SSS-level catastrophe? That's my wife!

Wutong Residential Area, Anping District.

Lin Mu pushed open the door and bent down to change his shoes when a figure rushed into his arms with a gust of wind.

It was Lin Mu's mother—Jiang Shuwan.

Her figure was graceful, but at this moment she disregarded her composure, tightly holding her son, her voice trembling:

"I've missed Mom so much! Let Mom give me a big hug... It's been six years since we last met, and you've grown so tall that Mom has to stand on tiptoe to hug you."

She released her grip, looked Lin Mu up and down, her eyes reddening: "Although this trip back was a mess, everything will be alright once we're home."

Looking at his mother's face, filled with worry and heartache, Lin Mu's long-dormant heart warmed once more after six years.

"Mom, you look even younger and more beautiful than you did six years ago."

"Hmph, stop with the sweet talk!" Jiang Shuwan's demeanor suddenly changed, and her expression became serious.

"The sentimental moment is over, hurry up and change your shoes!"

"Explain to me properly—what's with these tattered clothes? And why are you sleeping on the street?"

After saying that, he turned around and strode towards the living room, leaving Lin Mu in the entryway looking completely bewildered.

He turned to look at his father, Lin Ye, with a pleading look in his eyes.

Lin Ye sighed, patted his shoulder, and lowered his voice: "Son, don't blame your dad for not reminding you, your mom just bought a new frying pan today, good luck to you."

"No! Dad..." Before Lin Mu could finish speaking, Lin Ye had already changed into slippers with lightning speed and slipped into the room to take refuge, as if he would be accidentally hurt if he was a second late.

Lin Mu reluctantly changed his shoes and walked into the living room.

Jiang Shuwan was already elegantly seated on the sofa, her eyes fixed on him: "Come and sit down!"

"Mom, don't get agitated, it was all an accident..." Lin Mu sat down next to her with a bitter face.

"An accident?" Jiang Shuwan raised an eyebrow, her voice suddenly rising.

"What kind of accident could have made you come home from Saint Capital dressed in rags? Couldn't you have called? Our family is at least middle-class; we can afford a few more clothes."

"Most importantly, why are you sleeping on the street? Tell me! Did you do something wrong?!"

Jiang Shuwan practically shouted the last few words, clearly at the breaking point.

Lin Mu took a deep breath, as if he had made a difficult decision.

The next second, his expression suddenly darkened, and his voice choked with sobs: "Mom...these past six years have been so difficult for your son."

"I worked hard in the capital for six years, hoping to make a name for myself and make you and Dad proud, but in the end... it was all for nothing."

"I can't even afford a train ticket home, so I can only hitch a ride. I'm begging kind people to give me a ride."

"I was almost home when I suddenly felt so hungry that I fainted... I woke up in a strange room where the people were interrogating me."

"You have no idea how terrified I was... I just wanted to go home, why was it so difficult? The outside world is so dark..."

By the end, Lin Mu's eyes were red, and his voice was so choked with sobs that it was almost incoherent, as if he had suffered a great injustice.

The living room fell silent instantly, with only Lin Mu's suppressed gasps.

Jiang Shuwan looked at her son's haggard appearance, her tense face slowly softened, and a trace of heartache flashed in her eyes. Her most beloved son had suffered so much outside.

Just as Lin Mu was about to continue his performance, a warm embrace suddenly enveloped him.

"Honey, Mom doesn't blame you anymore. You're a grown man, why are you still crying?"

Jiang Shuwan patted his back, her voice becoming increasingly gentle.

"Since you can remember, I've never seen you tear up. Now that you're back, let's start over and follow the route we planned."

In the bedroom, Lin Ye was peeking through the crack in the door, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Holy crap! This actually works? My wife just believed it?

"Don't worry, I'll stay home for a while this time and spend more time with you all," Lin Mu said gently, leaning on her mother's shoulder.

"What do you mean by 'staying for a period of time'?" Jiang Shuwan's tone became serious again.

"What other crazy ideas do you have? Cut them off completely! Six years of freedom is already the biggest concession we can make to you!"

She turned and called into the room, "Lin Ye! Why are you hiding in your room when our son just got back? Has the school informed you yet?"

Lin Mu sat on the sofa and sighed to himself:

My mother's mood swings were exactly the same as before.

Upon hearing the word "school," his heart sank, and an ominous premonition surged within him.

Lin Ye swaggered out of the room with a grin, quickly walking to Jiang Shuwan's side: "Everything's arranged!"

He turned to Lin Mu, his eyes clearly saying "Good luck to you all": "Isn't it a coincidence? Today is the first day of school at Jiangcheng University, and the opening ceremony is this afternoon."

"Now you've got something to do. Study hard, and maybe you won't get stuck at level zero, or faint on the street."

"Wait? What? Me? Going to school?"

Lin Mu pointed at himself and looked at his parents with a look of utter disbelief.

"Nonsense! If it wasn't you, who else could it be me and your mother?"

"At our age, will any school accept us?"

Lin Ye reached for a cigarette, but silently withdrew his hand under Jiang Shuwan's cold gaze.

"But I'm already 24! Besides..." Lin Mu tried to argue, but her mother interrupted her.

"Stop talking!" Jiang Shuwan said firmly.

"Anyone under the age of 25 who has awakened to the truth meets the admission standards for Jiangcheng University. I'm warning you, sending you to school has emptied half of our family's savings!"

When she mentioned half of her family's assets, a hint of heartache flashed across her eyes, and then she softened her tone.

"Mom doesn't expect you to be outstanding, just graduate smoothly and get a stable job."

"Yeah, kid, connections at the Awakened Ones School are really important. They'll be a huge help to you in the future, you know?" Lin Ye chimed in from the side.

"If you can break through to become a second-tier Awakened within two years, you might even be able to directly enter the Zhen'e Division branch after graduation. That would be a great honor for the entire clan!"

"If you can reach the fourth rank in the future... you can participate in the Central Town of Evil's assessment..." At this point, Lin Ye clearly didn't believe it himself and shook his head.

"Of course, let's not even think about that. Even if our Lin family's ancestral graves were emitting auspicious smoke, it would still be too much trouble."

"Ouch—Wife! That hurts!" Lin Ye winced in pain.

"How can you be so insecure about your son?" Jiang Shuwan glared at him, but then pinched her husband's waist hard.

Lin Mu smiled wryly: "Dad, Mom, can we talk about this?"

"Impossible!" The couple exclaimed in unison, their tacit understanding sending a chill down one's spine.

"Yan Yan gave the money to your dad when he went to the Public Security Bureau to pick you up," Jiang Shuwan said, hands on her hips.

"Let me tell you, your sister only got this admission through connections in the capital city. Otherwise, do you think you could have started school on the first day?"

Lin Mu sighed silently in his heart:

Lin Yan, thank you so much!

In the end, they could only give up in dejection.