Han Yong was busy cleaning little chicks, his hands still unwashed and oily, when he rushed out.

The moment he saw Han Lie, he realized his usual line of sight was too low. Slowly, stiffly, he tilted his head back further and further, until he had to crane his neck to see his son's face clearly.

"Ah..." he gasped, mouth agape and eyes wide, but then said nothing more.

About two seconds later, he closed his mouth and pursed his lips firmly twice. His expression shifted from confusion to blankness. These two emotions are quite different: confusion means still trying to understand, while blankness means giving up entirely and just going limp.

Ma Honglian gave Han Yong a hard shove and huffed, "Speak, will you? Cat got your tongue?!"

Han Yong opened his mouth again. "Er..."

Half a second later, he suddenly nodded. "Looks pretty good..."

Han Lie felt utterly exhausted. He took a deep breath, silently chanting to himself, These are my dad and mom. Can't scold them, can't scold them...

He quietly closed the bedroom door, pulled the suitcase into the center of the living room, and said gently, "Mom, I've been eating and sleeping well. I hit a second growth spurt..."

"Stop!" Ma Honglian crossed her arms, cutting Han Lie off. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Then, arms still folded, she stood before Han Lie as if at ease, channeling her inner great detective, her eyes like scanners.

"You say you grew taller because of a second growth spurt? I believe that! You got rid of your nearsightedness with surgery? I believe that too! But what about your teeth? My goodness, a full set of veneers! You earn a little money and you immediately go looking for ways to waste it, huh? Hey, was it expensive? But I must say, they did a really good job. You can't tell at all..."

My teeth... uh... Han Lie thought. Gosh! How is this so hard to explain?! Forget it, forget it, change the subject!

"Dad, Mom, I brought you gifts. Hold on while I unpack... Ouch! Mom, what are you doing?"

Ma Honglian firmly pinched Han Lie's nose bridge, wiggling it left and right, her expression one of fresh amazement. "Oh! Is this made from your rib? So meticulous! The elasticity is even better than my flat nose... Hey, Pipi, aren't you afraid of bumping your nose?"

It's all falling apart, totally falling apart! Han Lie's head was buzzing. To think, I, God Lie, who holds sway in Magic Capital, whether in financial circles or amidst beauties, when have I ever come off worse? Coming home, I profoundly felt what's called 'bloodline suppression'...

Han Lie had just moved her hand away when his chin was grabbed. "Pipi, did you get work done on your cheeks too?! TSK TSK, they shaved them so smoothly..."

"God Lie" was completely exasperated. He slumped onto the sofa, not caring what happened next.

Han Yong stood by, watching his wife fuss over their son. He instinctively wanted to rub his hands together, but both were greasy. So, he just let his forearms hang and his hands droop, looking like a little raccoon, and managed to force out five words: "Hmm, money well spent..."

I really didn't spend any money! Han Lie screamed internally. Ah, no, that's not right. I did spend money, but not in the way you think! What kind of cosmetic procedure could cost hundreds of millions of RMB? Don't you understand what genetic modification is? Our Han Family, thanks to me, now possesses the most excellent genetic information! You two really are... Can't you be proud of me for once?

Han Lie's composure completely shattered. He tried his best, but unable to convincingly justify himself, he made one last desperate attempt. "I really just grew... at least, most of it was natural growth! I shot up more than ten centimeters in one semester; how could my skull not change a little?!"

Ouch, Comrade Ma Honglian, stop yanking my ear! The incision isn't there!

Ma Honglian didn't believe him and insisted on examining her son further. Then, she got poked by the watch on Han Lie's wrist, which finally diverted her attention.

"Huh? Son, nice watch... TSK TSK, you really didn't skimp on the rhinestones..."

Ah, right, right, rhinestones! Han Lie thought. The moment the watch was mentioned, he finally knew how to distract her.

"I bought a watch for each of you. Wait a second, let me open the suitcase..."

Han Lie hurried to open the suitcase. Ma Honglian, full of excitement, pitched in to help, but halfway through, there was a knock at the door.

Han Yong had already returned to the kitchen to prepare the food. Ma Honglian, clearly disappointed by the interruption, went to open the door.

"Who is it? Oh, Uncle Dong! Come in, come in! Aunt Liu, you're here too... Why is everyone so free today?"

As soon as the door opened, three or four people crowded into the doorway.

Han Lie glanced over casually and immediately recognized them: Old Dong from the apartment across the hall, Aunt Liu from upstairs, Huang Yu from downstairs, and his wife, Wang, the chatterbox.

This was the mining group's family compound. In the early days, it was filled with colleagues. Some had moved away, but most still lived here.

Old Dong, around forty-five, was Han Yong's former teammate.

Aunt Liu, in her fifties and nearing retirement, was the wife of Han Yong's old team leader.

Huang Yu was a junior colleague of Han Yong's. Both he and his wife worked, and it seemed Aunt Liu had been their matchmaker when they were dating.

The advantage of such close relations was that for minor household matters, you didn't need to search far; a neighbor could easily help out. For instance, years ago, when no one was home to cook lunch for Han Lie, he could always get a meal at Aunt Liu's.

However, the disadvantages seemed greater. For example, a large group of meddling women would often gather, and as the saying goes, good news rarely leaves the house, while bad news travels fast.

There was also constant comparing, showing off, and minor friction, leading to endless disturbances.

For a while, Han Lie had strongly disliked this kind of environment. But after working in Magic Capital, he often found himself missing the bustle and warmth of such ordinary, everyday life.