Megan Lincoln only felt that the long-standing burden in her heart had suddenly been lifted, and the future looked bright. As long as her son made something of himself, with a family like theirs, what was there to worry about?

William Lawson's expression, however, was completely different from his parents'. His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was deep in thought.

Megan Lincoln couldn't help but ask, “William, what's wrong? Are you unhappy?”

“No, Mom... I’m just thinking about some things.”

William Lawson seemed to “wake up from a dream” and quickly replied.

Megan Lincoln couldn’t help but laugh, “At your age, what could you be thinking about? Worried about national affairs?”

William Lawson really was thinking about something. Although his performance today had earned the old man’s approval, he was still far from his goal. The most urgent matter was figuring out how to help Charles Lawson and his son avoid the impending political storm. If history continued along its set path, the old man would pass away in a few years, and if Charles Lawson couldn’t escape this political storm, the fate of the Liu family would still be worrisome.

Directly “predicting” to the old man, or discussing the rise and fall of top leaders, was definitely unwise and would never be accepted. But after several hours of thought, William Lawson already had a rough plan in mind. Whether it would work remained to be seen. But no matter what, William Lawson was determined to try.

If he did nothing, nothing would change.

Hearing his mother tease him, William Lawson just smiled and shook his head, not explaining, but instead turned to The Lawson Family, who was driving, and said, “Dad, do you have to go to work later?”

The Lawson Family said, “Yes, I do.”

“Oh.”

William Lawson responded, seeming a bit disappointed.

The Lawson Family was silent for a moment, then asked, “Do you need something?”

“Yeah. I have some ideas I’d like to report to you.”

William Lawson used standard “official language.” This was also a characteristic of families like theirs.

“Alright!”

The Lawson Family agreed without hesitation. As for whether this would delay him going to work, that didn’t matter. With his position and today being the old man’s eightieth birthday, no one would question whether he went to work or not. The Lawson Family said he was going to work, but really, there was nothing important to do at home anyway.

Megan Lincoln's smile grew even wider.

This was the first time in over twenty years that William Lawson had taken the initiative to “report” to his father.

Her son had really changed.

At the very least, he had become more sensible and polite.

When the car returned to the Capital Military District compound, Helen Lawson didn’t go inside. She greeted her parents, said she was going to chat with classmates, and ran off. She had taken a day off, after all, and it was rare to have free time.

The Lawson Family and Megan Lincoln didn’t mind. Now, all their attention was on their son.

Back at home, The Lawson Family sat grandly in the living room, while Megan Lincoln was about to pour some water. William Lawson smiled and said, “Mom, you sit down. I’ll make tea for Dad.”

Megan Lincoln and The Lawson Family exchanged a glance, both grinning from ear to ear. But after William Lawson turned away, Megan Lincoln looked at her husband, and a trace of worry flashed in her eyes.

The Lawson Family understood what his wife meant.

The truth was, William Lawson's change was too great and had come too suddenly. For a moment, it made Megan Lincoln develop new worries. As the saying goes, “Unusual attentiveness must mean something is up.” Could it be that William Lawson had gotten into trouble in the countryside and was now trying to win his parents’ favor to ask for help?

The Lawson Family nodded slightly, signaling his wife to stay calm and see what William Lawson had to say. To be honest, he had similar concerns.

When things are abnormal, there must be something wrong!

Soon, William Lawson brought tea for his parents and made a cup for himself, then sat down straight across from The Lawson Family, his back perfectly straight. The Lawson Family was a soldier and cared a lot about personal appearance. He used to often criticize William Lawson for not standing or sitting properly. Now, seeing his son’s upright posture, he felt a bit more pleased and approving.

“Dad, Mom, I’m sorry. I was immature before and always liked to go against you, making you worry a lot. It was all my fault, and I apologize.”

William Lawson didn’t hesitate much. As soon as he sat down, he spoke, and as soon as he spoke, he apologized, his expression very sincere.

Megan Lincoln was so happy she almost fainted. She glanced at The Lawson Family again, only to find her husband’s expression had turned stern. He looked sharply at William Lawson and said, “William Lawson, did you get into trouble?”

William Lawson was taken aback, then gave a wry smile.

It seemed the impression he’d left on his parents before was really too poor. Such a sudden change was hard for them to accept, and instead made them suspect he’d gotten into trouble and was now trying to curry favor and ask for help. He could only blame himself for being too unruly in the past.

“Dad, you’ve misunderstood. I haven’t gotten into trouble. After graduating last year, I was assigned to work at the Qīngfēng District Agricultural School. The conditions are a bit tough, but my colleagues are all very friendly and take good care of me. I’m doing quite well.”

William Lawson immediately replied seriously.

Megan Lincoln quickly said, “William, do you not want to stay in the countryside anymore? Do you want to transfer back to the capital?”

If he hadn’t gotten into trouble, then he must want something.

That was Megan Lincoln's line of thinking.