Gao Wu: Oh no! Young Master Zhen is a cultivator!

Lin Zhiyao frowned and asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"I don't want to become the so-called young master of the Lin family." Lin Ran shrugged. "If it weren't for the awakening potion, I would never have planned to go back to the Lin family."

"Tch, who would believe you?" Lin Zhiyao said with disdain.

In her eyes, Lin Ran's transformation from an orphan to the eldest son of the Lin family was a dream come true for countless people.

What reason could he possibly have not to return to the Lin family?

Believe it or not, it's up to you.

"You haven't answered my question from before," Lin Zhixia said again, sounding very stubborn.

Lin Ran leaned back on the sofa, his attitude casual: "I have no obligation to answer."

"I can trade you the answer you want to know."

Lin Ran glanced at her: "You go first."

"There is an abandoned mine on the eastern outskirts of Xinhai City. The mutated beasts there have never been completely eradicated and are usually used as a training ground for graduates of the Martial Arts Academy."

"Zhixia!" Song Yishu's voice suddenly rose, filled with worry: "How could you let Xiaoran go to such a dangerous place?"

"To become a martial artist, one must undergo trials." Lin Zhixia said with a matter-of-fact expression, "It won't be long before Zhiyao goes to participate in the trials, and Haozhe will go after that."

She looked at Song Yishu and said seriously, "If he wants to become a martial artist, he will eventually have to go."

"But... even if you're right, that's not a place he can go right now!" Song Yishu said urgently.

"I didn't tell him to go now, I was just offering him a suggestion."

Lin Zhixia turned her gaze to Lin Ran and continued, "I've answered your question. Now can you tell me how you managed to fool the testing equipment?"

"I don't have that ability," Lin Ran said calmly. "I just haven't awakened it yet. As for my great strength, I think it's probably because my talent hasn't been developed yet."

He said with a serious expression, "Once I use the gene serum, I might awaken a powerful strength-type talent."

"Are you serious?" Lin Zhixia asked, still somewhat doubtful.

"Every word is true." Lin Ran said calmly.

He didn't actually awaken, and that can't be considered a lie.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore." Song Yishu stood up from the sofa and sat down next to Lin Ran. "Ran, have you had dinner?"

"have eaten."

"Did you eat out by yourself?"

"I ate with my classmates," Lin Ran said without any attempt to hide it.

Song Yishu's tone became cautious: "You're still young, it's too early for you to be in a relationship."

"Although I don't plan to date, I'm already eighteen years old."

Upon hearing this, Song Yishu was slightly taken aback, her eyes instantly reddening: "It's all my fault for not protecting you back then..."

"Ran-ge." Lin Haozhe gently closed his book, his voice gentle, "Don't blame Mom. She didn't want to lose you either."

Lin Ran glanced at him indifferently: "You're overthinking it. I'm still very grateful to Mr. Lin and Ms. Song. After all, they're the only ones willing to provide me with an awakening potion free of charge."

"How can you address your parents like that?" Lin Zhiwan asked sternly.

She seemed to think she had found another fault in Lin Ran and wanted to use it as an excuse to suppress him.

Unfortunately, Lin Ran wasn't buying it.

"Just shut up!" Lin Ran said irritably. "I have no interest in your CEO position, so don't try to sabotage me all the time. It's annoying!"

After saying that, he ignored Lin Zhiwan's reaction, got up from the sofa, and yawned: "Haa... I'm tired. See you all tomorrow."

As he strode upstairs, everyone in the living room looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Zhiwan..." Lin Hongbo wanted to say something, but saw Lin Zhiwan immediately get up: "I'm going back to my room to rest too. I have to go to work tomorrow."

Her steps were hurried, as if every second she lingered was torture.

Lin Zhixia raised an eyebrow: "This guy is really straightforward. I'm starting to believe what he said before."

Upon hearing this, Song Yishu quickly said, "His previous living environment was different, you should learn to understand him."

"Mom! You're so biased! We understand him, but who understands us?" Lin Zhiyao said, looking indignant.

Lin Haozhe quickly tried to dissuade her, saying, "Third sister, don't be angry with Ran-ge. He just got back and isn't quite used to the home environment yet. He'll be fine in the future."

"You're still taking his side? Whose side are you on?" Lin Zhiyao jumped up from the beanbag chair. "The reason I treated him like that was because..."

Lin Haozhe quickly interrupted Lin Zhiyao, "I know, Third Sister, I know you don't want me to feel like I'm just a substitute. That's why you're deliberately distancing yourself from Ran-ge."

"I..." Lin Zhiyao wanted to say something, but Lin Haozhe interrupted her again: "I know my third sister feels sorry for me, but I am ultimately just an adopted son. Ran-ge is Mom and Dad's biological son, and the younger brother of my three sisters."

Song Yishu quickly reassured him, "Haozhe, don't say that. Your parents have always treated you like their own son, and that won't change even if your brother comes back."

"Alright, go back to your rooms and rest." Lin Hongbo waved his hand, signaling his three children to go upstairs.

Lin Zhixia stood up, glanced at Lin Haozhe, and a slightly amused look appeared on her lips.

Seeing this, Lin Zhiyao and Lin Haozhe also got up and went upstairs.

Only Lin Hongbo and Song Yishu remained in the living room.

"Xiao Ran is ultimately not a child we raised ourselves, so she's not close to us," Song Yishu said with a worried expression.

Lin Hongbo shook his head: "Don't rush, it's only been a few days. Given time, we'll naturally become closer."

"If I hadn't let him get lost back then, things wouldn't be like this now." As she spoke, Song Yishu began to sob.

Lin Hongbo sat down next to her and gently patted her back: "Alright, alright, it's all in the past, don't think about it anymore."

He handed a tissue to Song Yishu: "We'll make it up to him properly later."

Song Yishu took the tissue and wiped her eyes. "Yes, we must make it up to him."

The two were downstairs discussing how to compensate Lin Ran, unaware that Lin Ran did not want to get too involved with the Lin family.

If it were just a potion costing 30 million, he could simply repay the Lin family a small amount once he achieved success in his cultivation.

However, if he receives too much from the Lin family, he will inevitably encounter emotional entanglements.

In his view, it was completely unnecessary.

Lin Ran returned to her room, gently locked the door, and drew the curtains tightly shut, blocking out the moonlight.

Lin Zhixia's words tonight reminded him.

The abandoned mines on the eastern outskirts of the city, being used as a training ground for the martial arts academy, indicate that the mutated beasts there are not of a very high level.

Most of the mutant beasts will likely be of the first or second tier, but if you're lucky, you might encounter beings of the third tier or higher.

He is currently penniless, and if he wants to obtain the crystal core, he will probably have to hunt it himself.

With his cultivation level of one level of Qi Refining, he should not be in any danger dealing with mutated creatures below the third rank.

Perhaps we could take a trip there over the weekend.

The next morning, when Lin Ran went downstairs, only Lin Haozhe was in the restaurant.

"Good morning, Brother Ran." Lin Haozhe smiled as he spread jam on his toast.

Lin Ran nodded: "Good morning."

"Don't take yesterday's events to heart. My eldest and third sisters are all bark and no bite," Lin Haozhe said sincerely, placing the jam knife on the side of the plate.

"Yeah, I didn't take it to heart."

Upon hearing this, Lin Haozhe spoke up again: "And my second sister, she's been an investigator for a long time and is used to that way of thinking. She treats everyone like that, it's not targeting you."

"And what about you?" Lin Ran sat down at the dining table and looked at Lin Haozhe.