Seeing how serious Joy Zheng looked, Evan Lin knew there was no point in saying more.
He’d originally hoped to finish his senior year at Brightsea, but now it looked like he’d have to go to Jinnan instead.
But for Evan Lin, it didn’t really matter where he ended up.
That night, Joy Zheng made dinner for Evan in the villa. At the table, she warned him not to get arrogant or reckless just because he now had a powerful master and some new skills. She told him he still needed to live steady and keep his feet on the ground.
Listening to her, Evan understood what Joy was really thinking. He sighed inwardly—he’d never been a top student or an outstanding kid, so Joy had never expected much from him or asked him to achieve anything special.
Unlike other parents who dream their kids will become superstars, Joy Zheng just wanted Evan to live a stable, comfortable life. She hoped he’d study hard so he wouldn’t struggle or get looked down on in the future.
"This year is your senior year, and I already talked to Auntie Lu about it. You can’t keep disappearing whenever you feel like it. If you keep this up, how are you supposed to handle the college entrance exam?"
"Your grades have gotten better lately—at least your math is pretty good. But you can’t slack off in your other subjects, you hear me?"
"I’m not asking you to get some amazing score or anything. It’s your last year, so just do your best. But your health comes first, always."
Joy talked for a long time, and Evan learned that she’d agreed to run a tutoring class at the parents’ request. She had over fifty students, each paying six hundred yuan a month.
Doing the math, that meant a monthly income of thirty thousand yuan. That’s exactly why Joy told Evan not to go treating people for money so casually anymore—if anything ever went wrong, it would mean real trouble.
Evan nodded along, but Joy could tell he was just going through the motions. She shook her head, picked up her chopsticks, and playfully tapped him on the forehead, smiling.
After dinner, Joy went out to teach her class, while Evan stayed behind to wash the dishes.
"In a few days, I’ll be heading to Jinnan. Before I leave, I need to get everything sorted out here in Whitewood."
Once Joy had left, Evan fell into quiet thought.
Now Joy’s life was secure, and she wore the Harmony Jade Pendant Evan had reforged and inscribed with a protective formation. For the time being, she shouldn’t face any danger.
Still, it was better to be cautious about everything.
Thinking that, Evan stepped outside, pulled out his phone, hesitated, and called Big Tank. He got the personal number of Whitewood County’s top official, Secretary Thomas Liu.
When Evan called Thomas Liu, the secretary was still in his office handling paperwork. He was surprised and pleased to get Evan’s call.
On the phone, Evan briefly asked about Big Tank’s investment projects, then brought up Joy’s situation.
"Yes, I know a bit about Ms. Zheng’s situation. There aren’t many teachers who can earn so much respect from students and parents these days. It just shows how dedicated Ms. Zheng is to her work."
"Ms. Zheng’s tutoring class is a good thing for the students. As long as it helps education in Whitewood, I’ll always support it."
Thomas Liu was still smiling as he spoke. On his desk sat an anonymous report letter, accusing Joy Zheng from Whitewood Elementary of illegally running a tutoring class. The letter listed every detail of the class’s income.
Originally, the letter was meant for Education Bureau Director Victor Deng, but by some twist of fate, it ended up on Thomas Liu’s desk instead.
Now, Thomas Liu tapped his finger on the letter, his expression thoughtful.
"If there’s any issue, I hope you’ll let me know in advance. If the tutoring fees are considered irregular, Big Tank can cover them for you. I just don’t want anything to upset my mom."
Evan’s tone was calm. On the other end, Thomas Liu let out a quiet sigh.
He’d been transferred to Whitewood from higher up, and attracting investment here was always tough. But with just one call from Evan Lin, he’d brought in hundreds of millions. Thomas Liu didn’t fully understand Evan’s background, but he knew for sure that a few tens of thousands in tutoring fees meant nothing to this young man.
As Evan’s mother, Joy Zheng certainly wasn’t short on money. In fact, Thomas Liu had learned that Joy had quietly started supporting several poor students out of her own pocket last month. Teachers like her were truly rare—he could only admire her.
"Don’t worry about it. I guarantee that no one will cause any trouble over this."
After a moment, Thomas Liu hesitated, then chuckled. "By the way, what do you think of Selina Shi?"
"Selina Shi?" Evan paused, thinking of that cool, decisive girl. He couldn’t help but compare her to Yolanda Fang—Selina was like a straightforward heroine, while Yolanda was lively, clever, and a bit more mischievous.
"She’s pretty straightforward."
Evan’s answer made Thomas Liu laugh. "If you have time in Jinnan, you should go hang out with them."
After a bit more small talk, Thomas Liu hung up and tossed the report letter straight into the trash.
After thinking for a moment, Thomas Liu called Victor Deng, explained the contents of the report, and firmly expressed his approval of Joy Zheng’s dedication as a teacher.
Victor Deng’s face shifted between pale and flushed as he listened. After hanging up, he looked at Flora Huang, who was sitting nervously on the sofa, and finally sighed.
"Who was on the phone?" Flora Huang asked cautiously, noticing Victor Deng’s unsettled expression and feeling anxious herself.
"It was Secretary Liu. Tell me, were you the one who reported Joy Zheng’s tutoring class?" Victor Deng looked at Flora Huang, his face darkening.
"I just wrote a letter, that’s all. And it’s the truth! I told you to handle it, but you didn’t, so I had no choice but to send it to Secretary Liu."
"So, what did Secretary Liu say?" Flora asked expectantly.
Flora Huang looked hopeful.
Since Joy Zheng came back, all of Flora Huang’s students had switched over, leaving her with no one in her own class and losing all her tutoring income. Hearing that Joy Zheng now lived in a villa only made Flora more resentful.
That’s why she tried to trip Joy Zheng up—if the authorities really pursued the tutoring issue, even if it wasn’t a big deal, Flora’s own teaching career in Whitewood would be finished.
"What do you think he said? Secretary Liu is backing Joy Zheng all the way! He even scolded me. Whether you want to admit it or not, Joy Zheng is an outstanding teacher! I’m telling you, stop pulling these dirty tricks!"
With a wave of his hand, Victor Deng, annoyed, went to his study, leaving Flora Huang sitting there with a dark expression, full of regret for all the petty things she’d done to Joy Zheng before.
After finishing his call with Thomas Liu, Evan Lin checked the time. Seeing it was still early, he took a stroll through Whitewood County No. 2 High, then walked to the gate of No. 1 High, hoping to see Hank Chu and Ken Feng before leaving town.