"Xuan Ling? When did you get back to Brightsea? What, Old Fang didn't come back with you?"
Over there, Yolanda Fang's mother Xuan Ling walked toward them. Charles Chen was a bit surprised, then smiled and stepped forward to greet her.
Hearing Charles Chen's voice, Xuan Ling turned her head and nodded slightly. That usually cold, striking face actually showed a rare smile. "No, I flew back last night, but I didn't see Yolanda. Later, I heard she'd gone to White Dragon Mountain with Lynn, so I figured she should be back soon and came here to wait."
"Old Fang's been busy with business in Oceanport lately, so he didn't come back this time."
The 'Old Fang' they mentioned was Yolanda Fang's father.
Charles Chen wasn't very familiar with Yolanda Fang's parents, but over the years, Yolanda had always lived alone in Brightsea. From elementary school to junior high, she often played with Lynn Chen, and many times when Yolanda didn't want to go home and sleep alone, she'd squeeze into the same bed with Lynn.
Lucy Lu and Charles Chen treated Yolanda Fang well too. Whenever it was Yolanda's birthday, they'd help organize it, just so she wouldn't feel so lonely.
A young girl living alone always draws sympathy, and Yolanda's parents, being away for work, mostly just sent her money. She was always given everything she wanted materially, but Yolanda was never a materialistic girl. Later, when she started fighting and hanging out, it was largely because no one really cared about her.
"Oh, I see. Well, it makes sense—Old Fang's business is huge, so he's definitely busy," Charles Chen nodded.
"Mm, I heard you've become a company manager now, right? Congratulations," Xuan Ling said with a polite smile.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot to introduce—this is Haiyang Sheng, general manager of our Wansheng Brightsea branch. Mr. Sheng." Charles Chen quickly introduced Haiyang Sheng to Xuan Ling.
Xuan Ling glanced at Haiyang Sheng and nodded slightly, but her expression was cool and indifferent—obviously, she didn't take him seriously at all.
Then Xuan Ling looked back at Charles Chen and said, "These years, both Old Fang and I have been so busy, we haven't had much time to care for Yolanda. She's probably brought you a lot of trouble. If you and Lucy ever come to Oceanport, Old Fang and I will definitely show you around and do our best as hosts."
Charles Chen replied, "Of course, of course. If Lucy and I go to Oceanport, we'll definitely call you."
As they were talking, a train pulled into the station.
When the train doors opened, Lucy Lu and Joy Zheng were at the front, both looking cheerful and clearly in a good mood.
Yolanda Fang had her arm linked with Lynn Chen, turning her head every so often to make faces at Evan Lin: "Hey, Evan, I sincerely invited you to soak in the hot springs last night. Lynn was totally naked, you know. If you miss a chance like that, it's gone forever."
"Don't you feel a bit disappointed? If you beg me, maybe I'll arrange a special favor and get Lynn to soak in the hot springs with you again." Yolanda raised her eyebrows, leaned close to Evan's ear, and whispered teasingly.
As she said this, Yolanda Fang sneaked a glance at Joy Zheng and Lucy Lu walking in front, worried they'd overhear.
That sneaky feeling made Yolanda both nervous and excited inside.
Joy Zheng still had a pretty good impression of Yolanda Fang, thinking she was just a quirky little girl, never seeing her other side.
When Yolanda said those words, she gave Evan Lin a flirtatious look. Before Evan could reply, Yolanda herself couldn't hold back and burst out giggling.
Lynn Chen, overhearing Yolanda's words, blushed and reached out to pinch the soft flesh at Yolanda's waist. But Yolanda didn't care—instead, she boldly groped Lynn's chest, leaving Lynn both angry and helpless.
Honestly, Lynn just couldn't deal with Yolanda's occasional little hooligan antics. After Yolanda finished talking, Lynn glanced over at Evan Lin, saw his calm, indifferent expression, and felt a complicated mix of emotions—she couldn't tell if she was upset or relieved.
As they entered the station hall, Yolanda Fang spotted Charles Chen and the others from a distance.
At first, Yolanda's face was normal, with a smile and a hint of pride. But when she saw Xuan Ling standing there, her smile instantly vanished—her brows knitted, and her expression turned cold.
"Yolanda!"
Xuan Ling called out loudly when she saw the group approaching.
Charles Chen was also stunned when he saw Lucy Lu and Joy Zheng. Lucy looked much prettier than before, but what really surprised Charles was Joy Zheng.
In the past, Charles always felt a bit sorry for Joy Zheng, since the pressures of life had left her looking older before her time. But now, seeing her, he almost couldn't believe his eyes.
Joy Zheng now looked years younger than before!
Meanwhile, Haiyang Sheng's gaze lingered briefly on Lucy Lu and Joy Zheng, before shifting to Evan Lin at the back.
Smiling, Haiyang Sheng nodded at Evan Lin. Not only had Evan saved his life and cured his illness, but he'd also taught him the Qi Source Body‑Forging Art.
Lately, Haiyang Sheng had been practicing diligently, and his health kept improving. He was surprised to find that even his old kidney weakness had nearly disappeared—everything was getting better.
This made Haiyang Sheng admire Evan Lin even more—his eyes were full of respect.
"Xuan Ling, you're back!" Lucy Lu exclaimed, surprised to see her.
Xuan Ling smiled at Lucy Lu. "Yes, it's been a long time. And this is...?"
Xuan Ling looked at Lucy, then at Joy Zheng standing beside her, with some surprise.
She noticed that Joy Zheng, standing next to Lucy Lu, was remarkably well-maintained. Even though Joy wasn't wearing designer clothes, her gentle demeanor had a touch of elegance.
"My best friend, Joy Zheng," Lucy introduced simply.
Then Xuan Ling turned to Yolanda Fang and asked, "Yolanda, what's wrong? Aren't you happy to see your mom?"
Yolanda didn't answer, just rolled her eyes, making Xuan Ling frown in mild displeasure.
Xuan Ling's gaze shifted to Lynn Chen on Yolanda's left and, after complimenting how pretty Lynn was getting, she quickly looked at Evan Lin on Yolanda's right. With a raised brow and a cool, appraising look, she said lightly, "Young man, are you standing in the wrong spot?"