He wants to change, and first he must change himself, to let himself return to Old Lawson's home.

The old man has a stubborn temper, and the internal entanglements of the big family run deep. A rebellious descendant like him has long caused Old Lawson's family to lose face and has already been put on the "blacklist." It’s not hard for him to go home—after all, no one can change his bloodline, and his parents would never drive him out.

But that’s not the main point.

The main point is that if he wants to truly return to the core of the family, it will be extremely difficult.

His father, The Lawson Family, was never a core figure in the family. He works in the military and is currently only the head of the Operations Department of the Capital Military District, a division-level cadre. The true second-generation core of Old Lawson's family is his eldest uncle, Charles Lawson, who holds the position of Deputy Minister of the Central Organization Department.

And the most valued third-generation descendant in the family is Charles Lawson's eldest son, Edward Lawson, who is only a few years older than William Lawson, but is already serving as a deputy division chief in a certain national ministry. He is decisive and tough, highly praised by the old man, and during holidays, he always has a seat in front of the old man. Among the third-generation descendants, only Edward Lawson enjoys this honor.

William Lawson is flamboyant and impulsive. Even if he weren’t rebellious or a “runaway,” in the eyes of the old man and his father’s generation, he would still have no status and be considered hopeless.

In the eyes of the elders of Old Lawson's family, William Lawson is the typical “spoiled rich kid.”

Disobedient and self-righteous.

Even on happy occasions like the old man’s birthday in the past, when the old man saw him, he would frown, and his kindly gaze would turn stern. The old man is a traditional person, and what he dislikes most are unpromising descendants.

If he wants to change, he must start today, start now.

Even though it will be very difficult!

Chapter 3: Birthday Celebration

The car sped along.

In the late 1980s, the capital hadn’t yet become “the city of traffic jams,” and congestion wasn’t very serious. After all, the term “private car” hadn’t yet appeared in China, and there weren’t that many official vehicles either. It was already past rush hour, and on the streets of Beijing, there was no longer a surging tide of bicycles.

The jeep quickly arrived at the once-famous imperial garden.

The residence and workplace of the highest leaders of the Republic, jokingly called the “Inner Court” forbidden zone. Many years ago, Mr. Lawson Sr. had moved into the Inner Court to live.

This was not only for security reasons, but also a symbol of status and position.

Even as the direct grandson of Old Lawson, William Lawson hadn’t entered the Inner Court many times. Before going to Chunan Province, William Lawson lived outside with his parents. Only during holidays could William Lawson accompany his parents into the Inner Court to visit the old man. On ordinary days, he had no such privilege; without the old man’s approval, William Lawson, like any ordinary citizen, could only stand far outside the red walls and green tiles, gazing at this sacred place from a distance.

The procedures for the jeep to enter the Inner Court were not simple. The guards carefully checked everyone in the car, contacted “Qingsong Garden” to confirm, and only then waved them through.

A glimmer of light flashed in William Lawson’s eyes.

In his previous life, after the old man passed away, William Lawson never had the chance to enter here again. He had been away from the “Inner Court” for nearly twenty years. In the past, whenever he entered the Inner Court, William Lawson always felt deep fear and extreme reluctance.

Because here, he was a marginal figure—no one cared about him, not even the younger cousins and relatives, who didn’t take him seriously. Aside from being scolded, all that was left was loneliness and frustration.

But now, returning to this place, William Lawson’s mood was completely different.

He was no longer young.

Inside his twenty-two-year-old body was a soul that had weathered many hardships. While he couldn’t claim to have seen through the world, at least his understanding of it was completely different now.

The jeep drove straight to Qingsong Garden.

The leaders living in the Inner Court all had their offices and residences combined, with only slight distinctions.

As soon as the car stopped, William Lawson jumped out and quickly opened the car door for his father. He even reached out to help The Lawson Family as he got out. Having just “returned,” William Lawson’s mind was still a bit muddled. The vigorous, forty-something The Lawson Family before him and the white-haired, melancholy father in his memory had not yet fully separated in his mind.

A faint smile finally appeared on The Lawson Family’s stern face, though it vanished in an instant.

From getting in the car until now, William Lawson had behaved properly throughout. Aside from a brief exchange with his father, he had remained silent, completely unlike the carefree youth he used to be.

It seemed that a few years of hardship in the countryside had had some effect.

“Oh, isn’t this William? My, my, you actually know to open the car door for your father now? Tsk tsk, truly unbelievable!”

Unexpectedly, this “attentive” gesture from William Lawson was noticed, and a voice with a hint of sarcasm rang out.

William Lawson looked up and saw a sharp, mean face.

This was his aunt, Alice Lawson.