After a short while, people from the government compound next door also arrived: Ryan Warren, Ben Rowe, and of course, Charles Sun. These were all close friends of Charles Sun, and naturally, they didn’t get along with Shawn Hughes and his group. But at this moment, it was already clear how privileged their backgrounds were. The three of them were all well-dressed, and the way they spoke showed they were worldly and experienced. For example, Ryan Warren wore a pair of silver-rimmed glasses, looking every bit the top student; Ben Rowe was tall, dressed in basketball gear, exuding an athletic vibe and drawing plenty of attention. In terms of looks, Charles Sun was indeed the best among the three, though his eyes occasionally revealed a certain arrogance.

　　Evelyn Lee came out of the kitchen and said, “Charles Sun, thank you for helping me with my computer last time. You fixed it so easily—reinstalled the system, right? Watching you operate, it was all Greek to me!”

　　At that time, a computer could easily cost over ten thousand yuan, and families who owned one were few and far between, making it something to be envied. Computers were expensive, and those who knew how to use them seemed all the more impressive—at the very least, the air of mystery set them apart. In Evelyn Lee’s words, Charles Sun could even repair computers. Everyone knew that the endless list of DOS commands was enough to baffle any layperson, so it was no wonder Evelyn Lee was so impressed.

　　Charles Sun replied casually, “My family has already replaced two computers. Installing systems, repairing and replacing hardware—these are just everyday things for me!”

　　Not only did his family have computers, they’d already replaced two, and he even knew computer tech. Some of the girls started looking at him differently.

　　With the arrival of the three, the atmosphere changed again. Actually, among the girls in the Huadong Company compound, there were some delicate ones, like Evelyn Lee, and some with a heroic air, like Bella Yale; overall, their qualities were quite good. Especially Summer Young, who was the class beauty of Class Four. For Charles Sun and his friends, it was like a fish in water. Plus, they were eloquent, sharing their travel experiences and telling jokes that had the girls laughing out loud.

　　This inevitably made the girls in the company compound compare subconsciously. By comparison, the boys from their own workplace, whether in dress or outlook, simply couldn’t match up to Charles Sun and the others from the government compound. For the first time, they seemed to sense a certain difference in social standing.

　　In this environment, the boys from the compound—Shawn Hughes, Max Bolton, Don Shaw, and a few others—became even more silent.

　　The door to Evelyn Lee’s house was open, and a figure in red soon appeared there.

　　When Rose Grant poked her head in from outside, her two shoulder-length curls bouncing, and after confirming the place, walked in, everyone’s spirits were instantly lifted.

　　“This is the place…” Rose Grant blinked her bright eyes, then spotted Evelyn Lee among the crowd, as well as some familiar faces like Summer Young and Shawn Hughes. She pressed her hands together in front of her red dress in a gesture of apology, glanced at the clock hanging in the hall, and asked, “Am I late?”

　　In fact, Rose Grant was five minutes early compared to the six o’clock time Evelyn Lee had mentioned. She just didn’t realize everyone had arrived so early, mostly because of her.

　　“No, no, you’re right on time!” Evelyn Lee greeted her with a smile.

　　At this moment, Evelyn Lee’s parents, who had just finished preparing a big table of food in the kitchen, also came out. John Lee didn’t say anything, but Evelyn Lee’s mother, Lynn Bolton, smiled and said, “I’ve got all the food ready for you… Oh! Is that little Jiang? My, I haven’t seen you in so long, and you’ve gotten even prettier! People say girls change a lot as they grow up, but you really haven’t changed much at all—you’ve always been this beautiful!”

　　A group of kids from the compound who knew Lynn Bolton well were all stunned. You had to know, Lynn Bolton was no ordinary person. She used to be a Chinese teacher at City No. 5 Middle School, then moved to the Education Bureau’s Teaching and Research Institute as the head of the elementary school research office, with deep expertise in the humanities and a member of the provincial writers’ association. She herself had short curly hair, thick glasses like the bottom of a beer bottle, and narrow eyes behind them. Plus, with her former teacher’s aura, she commanded respect without even trying. At work, she was quite imposing, and John Lee’s company, started after he left his job, also benefited from her connections—otherwise, things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly. Among all the aunties at work, the kids feared Lynn Bolton the most.

　　But now, Lynn Bolton was nothing like her usual self—she was all warmth and kindness. Charles Sun even said to Evelyn Lee at just the right moment, “Your mom is really gentle…” Only to realize that a group of people from the compound were staring at him like he was an alien.

　　Charles Sun shrugged and mumbled, “Well, I’m not wrong, am I?”

　　John Lee had already gone to get his coat, and after Evelyn Lee finished chatting with Rose Grant, she smiled at everyone and said, “We’re heading out for a bit. You all have fun today!”

　　Rose Grant glanced at the food on the table, which wasn’t steaming hot and fresh from the kitchen, and asked, “Uncle, Auntie, aren’t you joining us?”

　　“No, no! This is your gathering, and we’ve made plans with friends too. Rose, you have to spend some quality time with our Evelyn Lee today—you haven’t been to our house in ages!”

　　Rose Grant smiled, “Alright.”