"Hey, Old Man Zhong, you're looking pretty sharp today!"
Even wearing a suit, huh? Haha!
Old Man Zhong, you really landed yourself a great in-law!
Some county acquaintances nearby spotted Old Man Zhong getting out of the car and started joking around.
Before this, Old Man Zhong was seen as the absolute bottom of society—a loser and a parasite in their eyes. But now, with Hank "Doggy" Han as his son-in-law, everything's suddenly different.
"That's right! If you've got what it takes, try raising a daughter and finding a good son-in-law yourself!" Old Man Zhong puffed out his chest, looking proud as can be.
He strutted forward in his suit, limping as usual.
Soon, Hank "Doggy" Han's parents, who'd been waiting there, came up to greet him. They obviously didn't think much of Old Man Zhong, but out of politeness, they gave him a casual hello.
Old Man Zhong took the hint, instantly switching to a sycophantic grin as he sidled up to them.
"In-laws, my daughter will have no trouble giving your Han family a healthy son! If the first one's not a boy, we'll just try again! We'll keep going until you get a son!"
Old Man Zhong thumped his chest and guaranteed it, completely disregarding Lily Zhong's feelings.
Factory Director Han nodded, hands behind his back. "Your daughter Lily's pretty good, and she's a teacher too. If she gives birth to a son, I'll pay you a hundred thousand yuan; for a daughter, fifty thousand."
Old Man Zhong's grin got even wider. He rubbed his hands together in excitement. "That's perfect, just perfect! Tonight—after the wedding, once they're in the bridal chamber—Doggy should really put in the effort! With luck, we'll have a grandson by next year!"
The others overheard and looked on with contempt, though a few women had a hint of envy in their eyes.
"Poor thing, Lily Zhong's such a good girl, but with a greedy dad like that, her life's pretty much over."
A young guy standing next to Evan Lin shook his head and sighed.
He glanced at Evan Lin, suddenly remembering something. "Hey, what's your relationship with Hank 'Doggy' Han? Are you his brother?"
"I'm his creditor," Evan replied calmly.
"Creditor? That guy Hank actually owes people money?" The young man was stunned, but seeing Evan's calm demeanor, he seemed to get it. "Well, that figures. Hank can be a real deadbeat—having money at home but refusing to pay up isn't surprising at all."
Downstairs, the wedding car doors swung open.
Hank "Doggy" Han, hunched over and grinning like a rat, walked side by side with the tall Lily Zhong as they headed into Lakeview Pavilion.
Lily Zhong was actually taller than Hank, which made the pair look a bit mismatched.
The men in the crowd were all stunned by Lily Zhong's beauty, while the women looked on with varying degrees of jealousy.
Once they'd entered Lakeview Pavilion, Hank's parents and Old Man Zhong were symbolically welcomed inside. After that, Lily Zhong and Hank stood at the entrance on the first floor, greeting guests.
There was still an hour until the banquet started. Most of the early arrivals gathered to play cards or brag over drinks.
The wedding emcee was also getting things ready.
The young man had originally planned to chat with Evan Lin and get to know him, but when he turned around, Evan had already vanished without a trace.
"Doggy, not bad! You actually married our old campus beauty—you're at the peak of your life now!"
"So jealous! I heard your wife is a high school teacher? That's awesome!"
"Doggy, take it easy tonight—don't drink too much or get wasted. The most important thing is to save your strength, or you'll get drained dry!"
At the entrance on the first floor, Hank "Doggy" Han watched his cronies and old friends trickle in, laughing out loud with delight.
Normally, they'd be heading inside to start the ceremony, but Hank couldn't resist showing off a little longer.
Beside him, Lily Zhong wore a blank expression, tuning out all the chatter. Inside, she felt utterly numb.
Suddenly, Lily Zhong seemed to sense something. She glanced in a certain direction, and when she saw the person standing there, her whole body trembled.
"Evan Lin?"
Lily Zhong's eyes widened in shock, her heart fluttering with disbelief.
"Huh? Lily, what did you say?" Hank was chatting with someone, but when he heard Lily finally speak, he couldn't make out her words and asked.
"It's nothing. I just need to use the restroom."
Lily Zhong shook her head. Hank didn't think much of it—everyone here was his people, so he wasn't worried about Lily running off.
Lily headed in that direction, following Evan Lin. As the hallway emptied and she rounded a corner, she finally saw Evan leaning against the wall.
"What are you doing here?"
Lily Zhong's eyes widened as she glanced nervously around, afraid someone might see them.
"Hello, Teacher. I heard you're getting married, so I came to join the fun."
Evan Lin smiled.
"It's not safe here—you need to leave right now! If anyone finds out, it'll be way too dangerous!" Lily Zhong was frantic.
"Don't worry. No one here can hurt me," Evan Lin replied, shaking his head.
"It's different here in Clearstream County. The Han family is way too powerful. You're all alone, and they'll crush you! Listen to me—leave now! There's a path out back!" Lily Zhong took a deep breath, her face serious.
"Are you marrying him willingly?" Evan Lin asked, curious, looking at Lily Zhong.
"This has nothing to do with you! Just go—if they see you, you'll be in danger!" Lily Zhong grew desperate at Evan's stubbornness.
These last few days, Old Man Zhong had been telling Hank "Doggy" Han all about Evan Lin—especially how Evan beat him up. Old Man Zhong hated Evan now, and kept egging Hank on to help him get revenge.
With Old Man Zhong constantly in his ear, Hank "Doggy" Han had built up plenty of resentment against Evan Lin. He even declared that if he ever spotted Evan, he'd immediately have him seized and dragged before Old Man Zhong for a beating.
"Wait a second."
Evan Lin shook his head and pulled something out from his chest.
It looked like a piece of jade, but was still rough and unpolished.
"What's that?" Lily Zhong asked, puzzled.
Without answering, Evan traced his right hand through the air, weaving invisible lines of spiritual qi and channeling them into the raw artifact.
In less than a minute, the once-rough stone in Evan's hand had turned smooth, its surface faintly gleaming with spiritual light.
"Here, take this. Later, put it on your dad and let him hold it."
Evan handed the newly refined artifact to Lily Zhong, his expression calm as ever.