"How'd you sleep last night? You look so fresh and glowing—what were you up to?"
On the train, Yolanda Fang twisted around in her seat, grinning mischievously at Evan Lin in the row behind her, one eyebrow cocked in mock suspicion.
Beside her, Lynn Chen still hadn’t forgotten seeing Evan running with that girl in the morning. She looked sulky, cheeks puffed out, acting like she couldn’t be bothered to talk to him.
"Just soaking in the hot springs," Evan replied.
Evan stretched lazily, his whole body feeling ridiculously refreshed and comfortable.
"Yeah, right. Lynn and I soaked in the hot springs all night too, but we didn’t end up looking any better. Are you sure you used to actually wash yourself? Maybe this time you finally got clean without even needing soap!" Yolanda speculated maliciously. Seeing Evan ignore her, she pouted, clearly dissatisfied.
"Xiao Yi, why does Old Man Su suddenly think so highly of you? And Sawyer Summer too—he seems to respect you a ton. What’s really going on?" Joy Zheng, sitting nearby, had looked worried ever since getting on the train.
Earlier, Evan had said he cured Sawyer Summer’s illness, which was why Sawyer owed him a favor—but what about Old Man Su?
Everyone knew Old Man Su had only just met Evan recently, yet his attitude toward Evan was way beyond what anyone could have imagined.
"Yeah, Xiao Yi, maybe Old Man Su was sick too, and you managed to cure him in record time?" Lucy Lu poked her head over, and suddenly everyone was staring at Evan, faces full of suspicion.
"Sawyer Summer’s illness was cured by me, but as for Old Man Su, he actually owes my master a favor—my master once saved his life." Evan kept his tone calm, pushing everything onto the never-seen old Chinese medicine doctor, which was always a safe bet.
After all, they had no way to verify it.
"I see."
After hearing Evan's explanation, Lucy Lu and Joy Zheng finally believed him a little.
Before Evan could even breathe a sigh of relief, Joy Zheng spoke up: "When you have time, get in touch with your master. He taught you medicine and has been so good to you. I’ve never met him—I absolutely have to thank him in person."
"My master roams the world; I haven't seen him for a long time. If I ever see him again, I’ll let him know." Evan nodded.
"Stupid Evan Lin, so full of yourself, always hiding behind your 'master.' Just you wait—one day I’ll find a master of my own and drive you crazy!"
Sitting up front, Lynn Chen muttered under her breath, her heart growing more and more unsettled.
Every time Lynn Chen thought about how much Evan Lin had changed lately, and felt the gap between them widening, she couldn’t help but feel deeply uncomfortable inside.
After school let out, Lynn Chen found out Evan had won first prize in the Provincial Math Olympiad. She locked herself in her room and downloaded the test paper from the internet to try it herself.
But the more she wrote, the more discouraged Lynn Chen became. Her grades were good, but those Olympiad problems couldn’t even be described as 'insane' anymore.
Comparing herself to Evan, Lynn started to wonder if she was getting dumber—she used to consistently beat him in exams.
The train raced along, and in the arrivals hall of Brightsea City station...
Charles Chen, dressed in a crisp suit, stood at the station exit, waiting respectfully for someone.
Beside him stood Haiyang Sheng.
Today Haiyang Sheng was also in a suit, looking especially formal.
"Charles, Chairman Wayne Wang specifically asked for you to attend with me today. Don’t mess it up! I’ve heard he’s bringing some huge news about a project, so you’d better seize the opportunity." Haiyang Sheng grinned at Charles Chen.
Charles Chen’s face lit up with excitement and he nodded repeatedly: "Thank you, Mr. Sheng, for recommending me to Chairman Wang. I’ll make sure to grab this chance!"
Yesterday, Charles Chen got the notice from Haiyang Sheng: Chairman Wayne Wang of Wansheng Real Estate’s River City headquarters would be visiting today, and Charles was specially invited to attend.
Word was that Wansheng Real Estate had a major project under review, and Chairman Wang was currently choosing someone to put in charge—a life-changing opportunity for anyone picked.
Charles Chen already made over a million a year in Brightsea, but everyone wants to climb higher.
Right now Charles was buzzing with excitement, but suddenly remembered something and hesitated: "I heard Mr. Victor Zhao is coming too?"
"Yeah, he’s coming with the chairman." Haiyang Sheng nodded.
That made Charles Chen even more uneasy. Not long ago, Victor Zhao had wanted his son Jason Zhao to meet Lynn Chen, but Charles waited and waited and Jason never showed. Later, he found out Jason had been beaten up and sent running back to River City.
And apparently, the one who beat Jason was Evan Lin.
Back in the day, Charles would’ve chewed Evan out for causing trouble, but now his attitude toward Evan had completely changed. He genuinely felt Evan was way more capable than his peers.
What’s more, Haiyang Sheng’s illness was cured by Evan Lin. If Evan hadn’t stepped in, and Haiyang’s condition had gotten worse, the branch’s leadership would’ve gone to someone else—and Charles would’ve lost his job.
As Charles was lost in thought, a Cadillac pulled up nearby and someone stepped out.
A woman.
She looked to be in her forties, dressed in casual clothes, but her stunning face and proud demeanor made her seem cold and unapproachable.
She was the kind of person you could tell was a socialite at a glance. The diamond-studded Patek Philippe watch on her wrist alone was worth over a million.
And the diamond necklace around her neck, nearly the size of a goose egg, was even more intimidating.
She wore high heels and radiated confidence. Thanks to her excellent upkeep, she looked like a woman in her early thirties—still full of charm, attracting countless glances.
Charles Chen noticed her, paused in surprise, and was a little stunned.
Because that woman was Yolanda Fang’s mother.