The scorching sun bzed overhead as Gu Zhinan stepped out of the bank, sweat forming on his forehead. Why didn't he choose to come out in the afternoon instead? That was kind of dumb!

  Taking out his phone, he dialed his dad. After a few beeps, a pleasantly surprised middle-aged voice came through the receiver.

  "Zhinan?"

  "Dad. You’re not working today, right?"

  His response was smooth and natural. Gu Zhinan had accepted the memories of the original Gu Zhinan, so naturally, he accepted everything about him—including the man on the other end of the call, his father.

  "Yeah, it's Sunday. Your mom and I have the day off. How’s work going tely?"

  Gu Zhi had originally pnned to ask about his son's life, but what came out was a question about work. That was probably just a cssic dad thing—saying one thing but meaning another.

  Gu Zhinan chuckled as he strolled down the wide sidewalk.

  "It's going well. My income is stable. I just transferred 10,000 yuan to your bank account. Go check it out when you have time. You and Mom don’t have to work at the factory anymore—I can support you both!"

  His work on Qin’s Moon was already in its final stages and would be finished by the end of July at the test. Once he uploaded The Legend of Sword and Fairy, he didn’t know exactly how much he’d make, but it would definitely take his life to a whole new level!

  However, Gu Zhi frowned at the news and scolded him, "10,000 yuan? You’ve only been working for a few months. You need to keep some money for yourself. Your mom and I have stable jobs in the county—we can support ourselves. We don’t need you to take care of us."

  "Is that Zhinan on the phone?"

  A sudden, excited voice came from the other end. It was Gu Zhinan’s mom, Chen Ru, a doting mother through and through.

  Gu Zhi, seeing his wife had returned from grocery shopping, put the phone on speaker. "Your mom just got back from the market."

  "Son!!!"

  "Mom!"

  Gu Zhinan ughed, rubbing his nose. His mom had spoiled him rotten since he was little. Even if his dad wanted to scold him, she would step in and shut him down. Let alone y a hand on him!

  Because of this, Gu Zhi often compined, "Overindulgent mothers ruin their sons," but there was nothing he could do about it. He could only stew in frustration.

  "Why did you send us money? Do you have enough for yourself?" Chen Ru was shocked that her son had actually transferred money to them. "No, Old Gu, you go return the money to our son immediately! And while you're at it, send him 2,000 more!"

  "???" Gu Zhi’s head was about to explode. Overindulgent mothers ruin their sons!!!

  Gu Zhinan was deeply touched but patiently expined that his job was stable, earning several thousand yuan per month, so he had no worries about food or expenses. He even wanted them to quit their jobs and let him take care of them.

  The more Chen Ru listened, the more satisfied she became. She turned to Gu Zhi with a smug expression that clearly said:

  See? See? That’s my son! My son!!!

  Gu Zhi was speechless. What, he didn’t deserve any credit?

  But when it came to quitting their jobs, both Gu Zhi and Chen Ru firmly refused.

  "We’re happy with our work. You’ve just started your career, so don’t get ahead of yourself—stay focused. And don’t send us money next month. Save it and buy a pce for yourself. Your mom and I have some savings, so we can help you when the time comes."

  Gu Zhi spoke into the phone, and Chen Ru agreed, "Yes! Your dad and I can support ourselves. A young man should have his own savings. Also, you’re not getting any younger—it’s time to find a girlfriend. I want to be a grandma soon!"

  "Huh?"

  Gu Zhinan was caught off guard. How did his mom's train of thought jump straight to getting a girlfriend? That wasn’t even on his radar right now!

  "Mom, I’m still young. No rush."

  Being single is an honor!

  Gu Zhi wasn’t entirely on board with Chen Ru’s idea either. He told him, "Focus on work first. But if you meet someone suitable, give it a try. Don’t end up an old bachelor."

  "Who are you calling an old bachelor?! You grumpy old man, go wash the vegetables!" Chen Ru was instantly annoyed. How could he talk about their son like that?

  Dad, you don’t get it. That’s called being a lone wolf!

  Gu Zhinan mentally rolled his eyes but continued chatting with his mom, reminding them to take care of themselves and promising to visit when he had time.

  Chen Ru, in turn, reminded him to eat well and take care of himself—because no matter what, her son was her top priority!

  By the time their conversation ended, Gu Zhinan had already returned to his apartment. He took out his keys and opened the door. The quiet figure inside had only changed positions—the guitar that had been lying ft on the couch was now beside her.

  "Dad, Mom, I’ve got work to do. I’ll call you both next time!"

  With that, he hung up. His writing session for the day hadn’t even started yet. Actually, he hadn’t written anything st night either.

  "Don’t keep calling us for no reason."

  "Make sure to call us often!"

  The two parents’ opinions were obviously at odds.

  Gu Zhinan smirked. His dad was definitely skipping dinner tonight. He wouldn’t be able to win against Mom—he knew her personality all too well.

  After the slightly awkward moment earlier, he wisely chose not to disturb Xia An’ge. He merely gnced at the girl, who was busy working on her ptop, before heading into his room.

  Once the door closed, Xia An’ge’s gaze finally shifted away from her screen. She stared bnkly at the papers in front of her.

  Just now, he had been talking with his parents.

  Parents…

  A word that was so familiar and warm to everyone else, yet so distant and foreign to her.

  Because she was an unwanted child.

  The only person who ever wanted her—the one who gave her a name—was gone.

  Her delicate face carried a hint of sorrow. She really missed Mama Xia. She even missed the orphanage where she grew up.

  It seemed like she was all alone in this world now.

  Taking a deep breath, Xia An’ge pushed her emotions aside. What she needed now was freedom. And the way to achieve that was by turning the melodies in her head into a song!

  Meanwhile, in his room, Gu Zhinan uploaded the test chapter to the Chinese web novel ptform. Just as he was about to continue working on The Legend of Sword and Fairy, he noticed a notification.

  It was from the poetry competition! His poem Across Dongting Lake had made it onto the official website!

  Should he vote for himself?

  The competition was based on a combination of public votes and expert evaluations, with the first seven days relying heavily on audience votes. On the eighth day, the expert panel would step in for the final review, leading up to the awards ceremony.

  Thinking about this, Gu Zhinan immediately opened the website and cast a vote for himself. He was sure he wasn’t the only one doing this, so it wasn’t shameless.

  Nope, not shameless at all.

  A schor’s vote isn’t shameless—it’s confidence!

  When he opened the page, his work was surprisingly eye-catching. He clicked to vote, feeling pleased—until he saw the number of votes.

  His eyes widened.

  Why was his work ranked so high?!

  Then he took a closer look at the vote count.

  And immediately sucked in a sharp breath!