Over the past few days, Evan Lin had tried calling Selina Shi, but her phone never connected.
On the Wu family’s side, no one had come to investigate Evan Lin either, so things remained peaceful for now.
As for what the Oceanport Guan family’s Butcher Tu was planning after Tyson Tu was sent to Oceanport, Evan Lin had no way of knowing.
Irene Xu’s job was going smoothly. Lately, quite a few men were pursuing her, but she seemed to have given up on romance. When she wasn’t working, her favorite thing was buying all sorts of meat and bones to brew nourishing soups for Evan Lin and Stella Huang.
The study atmosphere at Capitalview First High was at an all-time high thanks to the upcoming Hundred-School Joint Exam. Byron Yang was constantly cheering on Class 12, and he’d set a bold goal: for Class 12 to surpass Class 11’s average score and take second-to-last place in this year’s exam rankings.
After three years of always coming in last, Class 12’s ranking felt like a mountain crushing Byron Yang. He’d long given up hope for the class’s grades and just wanted the college entrance exam to be over so he could finally step down as homeroom teacher. But Evan Lin’s sudden appearance reignited his hope.
The renewed enthusiasm among Class 12 students made the homeroom teacher of the perpetual second-to-last Class 11 feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.
The two “eternal bottom” classes were locked in open and secret competition, constantly trying to outdo each other.
Lynn Chen sat in the Class 2 classroom, buried in problem sets and practice papers, lost in a sea of books and questions. Only during breaks would she sometimes stroll the corridor with Wendy Wen, looping past Class 12’s door, sneaking a quiet sidelong glance at Evan Lin’s seat inside.
Every time they showed up, the boys in Class 12 would let out a wave of excited howls.
Evan Lin didn’t have much going on these days, so he spent more time in class and occasionally called Hank Chu and Ken Feng.
Things were going well for Hank Chu. He’d always had solid grades, and now in senior year he was studying even harder. The last time Evan Lin went back to Whitewood County, he’d helped push through the shantytown redevelopment project, so Hank’s family had moved from their old house into a new apartment and were living quite comfortably.
Evan Lin had even considered buying Hank’s family a villa, but after thinking it over, he decided not to go through with it.
To Evan, everything in Whitewood County was the last untouched quiet place in his heart. Hank Chu and Ken Feng were his oldest, purest friends, and he couldn’t be sure how they’d react if they learned about his current status and power.
The last thing Evan wanted was for the gap in status to ruin their friendship, making future chats awkward and distant. Still, he quietly asked Big Tank to arrange easy, well-paid jobs for Hank’s parents—less work, more pay, nothing fancy.
Ken Feng, on the other hand, was much more upbeat—he was practically bursting with excitement over the phone.
His dad had landed the Whitewood County resort development project, so the family’s situation had improved a lot. Ken was now a bona fide rich second-generation, and judging by the current trend, their assets would multiply several times over.
“Evan, when are you coming back to Whitewood? I’ll take you to the fanciest KTV to sing, and I’ll call in ten girls for you!”
Ken was full of swagger on the other end, his voice brimming with pride.
“Didn’t you just patch things up with Mandy Yu? If she finds out you’re calling girls at KTV, aren’t you afraid she’ll scold you?” Evan Lin chuckled.
Evan actually hoped Ken could let go of Mandy Yu. He always felt Mandy wasn’t likely to settle down and date Ken for real—sooner or later, something would change. But from what Hank Chu said, Ken just couldn’t get over her. After all, Mandy was his favorite deskmate back in junior high.
Guys are like that—always torn between nostalgia and old feelings. The hardest thing to forget is the girl you wanted but never got.
Evan understood, and he didn’t want to meddle in Ken’s choices.
On Ken’s end, after hearing Evan’s words, he went silent for a long time. Finally, he sighed and said, a little uneasy, “Evan, I know you never really approved of me and Mandy, but I just can’t let her go.”
“Last time in Whitewood, when she showed up with Raymond Rong, I was honestly crushed. I’m really grateful you helped me save face so I didn’t embarrass myself in front of her.”
“We’re not officially together yet, but we’ve agreed to try for the same college…”
The more Ken talked, the more sheepish he sounded, worried Evan might get mad.
“I know all about your situation. I really don’t think you and Mandy are a good match, but first and foremost, we’re lifelong friends and brothers. I don’t want to see you get hurt, but more importantly, I want you to know that no matter what you choose, Hank and I will always have your back.”
“We’ll be your shield and fortress. If you ever run into trouble, you can come to Hank or me—we’ll help you out. But if you choose Mandy, the ups and downs are yours to face.”
Evan spoke slowly, each word steady and certain.
Hank Chu and Ken Feng were Evan’s most important friends. If they ever ran into trouble, Evan would stand by them without hesitation.
"Thanks."
Ken’s voice on the other end was sincere—he truly meant it.
But soon he slipped back into his usual playful mood, chuckling, "By the way, Ivy Deng asked me when you’re coming back to Whitewood. She wants to treat you to dinner."
"You’ve really made it, man—now you’re studying in Capitalview, plus you won that Math Olympiad championship. Seriously, you have no idea. These days you’re the poster boy for Whitewood County No. 2 Middle School. All your old teachers talk about you nonstop."
Ken clicked his tongue in amazement, his voice full of envy.
"Why’s Ivy Deng asking about me?" Evan shook his head.
Come to think of it, last time Evan went back to Whitewood, Ivy’s mom Flora Huang had been thoroughly embarrassed. Now, a big chunk of Joy Zheng’s tutoring students had switched over from Flora’s class.
Joy Zheng had basically cut off one of Flora Huang’s main sources of income.
"Why else? It’s her mom, obviously. She sees your mom’s tutoring business booming and wants a piece of the action, but can’t find an opening. Honestly, she’s just being petty."
Ken snorted, "But Ivy Deng’s gotten prettier, and her boobs have definitely gotten bigger. When you come back, you should check her out—I doubt she’d say no. Seriously, it’s like she just blossomed overnight, and she’s so fair…"
As Ken grew more and more excited, Evan simply hung up the phone.