Carlin couldn't help but start reading between the lines.
"What do you think, silly?"
Veil scooted closer and gently reached out to ruffle her hair. His expression was soft, fond, and just a little elusive—like he had something more to say but chose not to.
Old fox!
The line "What do you think, silly?" could go anywhere.
It could be: "What do you think, silly? I'm just rich and reckless."
Or: "What do you think, silly? I like you."
Obviously, Carlin's mind had jumped to the latter. She lowered her head, her face nearly buried in her impressive chest.
But after a while…
She glanced at her legs—and her mood fell again.
She slapped her wheelchair with a hint of frustration and said softly, "If only I could walk… If only this chair didn't exist…"
If she weren't in a wheelchair—if she could stand and walk like a normal person—then maybe… just maybe, she'd have a real chance with Veil.
The more she thought about it, the more upset she became.
She used to think she'd gotten used to life in a wheelchair. But now, faced with someone she truly wanted to stand beside, she realized how much she hated it.
Veil comforted her gently. "Don't be upset. It's okay. Didn't I tell you? Your legs will be cured. One day, you will be able to stand."
And besides, he thought to himself, just because you're sitting in that chair now doesn't mean you can't lie back on it later…
Of course, this was all just a temporary fantasy—Carlin still couldn't stand or walk at the moment.
Even after undergoing surgery, it would take her quite some time to go through rehabilitation and muscle recovery. But in Veil's mind, the scenes he had just envisioned were perfectly suited for helping with leg muscle therapy. They'd be beneficial to her body, and pleasant for both parties involved.
After chatting for a while, Veil left the snack street under the watchful eyes of the entire family.
Aurora stood at the doorway and nudged her husband's arm with her elbow, raising her brows meaningfully.
"I told you, didn't I? That Veil boy probably has feelings for Carlin. Why else would he go to such lengths for her? First, he helps with her treatment, then he deals with some rich second-gen punk just for her?"
"Mom! Don't say things like that!" Carlin whined shyly, her cheeks flushing. "Veil never said anything like that! If he hears you, how am I supposed to face him next time? He's just… he's just a kind person. He couldn't stand seeing me being bullied, that's all."
Liam nodded from the side, agreeing with her. "I think Carlin's right. That Veil boy may have a powerful background, but his character is solid, and he's clearly well-raised. My guess is, he's just fulfilling a promise to Ms. Lyra to take care of our daughter. A guy like Veil—he could have any girlfriend he wants. Why would he go to such lengths for Carlin? It's just a coincidence, nothing more. Don't let your imagination run wild, it'll upset Carlin."
Aurora rolled her eyes dramatically. She couldn't even be bothered to argue anymore.
Hopeless.
This man had a one-track mind and clearly didn't understand anything about romance.
With a snort, she turned and walked into the house.
"What, you're running away now? Can't win the argument so you just leave?" Liam shouted after her.
Aurora turned her head but said nothing. Her lips moved silently—but the word she mouthed was unmistakable: "Idiot."
"Aurora! That's too much!" Liam yelled. "Don't think just because you didn't say it out loud I didn't catch that! You called me an idiot, didn't you? Carlin's right here! Didn't we agree never to curse in front of her? Have you forgotten?"
He looked to his daughter now, trying to be the responsible parent, and lectured earnestly,
"Carlin, you mustn't be like your mother, alright? Don't go around saying rude things or cursing at people. It's not ladylike, you understand?"
Carlin's lovely lips twitched as she stifled the urge to say what she was really thinking. Truthfully, she wanted to echo her mother and curse out loud—but years of being well-behaved forced her to bite it back. Without saying a word, she lowered her lashes, looked at her father, then turned away wordlessly and wheeled herself off.
"…Hey, what's with all of you today?" Liam cried out, feeling more wronged by the second. "Is everyone turning on me now? Am I suddenly the black sheep in this family? Fine! I'll leave! That what you want? I'll go, alright?!"
Whirrr!
The sound of a motor hummed softly.
Carlin reappeared, rolling up beside him in her wheelchair. She held a folded blanket in her hands and pressed it into his arms.
"It's cold at night. If you're sleeping on a park bench, make sure to wrap this around you so you don't freeze."
"I…"
Liam opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.
In that moment, he truly felt… attacked.