The four of them sat down at a table in the corner.
“If you want hotpot, this is the place. Otherwise, you’d have to make it at home,” Jaida smiled at Evie. “You’ve been here for a while now. Do you miss the food from back home?”
Evie smiled adorably, her big round eyes sparkling. “Yes, I miss hotpot, barbecue, and so much more.”
The food here was completely different from their tastes.
She had been eating for over half a month but felt like she hadn’t eaten at all. Even though she was full, her mouth felt unsatisfied.
So, being able to enjoy a hot and lively hotpot meal was simply a delight.
She didn’t notice the few men in black not far away; her attention was entirely on the hotpot.
After Jaida and Urijah ordered a few dishes, they asked the little boy Cedric for his opinion. Cedric also ordered two dishes. Finally, it was Evie’s turn. She ordered her favorite tripe and beef aorta and then handed the menu back to Jaida with a smile.
She took a deep breath of the spicy butter aroma in the hotpot restaurant. “Smells so good!”
The dishes they ordered arrived quickly, and they started cooking the hotpot with steam rising.
First, they put in the lamb rolls and fatty beef, followed by the tripe.
“Didn’t expect the taste here to be so authentic,” Evie said after taking a bite. They even had oil dips, sesame paste, vinegar dips, and other options.
“If it wasn’t authentic, would business be good? Haven’t you noticed most of the customers here are from our place?” Jaida smiled slightly. She looked elegant and had a beautiful smile.
Her gaze drifted to the other tables with men in black, feeling that these men were somewhat strange.
After all, wearing uniform-like black clothes…
They looked like some special organization.
At that moment, one of the men in black shouted, “Another dozen beers!”
“Definitely from our place. They even order beer by the dozen,” Mr. Jing laughed. “Makes me want some too. Honey, how about getting me two bottles?”
“Sure.” Jaida waved to call the waiter over. “Two bottles of beer for our table as well.”
Evie curiously looked in the direction Jaida had been looking. Just then, Jasper heard Jaida ordering beer and looked up.
Their eyes met.
In the next second, Evie quickly stood up to escape, but Jasper moved even faster, striding towards her in just a few steps.
His large hand suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm tightly. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Evie stiffened and avoided his gaze, her voice tinged with guilt. “I… I don’t know you.”
“But I know you, my dear fiancee,” Jasper’s voice came through gritted teeth. “After running for so long, isn’t it time to come back?”
Jaida and her husband were shocked by this scene. “Miss Anto… they…”
Jasper glanced at Jaida and her husband. Seeing the familiar face of the little boy, his eyes narrowed slightly. “The family from the plane?”
He sneered. “No wonder I couldn’t find you; you were hiding with someone else. You’ve got some nerve!”
He didn’t know whether to be overjoyed or furious; his chest felt tight but also mixed with joy.
A complex mix of emotions.
“Jasper… let go of me. We broke up,” Evie’s face turned red as she struggled to free herself from his grip.
But Jasper seemed to anticipate her move, holding her tightly with both hands, using all his strength.
Evie glared at him helplessly. “What do you want? We have nothing to do with each other now.”
“Says who? You broke up unilaterally and disappeared without asking my opinion. Did I agree?” Jasper’s eyes fell on her face, looking at her unchanged features. “It seems you’re living very well without me.”
“Of course, eating well, sleeping well, feeling great,” Evie said sarcastically, trying to provoke Jasper.
“Bang!”
Just as they were arguing intensely, a gunshot suddenly broke their conversation.
A bullet whizzed past Jaida’s ear. She screamed and lunged at her son Cedric. “Get down!”
Her husband quickly shielded his wife and child under the table.
The family of three hid under the table, pale-faced. Cedric’s big eyes were wide with disbelief as he clung to his mother.
Another gunshot followed immediately by a scream indicated someone had been hit.
Then came a barrage of gunfire; the hotpot restaurant’s glass shattered as bullets flew in!
The restaurant descended into chaos as customers and staff screamed and fled.
Jasper’s men immediately sprang into action, rushing towards him and even flipping a table to shield them!
Evie and Jasper exchanged glances. Both quickly realized that these shooters weren’t very skilled; they just had guns giving them an advantage.
Clearly not professional assassins!
Middle Evroya was always chaotic with poor security; likely some hired thugs.
Jasper instantly guessed these people were sent by someone but had no time to think further or retreat.
They were surrounded outside the hotpot restaurant with little chance of escape.
He shouted to his men, “Protect my wife!”
Then he pushed Evie towards his men. “Take her away!”
At that moment, several gunmen burst in, firing wildly.
Evie ducked to the ground as bullets whizzed past their heads.
If these shooters were any better, they might have been dead already.
Evie remained calm despite narrowly escaping death. She worriedly glanced at the family hiding under the table.
She turned and ran towards them, grabbing Cedric’s hand. “Let’s go!”
Meanwhile, a gunman aimed at Jasper. Jasper dodged swiftly, rolling on the ground to avoid incoming bullets. He grabbed a piece of broken glass from the floor and threw it like a dart at the gunman!
Unlike these gunmen, Jasper didn’t need weapons; anything could become lethal in his hands.
The glass was transparent and fast; before the gunman realized it, he felt a sharp pain in his neck. He dropped his gun and clutched his neck, blood gushing through his fingers.
He was terrified.
Jasper sneered; these men were indeed not professional assassins but a ragtag bunch.
Another volley of gunfire erupted; luckily Evie dodged quickly as bullets grazed her arm without hitting her.
More gunmen rushed in.
In an instant, bullets flew like a web across the hotpot restaurant; the sound was almost unbearable.
The family of three turned pale with fear; young Cedric cried out loud.
“Evie… Evie…”
He sought Evie’s help because he believed she was the most capable person he knew, giving him a sense of security.
He crawled towards Evie, who had pushed him into Jaida’s arms earlier while dealing with a gunman.
Now he broke free from Jaida and wanted to find Evie.
These gunmen had to reload after their initial barrage of bullets.
Jasper seized this moment to signal his men. In a flash, he flipped over and grabbed a chair to smash at the gunmen.
With a bang, the gunmen were dazed while Jasper rolled behind another table.
His men took this chance to charge at the gunmen, engaging them in close combat.
The gunmen were caught off guard and screamed in pain.
“So cool!” Cedric’s tear-streaked face lit up with admiration for Jasper; in his eyes, Jasper became a heroic figure instantly.
He had taken down bad guys without any weapons!
While Jasper’s men fought the gunmen, Jasper quickly grabbed a teacup from the table and threw it at a fallen handgun, knocking it towards Evie.
Evie picked up the handgun instinctively and fired at the gunmen with precision.
As a shooting champion, she didn’t miss; every shot hit its mark!
A gunman aimed at Jasper from behind with a chair ready to strike. Without hesitation, Evie fired accurately at his forehead. The gunman fell without a sound, blood oozing from his head wound as he hit the ground.
Jasper glanced at Evie before kicking two more gunmen to the floor.
Though some gunmen remained, it was clear they were losing; they hadn’t expected to be outmatched despite their numbers and guns.
Jasper and Evie together were more than enough for them.
Panicked, some gunmen continued shooting while others began retreating quietly.