Evan was so exasperated that he laughed.
When they were together, Lily rarely messaged him first.
Now that they had broken up, she suddenly became enthusiastic.
The contrast was ridiculous.
They were already done.
Who he talked to now had nothing to do with her.
So he didn't reply.
Two minutes later, another message arrived.
> I'm just advising you as a friend.
Evan, know your limits.
Don't embarrass yourself.
Emily isn't someone you can win.
Evan frowned.
The more he read, the more absurd it felt.
He replied calmly:
> "So if I don't have money, I'm not allowed to date?"
"Why do you care who I pursue?"
"We've already broken up."
---
Girls' Dormitory, Room 502
Lily sat at her desk, gripping her phone.
When Evan's reply finally came, her expression darkened instantly.
Sophia leaned over.
"What's wrong?"
"Evan," Lily said coldly.
"What did he do?"
"I heard he flirted with Emily from the Art Department today."
"And?"
Lily sneered.
"We just broke up today. Not even half a day later, and he's already chasing another girl. Don't you think that's disgusting?"
Sophia hesitated.
Logically speaking… there was nothing wrong with it.
After all, Lily already had a new boyfriend.
"Lily," Sophia asked carefully, "do you still have feelings for him?"
"Of course not," Lily said immediately.
"I'm with Brother Ziang."
After a pause, Sophia asked,
"Then why do you care so much? Do you want him to wait for you?"
"Of course," Lily said naturally.
"If he really liked me, shouldn't he wait?"
Sophia was stunned.
"But if he waits for you, and you stay with Liu Ziang… isn't that just wasting his time?"
"That's his choice," Lily replied indifferently.
"Just because he waits doesn't mean I owe him anything."
"Brother Ziang is far better than Evan."
"I only have one youth," Lily continued calmly.
"Of course I'll choose the best future."
Sophia frowned.
Something felt very wrong—but she stayed silent.
---
The Next Morning
Ding!
Mission Reward: Appearance +10% — Applied Successfully.
The notification echoed in Evan's mind.
He rolled out of bed and walked straight to the dorm mirror.
"…Yeah. I definitely look better."
Before, he'd been the type that blended in—maybe slightly above average.
Now, his features were sharper, cleaner. His entire presence felt different.
More confident. More composed.
Satisfied, Evan grabbed his phone and headed for the door.
"Hey, Evan, where are you going?" Jack asked from behind him.
"Just taking a walk."
Jack narrowed his eyes. "A real walk?"
"Of course," Evan replied without hesitation. "Twenty-four-karat gold, guaranteed authentic."
It was a lie—an obvious one.
"Then why do you look so smug?" Jack frowned. "You hiding something from me?"
"What smug look?" Evan scoffed. "I'm leaving. Bye."
Unbelievable.
Jack was usually dense.
Since when did he become this perceptive?
That instinct was honestly terrifying.
Evan didn't dare stay any longer. If Jack kept interrogating him, he might crack.
---
After leaving the dorm, Evan opened his phone and browsed the apple store.
He picked a phone priced at over $1,000.
In the past, he wouldn't even have glanced at something like this.
He knew his limits and never spent beyond his means.
But now?
The system gave him money daily. Spending it wasn't a problem.
Just as he was about to place the order, he frowned.
Delivery: Tomorrow morning.
Fast—but not fast enough.
He wanted the phone today.
After all, buying it was the trigger for the car reward.
Without hesitation, Evan closed the app and searched for a physical store.
Luckily, there was one in university district—ten minutes on foot.
He slipped his phone into his pocket and headed toward the campus gate.
---
The scenery was the same as always.
But Evan wasn't.
He walked with calm confidence, his posture relaxed.
After all—
He had a system now.
That thought alone made him smile.
Money really did change people.
He'd seen it countless times online.
Before fame, people were timid and insecure.
After success, even their aura transformed.
And with the Tycoon System…
Money would never be a problem again.
Ring—
His phone rang.
"Mom," Evan said cheerfully, "miss me?"
"Not at all," his mother replied. "The house finally got quiet after you left. Your dad and I are enjoying life."
Then immediately—
"I checked the forecast. It might rain tomorrow. Wear something warm. Don't catch a cold…"
Evan listened patiently, humming in response.
His thoughts drifted.
When he was young, his family had been well-off.
Both parents worked stable jobs, and as an only child, he lacked nothing.
Then everything changed.
The factory shut down. His parents lost their jobs overnight.
They opened a small convenience store just to survive.
They didn't earn much, but they scraped by.
Still, they saved relentlessly—for his future.
Especially after he came to university, they became even more frugal.
"I heard Housing prices in Riverton had been climbing every year.," his parents used to say.
"No matter what, we need to save a down payment for Evan."
That was parental love.
Ordinary—but sincere.
"Mom," Evan said softly, "you and Dad don't need to work so hard anymore. The shop's empty after nine. You don't need to stay open until midnight. And tell Dad to stop driving all the time."
There was a pause.
"What are you saying?" his mother laughed. "You still have four years before graduation. If we don't save now, how will you afford a house? Without one, people will look down you .
"Mom, don't worry about the house. I'll handle it myself."
Evan said it bluntly.
With the System now at his disposal, a simple house was nothing. The System generously handed him a hundred dollars every day, and it would even provide him with a car after he bought a new phone.
But there was no way he could reveal the existence of the System.
This wasn't a matter of trust; it was about protection.
Something this illogical, this impossible, had to remain a secret. If a ruler doesn't keep secrets, they lose their ministers; if a minister doesn't, they lose their life.
"You'll handle it yourself? You just started college. How are you going to make that kind of money? You need to focus on your studies. Don't worry about buying a house—your father and I are still young, we can manage…"
Evan's mom's voice came through the phone.
He sighed, helpless, but he understood. He had just started university; it was natural for her not to trust him yet.
"Mom, ever since I started at university, I've realized the university encourages students to start businesses. They even provide financial support. I want to give it a try. Who knows—it might actually work."
He spoke calmly, laying the groundwork. By winter break, he could tell her he'd earned some money and give it to the family.
"You really think that will work? The University provides financial support? What if you lose money?" Mom sounded worried.
"It's fine if I lose it. I don't have to pay it back. It's just a program the university offers to encourage students to try entrepreneurship," Evan replied.
He understood her concern. For her generation, stability was everything. Risk was something to be avoided at all costs.
But he had no intention of actually starting a business. It was just a convenient cover—a plausible explanation for the System's money.
"Really? You can lose money and it's still fine? The University is that generous?" Mom sounded surprised.
"Yes. The University actually encourages students to try these things," he explained.
After a few more minutes of small talk, the background noise of a customer at the store reached him.
"Son, I have to go, a customer just came in. If it rains tomorrow, wear something warm. I'll transfer some money later. When you're at school, get along with your roommates. Treat others well, and don't be afraid to spend a little—it helps build relationships. Oh, and keep an eye out for nice girls. If you could even bring a girlfriend home this winter break, I'd be so happy…"
Mom rambled on for a while before finally hanging up.
Her love was always hidden in these fragmented, meandering words.
Evan leaned back, a smile tugging at his lips. He thought of something a boy online once said: "No girls like me."
How could that be true?
When he was born, that young, beautiful woman in her twenties had looked at him with eyes full of tenderness and love, seeing him as her entire world.