The next morning...
Sunlight slowly spread across the city.
The sidewalk restaurant had only just opened.
Meng Lan moved between the tables, placing chopsticks and bowls while the smell of steamed buns and freshly cooked noodles drifted through the small dining area.
At one of the tables near the entrance...
The old man sat with a bowl of congee.
He took one slow bite.
Then glanced toward the empty chair across from him.
Another bite.
Another glance.
Still empty.
He frowned.
"That brat is late."
Meng Lan looked over from behind the counter.
"Yun Wanhe?"
"Who else?"
The old man lifted his bowl.
"He normally shows up before breakfast if he trained late."
Meng Lan shrugged.
"Maybe he went home."
"He did."
The old man took another bite.
"But he should’ve been here by now."
He looked toward the street.
No sign of Yun Wanhe.
His brows slowly knitted together.
Last night...
Something had felt strange.
He couldn’t explain it.
A faint disturbance in the surrounding Qi.
Dark.
Heavy.
Then it had disappeared.
At the time...
He had assumed it came from some cultivator passing through the mountains.
Now...
He wasn’t so certain.
"Hm..."
The old man placed his chopsticks down.
Before he could stand...
Footsteps came from upstairs.
Chi Lingxi appeared.
She wore her school uniform.
Her hair was tied neatly behind her.
But unlike usual...
There was a brightness in her expression.
A nervous excitement.
Meng Lan immediately noticed.
"Someone seems happy."
Chi Lingxi stopped.
"...Do I?"
"Very."
Meng Lan smiled.
"What happened?"
Chi Lingxi looked toward the restaurant entrance.
Then toward her grandfather.
The old man immediately leaned closer.
"Oh? Good news?"
Chi Lingxi hesitated.
Then...
She smiled.
"Actually... Yes."
She placed her schoolbag down and hurried toward the counter.
"Mom... Grandpa... You both need to sit."
Meng Lan laughed.
"Why?"
"Just sit."
The old man immediately grabbed his bowl and moved closer.
"I like this already."
Chi Lingxi took a deep breath.
Then she placed her phone on the table.
A bank notification was displayed across the screen.
Meng Lan glanced at it.
Then froze.
Her eyes slowly widened.
"What..."
The old man leaned over.
He squinted at the numbers.
Then blinked.
"Is my eyesight finally failing?"
Meng Lan picked up the phone.
Her hand trembled.
"18,600,000..."
She looked toward Chi Lingxi.
"Lingxi."
Her voice became serious.
"Where did this come from?"
Chi Lingxi immediately raised both hands.
"It’s legal!"
The old man laughed.
"That wasn’t reassuring."
"It came from Shen Tian," Chi Lingxi said.
Silence.
Meng Lan stared.
The old man slowly lowered his spoon.
"...Shen Tian?"
Chi Lingxi nodded.
"He won an underground race last night."
Meng Lan’s expression immediately changed.
"Underground race?"
Chi Lingxi realized her mistake.
The old man grinned.
"Oh, this story is getting better."
Meng Lan pointed toward her daughter.
"You went to an illegal race?"
"I wasn’t racing!"
"You were there!"
"My friends convinced me!"
"Lingxi!"
"I know!"
Chi Lingxi lowered her head.
"I’m sorry."
Meng Lan sighed heavily.
"We’re discussing that later."
Chi Lingxi nodded quickly.
Then she continued.
"But... Something happened."
Her expression became quieter.
"The car I was riding in lost control."
Meng Lan’s face drained of color.
The old man stopped smiling.
"What?"
"We almost went through the guardrail."
Meng Lan immediately rushed around the counter.
She grabbed Chi Lingxi’s arms.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Mom, I’m okay."
Meng Lan checked her anyway.
Her eyes found the bruise near Chi Lingxi’s shoulder.
Her expression tightened.
"Lingxi..."
"I’m fine."
Chi Lingxi’s voice softened.
"Because Shen Tian saved us."
The old man’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Chi Lingxi continued.
"He was racing too. When our car started sliding... He gave up his position. He used his own car to push us away from the edge."
Meng Lan became silent.
The old man slowly leaned back.
"Hm."
Chi Lingxi’s cheeks warmed slightly.
"Then... He went back into the race. And still won."
The old man’s eyes widened.
"He stopped... Saved you... Then caught everyone?"
Chi Lingxi nodded.
The old man slapped the table.
"Hahaha! That’s my future son-in-law!"
Meng Lan looked at him.
"Your future son-in-law?"
"You know what I mean."
The old man smiled proudly despite having absolutely nothing to do with Shen Tian’s accomplishments.
"I told everyone he was exceptional."
Chi Lingxi continued.
"Afterward... He gave me the prize money."
Meng Lan stared at the phone again.
"All of it?"
"All of it."
"Why?"
Chi Lingxi looked down.
"He said we could use it for the restaurant. Debts. Renovations. Whatever we needed."
Meng Lan didn’t speak.
Her eyes became wet.
For years...
She had worked every day.
Morning until night.
Bills were paid barely on time.
Repairs were constantly delayed.
Anything extra went toward Chi Lingxi.
She had never complained.
But eighteen million yuan...
Wasn’t simply money.
It was freedom.
Security.
Breathing room.
Meng Lan slowly sat down.
"...That child..."
Chi Lingxi smiled.
"I told him it was too much."
The old man nodded.
"It is too much. He wouldn’t take it back. Of course he wouldn’t."
He stroked his beard.
"Rich people become stubborn when they decide to give things away."
Chi Lingxi laughed softly.
Meng Lan wiped beneath one eye.
"We’ll thank him properly."
Chi Lingxi nodded.
"I already thanked him."
The old man looked at her.
Something in his expression became mischievous.
"Oh?"
Chi Lingxi immediately knew.
"Grandpa."
"What?"
"Don’t."
"I haven’t said anything."
"You were going to."
"Was I?"
"Yes."
The old man smiled.
"Did you perhaps thank him with a little..."
He tapped his cheek.
Chi Lingxi’s face turned completely red.
Meng Lan looked toward her daughter.
"...You didn’t."
Chi Lingxi stared at the floor.
The old man erupted.
"Hahahaha! I knew it!"
"Grandpa!"
Meng Lan covered her mouth.
Even she couldn’t stop herself from smiling.
Chi Lingxi grabbed her schoolbag.
"I’m going to school."
The old man continued laughing.
"Go! Make sure to try and find your golden hero after school!"
Chi Lingxi nearly tripped.
"Shut up!"
(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)
SEND POWESTONES!!!
ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!

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