"Wait, so he really is a fraud!?" Mike's initially furious expression suddenly revealed a hint of delight.
He glanced at the twins. "If we report this to Father and he finds out Evelyn brought some shady man back to parade around as a fraud, he’ll be utterly disappointed in her."
"That’s right," Laney nodded with a smile. "The reason Father always brings up Evelyn in front of you, using her to belittle you, isn’t because her talent or potential are that impressive. It’s just lingering guilt over what happened back then."
"Of course, she’s not that great," Mike scoffed. "At best, she’s only slightly better than me."
As he spoke, he shot a resentful glare at Evelyn. The earlier fight hadn’t gone in his favor at all, and the thought of Father constantly comparing him to her only darkened his expression further.
Laney smiled at Mike, her lips curling slightly.
"So, if you want Father to truly acknowledge you, you need to shatter that bias. Make him see that she’s nothing but a fraud, unworthy of competing with you."
"I get it now," Mike narrowed his eyes. "I’ll go find Father soon. Heh, I can’t wait to see that arrogant woman get scolded by him."
Laney and Lairs exchanged a glance, both wearing knowing smiles.
"Are you two coming with me? To back me up?" Mike suddenly turned to them.
Laney’s smile faded as she shook her head worriedly. "You know how Father barely pays us any attention. This generation’s spotlight is only on the two of you—we don’t have much sway in his eyes."
"Fine," Mike nodded. "I won’t put you in a tough spot. I’ll go alone."
While the three whispered among themselves, Monica watched everything unfold, her eyes gleaming with mockery.
"I suggest you go now," Lairs urged with concern. "If she gets to him first and twists the story, it’ll be trouble. That woman’s full of schemes."
"Right!" Mike grew eager, but paused when he noticed guests approaching.
"Wait a second... Huh? Isn’t that Father’s friend, Master Denton?"
Everyone turned to see Master Denton curiously making his way toward them.
"Ah, you’re all here?" Master Denton greeted them warmly as he approached Luo Wei and Evelyn.
"Headmaster," Luo Wei and Evelyn greeted him with smiles.
Master Denton glanced around in confusion. "I heard some commotion earlier and came to check. Didn’t expect to find you all here. Did something happen?"
Luo Wei gestured toward the group of four. "Nothing much. Professor Evelyn just isn’t very welcome at home."
"I see," Master Denton frowned, quickly piecing things together.
He studied Evelyn’s calm expression and sighed. "I was surprised to hear you were returning to the family. Honestly, you don’t need to come back. Why not stay at Callen University and continue shining there?"
Evelyn immediately clarified, "Who told you that, Headmaster? I’m not rejoining the family—I cut ties with them long ago. I’m only here for his birthday."
She crossed her arms with a huff. "He practically begged me to come. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered."
Master Denton burst into laughter. "That sounds more like you. The stubborn girl who fought tooth and nail to stay at Callen University hasn’t changed a bit."
"Headmaster..." Evelyn groaned. "That was ages ago..."
"What was Professor Evelyn like as a student?" Luo Wei couldn’t resist asking. He’d never heard much about her past.
Master Denton reminisced with a nostalgic smile. "Even after all these years, I remember it clearly. We got word that a vampire was posing as a human student, and it sent everyone into a panic. We were about to call the Church Knights to arrest her, but after they clashed, they nearly demolished the entire lecture hall..."
Luo Wei listened with the glee of someone uncovering a scandal, while Evelyn buried her face in her hands.
"Headmaster, must you embarrass me in front of him? This is so awkward..."
"Don’t listen to her, Headmaster. Keep going," Luo Wei insisted, grinning.
Master Denton chuckled and continued, "But when we realized this young vampire was genuinely here to learn, it was quite a shock—especially when we found out she was Duke Victor’s daughter."
"Still, seeing her determination moved me," Master Denton said, looking at Evelyn. "It aligned with my mentor Gould’s philosophy—that knowledge should be shared equally with all seekers, regardless of nation or race."
"I’ll always be grateful to you, Headmaster," Evelyn said sincerely. "After leaving my family, I wandered for so long without purpose. Callen University gave me direction."
"No need for formalities," Master Denton waved it off. "I never expected you to excel so quickly—graduating, becoming a professor, even publishing groundbreaking research. The university owes you just as much."
"Professor’s research?" Luo Wei perked up. "Which paper was it?"
"A Study on the Living Conditions of Non-Human Species within the Empire," Master Denton replied. "Due to longstanding conflicts, academia had little understanding of non-humans, often relying on absurd misconceptions. Evelyn’s work documented every hidden community, pioneering an entirely new field of study. The university even introduced new courses because of it."
"It wasn’t that impressive," Evelyn feigned modesty, though her lips betrayed a proud smirk. "Just a small contribution."
Luo Wei teased, "I assumed your paper was Skincare Secrets: How to Look Even Better Tomorrow."
Evelyn rolled her eyes dramatically. "Is that really what you think of me?"
Luo Wei grinned. Wasn’t it obvious?
"Hmph!" Evelyn pouted. "I’m an academic at heart, you know. I take my work seriously!"
"Sure..." Luo Wei gave her a once-over. The "serious professor" act only lasted during lectures.
At home, who’d believe the woman sprawled on the couch, barefoot and snacking lazily, was the same poised and profound scholar?
Still, he’d seen her stern teacher persona plenty. Now, he couldn’t help but wonder—what was Evelyn like as a young, earnest student? The thought alone sent a thrill through him.
"Teacher, did you ever take photos when you were a student?" Luo Wei asked quietly. "Preferably ones where you looked really youthful, wearing a school uniform skirt with white knee-high socks!"
Evelyn shot him an exasperated look. "No! Keep dreaming!"
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
