Leaving the internet café.
The air outside felt fresh again.
Ken shivered as the breeze hit him, then threw an arm around Evan Lin's shoulders, eyes shining with excitement. "Bro, bro!"
"Dude, what are you on about? You creep. Did you turn gay just because we haven't seen each other in a while?" Hank Chu stared at Ken in shock, full of disgust.
"You're the one who's gay!" Ken kicked Hank Chu. "That was the Empress! Evan just smashed the Empress—if word gets out, the whole Warcraft III scene will explode!"
"With that skill level, he could go pro right now—WCG champion, sweep the whole field! If that's not treasure, what is? Win the championship and you're famous. Evan would be a star!"
"You have no idea—those pro esports girls are all gorgeous. Once Evan gets famous, I'll be his personal driver, help him pick up girls, and live the dream! Life is full of hope!"
Ken looked completely lost in his own fantasies.
All the way home, Ken kept urging Evan to go pro. Just one good tournament and a championship could earn tens of thousands—way easier than a normal job.
But no matter how many times Ken nagged him, Evan only smiled and refused to agree, which made Ken sigh in disappointment, a little frustrated that his friend wouldn't seize the chance.
Hank Chu burst out laughing as he watched Ken get roasted—banter was just how the two of them operated. Evan Lin, sitting between them, always looked like he was above the fray, calm and unbothered.
When the three arrived at Evan’s house, Joy Zheng was still busy cooking in the kitchen.
"Hi Aunt Joy!"
As soon as he walked in, Ken grinned and greeted Joy Zheng with his usual cheeky smile.
"Hello to you too! It’s been a while. How’s school these days?" Joy Zheng smiled, flipping the stir-fry as she glanced at Ken.
Back when Ken’s family hadn’t moved away, he used to drop by all the time. But after Evan started school in Minghai and Ken moved, their visits became much less frequent.
"Eh, my grades are just whatever—hard to get worse, but not easy to improve either. I’m not aiming for much, just treading water is fine by me." Ken chuckled.
"That won’t do! You should learn from Hank—his grades have been climbing lately." Joy couldn’t help but lecture a bit. "And your dad works hard for you, always hoping you’ll get into a good university. You should really try your best."
Realizing she was nagging, Joy quickly changed the subject: "Dinner’s almost ready. Go sit over there for a bit. There’s Coke in the fridge if you want some."
Ken looked a bit stunned from the lecture, and hurried off to Evan’s room with Hank. Both flopped onto the bed, and Ken put on a mock-sad face: "Evan, your mom always tells me to study hard—just like mine."
"Come on, that just means she treats you like family! Otherwise, who’d bother nagging you? You think Evan’s mom likes giving lectures all day for fun?" Hank gave Ken a playful smack on the head.
"Yeah, you’ve got a point." Ken scratched his head.
Evan grabbed three cans of Coke from the fridge, tossed one each to Ken and Hank, then pulled up a chair. "My mom’s been a teacher her whole life—she can’t help saying a few extra words. It’s for your own good. If you can listen, listen. If you can’t, just pretend for my sake."
Evan chuckled.
"Evan, I swear, you’re like a different person now. Did something happen in Minghai?" Ken popped open his Coke, took a swig, and gave Evan a serious look.
"Yeah, I feel it too. Aside from looking the same, you’re totally different—more confident, more upbeat." Hank nodded, backing Ken up.
"People grow up. You guys have changed too. But whatever happens, our friendship’s not going anywhere—we grew up together."
Hearing Evan’s words, Ken and Hank both nodded in wholehearted agreement.
"Oh right, do you still remember Chloe Cheng?" Ken suddenly remembered and looked over at Evan.
"Chloe Cheng?" Evan froze for a moment.
"Yeah, your old deskmate from junior high. She’s got a boyfriend now—Harrison Zheng from No. 1 High, top three in the grade. I saw them hiking together not long ago." Ken finished, sensing the mood shift. Hank kicked him lightly, and Ken quickly added, "Uh, I didn’t mean anything by it…"
"It’s fine." Evan shook his head slightly.
Talking about Chloe Cheng brought up a whole history between her and Evan.
She was best friends with Shelly Xie, the math Olympiad star from Jiang City.
Back in junior high, Chloe and Evan sat together. Chloe wasn’t much of a student, but she was cute, with a bit of baby fat and a sweet face.
During those years, she’d often cry at her desk, and Evan was always the one to comfort her. He never had any special feelings for her, but later Chloe started dating an older boy. One day, that guy and his friends cornered Evan and beat him up, warning him to stay away from Chloe.
Chloe just watched as Evan got beaten up, not saying a word. That hurt Evan deeply. Worse was when Chloe’s parents found out she was dating at school.
Her parents were minor officials in Whitewood County. They rushed to the school, tracked down Evan, and when Chloe was pressed about who she was dating, she threw Evan under the bus to protect her real boyfriend.
After that, Evan’s mom was called in. Joy Zheng came to the school and got a harsh scolding. Evan didn’t care about being yelled at himself, but seeing his mom humiliated made him snap—he punched Chloe’s dad.
That fight got Evan publicly criticized by the school, and they had to pay a hefty sum in compensation.
When Chloe’s parents left, they said their daughter would never date someone from a family like Evan’s, and told him to give up.
Their words were harsh.
That whole period left Evan dazed and full of guilt toward Joy Zheng. But she never got angry—instead, she stayed gentle and encouraged Evan to study hard and aim for a good university.
Those distant memories surged up in Evan’s mind, scenes from the past replaying as vividly as if they’d happened yesterday.
"Chloe Cheng..."
Evan murmured to himself, eyes narrowing.