The meal ended with both host and guest delighted.
Watching Hunter stack the dishes and head off to wash them,
Mia's admiration grew a notch.
'Thank you, Hunter.'
'It's been ages since I last enjoyed such a tasty lunch.'
When Hunter returned, Mia thanked him with a smile.
'Glad you liked it.'
'Food is meant to be shared. Eating alone, I'm just filling my stomach.'
Hunter sat down beside her without ceremony.
Mia accepted the instant coffee he offered and murmured her thanks.
She held the cup but didn't drink.
After a pause, she apologized.
'Hunter, I came to say sorry.'
'About Vince—I'm really sorry.'
A bitter look crossed Mia's face.
She'd never known her mother; the woman vanished before Mia could remember.
Whether she'd died or simply disappeared, no one would say.
Mia had asked her brothers, but answers were always vague.
Raised without a mother, she'd hardly enjoyed her father's love either.
Her father died in a racing crash
just as she was forming her first memories.
For the next two years, her second brother looked after her.
Once her eldest brother got out of prison, the second was driven away.
For seven or eight years after that, Mia lived with Dominic.
He was obsessed with underground racing and making money.
Around him gathered a crowd of rough men.
Letty was one of the few women, but she'd been raised like a boy.
So Mia never lacked money.
Yet her brother and his crew never once considered how she felt.
Dominic knew she disliked—even loathed—Vince,
but he never acted like an older brother, never protected her or warned Vince to leave her alone.
Only when Vince's pestering pushed her toward explosion did Dominic step in to stop him.
Honestly, Mia had had enough of this life.
'Can you imagine? A normal teenage girl,'
'never even had a boyfriend.'
'Any guy my age who came near got scared off by Vince.'
'You're the only one I've really talked to in years, Hunter.'
Clearly, Mia had bottled up too much hurt—she was on the verge of breaking.
Perhaps she sensed Hunter would listen,
or maybe this rare male peer made her want to open up.
Whatever the reason, in front of a near-stranger like Hunter
This young mixed-race girl complained a lot.
Hunter listened patiently the entire time as Mia complained about Vince's harassment.
He listened to her vent her grievances about how her elder brother only knew how to give her money, but was indifferent to everything else in her life.
He could tell that this girl, currently in her rebellious phase,
had a deep longing for both family affection and love.
But clearly, the rough man, Dominic—
who was the same Dominic that countless fast & furious fans from Hunter's past life jokingly called the Family Man—
had not fulfilled his duties as an elder brother at all!
After quietly listening to Mia's complaints for a while, for a moment, Hunter even wanted to pull her into his arms and comfort her properly.
He suddenly felt very sorry for the mixed-race girl in front of him.
Subconsciously, he reached out and gently stroked Mia's coffee-colored hair.
Mia was startled, but she didn't refuse.
"Thank you!"
She simply took it as Hunter comforting her, but she also seemed very happy because he had listened to her.
After sitting for a while, Mia finally stood up.
She first expressed her apologies for Vince targeting Hunter because of her.
Then she thanked Hunter for treating her to a delicious meal of Huaxia cuisine.
After a few polite words, she finally left.
Hunter walked her outside and watched as Mia got into her Honda and drove away.
Only then did he turn around and return to his residence.
"What a good girl!"
Back in his apartment, the rich scent of Mia's perfume had not yet completely dissipated.
It was said that Westerners have a strong body odor, but Hunter hadn't smelled anything unpleasant while sitting next to Mia earlier.
Initially, Hunter hadn't thought about making a move on Mia.
There were many ways for him to retaliate against Vince and avenge his predecessor.
The plot of the fast & furious series hadn't started yet, but Dominic and his crew were no saints.
These people participated in various underground street races at will, and to modify their cars and lead a more luxurious lifestyle,
Dominic led his subordinates to indiscriminately hijack trucks all over California, and they had long since been targeted by the FBI and the California police.
Hunter actually only needed to provide some clues to the California police and the FBI.
That would be enough to send Vince, along with Dominic and the rest, to prison.
However, as soon as this thought popped up, Hunter dismissed it.
"Dominic's character and actions aside!"
"The fast & furious series would be too boring without Dominic and the others!"
However, just because Hunter didn't plan to move against Dominic,
didn't mean he couldn't play dirty with Vince.
As for Mia, such a charming mixed-race beauty, Hunter also had some ideas.
But the top priority was still to increase the proficiency of his various skills as quickly as possible.
Furthermore, Hunter felt he needed to develop more skills to rapidly improve his physical fitness.
And, considering his current terrible financial situation,
he felt he also needed to get some money to improve his living environment.
Countless thoughts quickly emerged in Hunter's mind.
He suddenly felt that he might need to take a few days off from the auto repair shop...