The nostalgia stemmed from the loneliness of drifting alone in Magic Capital. His aversion, on the other hand, likely came from his own lack of success, always being the cautionary tale in neighborhood gossip, the loser used to make other families' children look good. It was a complicated mix of emotions.

However, after his rebirth, Han Lie's mindset had undergone a complete transformation. Now, far from feeling annoyed, he was actually quite looking forward to this.

Come on in, everyone, take a seat. I'm about to help Mom show off! 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Han Lie got up, his face brimming with a smile as he moved a couple of steps toward the entryway.

Old Dong was chatting with Ma Honglian. "Well, we just saw a young man carrying a suitcase upstairs and were wondering whose kid it was. Then, we heard some commotion from your place and came over to take a look... HISS!"

Old Dong trailed off mid-sentence when he saw a very tall young man approaching. His eyes widened, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

Aunt Liu, who was also there, chimed in, "Is that your Han Lie who's back... HUH?!" She too was stunned.

Huang Yu and his wife, the neighborhood's top gossip, were at the back and hadn't had a chance to speak. But as Han Lie appeared, they stared, one grabbing the other's thick waist, the other clutching their partner's inner thigh. Then, they exclaimed in unison, "Holy shit!"

Han Lie, wearing an innocent smile, greeted the elders. "Uncle Dong, Aunt Liu, Brother Huang, Sister-in-law, long time no see! Mom, why are you still blocking the door? Invite our guests in to sit!"

"Oh, oh!" Ma Honglian finally snapped back to reality and quickly ushered them in. "Come in, come in and sit down. None of us are busy. Come have some melon seeds and a cup of tea. Let's chat!"

The neighbors were incredibly curious. They exchanged glances and walked in, still murmuring pleasantries.

Once in the living room, Huang Yu's wife (the gossip queen) stopped Ma Honglian from busying herself, grabbed the hot water kettle, and headed for the kitchen, her ears pricked.

"AIYAH! Little Lie has shot up so much..."

"He really has grown a lot..."

"Hasn't he just! I was so surprised, I almost didn't recognize him..."

The group was still in shock, their compliments sounding a bit strained.

Dog Lie was no longer the introverted youth of a bygone era. For him, handling this level of social interaction was like using a nuke to swat a fly—total overkill. He smiled warmly and began to explain effortlessly.

"The food in our cafeteria is plentiful and cheap. Eating well, getting lots of exercise, and having a relaxed mindset—I guess my height just inexplicably shot up..."

Huang Yu scrutinized Han Lie, then suddenly asked, "I heard your mom shouting earlier that you'd made big money and gotten plastic surgery?"

"No, no." Han Lie calmly corrected him. "I just had surgery for my nearsightedness, so I don't wear glasses anymore, and I had some dental work done. In Magic Capital, these are very common corrective procedures, not really plastic surgery."

Five pairs of eyes scrutinized him—yes, that's right, even his own mother was still gawking at him as if he were a novelty...

"Oh..." Huang Yu drawled, clearly skeptical.

The gossip queen's (Huang Yu's wife's) eyes gleamed with fervor. She licked her lips and said, "Little Lie has such good features to begin with. Just a little touch-up and he's turned into a handsome young man. He's a real sight for sore eyes..."

Han Lie glanced at her, a sudden shiver running down his spine. Good heavens, what is this woman thinking?!

Ma Honglian was beaming, shamelessly taking the credit. "You see? Little Lie inherited all the best features from his father and me. He's had a good bone structure since he was a child. Now that he's all grown up, he's as handsome as they come, wouldn't you say, Old Dong?"

"Yes, yes, that's true..." Old Dong replied dryly, then quickly changed the subject. "But for a boy, looks aren't the most important thing. Academic ability is what truly matters. Our Zhipeng won a first-class scholarship from his school this year. Do you have any idea how much money that is?"

Old Dong, whose career was on par with Han Yong's, found his greatest pleasure in boasting about his son. Usually, as soon as he started, the neighbors would chime in with words of praise.

But today, Aunt Liu suddenly cleared her throat, interrupting him. She asked tentatively, "Little Lie, I saw you getting out of a car earlier... Is it yours?"

Old Dong froze. Damn it! Bad move! I shouldn't have mentioned money; I completely forgot that Han Lie seems to have struck it rich!

"A car?" Ma Honglian was bewildered. She turned to her son. "What car? Did you buy a car? You drove back from Magic Capital?"

Huang Yu's wife quickly chimed in, "WHOA! Haven't you heard, Auntie Ma? Little Lie is really something else now! An Audi, a Q7! If you don't believe it, just peek out the window. It's parked right downstairs from our building..."

Han Lie knew how to build anticipation. "It's not my car," he said, pausing deliberately. He let Old Dong and Huang Yu breathe a sigh of relief before leisurely producing a set of car keys and a contract.

"It's for my dad... By the way, Uncle Dong, you're familiar with these things. If you have time in the next day or two, I'd appreciate it if you could go with my dad to handle the paperwork."

"Wha—" Old Dong choked, utterly speechless.

Huang Yu, his wife, and Aunt Liu stared wide-eyed at the documents and keys in Han Lie's hand.

"Damn, a Q7... How much does that even cost?!" Huang Yu was completely floored. Don't make a fool of yourself, don't make a fool of yourself, he silently chided, but the question slipped out anyway.

Han Lie simply smiled without answering, pushing the contract into his mother's hands.

"Mom, hold onto this for now. You can give it to Dad later."

Ma Honglian glanced at the amount on the contract, her eyes narrowing. She counted the figures carefully—twice—then suddenly shot up from her seat.