"All these years, watching you grow from a little kid into a young man—it feels like it was just yesterday. Sigh, you've really grown up now."
"You're in your final year of high school now, right?"
Helen Cai looked at Evan Lin, grinning cheerfully.
"Yeah, starting senior year soon."
Evan nodded, listening to Helen Cai's rambling chatter, feeling a rare warmth in his heart.
"Senior year is great. Work hard, aim for a good university. Once you graduate, it'll just be a few years, then you'll get a job and start earning money for the family."
"By then, your mom can finally enjoy some comfort too."
At this point, Helen Cai's face suddenly grew serious as she looked at Evan: "And listen, Evan, you have no idea how hard your mom works every day to save up for your college tuition when you're not around."
"You really have to work hard, don't let your mom down. And don't make her angry, got it? Otherwise, Auntie Cai won't let you off!"
Helen Cai looked at Evan, her expression especially serious.
"I know, don't worry. I won't let my mom down again."
"That's good, that's good."
Helen Cai nodded, then laughed again. "Really not having any fish? I can't finish all this by myself."
"No thanks, I'll head home first. Haven't been back in a long time."
Helen Cai's place was just a narrow alley away from Evan Lin's home.
After walking Helen Cai home, Evan headed back to his own place.
He fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door.
Inside, it was a bit dim and damp. In this kind of small flat, apart from a bit of sunlight around two in the afternoon, the place rarely saw the sun.
The whole house wasn't very big. You walked in to a tiny kitchen, and in the middle of the living room sat an old Panda-brand color TV. Evan had begged for cartoons as a kid, so Joy Zheng had no choice but to hunt one down at the secondhand market.
Even as a used set, that TV was expensive at the time. It cost Joy Zheng two months' salary, making life even tougher for their already struggling family.
Back then, Evan had no idea how hard life really was. He just remembered feeling happy when he watched cartoons, then turning to see the still-young Joy Zheng propping her chin in her hand, smiling gently but tiredly.
Evan took off his backpack, opened the window to air out the room, and gathered the laundry drying on the sill.
He sat down on a wooden chair inside, zoning out for a while.
The feeling of living a second life is impossible for anyone to truly understand—unless you've been through it, you'll never grasp that complicated state of mind.
His guilt and longing for his mother were among the few cracks in the otherwise unbreakable Dao heart of the Nine Mysteries Immortal Lord.
The house was small and damp, but Joy Zheng kept it spotless. On the desk sat a few lesson-prep notebooks filled cover to cover, and next to them, an old fountain pen she'd used for years.
"Finally back home."
Evan shook his head, took a deep breath, and glanced at the stress—already six in the evening.
It was summer vacation, so Joy Zheng should have been home by now—but she still wasn't back...
"She must be tutoring students, I guess."
Evan frowned.
Joy Zheng's salary was low. Unlike other teachers who held back material for paid cram classes just to get students to sign up and make extra money, Joy had always been dedicated and conscientious.
After Evan moved to Brightsea City and started boarding with the Chen family, Joy worked even harder, tutoring students to scrape together an extra few hundred to a thousand yuan each month.
To Evan, that money was nothing—but to Joy, it was a huge motivator.
The reason was simple: so she could send him a little more living expenses and quietly save up some money for his future college tuition.
After staying home for fifteen minutes and checking the time, Evan decided to go out and look for her.
He'd transferred a hundred thousand yuan to Joy Zheng before, hoping she'd buy herself something—new furniture, appliances, anything to make life a little better.
But judging by the house now, she probably just saved it all, not willing to spend a cent.
Evan sighed inwardly and stood up.
"Nothing much going on, might as well go check. She’s probably still tutoring somewhere."
Just as Evan was about to head out, he heard a few squeaks from some rats, frowned slightly, glanced toward his backpack, and said calmly, "Take care of the rats in the house, and fix any leaky spots for me."
"Keep your presence hidden—don’t let the neighbors notice anything."
From inside the backpack, the Three Maiden Spirits emerged, nodding in agreement when they heard Evan’s instructions.
If anyone else knew Evan was using a magic tool to do pest control and patch leaks, they’d be totally dumbfounded.
To most people, a tool like that would be a priceless treasure.
The Three Maiden Spirits didn’t dare complain; they hurried around the house, catching rats and patching the roof.
Evan locked the door behind him and headed out, walking along the asphalt road.
Soon, he arrived at South Cypress Gardens.
The flats in this complex were considered mid-to-upper tier in Whitewood, both in quality and price.
Later, thanks to the developers’ endless market tricks, the price per square meter shot up to between 5,500 and 6,200 yuan. A single unit cost at least 700,000 to 800,000.
With Joy Zheng's salary, she'd have to work thirty or forty years without spending a cent just to afford one.
Joy never said anything, but whenever she passed by, her quiet sighs always made Evan's heart ache.
But that was all in the past.
Now, Evan was thinking about how to tell Joy there were ten million yuan in his bank account.
At the end of the day, Evan wanted to improve her life—but he didn't want to shatter her worldview.
For his mother, Evan wished most of all that she could live peacefully and happily. If she learned about his true identity now, it wouldn't be a happy surprise—it'd be pure shock and endless worry.
For a mother, all she really wants is for her child to be safe and happy.
But the path of cultivation is hard—every step is a struggle with death.
It's an act of defying the heavens—fighting fate itself, opening the gates to immortality!
Lost in thought, Evan arrived at the gate of South Cypress Gardens—just in time to spot Joy Zheng ahead, pushing her old bicycle.
She was standing there, apparently arguing with someone.