At seven o'clock in the evening, Ian Song and Shelly Song returned together to their uncle's house.
Stephen Song and Yvonne Yang were both sitting on the sofa in the living room.
Seeing them, Stephen showed a relieved smile. "Ian, Shelly, you’re back?"
"Uncle, Aunt." Ian greeted them both.
"Shelly."
Suddenly, Yvonne Yang stood up from the sofa with a face full of guilt, hurried over, and emotionally pulled Shelly into her arms. "Mom was wrong. I’m sorry."
On the way home, Shelly had already told her everything over the phone—the whole story from start to finish. Because of this, Yvonne felt both guilty and heartbroken. If Ian hadn’t rescued Shelly, her daughter would have been ruined by Deputy Director Xing, that bastard. Thinking of this, she hated herself to death for believing Xing’s lies.
Before, Shelly had still harbored some resentment toward Yvonne, but seeing her mother crying so bitterly, that resentment vanished instantly. She gently comforted her, "Mom, don’t cry. I don’t blame you. Besides, I’m perfectly fine now, aren’t I?"
Mother and daughter both showed genuine emotion, and it was a long while before they let go.
Then Yvonne walked over to Ian, her face full of apology. "Ian, it was all Aunt’s fault before. I hope you won’t hold it against me, okay?"
"Aunt, you’re making too much of it. I forgot about all that a long time ago," Ian said with a smile.
"You’re such a thoughtful child. From now on, you’re my own son," Yvonne said, moved. "Oh, you and Shelly haven’t eaten yet, have you? I’ll go make you some food."
"No need, Aunt. Shelly and I have already eaten," Ian quickly replied.
"It’s fine. You can always eat a little more. I’ll go boil you a couple of eggs."
Unable to refuse her enthusiasm, Ian didn’t object any further.
"Kid, come with me to the study," Stephen said to Ian, then got up and walked toward the study.
"Sure, Uncle."
Inside the study, Stephen looked at Ian, feeling emotional. "I never expected it. I got into trouble this time, and you’re the one who saved me. You’ve really gone through a lot for us." From his daughter’s phone call, he’d learned how Ian had rescued him—he was shocked and surprised, never imagining his nephew would grow so capable.
Hearing his uncle’s words, Ian felt a lump in his throat and said emotionally, "Uncle, I lost my parents when I was little. You and Aunt raised me. In my heart, you’re my father, Aunt is my mother, and Shelly is my real sister. If anything ever happened to you, I’d risk my life to save you."
Hearing Ian’s sincere words, Stephen was deeply moved, his eyes growing moist, and he praised in a low voice, "Good kid."
After chatting with his uncle in the study for a while, Yvonne came to knock on the door, reminding him that the eggs were ready and telling him to come out and eat.
Ian glanced at his uncle, who waved his hand. "Go eat."
"Okay, Uncle!"
That night, Ian stayed at his uncle’s house.
In the master bedroom, Stephen held his wife in his arms, and Yvonne rested her cheek against his chest. After some intimate conversation, the couple shifted the topic to Ian.
"Honey, haven’t you noticed how much Ian has changed lately?" Yvonne asked curiously.
"He really has," Stephen nodded. "I can’t quite figure him out anymore. But no matter how he changes, he’s still our nephew." As he spoke, Stephen showed a relieved smile.
"If only he were my real son," Yvonne said with a hint of regret.
"You still don’t get it," Stephen teased, glancing at Yvonne. "Think about it—you used to treat him so harshly, but did he ever resent you? And this time, if it had been someone else, they’d have given up on you long ago. But Ian never did. That just shows how broad-minded he is."
Yvonne blushed at his words, feeling a bit nervous inside, afraid her husband might blame her. "Honey, you knew I used to treat Ian coldly?"
"You really think I’m clueless? I saw right through you! I just didn’t want to call you out. It’s a good thing the kid never held it against you," Stephen said with a sigh.
"I was wrong, honey. From now on, I’ll treat Ian as my own son," Yvonne quickly promised.
"That I believe," Stephen replied with a chuckle.
Suddenly, an idea struck Yvonne. "Honey, do you think there’s a chance for Ian and Shelly?" As she spoke, she grew nervous, carefully watching her husband’s reaction.
"Don’t be silly, they’re siblings," Stephen scolded.
Yvonne, however, didn’t quite agree. "Shelly isn’t our biological daughter. Ian’s so outstanding—just thinking he might become someone else’s son-in-law makes me uncomfortable. If he became our son-in-law, it’d be like keeping it all in the family."
Hearing his wife’s words, Stephen was a bit tempted. After thinking it over, he said, "Let’s just let things happen naturally."
Yvonne was secretly delighted. She knew that while her husband hadn’t agreed, he hadn’t objected either. She started scheming to find a chance to tell Ian and Shelly that they weren’t actually blood siblings. With Ian’s care for Shelly, and a little push from her, maybe the two of them could become a couple.
The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. Suddenly, she rolled over onto Stephen, breathing warmly, "Honey, I want you."
"We’re an old married couple. Stop with those wild ideas," Stephen said in a deep voice.
"Oh, Stephen Song, are you saying I’m too old for you?" Yvonne’s face changed, and she demanded.
"You only get more charming with age!" Stephen replied, then flipped Yvonne onto the bed and pressed himself on top of her.
............
Naturally, Ian had no idea about his uncle and aunt’s conversation. At the moment, he was checking his Fame Points.
After several hours, his Fame Points had shot up again, reaching 2.39 million, all thanks to JoyStream Video’s promotion.
Thinking about how JoyStream would send a crew tomorrow to record his performance, Ian started wondering which pieces he should play.
After some thought, he decided—all five pieces would be originals.
Closing the system interface, Ian asked Meow-Meow, "Meow-Meow, how many Fame Points does it take to reach Innate Second Layer?"
"Two million points. Host, I suggest you consolidate your cultivation first before advancing, or your foundation will be unstable."
Ian had been about to rush straight to Innate Second Layer, but his heart chilled at Meow-Meow’s warning. Realizing he was being too impatient, he sat cross-legged on the bed and began cycling his true energy to temper his body.
After a full cycle, Ian felt his meridians, bones, and muscles had been further strengthened.
He decided to run another cycle.
Knock knock.
There was a knock at the door.
Ian jumped off the bed and opened the door—only to find Shelly standing there in cartoon-print pajamas. Thanks to his sharp eyesight, he accidentally saw the two points pressing against her chest. Shelly wasn’t wearing a bra, and Ian immediately felt a rush of heat.