Finally the weekend arrived. Lian dragged his exhausted and aching body back home. His father had left that morning with the Secretary for an inspection tour and wouldn't be back until the following week. His mother had already cooked dinner and was waiting for him at the table.
After they finished eating, his mother started putting on makeup and changing into nice clothes. Lian was so completely drained, both body and mind, that he didn't even have the energy to ask where she was going.
By the time she finished getting ready and walked out the door, Lian had already collapsed on his bed and fallen into deep sleep.
His mother probably thought his extreme tiredness came from the early-morning training, so she didn't think too much about it. She simply pulled the blanket over him gently and left the house quietly.
Lian slept like the dead until almost nine o'clock at night. Only then did his aunt's usual urging text message wake him up.
For some reason he still hadn't told his aunt anything about Maisie, maybe because he felt it had nothing to do with her.
After quickly replying that he would go for his long run right away, Lian suddenly slapped his forehead hard. "I'm such an idiot! I always run the same exact route around the neighborhood every night. Of course that crazy woman knows exactly where I'll be! That's why she always finds me! Tonight I have to change my running route completely!"
The thought made him feel a little excited and hopeful again.
He left the neighborhood and started jogging slowly, looking carefully all around him, but he didn't see any sign of Maisie anywhere.
Feeling happier, he turned and started running toward the east.
"From here to the northern part of Seaside Avenue is about three kilometers one way. Round trip will definitely be more than the five kilometers I planned, perfect," Lian thought while carefully planning the new route and adjusting his breathing rhythm at the same time.
His physical training was going very well, and the special breathing technique the old Taoist priest had taught him was helping him run much farther without getting tired.
But Lian never imagined that the moment he left the neighborhood, Maisie had quietly started following him again, this time carrying a big heavy tool in her bag, clearly planning to finally teach him a serious lesson.
Since the new route was longer than his usual runs, Lian thought he should buy some water just in case. When he passed by a small supermarket, he slowed down and was about to walk in to buy a bottle. But right at that moment, in the reflection on the glass door, he saw the figure he now hated and feared the most.
He instantly knew, if he went inside the shop, she would block the door and trap him.
Without a single second of hesitation, Lian took off running at full speed.
Maisie realized she had been spotted and immediately started chasing after him with everything she had.
After so many days of this strange "war," the two of them already knew each other's abilities very well.
Maisie had been training for years and years, so her stamina and endurance were far better than Lian's.
Lian, on the other hand, was a boy, so his explosive speed and short-burst power were much greater than hers.
Very often, Lian would sprint ahead and leave her far behind, but after a while Maisie would slowly catch up again, forcing him to speed up once more.
The exact same scene happened again on the wide, long road that led toward Seaside Avenue.
While running for his life, Lian turned his head and shouted back, "What the hell is wrong with you?! Don't you have anything better to do than chase me around every single day?!"
Maisie, running hard behind him, shouted back without missing a beat, "That's exactly right! I'm going to keep chasing you forever, and the moment I catch you, I swear I'll beat you to death!"