Chapter five: Kind-hearted Anna

Back at the old temple, Lucas didn't mention what had just happened. Instead, he took out a few bright red tomatoes and handed them to Anna.

"Anna, here, try these tomatoes. I just picked them."

Anna was so surprised when she saw the ripe, fist-sized tomatoes.

"Weren't the tomatoes not ripe these past few days? How come these are so big and red?"

"Don't worry about that, Anna. Just taste them," Lucas said with a playful smile.

"Okay."

Anna nodded and took a bite. The tomatoes looked so tempting, she couldn't resist trying them.

As she swallowed the juicy tomato, her expression turned to one of complete astonishment.

"Oh my gosh.....This is the best tomato I've ever tasted. It's even better than the best fruit I've ever had"

Anna exclaimed, her delicate face full of delight as she waved her arms in excitement.

As she moved, her full chest bounced like a pair of lively rabbits, creating waves that were mesmerizing.

Lucas's eyes were drawn to the sight, feeling as if his heart was being pulled away.

Anna had inherited her mother's beauty, growing into a graceful and charming young woman. Even in the surrounding towns many had come to propose to her.

However, Anna had politely declined the matchmakers, wanting to take care of her mother.

As a result, people thought Anna was a college girl with high standards, which only made the young men more determined to win her over.

Lucas had spent a lot of time with Anna, and being a young man himself, it was impossible not to have some fantasies about her. Unintentionally, he found himself imagining her porcelain skin, the fullness of her chest, her slender waist, and further down...

"Lucas, Lucas..."

Seeing Lucas staring blankly at her, Anna tried to suppress her shyness and called his name several times before he snapped back to reality.

Once Lucas came to his right senses, he felt a flash of light pass before his eyes, and his vision returned to normal. Anna was back to her usual appearance.

"So, this x-ray vision can be controlled" Lucas thought, filled with joy.

Having this ability constantly was actually a bit of a headache for him. If he was always seeing beautiful women like Anna, it would be delightful. But what if he saw someone unattractive? He might just lose his joy.

In other words, he didn't want to see elderly people or children in that way either, or he'd feel like a total creep.

If this ability could be controlled, it would be perfect for him. He could choose who to see and who to ignore.

Noticing Lucas's dazed look, Anna wasn't angry. Instead, she felt a strange sensation inside of her but decided not to dwell on it. She stood up and said

"For some reason, which I still can't comprehend, after eating the tomato you picked, I feel more energetic and in a better mood."

"Anna, it's just a tomato, nothing more.....hahaha" Lucas laughed.

"Maybe it's just my imagination," Anna nodded, then invited him, "It's getting late. I need to go check on my mom. Why don't you come over for lunch?"

"No, thanks, Anna I still have some things to take care of"

Lucas replied with a smile, knowing he had people to meet.

Anna didn't insist. She glanced around, her face slightly flushed, and hesitantly said

"Living here isn't ideal. If you really have nowhere else to go... you can stay at my place."

As a single mother and daughter, inviting a guy to stay with them was a bit embarrassing, but she couldn't bear to see Lucas living alone in this rundown place.

"Thanks for the offer, Anna, but I'll stay here for now" Lucas said warmly, feeling very grateful. Besides his late grandpa, Anna and her mother was the kindest people to him.

But since Anna and her mom were on their own, moving in would definitely spark gossip, and he didn't want to make things difficult for Anna and her mom.

"Alright, I'm heading home now" Anna said. She didn't say much, slowly making her way to the temple's entrance.

"Anna, wait!" Lucas suddenly called out.

"What is it?" she asked, turning back with a puzzled look.

"I need you to ask my class teacher, Mrs Lucy for a two-week leave for me. I've got some important things to handle and can't make it to school for a while" Lucas explained.

He had crucial matters to attend to in those two weeks, making it impossible to attend school during that time.

"Okay, but don't fall behind on your studies. The college entrance exams are just six months away" Anna reminded him, before making her way out.

As she left the rundown temple, Anna couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. Her kind heart couldn't bear the thought of Lucas living in such a place. But her own family was struggling financially, with her scanty salary still going towards paying off her student loans. Any help she could offer Lucas would be like a drop in the ocean, unable to solve the bigger problem.

Watching Anna's simple figure fade into the distance, Lucas's expression gradually turned serious. He patted the obedient dog, Rufus, sitting beside him and murmured,

"Rufus, once we settle the score, we'll go back to Grandpa's house. Then we'll make enough money so Anna and her mom can have a good life too"

"Woof, woof, woof..." Rufus barked as if understanding his words.

Lucas didn't just sit around waiting for trouble from Tasha Smith. Instead, he set up the broken statue of Ramas in one corner, cleaned up the temple, and started fixing the leaks. For someone as handy and resourceful as him, these tasks were no big deal.

Tasha Smith stood in her vegetable patch, staring at the charred remains of her tomato plants. Her plump face twisted with anger and frustration.

"Tasha, didn't I tell you? That ungrateful Lucas is nothing but trouble. Not only does he not appreciate what you've done for him, but he also destroyed your tomato plants. He's a real snake," Madman Davis chimed in, adding fuel to the fire.

He was a mess, reeking of manure.

Tasha glared at him, disgusted.

"Davidson, get away from me with that stink." she said as she spat on the ground.

Not daring to provoke Tasha any further, Madman Davis stepped back, muttering,

"Tasha, you can't let this slide. That boy's gone too far."

"Lucas! Lucas!!, that scoundrel. Why didn't yesterday's storm just strike him down?" Tasha said gritting her teeth, looking at her ruined tomato plants, on the verge of tears.

Beside her, the rotund Micheal, with his beady eyes, chimed in

"Mom If it were me, I wouldn't stand for it! If Lucas dared to destroy my favorite tomatoes, I'd tear down his shabby temple."

"Alright, I'm going to settle this with him right now. I'll tear down his stupid temple and leave him with nowhere to go!" Tasha declared, hands on her hips.

With that, the three of them stormed off toward the dilapidated Temple of Ramas.