"Damn."
Jack subconsciously ran his hand through his new hairstyle. "Is this really me?"
Standing next to him, Ethan had also finished his transformation.
The barber had given him a textured crop with a slight quiff, and a few strands of hair naturally fell across his forehead. It managed to keep that youthful vibe while adding a touch of mature sophistication.
His already good-looking face, combined with the new haircut, made him look like he'd just stepped out of a magazine cover when he checked himself out in the mirror.
Jack gave the barber a thumbs up. "Nice work, Tony!"
He turned to look at Ethan's new look and let out an exaggerated whistle. "Dude, with that face and that hair? You could be on the cover of GQ. Such a waste you're not modeling or acting in some teen drama!"
Ethan rolled his eyes. "..."
'Jesus Christ, if you're not gonna compliment me properly, just shut up. Though I gotta admit, pretty boys do make bank these days.'
After paying for both of them, Ethan headed outside. "Come on, let's head home."
Jack's hand, which had been reaching for his wallet, froze mid-air. "Wait, what? Big spender over here!"
Ethan had already reached where they'd locked up his bike and was swinging his leg over it. "Isn't it normal for a dad to pay for his son's haircut?"
He suddenly remembered something and turned back. "Oh yeah, did you grab all the stuff I asked you to pick up at lunch?"
"Damn it."
"This asshole's quick!"
Jack caught up, cursing under his breath, and hopped onto the back of the bike in one smooth motion.
"Got it, got it! Bro, you think I'd let you down? Of course I handled it properly!"
The two of them squeezed onto the single bike and pedaled home like that.
When they reached the entrance to Ethan's neighborhood, Ethan got off. "You wanna come over for dinner? I'll help you work through some practice problems afterward."
Jack waved him off. "Nah man, I haven't showered yet."
"I'm gonna head home, clean up, eat with my folks, then I'll swing by your place later."
Ethan gave him an OK sign and headed home.
As soon as he opened the front door, he made a beeline for the living room.
His old man was sitting at the coffee table, completely absorbed in his tea ceremony. The aroma of freshly brewed tea filled the air. Ethan plopped down on the couch and let out a comfortable sigh.
"Dad, pour me a cup too." He craned his neck to watch where the teapot was positioned.
Robert washed the tea leaves methodically, then brewed them with practiced, fluid motions. "It's the weekend—don't you have school?" he asked without looking up.
"Sssip~sssip." Ethan picked up the teacup and made a show of tasting the tea like a connoisseur.
But honestly, growing up in a household where his dad was obsessed with premium loose-leaf tea, he actually knew his stuff. He'd been surrounded by tea culture since he was a kid.
"No classes today. Just went to get a haircut with Jack."
If Ethan hadn't mentioned it, Robert wouldn't have even noticed his son had gotten his hair cut.
And he had to admit, the new style really suited him. It made him look fresh and sharp.
The already handsome features looked even more striking with the clean, neat haircut.
"Mm. Looks good. Much sharper." His dad took a sip of tea, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
The kitchen door creaked open, and Linda walked out wearing an apron. "You two better not just sit there drinking tea—come help me!"
At her words, father and son exchanged a glance and both scrambled toward the kitchen.
The kitchen was filled with steam and delicious aromas. Robert was on chopping duty, Ethan handled the cooking, and Linda directed operations.
The crisp sound of the spatula hitting the wok, the sizzle of ingredients hitting hot oil.
Before long.
The dining table was loaded with mouthwatering dishes.
The barbecue ribs glistened invitingly, the steamed fish looked tender and perfectly cooked, and the sautéed Chinese broccoli was bright green and fresh.
There was also Ethan's favorite—pan-fried crab cakes—with golden, crispy edges that curled up slightly, giving off an incredible aroma.
Sitting at the dinner table looking at every single dish he loved, Ethan felt incredibly blessed.
He knew this was "special treatment" his mom was giving him as the SATs approached. Though even on regular days, his mom's cooking was amazing—it was like a "Michelin home-cooked edition."
He grabbed a rib and took a bite. The savory, tangy sauce exploded in his mouth. This moment was absolutely perfect.
This was real life.
Where your parents are—that's home!
Ethan picked up a crab cake, and suddenly thought about his previous life. Even though he'd been successful in business, he'd lived alone in an empty villa, and his dinners were basically the same rotation of takeout...
"Ethan, there's only a few days left until the SATs." Linda asked casually, her hands never stopping as she spooned some steamed fish into her son's bowl.
Robert continued eating quietly.
This was something the couple had agreed on long ago—one person asks questions, the other stays quiet. They couldn't put pressure on the kid right now, just check in casually.
Ethan kept eating, his chopsticks never pausing. "I think there's like 22 days left."
His mouth was full, his cheeks puffed out when he spoke. "Still plenty of time."
All he was thinking about at this point was selling a few more glasses of lemonade and making a solid profit.
"So how's studying been lately? Is the pressure getting to you?" Linda continued, deliberately keeping her tone light.
Ethan kept slurping his soup. "I don't really feel anything. Just eating, drinking, sleeping like normal."
Robert continued eating quietly, though his hand paused imperceptibly while reaching for the vegetables.
But Linda was already getting irritated. Even though she and her husband had agreed not to pressure their son.
But this kid—what did he mean by "eating, drinking, sleeping like normal"? They were in the final sprint of senior year, and the words "studying" didn't seem to exist in his vocabulary at all!
"What your mother means is, how's your review going, and do you have a dream college in mind?" Robert could tell his wife was about to blow up, so he quickly redirected for his son's sake.
Ethan put down his chopsticks, grinned, stepped forward and started massaging Linda's shoulders. "Mom, don't be mad. You gotta think bigger picture! I'm saving up my secret weapon, just waiting to surprise you when the results come out."
Linda relaxed under her son's massage, her anger dissipating by more than half. "You surprise us? As long as you don't give us a heart attack, I'll be happy." She said it with exasperation but affection.
"So what if I really do surprise you?" Ethan asked with a smile.
Linda waved her hand confidently, disbelief clear in her eyes. "If you can get into a good four-year university, Mom will give you a $10,000 bonus. You can buy whatever you want with it—the money's yours to spend however you like."
"What if I get into a top 50 school? Or an Ivy League?" Ethan's eyes lit up as he asked with a grin.
"Oh wow, you're already talking about top 50... Alright, fine. If you can get into a top 50, I'll give you $20,000. Ivy League, you get $30,000. Mom keeps her promises." Linda said directly.
Ethan continued: "What if your son comes back as valedictorian?"
"Pfft—honey, are you feeling okay? What do you have to do with the word 'valedictorian'? The only relationship you have with that word is that you can spell it."
She paused and continued: "But if you really do come back as valedictorian, Mom will give you a $100,000 bonus."
After hearing this, Ethan went straight back to his bedroom.
Linda looked at Robert in surprise.
"What's your son doing?"
"Did I upset him? Or what's going on?"
Linda frowned. What was this kid up to?
But before she could think it through, Ethan came back, holding a pen in his mouth and carrying a piece of paper, which he placed in front of Linda.
"What are you doing?" Linda looked at her son, completely confused.
Ethan smiled, his eyes shining with cunning. "No proof without documentation! If you back out later, who am I gonna complain to?"
There are 15 advance chapters ahead in my Patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
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