Evan Lin lay in bed for a long time. By evening, Stella Huang came home, saw Evan, and was pleasantly surprised—she immediately dragged him out for dinner.
It was obvious that Stella had gotten used to Evan’s frequent, sudden disappearances. Her internship at the TV station was going well, but since she was a senior preparing for next year’s thesis defense, she was looking a bit tired.
“Hey, so that girl who came to pick you up last time—is she your girlfriend? She looked really pretty. Irene was asking when you’ll bring her over so we can all meet her.”
Stella watched Evan eat with gusto, her face full of curiosity. She didn’t mention that after that day, Irene Xu seemed especially down.
Stella could understand why. Even though Evan was still a high schooler, his courage, guts, and ability were off the charts. He didn’t just outshine his peers—he was way ahead of even those young men who were considered successful.
Stella and Irene had even joked that if you could get a boyfriend like Evan, your future would be worry-free. Irene, for all her looks and figure—not to mention being a flight attendant, a job that turns heads—
still felt she was a fair bit older than Evan and maybe a little past her prime. Plus, seeing Lynn Chen waiting for Evan by the street that day, she couldn’t help but be affected by Lynn’s pure, youthful vibe.
Compared to Lynn—still young and not fully grown into her beauty—Stella and Irene couldn’t help feeling a bit envious and discouraged.
“She’s not my girlfriend. If you guys want to meet her, that’s fine, but she can be pretty sharp-tongued sometimes,” Evan said, taking a slow sip of soup.
Mentioning her sharp tongue, Evan shook his head slightly—there was something strange and nostalgic in his expression.
Now, whether it’s Medicine King Valley in Seacrest, Jincheng’s richest man Summer Shu, real estate tycoon Wang Wansheng, the Su family of Jinnan, the Southriver Sword Sect, or the Miracle Hand Sect—when they face Evan, they all have to put on a smile and act cautious, terrified of making him angry.
But Lynn Chen is still the only one who can always find a way to pick at Evan’s flaws. She’s gotten better lately, but she used to act like a total princess, bossing him around. Evan understood—she just wanted him to work harder and stay out of trouble—but their worlds are different now.
Back before his rebirth, in Minghai, Lynn barely hid her dislike for Evan. It was more like she was frustrated he wasn’t living up to his potential—sometimes, after seeing his abysmal grades, she’d quietly leave her own neatly written class notes at his door.
But in public, Lynn always put on a cold face around Evan, afraid people would find out they lived under the same roof and her classmates would get the wrong idea.
Her girlish vanity always mixed with a kind of nameless compassion—that was Lynn’s attitude toward Evan back then.
Thinking back, it all feels like yesterday. But if you count his years cultivating on the Immortal Martial Continent, it’s already been centuries.
Seeing Evan fall silent after speaking, Stella got nervous, thinking she’d said something wrong. "Maybe just forget it," she said. "Irene was just making conversation. If it’s not convenient, it’s no big deal."
“It’s fine. When I’m back at school and see her, I’ll ask when she’s free.” Evan snapped out of it, not bothered at all.
Stella breathed a sigh of relief. She really was curious what that girl was like—last time, she’d only caught a glimpse from afar.
During dinner, Stella got a phone call. She spoke briefly, then hung up, looking annoyed.
"What’s up?"
Evan glanced at her.
"It’s nothing. My roommate’s got some minor trouble, but it’ll be fine. Want to order a few more dishes?" Stella didn’t dwell on the topic.
After dinner, they headed home.
Stella did a quick sweep of the apartment, took another call, and then disappeared into her room.
Early the next morning, Evan packed his things, slung a bag over his shoulder, and headed out.
Autumn had arrived—the weather was pleasantly mild, not too hot or cold.
When Evan arrived at Capitalview First High, students along the way reacted like he was a celebrity—boys stared at him in awe, girls squealed with excitement, and a few looked ready to throw themselves at him.
"That’s Class 12’s super transfer student!"
"The freak who jumped to a 425 score—the most improved in the school!"
"Wow, he’s even hotter in real life!"
The chatter around him was nonstop—a bunch of girls clustered together, chattering away, faces full of excitement.
Evan returned to his own class and took his seat.
Class 12’s students were basically immune to Evan—the guy who skipped class all the time but still aced every test.
Ever since Evan shocked everyone with his insane scores, he’d even made it onto the Teacher-Student Assembly.
He didn’t show up at the assembly, so he wasn’t caught on camera.
But when Wendy Yi read out everyone’s study tips at the exchange meeting that day—
she got to the two sentences Evan had left behind.
"As for study methods, I’m sorry—I don’t really have any great tips or tricks to share."
"It’s just that I’m smart and quick-witted—I pick things up instantly. It’s a gift, so… thanks, everyone."
The moment he said that, every struggling student at Capitalview First High was instantly won over.
His cocky, dominant words stole the spotlight at the whole assembly.
Even Liu Chuan, the school’s top scorer, and Yu Yingjie, the campus celebrity, were overshadowed by Evan—who hadn’t even shown up.
Now, the name Evan Lin had basically become the ultimate symbol of strength for the whole student body.
Evan didn’t care about any of it. He went back to his seat, flipped through his books, and did a few problems.
During morning class, Byron Yang walked in and saw Evan actually sitting at his desk—he was so excited, he almost felt honored.
Even among teachers, when Evan’s name came up, plenty of them looked at Byron with envy.
Having such an outstanding student was the highest honor a teacher could ask for. The best part of this job was seeing your students succeed everywhere.
Once Evan made it big, maybe he’d even be able to help out his old teacher someday.
Thanks to Evan, Byron—who’d always been looked down on for teaching Class 12—could finally hold his head high.
He was even a little grateful—grateful that Evan had suddenly appeared in Class 12.
Byron stood at the podium, speaking with passion and enthusiasm.
Evan, sitting below, glanced out the window. He watched the leaves drift by on the wind—another autumn had come.