Although Evan's bank account balance was enough to keep him comfortably for the rest of his life, the money wasn't really his, and spending it didn't feel satisfying. So one day, when Uncle John returned home, he saw a large iron pot sitting in the garden.
It was a big, black iron pot, about a meter in diameter.
"Young Master, do you need any help?" Uncle John asked.
Evan was in the kitchen kneading dough. When he saw Uncle John, he happily said, "Uncle John, I'm about to fry some dough sticks. Could you try them and tell me if they taste good?"
"Fry dough sticks?" Uncle John hesitated for a moment before responding, "If you want dough sticks, you can ask the chef to make them for you." He then stopped the maid who was cleaning the coffee table in the living room and asked, "Where's the chef? Why is the young master doing this himself?"
"I told him to take a break," Evan replied, still kneading the dough. "I want to do it myself, so don't blame him."
"But frying dough sticks is a dangerous job! What if you burn yourself?"
"I'm an adult now. I won't get burned."
Evan continued kneading the dough seriously, some white flour inevitably fell onto his deep green apron, which even had the "XXX Beer" logo on it. His hair was damp with sweat, and his face turned a bit red from the effort.
But he seemed genuinely happy, the corners of his mouth curving up unconsciously, and his whole demeanor appeared calm and obedient.
Uncle John, impressed by how well-behaved Evan had been recently, was startled when Evan bent down and picked up a 30-kilogram bucket of cooking oil, tipping it into the pot. "Young Master, this…"
"Mm? What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
The next morning, Evan's breakfast stall officially opened at the entrance to the park in the neighborhood. In addition to the fried dough sticks, the menu included freshly squeezed soy milk, hot soup dumplings, soft and thick millet porridge, and white sugar dumplings. After receiving rave reviews from his family, the housekeeper, and the chef, Evan confidently loaded up his three-wheeled cart from an online auction and set up shop at the park entrance.
The neighborhood's security guards dared not stop him. This young master usually drove luxury cars worth millions with a personal driver. Now they just stood at the security booth, eyeing his breakfast stall.
"What would you like, bro?"
Evan waved at the security guard, greeting him warmly, "Freshly fried dough sticks, they're really fragrant."
"No, no, thanks," the guard quickly waved his hand.
"Three bucks for two," Evan offered. "The soy milk was freshly made this morning."
The young guard swallowed his saliva and patted his pocket. "Three bucks for two? Alright, I'll take some."
Evan's first sale of the day—five bucks—made him grin as he stuffed the money into the small pocket of his apron, packed up two golden, crispy dough sticks, and gave him a cup of soy milk. "Come back for more when you're done!"
On the other side of the park, a black Maybach was parked by the roadside. Theo sat in the backseat, tapping on the car window. "Isn't that Evan? Hane's little brother."
Theo's younger brother, Yeon, had just been scolded by their father for barely passing his Level 6 exam. Now, in the car, he dared not slack off and was reviewing his vocabulary on a tablet. He looked up briefly and said, "Yeah, that's him."
"What's he doing? Did your school give you a social practice assignment?" Theo asked suspiciously. "Are financial students supposed to be frying dough sticks at a neighborhood entrance?"
"No homework," Yeon replied, putting down the tablet and looking out the window. "Maybe he's feeling down after I rejected him and is trying to take revenge by poisoning his dough sticks."
"After a whole morning with no sales, who's he going to poison?"
Theo raised an eyebrow.
The car drove away quietly, and Evan, unaware of their presence, sat idly in his plastic chair, waiting for customers. But Theo was right; Evan hadn't made much money today. He had only sold a few portions, and most of the food was pushed back home in his cart. Uncle John could tell from Evan's dejected expression that he had probably faced a setback.
"No one came to buy my breakfast," Evan said, sitting on the sofa, feeling down. "I must've missed something. It seems like not many people in this neighborhood need to go out for breakfast."
The upscale villas in this area housed important people who all had chefs and nutritionists to prepare their meals. It wasn't like his street stall could compete with that. Those chefs and housekeepers took care of breakfast for the families, so it was rare for anyone to buy breakfast on the way out.
Uncle John, listening nearby, asked what they were having for lunch. "I bought some black truffles today."
"Just heat up the stuff I made this morning, and we can eat that. It's a waste to throw it away," Evan replied, hugging a pillow with little enthusiasm.
"What about the boxes of paper in the garage? Do you need help cleaning them out?"
"No, I'm keeping those. I picked them up to sell for money."
Uncle John was speechless.
Well, the rich had their special hobbies, and as a butler, he had no right to interfere.
Thanks to Evan, everyone in the household, including the housekeeper, chef, and drivers, got to enjoy his homemade millet porridge and dumplings for lunch. Fang, the housekeeper, even praised Evan's cooking. Evan scratched his head, his ears turning red.
After finishing the last dumpling, Evan rubbed his full stomach and returned to his room. He pulled out his phone, opened the comment section, and began browsing while chatting with the system.
"Those two are just one step away," Evan said. "Yeon's situation is already well-known, so how come Senso Clark hasn't figured it out?"
[Straightforward.]
Yeon had come out to his family with great fanfare, making it known to the entire upper class, and now everyone was waiting for his misfortune. Yet, Theo's family acted as if nothing had happened, except for their strong opposition to his relationship with Senso Clark.
The guy was definitely the kind of meddler in a drama who breaks up couples.
[You've been absent for several chapters. Don't you want to come back?]
"Huh? Why would I go back and ask for trouble?" Evan rolled over in bed. "The readers are finally starting to forget about me. Why would I go back and bother them?"
[Look at the comment section.]
"What's going on?"
Evan casually opened the comments section and started scrolling down.
155L: "Is Evan off the line now? Did he leave? Is he really gone?"
156L: "No way, the author invested so much in his character. Are we really just getting him as a side note?"
157L: "I can't stand him coming back and annoying me."
158L: "Is this his ending? Just going to stay as the young master? There are so many unresolved plots, surely they won't just leave it hanging."
160L: "Yeah, the dad and older brother seem like good people, but Evan doesn't fit in at all. Why does he seem so out of place with this family?"
161L: "Don't let this be a big letdown, I won't sleep tonight if it is."
162L: "Relax, relax. Judging by all the hints, Evan's character definitely won't just disappear. Even a small role like him has to help the main characters grow."
Evan: "..."
Can't I just be a happy little side character? Why is everyone treating me like this?
[Ding! Congratulations, host! You've triggered a new task—The Rise of the Side Character: Push the main character's storyline forward and increase the original character's redemption score. Task 1: Please go to Main Character One's location, improve your side character level, and add complexity to your character.]
"So you want me to go in front of him and make him notice I'm a complex person?"
[Yes.]
"And if I refuse?"
[You'll get electrocuted, darling~]
Evan: "..."
Damn it.
Evan didn't think he had any big ambitions. He just wanted to have a peaceful home and live his small life. He had no desire to get involved in the high-profile, elite world of the main characters, where gods fought gods. He preferred to stay far away, afraid that even a spark would burn him.
However, if he rejected the mission, life would become unbearable.
As the sun set, painting the sky in fiery red hues, Evan, wearing a black mask and a black cap, sneaked into the underground parking garage of the Sinclair Corporation Headquarters.
[Host, you look like you're here to steal someone's car tires.]
"You don't understand," Evan cursed, "I promised Hane I wouldn't bother Theo anymore, but just a few days later, the truth came out. If he knows, he might skin me alive."
Following his instincts and the hints given by the system, Evan found himself by Theo's car. He circled around it, pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, and tried to slip it into the gap of the car window.
It didn't fit. He tried for a while, but the door and window frame were so tight that not even air could pass through.
Of course, it was a Maybach, far different from his own little convertible tricycle. Evan felt a bit frustrated and walked around the car again. He squatted by the passenger side and used a keychain to pry open the gap in the door, attempting to force the paper inside.
[Host, what if you scratch the car? Wouldn't you have to pay for it?]
"I'll be careful," Evan muttered as he slowly pushed the paper in, ignoring the sounds above him. Just as he was about to pull the paper to see if it had stayed in place, the window slowly rolled down, revealing a man with a face full of tough, menacing features, complete with a long scar snaking down his side face.
Evan looked up and locked eyes with him.
The man looked down from his higher position, his head half-bald, with dark tattoos covering one side. The other half of his head shone brightly.
Evan swallowed and forced a dry smile, "Good evening, bro... Have you eaten?"
When Theo received a message from the security guard, he had just exited the elevator with Yeon. Looking up, he saw a bodyguard grabbing a young man, looking confused. He walked over and asked, "What's going on?"
The bald bodyguard responded, "Boss, this guy was about to slash your car tires."
"I wasn't!" Evan quickly defended himself.
The moment Yeon heard the voice, he recognized it and shouted angrily, "Evan? Are you shameless? You won't dare to mess with my brother, so you sneak around trying to slash his tires? What kind of thug tactics did you learn?"
"I wasn't trying to slash the tires," Evan struggled to explain, flailing as he was grabbed by the collar. "I came to deliver a letter!"
"A letter?" Theo finally spoke up, his tone cold. "What letter?"
"This…" Evan's ears turned red as he nervously avoided Theo's gaze. "It's just a letter."
"Your brother told me you wouldn't bother Yeon again, so what are you doing now? Evan, you should learn to respect yourself."
Who's not respecting themselves here? You think I want to deal with you people? Evan thought to himself, lowering his head in frustration. The small whorl on top of his head aligned with Theo's gaze. "The letter's delivered. I'll leave now."
"Hold on."
Theo called after him, "Take your love letter with you."
"It's not a love letter," Evan said, slightly annoyed. "Really, how could I write him a love letter? I'm not cultured enough."
"Then what is this?"
"Uh… a divorce letter?"
"Who the hell are you divorcing?" Theo's face turned red. "Evan, have some shame!"
Hearing his brother curse, Theo shot him a disapproving glance but said nothing. He then addressed Evan, "Whatever this letter is, just take it."
Evan wrinkled his eyebrows as he pulled the letter out from the car's window gap. "I've been copying this for an afternoon."
Theo gave Yeon a look, then without waiting, got into the car himself.
Theo: Your emotional drama, you handle it yourself. Don't always come to me. Do I look that idle?
Yeon: Got it.
"I'll leave now if there's nothing else," Yeon hurriedly said, trying to escape the awkwardness.
"Wait, look at my letter. Does it pass?"
"I'll take a look… no, I won't. Evan, there's no future between us. Stop bothering me. It's for the best for both of us."
"I'm really not here to bother you!" Evan pleaded. "Just give me five minutes! Just five minutes!"
"Fine, but hurry up. I've got things to do."
Yeon didn't really want to deal with Evan. After all, Evan was the child of Uncle Well and Aunt Jane, and yet he was so shameless. If he had even a shred of dignity, he wouldn't be sneaking into a parking garage to stuff a love letter.
Evan, seemingly unaware of Yeon's disapproving gaze, stood straight and with great seriousness began to read aloud the letter he had brought.
"Dear Mr. Yeon,
Hello…"
Yeon's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly felt like he'd made a very wrong decision today.
"When you read this letter, I've completely let go of you! I apologize for the harassment over these past years and promise that I will never make the same mistake again."
"But I still thank you for appearing in my youth. Do you remember? We first met when I was twelve at my birthday party. You were so cute, beautiful, and kind, like a little fairy. Your big eyes, cherry-like lips, and seaweed-like hair stayed in my memory all these years...Beautiful miss Mari….Mr. Yeon, please allow me to show my love towards you…"
"Did you copy this love letter off the internet?!" Yeon shouted, his face turning red. "You copied a love letter and even left the name on it!"
"Don't mind the details… please forgive the younger me, who was naive and uncertain. I had some inappropriate thoughts towards you. I admit, over these years, everything I did was agonizing for me and torturous for you. It was unbearable for both of us…"
Yeon wanted to cover Evan's mouth, "Stop…!"
Why is Evan reading the love letter, but it's him who's embarrassed?
"In my heart, you are my white moonlight. But I know the moon doesn't just shine on me. You deserve your own love and happiness. Last night, I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep! I finally made the difficult decision to let you go. Mr. Yeon, please, be happy. White moonlight, somewhere in my heart…"
"Evan."
Yeon covered his tomato-red face, "Doesn't your family feel ashamed?"
"Of course not! As long as I don't tell anyone, who will know it's me? You get it, right, Mr. Yeon~"
"Shut up, just go. Don't show up in front of me again. It's so embarrassing."
Evan felt relieved as the task was successfully completed. Before he left, he patted Yeon's shoulder, "Mr. Yeon, I'm really a complex person."
Yeon's expression was even more complicated than Evan's. "Yeah, I can tell."
Evan was truly a master of the awkward literature genre.
Evan walked away gracefully, his mission completed. As he left, the song lingered in the air:
"White moonlight… somewhere in my heart…"
Yeon stood there, aged by ten years in those five minutes.
Well, that's quite something.
Yeon was full of mixed emotions. He turned around and opened the car door, ready to get in, when he saw his older brother sitting in the backseat, pretending to be serious while flipping through documents on a tablet. However, the smile in his eyes hadn't quite disappeared.
"Bro, were you just secretly laughing in the car?"
"No."
"Your eyes are almost tearing up from laughing!"
"It was a bit windy just now," Theo patted the seat beside him. By the end, the smile was no longer under control. "Come on, get in the car. Let's go home, Mr. Yeon, hahaha."
Yeon: "..."
Ah!!!!!!!