"Is that Xiao Wei?" The old woman slept lightly, and upon hearing a voice, her eyes fluttered open. In the dim light, she saw a tall young man standing at the door and mistook him for her grandson.

The Xiao Wei she mentioned was Chen Yi's son, Chen Yuewei, who was born before Zhong Yun disappeared. He was twenty-seven this year, studying in England.

The supposed "grandson" slowly walked closer. The old woman had poor eyesight and needed to bring things near to see them clearly. As he approached, she squinted at his face, her eyes widening in shock.

This face was so familiar; it had appeared countless times in her dreams. Wasn't this her own unfortunate child?

She raised a trembling hand, her fingers shaking as she touched his face. The sensation was so real. Just like he was truly there.

"Xiao Jia, is that you? Are you here to take me?" The old woman's voice was urgent, and flushes of color rose and fell across her face.

"Mom, it's me. I'm back. Your son is back." No matter how ruthlessly Zhong Yun killed or how iron-hearted he was in the face of enemies, before his aged mother, all his defenses crumbled, revealing his vulnerable, true self. He buried his face in her arm and wept openly.

A look of heartbreaking joy spread across the old woman's face, though tears streamed from her eyes ceaselessly. She stroked Zhong Yun's head. "You're back. It's good that you're back..."

On the side, Chen Yi and her daughter watched the touching scene, tears falling soundlessly down their cheeks.

The door across the hall quietly opened. Father Chen stood watching his wife and son clinging to each other and weeping, a smile of profound relief on his face.

The crying subsided. Under her son’s gentle persuasion, Mother Chen took the liquid medicine he gave her and drifted off to sleep. This time, her sleep was deep and utterly peaceful.

Zhong Yun remained seated by the bed, not even moving when Chen Yijia called him for dinner. In the twenty-three years he had been away, although it wasn't his fault, seeing his mother ravaged by illness filled him with guilt and self-reproach. He needed to compensate for those twenty-three years of absence.

When Mother Chen woke up and opened her eyes, she saw her son immediately, her joy overwhelming her to tears. She only murmured, "Xiao Jia really came back." She had believed it was all a dream until now.

Whether it was the spirit lifting from good fortune or the effect of Zhong Yun's potent medicine, Mother Chen felt remarkably energetic that evening. She got out of bed and joined her son and daughter at the dining table.

They shared a reunion dinner.

The table was filled with the joyous atmosphere of a family reunited, made even livelier by the presence of the spirited Chen Yijia. Laughter and happy chatter filled the air continuously.

The two elderly parents were surprisingly energetic, each finishing a large bowl of rice.

In the following days, Zhong Yun stayed by his mother’s side, either chatting with her at home or helping her take slow walks outside. Within a few days, all the neighbors knew about Old Chen's filial son who had returned from overseas.

With her son’s company, Mother Chen’s spirits lifted considerably, which greatly aided her recovery. Coupled with the precious medicine Zhong Yun administered as freely as water, the old woman grew healthier by the day, seemingly shedding years of illness.

"Uncle, staying home all day is so boring! Let's go out and have some fun for a while," Chen Yijia urged.

Chen Yijia had been sticking close to her grandmother these past few days. Being restless by nature, she was utterly bored. Today, after making sure her grandmother was asleep, she prodded her uncle to go out.

Zhong Yun was leisurely flipping through a book in the armchair in the living room. Beside him were two thick stacks of newspapers and magazines—one read, one untouched. These were old periodicals he was examining to catch up on the current state of the world.

Hearing her, he turned to look at his young niece. Seeing the expectant look on her face, and knowing his mother wouldn't wake from her afternoon nap anytime soon, he thought going out for a bit might be nice. He set down the magazine. "Alright."

Chen Yijia let out a cheer. "I'll go get the bike!" With that, she scooted out the door.

Zhong Yun changed into a fresh outfit. A few days prior, his brother-in-law had thoughtfully sent over more than a dozen sets of clothes, warming him with a sense of familial care.

Dressed in a clean, dark-gray hoodie, Zhong Yun reached the door just as Chen Yijia wheeled a light-red bicycle up to him, waving him over. He raised an eyebrow. "Riding a bike?"

"Yep, you take me," the young girl replied with a mischievous smile.

Zhong Yun took the bicycle from her hand. He felt a flicker of eagerness himself. He realized he hadn't touched a bicycle since his transmigration. Touching the handlebars again after such a long time brought a genuine sense of nostalgia.

However, once seated, Zhong Yun found it awkward. He was over 1.8 meters tall, and on a women's bicycle, his legs couldn't fully stretch out.

Chen Yijia laughed until she nearly fell over seeing him sitting there with his knees bent.

Zhong Yun found a wrench and adjusted the seat to its highest setting. Sitting again, it felt much better.

"Let's go!" Chen Yijia exclaimed, hopping onto the back seat and raising a triumphant fist.

Zhong Yun gave a powerful push, and the bicycle shot forward with a whoosh, turning the little girl's cheer into a shriek.

It was a clear day with pleasant temperatures—perfect for an outing. Although it was midday, the sun wasn't harsh.

The county town had transformed completely; the entire layout seemed altered. Occasionally, he spotted a few familiar old buildings. Chen Yijia explained that the county had undergone several major municipal renovations over the years, tearing down large swaths of dilapidated housing and building clusters of new residential areas. Only then did the town acquire its new look.

Zhong Yun rode aimlessly, observing everything, trying to find echoes of the past among the familiar old structures.

Unknowingly, they arrived at his alma mater, No. 1 Middle School. The school gate was the same, and the hundred-year-old banyan tree at the entrance still sheltered it from wind and rain, seemingly untouched by two decades of weathering.

Zhong Yun stopped before the great banyan, gazing at the knotted roots. Countless memories surged into his mind, leaving him momentarily lost in thought.

Chen Yijia was very understanding and remained silent, knowing this was her uncle's old school, surely filled with many fond memories.

"Yijia."

Her silence didn't prevent an intrusion; a voice rang out, quite inconveniently.

Chen Yijia looked over and saw her homeroom teacher. She greeted her with a smile. "Hello, Teacher."

Zhong Yun pulled his thoughts back and looked over as well. He saw a woman dressed in a business skirt suit, carrying a delicate handbag. She wore thin-framed glasses perched on her nose and light makeup, exuding an air of intellectual grace.

Zhong Yun felt a jolt. This woman looked very familiar, but his memory was too distant to immediately match her face to the image in his mind.

"Teacher, are you working on New Year's Day too?" Chen Yijia clearly had a good relationship with this teacher; it was currently the New Year holiday, and school was closed.

"Mmm," the homeroom teacher replied absentmindedly, her gaze fixed on Zhong Yun, her expression a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"This is my uncle," Chen Yijia, ever quick-witted, turned her eyes, introduced them. "This is my homeroom teacher."

"Su... Su Yu?" From the familiar furrow of her brow, Zhong Yun finally remembered who she was, but he asked uncertainly.

"Chen Haojia, is that really you?" The teacher's face broke into a mixture of shock and delight.

"Who else would it be? I never expected to run into an old classmate here," Zhong Yun said, equally surprised.

"So you two are classmates?" Chen Yijia was quite astonished; this was quite the coincidence.

"Hehe, Su Yu and I went to the same junior high, and we were in the same high school class, sitting right next to each other. She was also our class monitor," Zhong Yun chuckled.

"The deputy one," Su Yu corrected, then sighed. "You look exactly the same as you did back then, not aged a bit. If you hadn't called out, I wouldn't have recognized you."

Indeed, although Zhong Yun had reverted to his original appearance, he hadn't made himself older. He should have been in his early forties, but he looked barely in his early thirties. Coupled with his casual attire, some might even mistake him for being in his twenties.

"You look the same too, as beautiful as ever," Zhong Yun complimented her.

"Old now," Su Yu shook her head, though a smile bloomed on her face.

"Why are you teaching here? I remember you went to the Law University," Zhong Yun switched topics. Recognizing Su Yu brought long-buried memories back to the surface.

Su Yu brushed a strand of hair from her temple. "My husband is the principal here, so I followed him back to our alma mater to teach. What about you? After you went to university, we never heard from you again. We asked all our classmates, but nobody knew where you went. We thought you had disappeared."

"I went abroad to develop my career and just returned a few days ago." This was the cover story Zhong Yun had prepared and coordinated with his family. Many relatives knew he had vanished, so explaining it as going overseas was a passable excuse.

"A returnee from overseas," Su Yu covered her mouth, giggling. In this era, returnees were everywhere; her comment was clearly teasing.

The two old classmates should have caught up properly after such a long separation, but Su Yu had an urgent family matter to attend to and had to leave soon. After chatting for a while, she said her goodbyes. Before leaving, she exchanged contact information with Zhong Yun and arranged to meet up in a few days.

"What was Teacher Su like back then?" Chen Yijia asked, blinking her wide eyes at Zhong Yun, her face full of gossip.

"My family still has the old photos I took. I'll find them for you when we get back."

Chatting, they walked into the school grounds. The sports field was bustling with activity. The weather was excellent today, and even though it was a holiday, many students had come to play ball. The courts were packed.

The former 300-meter dirt track had been completely upgraded, now a 500-meter synthetic track. The soccer field in the center, which kicked up dust storms during matches and turned into a muddy mess when it rained, was now covered in lush green turf.

With four goals set up in a row and a chaotic swarm of dozens of people, it looked like they were playing a four-way soccer match. Zhong Yun was amused; just like in the old days, due to limited space, one soccer field was being used as two. Four teams fiercely battled across the pitch, two differently colored balls flying wildly inside the lines. Players ran themselves ragged, and when confused, they kicked at any round object they saw.

In contrast, the basketball court was more orderly, mostly half-court games of three-on-three or four-on-four. However, one half-court was still crowded with over twenty people, a heap scrambling for possession, while five or six balls banged off the iron rims.

"So? Has the school changed a lot?" Chen Yijia asked, walking over after locking her bike in the shed. She saw her uncle watching the students play with interest.

"The environment has changed, but the atmosphere hasn't," Zhong Yun replied, walking toward the spectator stands nearby. On one side of the field were a dozen steps serving as bleachers. In the center of the stands was a small platform enclosed by an iron railing, where a tall flagpole stood, flying a bright national flag at its apex.

The stands were sparsely populated, mostly by couples or solitary female students. Zhong Yun casually found a spot and sat down. Chen Yijia, like a little shadow, sat right beside him.

"Yijia." Several male and female students walked toward them.

Zhong Yun scanned the group, his gaze lingering for a second on the girl leading the way, before returning his attention to the basketball court below, where an intense three-on-three "bullfight" game was underway.

The group consisted of two girls and three boys—all Chen Yijia's classmates. The girl in the lead was strikingly attractive. She looked at Zhong Yun and Chen Yijia with a playful, knowing gaze. "Yijia, I caught you red-handed this time! Let's see how you deny it."

Chen Yijia paused, then covered her mouth, laughing. She glanced at Zhong Yun. "You mean him? Haha, that's hilarious."

"What's so funny?" The girl pulled another girl along and sat down beside Chen Yijia.

"It's hilarious! Hehe." Chen Yijia couldn't help but be amused by the thought of her uncle being mistaken for her boyfriend. "Look how handsome he is. If you like him, I can give him to you."

Hearing this, Zhong Yun turned back and shot the insolent, mischievous girl a glare.

Chen Yijia just giggled, unconcerned.

The girl pouted and glanced at Zhong Yun, thinking that he wasn't that handsome.

"Yijia, who is this?" A boy who followed the two girls asked. Chen Yijia was pretty, a good student, and lively, so many boys in the class had a crush on her. He was one of them, and seeing her so close with a man made him intensely jealous.

Chen Yijia shot him a sidelong look. "Zhang Yue, none of your business."

Hitting a dead end, the boy named Zhang Yue’s face soured. His two companions seemed somewhat delighted; this Zhang Yue had aggressively pursued Chen Yijia, pestering her until she was forced to tell him in front of the whole class, "You are so shameless! Stop bothering me from now on," causing him great humiliation. Now, he shamelessly pursued Chu Ming. He wasn't exactly popular.

Then, a steady stream of other students arrived, all from Chen Yijia’s class. It was clear she was well-liked; almost everyone who approached greeted her.

After listening to their conversation for a while, Zhong Yun realized they were there to support their class in a basketball game scheduled for that afternoon against another class. This little imp must have wanted to watch the game when she dragged him out. Zhong Yun remembered she mentioned being the class monitor, so organizing such an event was likely part of her duties.

"Uncle, give me some money," Chen Yijia whispered, leaning close.

"Little rascal," Zhong Yun lightly tapped her forehead, took out his wallet, and handed it over.

"Uncle is the best!" Chen Yijia cheered, snatched the wallet, and, skipping with delight, ran off with a few classmates.

Not long after, the group returned with large bags full of snacks and drinks.

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