Joy Zheng and Lucy Lu linked arms, picking out vegetables at the front, while Evan Lin waited on the side, carrying all the big bags.
Lynn Chen and Yolanda Fang obediently helped carry a bunch of things, and once all the groceries were bought, the group headed home together.
While cooking, Yolanda Fang and Lynn Chen both tried to help out, but were turned down. Lucy Lu and Joy Zheng chatted and laughed together, the atmosphere warm and relaxed.
Seeing the rare lively scene at home, Evan Lin’s eyes softened.
Beside him, Yolanda Fang sat on a chair, swinging her legs and occasionally kicking Evan Lin. Whenever he looked at her, she’d quickly turn away and put on an innocent face. Lynn Chen fiddled with her phone. For once, the three of them fell unusually quiet.
Lunch was a feast: braised beef, chicken with soy sauce, marinated fresh fish, stir-fried pork with green peppers—eight dishes and a soup in total.
"Come on, come on, go wash your hands—once you’re done, we can eat." Lucy Lu walked over carrying bowls and chopsticks.
"It feels like we’ve never all had a meal together before. Joy, if you have time, you should come visit Minghai and stay with me—we can share a room, and honestly, I don’t have much to do at home most days."
At the table, Lucy Lu’s tone carried a hint of complaint as she spoke to Joy Zheng.
"I’ll come when I have time." Joy Zheng replied with a gentle smile.
Mainly, she didn’t want to go to Minghai and trouble Lucy Lu.
"You always say that, but you never actually come. Plus, Evan’s been doing better and better at school lately—didn’t he win a Math Olympiad prize before?" Lucy Lu grinned as she put some beef on Evan Lin’s plate. "That’s one thing my Lynn still hasn’t managed—she’s been preparing for ages and still hasn’t passed the Olympiad prelims."
"Mom!" Lynn Chen was just eating when she suddenly got called out like that, and muttered in protest.
"Alright, alright, I won’t tease you. Hurry up and eat—make sure you finish everything I cooked! Whoever doesn’t clean their plate tonight has to wash the dishes."
After speaking, Lucy Lu glanced at Joy Zheng, as if remembering something, and said, "Oh right, I almost forgot to tell you—Sharon Xiao and Stella Cui, plus a few other old classmates, are planning a trip to White Dragon Mountain Resort in a few days. Sharon asked me to invite you. It’s been ages since everyone’s met up—do you want to come?"
Hearing Lucy Lu’s question, Joy Zheng froze for a moment; Evan Lin, who’d been eating, looked up and glanced over.
"I’d better not." Joy Zheng looked hesitant and unsure.
Lucy Lu seemed about to say more, but then nodded in understanding. "It’s fine if you don’t want to meet up. We all shared a dorm back then, but honestly, those two do have a pretty nasty way of talking sometimes."
"Mom, you should go have some fun. You don’t have much to do at home, and the tutoring classes are off for a few days anyway." Evan Lin smiled at Joy Zheng.
Sharon Xiao and Stella Cui were Lucy Lu and Joy Zheng’s old classmates from teachers’ college. Evan Lin had heard Lucy mention them before.
Back when Joy Zheng was young, she was outstanding in both looks and everything else, with plenty of admirers. Lucy Lu always thought this was nothing unusual, but Sharon Xiao and Stella Cui couldn’t stand her.
The two of them often ganged up to bully Joy Zheng. She never talked about it, but Evan Lin had heard a bit from Lucy Lu.
Evan Lin was still a little curious about his mother’s old classmates.
Living a second life wasn’t just about finding peace for himself—Evan Lin also wanted to meet those who’d wronged Joy Zheng in the past.
"White Dragon Mountain Resort—I’ve been there once before. The environment’s really nice, perfect for relaxing and having fun, right?" As he spoke, Evan Lin looked at Lynn Chen and Yolanda Fang.
Hearing this, Yolanda Fang rolled her eyes first and said with a huff, "Yeah, yeah, it’s fun. Last time, Liam Li and those guys had the time of their lives."
"There’s hot springs there too, and you can fish and grill what you catch." Lynn Chen glared at Evan Lin as well, but she still agreed.
Last time they went to White Dragon Mountain, Liam Li had some not-so-great plans in mind, but fate had him run into someone as unpredictable as Evan Lin.
Liam Li got a serious lesson that time. Now, at First High, he keeps a low profile and barely stirs up trouble. Jason Zhao, who was with him, is said to have gone back to Jiangcheng and didn’t show up for the final exams.
As for Cathy Li, Maggie Ma, Lillian Wang, and Simon Li, who went along, they still hold a grudge against Evan Lin. They blame him for ruining their fun and embarrassing them.
More importantly, they believed Evan Lin was just putting on airs—he only dared act out because he knew Summer Mu from the Xia family in Jiangcheng. In their eyes, he was just a small fry relying on powerful connections.
Simon Li even went to Zane Zhan, the Judo Club captain at Minghai First High, several times, hoping Zane would beat up Evan Lin and teach him a lesson. For days, Zane waited outside Minghai Second High, but Evan was away at a math competition and missed the final exams, taking a long leave—so the two never crossed paths.
Because of this, rumors spread that Evan Lin ran off early just to avoid Zane Zhan’s fists. For a while, Zane’s name was famous among the city’s high schools.
If Evan Lin hadn’t brought it up, Lynn Chen and Yolanda Fang would have almost forgotten about the whole trip.
"I haven’t gone out for fun in ages—I’d probably feel a bit out of place." Joy Zheng still hesitated. Money was one thing; more importantly, she really didn’t want to run into her old classmates.
With these so-called reunions, if there isn’t real friendship, it’s just a contest of status. Over the past decade, Joy Zheng had given up a lot, hiding away in a small city and struggling to raise Evan Lin. The pressure she’d faced was far greater than it looked from the outside.
Suddenly being asked to face her old classmates made Joy Zheng uneasy.
"It’s fine, Auntie Zheng! If you want, Yolanda and I will go with you. If anyone bullies you, we’ll just gang up and scold them together." Lynn Chen smiled and nodded at Joy Zheng.
"Yeah, and if that’s not enough, Evan Lin can go beat them up! Knock them flat! And then—" Yolanda Fang was getting excited, but as everyone’s eyes turned to her, she paused and changed tack: "Then I’ll go kick them a few times too—make them call me ‘mom’!"