Nighttime.
Uncle Zach, as usual, worked overtime until ten. William sat on the couch with Aunt Lisa, watching variety shows for about two hours.
"Yo, what are you watching?" Uncle Zach casually tossed his jacket onto a chair and sat at the end of the couch.
"Just whatever," Aunt Lisa replied.
"Oh." Uncle Zach glanced at the TV, but it was clear his mind was elsewhere.
William could tell something was bothering him and was about to get up and leave.
Just then, Uncle Zach suddenly spoke. "William, you've been staying with us for what, two or three months now?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Aunt Lisa instantly became defensive, like a mother hen protecting her chick.
Uncle Zach gave a bitter smile. "Your family must be missing you, right?"
William got the message—he was being asked to leave.
"Zach, you…" Aunt Lisa took a deep breath and calmed herself. "What's going on?"
Uncle Zach let out a sigh. "I'm planning to quit my job."
"Quit?" Aunt Lisa didn't look too surprised, but her brows furrowed. "Are you sure about this?"
Uncle Zach nodded. "I want to give it one more shot."
William felt like this wasn't something he should be involved in. After all, it was their family business. Sitting there eavesdropping didn't feel right.
"I'll head back to my room."
Aunt Lisa glanced at him. "Okay."
Lying on the bed, William wasn't in the mood for games. He just stared blankly at the ceiling, his mind completely empty.
From time to time, voices from the living room drifted into the room. They were talking about things like "quitting a job," "going back home," and "starting a business again."
The conversation between the two was heated. Aunt Lisa thought their life was already stable and there was no need to take such a risk. She suggested that Uncle Zach could work fewer overtime hours to reduce his stress, and she would try to take on a few more classes to help keep things steady.
But Uncle Zach said it wasn't about overtime. The job simply no longer gave him any passion. He just couldn't keep going.
William had thought about this too. Living a repetitive life with no change in sight made everything feel hopeless. But to survive, you had to accept it. Change takes courage, but even more, it takes facing reality. If Uncle Zach quit and couldn't find a new job or failed at starting a business, it'd be hard for the family to return to the way things were.
As they talked, the conversation eventually shifted to William.
Aunt Lisa mentioned that William was planning to leave and even brought out the gift she had prepared. She used this chance to criticize Uncle Zach for being too impatient. She said that if he could just wait a little longer sometimes, things would work out much more smoothly.
A while later, Uncle Zach came to knock on William's door.
"William, are you asleep?"
"Not yet."
"Can I come in?"
"Sure."
Uncle Zach pulled up a chair and sat down. His face was full of guilt. "I'm sorry. I… I acted on impulse. Don't learn from me. Some things you really have to think through. Don't make decisions just because you're emotional. I mean, you don't have a job yet, and your income isn't stable. How are you going to live alone if you move out? Just stay with us a bit longer. I'll think of something."
"Thanks. I've really enjoyed living here. But you both have your own life—I can't keep bothering you."
"We're all family. Lisa and I have always seen you like our own son." Uncle Zach spoke from the heart. He wasn't joking.
William gave a small smile, walked over, and hugged him. "Really… thank you."
That night, someone was bound to have trouble falling asleep.
00:00
William's muscle memory woke him up in the middle of the night. Every night at midnight, his traffic would convert into money. He was really looking forward to seeing today's numbers.
"A transfer has been made to your account ending in (xxxx), with an income of 539.227 dollar"
More than 500K?! William quickly entered his private dashboard. Aside from the steady growth of Piano Tiles and 2048, Classical Poetry Crossword had suddenly taken off.
Classical Poetry Crossword downloads: 24,000,932
He searched for news about Classical Poetry Crossword and found out that primary and middle schools had started promoting it. All students were required to download the app and use it for practice at home. This was huge!
That night, someone was bound to have trouble falling asleep.
The next morning, Cynthia brought more good news and asked to meet William at noon.
"Where's Jenny?"
William came out for breakfast like usual, but the usual busy morning scene was gone. Only Aunt Lisa was sitting at the table quietly sipping her porridge.
Without looking up, Aunt Lisa said, "His dad took him to Grandma's house."
Uncle Zach's hometown was in a small town near Riverdale, surrounded by mountains and water. The scenery was nice—William had seen photos before.
"He's probably just been under a lot of pressure lately."
"I know."
"When I first met him, I already knew what kind of person he was. Back then, I was drawn to his personality too. But after we had Jenny, life changed. I thought he wouldn't go back to the way he used to be."
"I hope things go well for you two."
William didn't know what to say to comfort Aunt Lisa. After all, he hadn't been through something like that himself. Some things are just too complicated to explain in a few words.
"I hope so too."
After breakfast, William got ready to check out some properties for his studio.
When Aunt Lisa heard he was planning to rent a place, she offered to go with him, worried he might get taken advantage of.
They first looked at two old-style apartment buildings. Each was about 60 square meters, with two bedrooms and a living room. Very cramped, and they barely got any sunlight all year.
William had a few clear requirements for the studio location: the rooms needed to be open and bright, it had to be easy to get to, and basic infrastructure had to be solid.
Ideally, it would be inside a tech park or an office building. But since Aunt Lisa was with him, he didn't want to say too much. So after leaving a few contact numbers, they planned to follow up with the agents later.
"Look at those places—do you really think moving out is necessary?" Aunt Lisa pointed at some pictures on her phone that she took during their visits.
"I can't keep bothering you all."
"We don't mind. And what about Jenny?"
"I'll still come by often."
Seeing that William had made up his mind, Aunt Lisa didn't press any further.
"Let's go, want to keep looking?"
"No, you head back. I have a meeting around noon."
"Another meeting?" Aunt Lisa frowned. "Who are you meeting all the time? Don't tell me… you're dating someone?"
"Do you still remember Earth Games?" William completely ignored her last question. "I signed a contract with them. I work for them now."
"What did you say?!" Aunt Lisa jumped out of her seat.
William noticed the strange looks from people around them and quickly said, "They're actually pretty nice. They gave me a big chunk of money."
"They better be," Aunt Lisa said, frowning as she sat back down. "Show me. How much?"
"A few hundred thousands." William didn't pull out the bank record but didn't try to hide it either.
"A few hundred thousands?" Aunt Lisa's eyes widened, and she started breathing faster. "Are you sure you read it right?"
"Of course." William laughed. "How could I mess up counting money?"
"No wonder you're in such a rush to move out—you hit the jackpot."
It was obvious Aunt Lisa was genuinely happy for William.
"I was actually planning to get you guys an even more expensive gift."
Aunt Lisa gave him a sharp look. "That's your money—it has nothing to do with us. Besides, what you've already given is very generous. No need to give more."
"Thank you both for taking care of me all this time."
"William, look at me." Aunt Lisa leaned in a little. "One day you're going to be really well-known. You'll be surrounded by all kinds of people—some with their own agendas. But don't try to guess what they're thinking. Just hold on to the kindness in your heart. Even if you get hurt because of it, as long as you have a clear conscience, things will always lean in your favor."
"I'll remember that."
"Keep it up. I'll always have your back!"
"Thanks."