He and Zhang Yang sat and talked for over two hours. Since it was summer, dusk came later, and it was already past six in the evening. If Zhao Min didn't come soon to notify him, Zhang Keqin worried he might miss the gathering.

Zhang Keqin had always maintained an excellent sense of time and had never been late; this was precisely why Zhao Min walked over to remind him.

“I won’t be back tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll go eat Peking roast duck—that was your favorite thing when you were little!”

Zhang Keqin said to Zhang Yang with a smile, revealing that the knot in his heart had completely untied.

Years of misunderstanding had created a burden not just for Zhang Yang, but for Zhang Keqin as well. He constantly worried that Zhang Yang overlooked him due to time constraints; he desperately wanted to help Zhang Yang, but Zhang Yang’s excellence left him no clear avenue to do so.

Now, he dismissed all those thoughts; there was no need to dwell on them.

He only needed to know that they were father and son. For a father and son, the son’s excellence was paramount, and he had no reason to fret over it.

For father and son, everything else faded in importance; maintaining the family unit was what mattered most.

Zhang Yang also smiled and nodded, feeling as though he had slipped back into the past, back to his childhood.

Back then, when Zhang Keqin had social engagements, he would say the same thing: "I won't be home tonight; I'll bring you back something delicious," though young Zhang Yang hadn't understood then, only feeling indignant on his mother's behalf.

Zhang Keqin departed, and Mi Xue emerged from the room, walking to Zhang Yang's side and gently slipping her arm through his.

Zhang Yang naturally reached out, placing an arm around her shoulder.

Neither spoke, simply basking together in the comfortable evening breeze.

The next morning, Zhang Yang awoke early and went to the courtyard wellhead.

After watching it for a moment, he finally reached out and lifted the heavy cover. However, upon seeing what was inside the well, he froze momentarily. Then, he burst into laughter by himself.

The ancient well he had been curious about his entire life, the one he always wanted to explore, was empty.

It held none of the things he had imagined in his childhood: no clear, shimmering water, no terrifying Dragon King dwelling within, and certainly no man-eating monsters.

It was merely a dry well, an old cistern rendered useless and parched by time. The cover was only there to prevent anyone from falling in—it held no deeper meaning whatsoever.

“Viewing flowers through the mist makes every bloom seem extraordinarily beautiful, but when you finally see it clearly, it’s just that,” Zhang Yang murmured to himself with a smile. At that moment, Long Feng walked into the courtyard, looking at Zhang Yang with surprise.

Zhuifeng, Shandian, and Wuying bolted out, their small faces etched with astonishment.

Zhang Yang stood there, holding the well cover, a calm smile on his face. There were no energy fluctuations around him, yet the feeling he projected was undeniably different.

No one could quite articulate how that difference manifested.

Zhang Pinglu was absent. If Zhang Pinglu, or any other Great Perfection realm expert, had been present, they would have instantly recognized that Zhang Yang’s comprehension of the Dao of Nature had deepened.

He had just been in contemplation, and he was comprehending the Dao of Nature—a realization far more significant than sudden enlightenment or mere cultivation.

The Dao of Nature was the bedrock of the Great Perfection realm, the foundation of a Fifth-Layer expert’s power. With complete comprehension of the Dao of Nature, one could naturally advance to the Fifth Layer.

Only Long Feng and a few others perceived the change in Zhang Yang.

Mi Xue, Qu Meilan, and Zhang Keqin remained entirely unaware. Zhang Keqin had attended the class reunion the night before but hadn't drunk too much, returning home early.

The class reunion served as a channel for maintaining old friendships, though in recent years, these gatherings had become somewhat diluted. If not for the sincere invitations from his classmates, Zhang Keqin would not have gone.

Even so, once there, he was the center of attention; his rank was the highest, and his career prospects the brightest among them.

Many of his classmates had gone into politics. Besides himself, there were a few Vice-Ministerial level officials, but they were either in sinecures or in secondary roles; the best among them was merely a Vice-Governor, and not a Standing Committee member.

A Provincial Party Secretary like Zhang Keqin was the pride of all his former classmates.

Early the next morning, Zhang Yang’s aunt’s family arrived. Zhang Keqin had informed them yesterday about their plan to eat roast duck together; it had been a long time since they had all gone out together like this.

“Uncle, Cousin!”

Upon seeing Zhang Yang, Yang Guang immediately ran over excitedly. He was often more enthusiastic about Zhang Yang than Zhang Keqin.

There was a reason: Zhang Yang possessed the things he loved most. After driving the Bugatti yesterday, he hadn't wanted to get out of the car. Fortunately, he understood propriety and knew he couldn't stay out too long, eventually returning despite his reluctance.

“Xiao Guang, you’re here so early!”

Zhang Yang said with a smile. Meanwhile, Zhang Aiying walked over, addressing Zhang Yang with a slight note of reprimand: “Yang Yang, why did you buy so many things? Those things must have cost a fortune. I’ll have Xiao Guang send them back later; they’re too precious. You should just return them!”

What Zhang Aiying referred to were the gifts Zhang Yang had brought when he dropped Yang Guang off the previous day.

Zhang Yang had bought many presents in Changjing, a large portion of which were intended for his aunt’s family.

Among these was a new type of pill he had formulated, an advanced medicine based on the Soul-Returning Grass, which would greatly benefit Zhang Aiying’s condition. She should take these for now; Zhang Yang planned to have Long Feng travel to the island to bring back more Soul-Returning Grass to brew a new batch for her.

“Those gifts didn’t cost much; please just keep them,”

Zhang Yang shook his head, smiling. The gifts given out yesterday included jewelry, mink coats, and some high-grade nutritional supplements.

These items were not cheap; the gifts intended just for his aunt’s family alone were worth several hundred thousand.

Originally, Zhang Aiying didn't know their value; she just thought they looked nice and was happy. It was Yang Qing who recognized the worth of some items and pointed it out.

This is why Zhang Aiying had arrived so early. If Yang Guang and Yang Wanying hadn't protested, she would have brought all the gifts back with her.

The brother and sister adored the presents their cousin Zhang Yang had given them. Yang Wanying, in particular, loved the sparkling, pretty things—no young girl could resist them, especially at her age.

She also now knew that it was her cousin who had called out to her yesterday, so gifts from him were naturally acceptable.

Hearing Zhang Yang say that, Zhang Aiying waved her hands again. “That won’t do! Those things are far too valuable. I can’t accept them, truly I can’t!”

“Aiying, since Yang Yang said so, just take them. It’s rare for him to show such filial piety!”

Just as Zhang Aiying finished shaking her head, Zhang Keqin interjected. Zhang Aiying looked at her elder brother in utter surprise, before finally nodding silently.

Growing up, Zhang Aiying had always listened most closely to this brother; he was the person she respected and admired the most.

Now that her brother had spoken, she couldn't object.

She had no idea that her nephew's family wealth was considerable; not only could he afford these gifts, but he could manage items far more expensive.

“Cousin Zhang Yang, I saw a cell phone I really like. Can you buy it and give it to me?”

As they were talking, Yang Wanying suddenly popped her head over and spoke to Zhang Yang.

Her sudden request stunned Zhang Aiying and Yang Qing; soon, anger flashed across Zhang Aiying’s face. Yang Qing’s expression became incredibly awkward, mixed with a visible temper.

Seeing their parents angry, Yang Guang rushed over and tugged his sister’s arm, whispering, “Wanying, you’re still in high school, why do you need a phone? I don’t even have one yet. Besides, if you want a phone, ask Dad to buy it for you; why ask Cousin?”

“I asked Dad, and he wouldn’t give it to me!”

Yang Wanying shook her head, pouting again. “Dad said the gifts Cousin gave yesterday are worth half a year of his hard work. Since Cousin is so rich, a phone worth a few thousand yuan surely won't be a problem. Cousin, the phone I want only costs a little over four thousand yuan—it’s very cheap!”

“Be quiet!”

Unable to endure it any longer, Yang Qing finally roared at his daughter.

His daughter had indeed been spoiled to the point of being utterly disrespectful, asking others for things right in front of him.

“Uncle, please don't be angry. Little sister is just asking for a gift; a phone isn't some precious item. I’ll give it to her later.”

Zhang Yang quickly held back Yang Qing, realizing his uncle was truly furious this time and looked ready to strike someone.

He knew his cousin had a difficult temperament, and if Yang Qing actually laid a hand on her, the conflict would only escalate further.

“Really? Cousin is the best!”

Yang Wanying jumped up suddenly and rushed to Zhang Yang’s side, almost planting a kiss on his cheek. Seeing how delighted she was, Zhang Yang couldn't help but shake his head.

Yesterday, he had considered his cousin's personality, and now he had become another person spoiling her.

However, Zhang Yang genuinely hadn't thought much about the phone itself.

Having experienced a later era, mobile phones were commonplace even for middle schoolers, let alone high schoolers; he was long past being surprised by such things.

Still, having a phone in high school wasn't entirely positive. Fortunately, the phones now weren't smartphones with myriad functions; if it was just for making calls and sending texts, it was inconsequential.

“Yang Yang, you can’t spoil her like this!”

Zhang Aiying was still a bit cross, but since Zhang Yang had already agreed, she didn't press the matter, only muttering her disapproval toward him.

At her comment, even Zhang Keqin moved aside. In truth, Zhang Keqin held a more lenient view on the matter: girls should be indulged in wealth, and a phone could be bought, but she needed guidance on how to use it responsibly.

After some fussing, Yang Wanying quickly warmed up to Mi Xue.

She was amazed and envious of the beautiful girl, calling her "Sister" repeatedly. Zhang Yang suggested she call Mi Xue "Sister-in-law," but she refused.

Mi Xue was quite fond of the little girl too. Taking advantage of the moment, the girl also managed to secure another long-coveted gift, though thankfully this time it wasn't a phone, just a set of girls' clothing.

As for clothes, as long as she liked them, Mi Xue could buy her as many as she wanted.

After some lively time at home, the group finally headed out together.

Zhang Yang didn't drive his Hummer or his Bugatti. The family used Long Cheng’s commercial van instead. That vehicle had been left there previously, and once the items were unloaded, the seats could accommodate passengers.

The commercial van was also a Mercedes-Benz, but it was far less conspicuous than the Hummer or the Bugatti.

The only person disappointed that Zhang Yang hadn't taken out the luxury cars was Yang Guang, who had hoped for another chance to handle the wheel today, but alas, that opportunity was gone.