At the hospital, Julia's parents were finally moved into the same recovery room. Both were out of danger now, their conditions stable and improving by the day.
Julia sat between them, gently recounting everything that had happened—the arrests of Cai, Caleb, and the hundred-plus troublemakers… and how, with the help of a few families who were genuinely grateful, their family's small factory had restarted operations. Orders were pouring in, business was thriving again.
"That's good… that's very, very good…" Linda whispered, eyes already brimming with tears.
Before falling into a coma, her greatest fear wasn't pain or death—it was leaving her daughter alone to face the world. She had worried that Julia wouldn't be able to withstand everything they were facing.
But now?Heaven really had opened a path for them.Those who bullied them were in prison.Their home was safe.Their daughter no longer had to shoulder everything alone.
Julia's father, felt his eyes grow hot and blurry. Shame and lingering fear weighed heavily on his heart.
He had always been good-natured. Even when those people harassed them for money, he hadn't hated them. He had chosen tolerance… until tolerance nearly cost him his wife's life.
When he heard that the offenders were sentenced, he didn't feel even a shred of pity—only relief and regret.If Linda had died…If he had been in the ICU while she passed…How would Julia survive?How would their family live?
He had already made up his mind: No more sponsoring strangers' children. From now on, their money would go toward emergencies—and toward Julia's future.
"Jason, sweetheart, come here," Linda said with a gentle smile, waving him over from where he stood near the doorway.
Jason walked over, and Linda took his hand with both of hers, eyes full of heartfelt gratitude.
"I heard you stayed with Julia these past days and handled everything when she couldn't. Otherwise, she might've collapsed under all this. Thank you… truly. You're such a good young man."
To Linda, Jason was just her daughter's classmate—she had no idea who he really was. Calling him "young man" felt warm and natural.
Frank, however, wasn't fooled.
Jason was not ordinary.If he were, the Cai family wouldn't have crumbled overnight.If he were, dozens of officials and major business leaders wouldn't have rushed to their side.And the mayor certainly wouldn't have visited personally.
"Jason," Frank said politely, emotion thick in his voice, "we truly owe you more than we can ever repay. You saved our whole family."
Jason smiled lightly. "Uncle, Auntie—please just call me Jason. Julia and I are like family. There's no need for formality—it only makes us feel distant."
When he said family, Julia's cheeks turned pink. She lowered her head slightly, glancing at Jason from beneath her eyelashes, a small, sweet smile tugging at her lips.
Linda saw her daughter's expression—and instantly, her earlier gratitude transformed into a mother's delighted approval.
Her eyes practically glowed.
Handsome.Steady.Kindhearted.Responsible.And he stood by Julia without hesitation.
If this wasn't the ideal son-in-law, what was?
Frank was just as satisfied with Jason. As the saying goes, a person's true character is revealed in times of crisis. Their family had gone through a catastrophic ordeal. Anyone with a weak sense of responsibility would have run far away… yet this young man had stepped forward and shouldered everything without hesitation.
Linda smiled warmly and said, "Jason, Julia told me you're a junior—one year older than her. Where do you live? Do you have siblings? Our Julia grew up alone, and when trouble comes, she doesn't have any brothers or sisters to rely on. Sometimes we regret not giving her a sibling."
Jason couldn't help finding this amusing.Was this… the start of a mother-in-law's background check?
He looked toward Julia, but her bright eyes only sparkled with amusement—she clearly had no intention of explaining anything.
So, he answered honestly, "I'm from Muguang City, out in California. And I'm an only child too."
Linda's eyes lit up. "That's good—you two will have more in common. Julia is wonderful in every way, but she's a little quiet and doesn't talk much. Please be patient with her."
Jason replied, "I don't think that's a flaw at all. I like how gentle and calm she is. In my eyes, Julia is wonderful in every way."
Linda continued chatting about daily life, and Jason responded politely and thoughtfully. It felt as though all the hardships of the previous days had faded away, leaving only warmth and peace.
Julia listened quietly, a soft smile in her eyes. While they talked, she peeled two apples with steady hands—the peel unbroken in a perfect spiral. She sliced one for her parents and handed the other to Jason.
Julia: Favorability +1.
Jason was stunned when he heard the system notification.He hadn't even done anything special… so why did her favorability increase again?
Her favorability had already been at 98. Now it was 99.Above 90, increases were rare.Above 95, even rarer.Yet now a simple conversation boosted it?
He looked over—and saw Julia's radiant smile, her entire face glowing gently. Even someone accustomed to beauty like him couldn't help but stare, feeling a sudden desire to protect that smile forever.
When they left the ward, Jason asked softly, "Your mom basically treated me like her son-in-law. Why didn't you explain anything?"
Julia tilted her head, smiling. "Then why didn't you explain? You answered every one of her questions."
Jason chuckled. "When elders ask something, it's polite to respond. Besides, your parents are very easy to talk to."
Julia nodded with a small laugh. "I thought you two were getting along so well… I didn't want to interrupt."
Just then, Olivia walked over holding two insulated soup containers. Jason took them and handed them to Julia.
"These are tonics for your parents. This one is for your dad, and this one is for your mom—they're different formulas, so don't mix them up."
Julia looked at him with gentle eyes and simply hummed in acknowledgment, carrying the soups inside.
Olivia leaned closer and asked, "Jason, what exactly are these tonics? The smell alone makes me feel refreshed."
"Nothing much—just some herbal prescriptions," Jason casually lied.
In truth, the tonics were drawn from the system lottery. He had originally intended to save them entirely for his own parents, but seeing Julia's parents still weak, he cut off a small piece of the ganoderma and a single petal of the epiphyllum.
The rest would still be more than enough for his family.
These treasures were potent; they must be used sparingly. Taking too much at once would overwhelm the body.
"Now that I've taken them out of the system, I should bring the rest home soon," Jason thought. "Otherwise, their potency will slowly fade. Not quickly—it would take months—but still… fresher is better. The day after tomorrow is New Year's Day. Good time to visit my parents."
But the thought of going home made him nervous.
He had told… quite a few lies.
In the beginning, he transferred $60,000 home, pretending it was money from a tech company rewarding his patent.
The next month, he sent $100,000.The third month—$300,000.So he had to upgrade his "identity" each time.
He had gone from a gifted student with a patent…
To a successful young inventor whose products were selling well.
And now?
If he was going to send tens of millions, even hundreds of millions, in the future…
He'd have to invent an even bigger lie.
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