"What's wrong, Lynn? You look really down. After class just now, where did you and Wendy Wen go?"
Don't just ignore me—did someone say something to upset you?
Eric Yu kept pestering Lynn Chen as they walked side by side.
But Lynn just shook her head, staring at her shoes and kicking a few pebbles now and then. She was clearly in a bad mood.
"Since you're so upset, let me give you a heads-up: tonight my dad's planning to talk business with your dad. He said he'll do everything he can to help your dad's company break into the Jinnan market."
"With my dad's support, your family's business is bound to level up!"
Eric promised confidently. Hearing this, Lynn just nodded, not really thinking much about it.
When they reached Lucy Lu's car, Lynn opened the back door and got in with Eric—only to spot Evan Lin already sitting up front in the passenger seat.
"Why are you here?"
Lynn was caught off guard.
Eric's smile froze as he got in from the other side.
But he'd already opened the car door—backing out now would just make him look weak.
"I invited Evan. He hasn't come 'home' for dinner in days," Lucy explained.
Lynn frowned, then snorted softly and sat down in the back seat.
Eric ended up sitting right beside Lynn, but now he was seriously restless.
"Eric, has the study pressure been tough lately?"
Lucy asked as she started the car.
"It's not too bad. Some problems are pretty hard, but with Lynn helping me, I've made a ton of progress," Eric replied, careful to sound upbeat.
He was a campus celebrity and a second-gen rich kid—even though Evan had humiliated him at the Shangri-La last time.
Still, he had some confidence left.
"Yeah, I was just telling Evan—since you guys are seniors, you really need to focus on your studies. The college entrance exam is a huge turning point; it'll decide where you live and who you meet for the next few years. It seriously affects your future."
Lucy made sure to stress that they should put more effort into studying.
Honestly, Lucy hadn't known about Eric Yu for long—just that he was some minor celebrity. She wasn't impressed; she'd much rather see Lynn get closer to Evan. As for Lynn and Eric, Lucy had wanted to object outright, but since they're seniors now and Lynn's not a kid anymore, she decided to let her daughter make her own choices.
What really surprised Lucy was that Eric's dad, Quentin Yu, was actually coming over tonight.
Quentin Yu was president of the Capitalview Chamber of Commerce, with plenty of connections. When it came to Charles Chen's business in Jinnan, he could be a big help.
Charles Chen had met Quentin at a banquet before, but mostly just to feel each other out. They hadn't talked real business yet.
Last time, Wayne Wang personally backed Charles at the event, which helped him get a foothold in the Jinnan market. But building a real business empire takes way more than a few words.
"I know. My dad keeps telling me to get ready for the college entrance exam. And honestly, with Lynn helping out, my grades have shot up—she's helped me figure out all kinds of stuff I couldn't get before. Studying actually makes me feel pretty happy now." Eric nodded, sneaking a smug glance at Evan up front.
He was nervous and kind of resentful toward Evan, but he still managed to sound like the perfect hardworking student to Lucy.
"Having a low IQ means you get a rush every time you figure out a problem. I guess your life must be full of happiness," Evan said, shifting to a more comfortable position as the city sped by outside.
Eric gave an awkward smile. Lynn shot back, "Like you're one to talk—who skips every monthly exam, huh?"
"Alright, alright, that's enough from both of you."
Lucy was starting to get a headache from the awkward vibe in the car.
She wasn't sure if inviting Evan over today was the right call or not.
The car sped along until they reached Century Park Estate in Capitalview. Lucy pulled over.
As they got out, the Ren family next door happened to be leaving too. They were about to greet Lucy, but when they saw Evan get out, their faces turned pale and they hurried off without a word.
Last time Evan had hit the Ren family hard—Manager Victor Ren from White Crane Manor even had to flee Capitalview overnight.
They used to want Ryan Ren to pair up with Lynn Chen, but now nobody mentions it.
Lucy noticed all this, but didn't say anything. "Come on inside."
She unlocked the door and let Evan in. Compared to before, the Chen family's place was now packed with fancy craft pieces—clearly gifts from recent visitors.
"Dinner's all ready. Once everyone's back, we'll start eating," Lucy said.
Lucy had Evan, Lynn, and Eric sit on the couch for a bit, then suddenly remembered something. "Oh right, Evan, why don't you go shower upstairs? Last time we went shopping, Lynn picked out a few outfits for you—I have no idea if you'll like them or if they'll even fit."
Lucy had just remembered this detail.
Lynn curled up alone on a single sofa, fiddling with her phone. When she heard Lucy say that, her hand froze and her head stayed down, pretending she didn't care at all.
"No need for now, I'll shower when I get home," Evan replied, shaking his head.
"I'll bring the clothes over later. Make sure you take them—no one else here could wear them anyway," Lucy said with a laugh.
Hearing that, Eric felt a sting—obviously, Lucy was making it clear the clothes weren't for him.
Luckily, it wasn't long before Charles Chen, Chamber of Commerce president Quentin Yu, and Eric's mom finally arrived.