Before arriving, Zhang Yang had already spoken with Zhang Keqin on the phone, knowing that Zhang Keqin would send someone to meet him at the intersection.

After all, he hadn't been back here for over a decade. Not just Beijing, even smaller cities had changed immensely. While Zhang Yang possessed a decent memory, those recollections were inherited, and now they were all somewhat hazy. Even he couldn't rely on these vague memories to find his way home now.

“Young Master, you’ve arrived!”

Zhao Min showed Zhang Yang immense respect. He had long understood that his superior’s son was no ordinary person, and he treated Zhang Yang with appropriate deference. He didn't know the full extent of the Young Master’s identity—Zhang Keqin knew some things, but those details couldn't be disclosed outside.

“Thank you for your trouble!”

Zhang Yang nodded but looked toward the young man standing beside him. This young man seemed familiar, though Zhang Yang couldn't immediately place him.

“Cousin, you’re finally here! You have no idea how much my mom has been talking about you these past few days. When she heard you were delayed on the road, she worried for ages!”

The young man looked at Zhang Yang and sounded quite excited, speaking loudly.

Hearing that address, a memory immediately surfaced in Zhang Yang’s mind: a snot-nosed kid who used to trail after him when they were very young.

Zhang Yang’s aunt had one son and one daughter. The son, Yang Guang, was two years younger than Zhang Yang, and the daughter, Yang Wanying, should only be fourteen or fifteen now. Zhang Yang had some impression of Yang Guang, but very little of Yang Wanying, as they were close in age and often played together as children.

“Xiao Guang, I didn't realize you’ve grown so much!”

Zhang Yang smiled faintly and stepped forward to clap Yang Guang on the shoulder. This was his cousin, a blood relative.

“Cousin, you’re only two years older than me, yet look how big you are! And you’re saying that about me!”

Yang Guang’s face flushed slightly; he seemed like a rather shy young man, though he relaxed a bit after exchanging a few words with Zhang Yang.

After they chatted for a while, Zhang Yang finally understood. Because he was arriving today, his aunt’s entire family was at his home, specifically waiting for him.

Yang Guang had heard that Zhang Keqin was sending Zhao Min to pick him up, so he had specifically volunteered to come along with Zhao Min, even driving over his own family’s car. That car, bearing a familiar emblem, belonged to his family. Yang Guang’s father, Zhang Yang’s uncle, was in commerce and, thanks to his connection with Zhang Keqin, enjoyed a degree of favorable treatment in Beijing. Their family wealth was better than average, placing them among the comfortably well-off who owned cars.

Speaking of cars, Yang Guang stared with undisguised envy at the Bugatti driven by Long Feng and the Hummer Zhang Yang was driving. His eyes shone so brightly that he looked on the verge of hugging the two vehicles; this clearly showed the boy loved cars.

Seeing his reaction, Zhang Yang simply smiled and told him that when they got home, he could take either of those cars whenever he wished—but not right now. Zhuifeng was still in the Hummer, and handing him the keys now would only cause trouble. As for the Bugatti, Zhang Yang genuinely worried the boy would start speeding the moment he sat in it; that car accelerated incredibly fast. Even for car enthusiasts, or those merely indifferent to cars, driving it naturally led to increased speed.

Even though he couldn't touch them yet, the boy jumped with excitement like a child upon receiving Zhang Yang’s promise.

After a brief catching up, Yang Guang drove ahead to lead the way home.

Beijing had indeed changed quite a bit. Looking out the window, Zhang Yang felt a sudden sense of detachment. The Beijing from the memories of the former 'Zhang Yang' was now extremely vague, replaced by the memories of his previous life. At this time in his last life, he was also in Beijing, just starting to make his mark and establish his domain. It was as if, in a flash, he had returned to his past.

After watching for a while, Zhang Yang gently shook his head again. He no longer dwelled on the past; it was useless to think about it. In this life, he had achieved successes he could never have imagined before. Everything from before was now disconnected from him. He needed to be responsible for the people around him now, to strive forward. He already had a lover, a father, relatives, and the glory of the Zhang family needed him to carry it on. His responsibilities in this life far outweighed those of his previous one.

The car drove quickly. Late nineties Beijing wasn't as congested as later years; at least traffic jams were rare on the roads. Soon, the car entered an older district, where Zhang Yang dimly began to recognize things. In his memories, Zhang Yang recalled his family living in a traditional siheyuan (courtyard house)—not a massive one, but significantly larger and better than the average family’s dwelling. The courtyard held an old jujube tree and an ancient well. The jujube tree was the most vivid memory from his childhood; children are playful, and their greatest joy then was climbing the tree to knock down dates to eat. As for the well, it had been sealed for a long time to prevent the children from falling in, but the sealing only made them more curious, and many cautionary tales were told near its edge. More than a decade had passed since those days.

Most of the scenery outside the window had changed. A few old structures retained their original appearance, but unfortunately, Zhang Yang’s memory was blurred. It wasn't until they reached the entrance to his family's hutong (alleyway) that, standing at this familiar crossroads, Zhang Yang realized those childhood memories instantly sharpened, everything feeling as if it had happened only yesterday.

“Cousin, let’s go. I bet dinner is ready at home!”

Yang Guang parked the car and hurried to Zhang Yang’s side, his eyes involuntarily drifting toward the two vehicles behind Zhang Yang. He truly was a young man infatuated with cars. The reason he insisted on coming out today was to take those cars for a good spin; he had only recently gotten his license and was currently at the peak of his interest, wanting to drive any car he could.

But then his eyes widened further as Zhuifeng and the others dismounted from the vehicles. He hadn't expected his cousin not only to drive a Hummer but to actually bring a horse back with him.

“Good. Let’s go home!”

Zhang Yang nodded quietly. The word "home" carried significant weight as he spoke it. His emotions were surging at this moment. He wasn't sure if this feeling belonged to him or to the previous 'Zhang Yang.' But regardless of whose it was, Zhang Yang deeply cherished this feeling. Perhaps because he had been lonely for so long in his past life, he had bought many properties, yet never felt a true sense of home. In this life, he valued and longed for the concept of family far more.

Zhang Yang walked briskly ahead, moving past Yang Guang, forcing Yang Guang and Zhao Min to quicken their pace just to keep up.

Arriving at the gate of his family’s siheyuan, Zhang Yang paused briefly before directly pushing the door open and entering. Once inside the courtyard, Zhang Yang was stunned again. The old jujube tree and the ancient well were still there; everything was just as it used to be, though the tree looked even older, and the well’s cover remained firmly in place. The front of the courtyard held the main hall and bedrooms. To the east were the utility room and the kitchen. Because it was a small siheyuan, the front only had a single row of rooms, unlike larger ones with multiple rows.

“Dad, Mom, Uncle, we’re back!”

Yang Guang ran up from behind, shouting loudly as soon as he entered the courtyard. Two men quickly emerged from the main room, and two women appeared from the kitchen area.

“Yangyang, you’re finally back!”

Of the two women coming from the kitchen, the younger one rushed out excitedly—this was Zhang Yang’s aunt, Zhang Aiying. His aunt looked much as he remembered, though she appeared thinner and perhaps a bit more aged. His aunt’s health hadn't been great in recent years, accounting for the noticeable changes.

“Auntie, it’s my fault for making you worry all these years,” Zhang Yang said softly as he looked at Zhang Aiying, who was scrutinizing him with intense concern. He could feel the genuine care this woman held for him.

“Silly child, it’s good that you’re back, so good that you’re back!”

Zhang Aiying looked at Zhang Yang, unable to stop dabbing her eyes, which were turning red. She was most aware of the decade-long estrangement between Zhang Yang and his father. She had tried to mediate, but the former 'Zhang Yang' had never listened, always walking away when the topic arose. Furthermore, she wasn't entirely clear on the circumstances surrounding the death of Zhang Yang’s mother. Zhang Keqin hadn't divulged much to outsiders back then, as the incident involved ferocious beasts and secrets of inner strength cultivation. But all that was past now. The conflict between Zhang Yang and his father had finally dissolved, and the father and son had reconciled, which relieved her of a major anxiety.

“Mom, my brother is back, this is wonderful news. What are you doing?”

Seeing his mother secretly wiping tears, Yang Guang immediately walked over, took her arm, and gently urged her to calm down.

After briefly speaking with his aunt, Zhang Yang greeted the other woman before heading inside. That woman was Zhang Keqin’s current wife, whom Zhang Yang had met before. Although their relationship was merely lukewarm, they were family nonetheless, and Zhang Yang had no conflict with her.

Zhuifeng and the others also entered the courtyard, attracting a few startled glances, but not much reaction, as these people didn't understand horses and were mostly curious that Zhang Yang had brought one back.

“Yangyang, you’re so grown up now. Your older brother mentioned that you’re quite successful—not only running your own company but possessing remarkable medical skills!”

Zhang Yang’s uncle, Yang Qing, in his early forties, was also sizing Zhang Yang up with a look of curiosity. Yang Qing looked every bit the shrewd businessman. He was involved in foreign trade, netting a respectable profit of several hundred thousand a year, a substantial income that afforded their family a very comfortable life by current standards.

“It’s a company I started with friends. I’m still a student, studying clinical medicine!”

Zhang Yang smiled and shook his head, appearing quite modest. He had some impression of Yang Qing; his aunt had visited him several times, sometimes with Yang Qing accompanying her, and he had always treated Zhang Yang well in the past.

“That’s impressive, much better than Xiao Guang. He’s studying medicine too, but he certainly hasn’t managed to co-found a company yet!”

Yang Qing laughed. Though he claimed Yang Guang was inferior to Zhang Yang, a trace of pride shone on his face. After chatting for a while, Zhang Yang learned that Yang Guang had spent an extra year repeating school before getting accepted into Capital Medical University—one of the nation's top medical institutions. Even without guaranteed job placement, graduates from this school never struggled to find work. As Yang Guang had enrolled in such an excellent school, his father was naturally very proud, especially since it was superior to the medical department at Changjing University where Zhang Yang studied.