But as much as he wanted to, William Carter didn’t embarrass David Wright in front of everyone. He just said, “Let’s just drop it. You don’t know—today in the third-floor office, Qilixiang singled me out for a scolding. I think that kid is her precious darling now, so let’s not stir up trouble.”

David Wright was unwilling to let it go, shooting William Carter a sideways look and deliberately trying to rile him up: “Qilixiang? That old hag isn’t worth a damn—seriously, bro, if you can put up with this, you’ve got a hell of a temper.”

William Carter’s expression darkened.

He could tell that David Wright just wanted to pick a fight and needed an excuse, so he was using him as a pretext. He really did dislike Dou Xun, but that was a separate issue. William Carter had no intention of being used as a pawn by a bunch of bored boarders looking for trouble. Besides, even if he did want to deal with Dou Xun, would he really need someone else to fight his battles?

“I can’t handle that punk myself, so I have to go crying for outside help?” William Carter glanced at David Wright with a half-smile, “Tao, I’m always good to you, and this is how you mess with me?”

He said it in a joking tone, but there was a subtle edge to his words. He left both of them a way out, but it was still clear he was a little annoyed.

David Wright’s face changed, and the other boys nearby exchanged glances and fell silent.

But then William Carter stood up, casually slung an arm around David Wright’s neck, and smoothed things over himself: “It’s the weekend, why bring up people who kill the mood—my mom just got back from a business trip down south this week and brought some fruit. You want mango or mangosteen?”

David Wright was still feeling pretty sour, but since William Carter had offered him a way out, he weighed it in his mind and decided it wasn’t worth causing a rift over something so minor. So, lowering his eyes and acting a bit sheepish, he took the out: “…Mango, I guess. Mangosteen’s a hassle.”

“Alright, I’ll bring a box to your dorm on Monday,” William Carter ruffled David Wright’s short hair, “Wash it and wait for me on your bed.”

David Wright cursed under his breath, “Damn it, my hair!”

And just like that, the matter was settled between them.

Even though he’d gotten into a fight during the day and had a minor spat with David Wright that night, William Carter was still in a great mood heading home on Friday—because his mom was back from her business trip.

William Carter actually took his mother’s surname. At home, there was his mom, his grandma, Aunt Du, and a dog named Doudou. Other than himself, everyone in the family—including the dog—was female.

His parents had split up a long time ago. As for why, his mom never really explained, just brushed it off with, “Your dad didn’t want to live with us anymore.”

“Father” disappeared from William Carter’s life before he had any clear memories.

Back then, “divorce” was still something that could stir up the whole neighborhood. William Carter remembered that there were plenty of expert-level gossips in their old community who loved to pat his dog’s head and spout “sympathetic” remarks about their family—this was when he was about three or four. Kids that age don’t remember much, and William Carter couldn’t even recall what his own dad looked like, but for some reason, he remembered those people’s faces and the things they said.

He didn’t understand the words at the time, but the malice behind them didn’t need brains to decipher—you could smell it in the air.

Once, his mom overheard some of the gossip. She marched right up in her eight-centimeter heels and, without a single curse word or repetition, verbally demolished the whole group of aunties—a legendary one-against-many showdown.

His mom’s original name was “Emily Carter,” but after the divorce, she changed it to “James Carter.” She used to be a lawyer.

She was of average height and had a strong personality. After that victorious battle of words, she simply left her “baggage” kid with her own mother, quit her law firm, and dove into the business world.

Ms. James Carter had long since seen through it all: kids without dads aren’t looked down on—kids with poor dads are.

After quitting, she used her years of connections to gather a team of professionals from various fields and started her own company, specializing in legal consulting and solutions for cross-border mergers and acquisitions. She spent her days jetting around the world.

As the company did better, their family’s situation improved too. They moved out of that old, shabby neighborhood with “three rats and four eyes.” Now, their home environment was great, the neighbors were polite and knew how to keep their distance, and William Carter never had to deal with anyone’s judgmental stares again.

For William Carter, his grandma—who raised him—was the dearest and most doting person in his life, but kids naturally admire strength, and the decisive, go-getter James Carter had an even deeper influence on him.

When William Carter got home, James Carter had just finished a phone call and waved him over.

William Carter: “What’s up, beautiful?”

“Got something to tell you…” James Carter got a good look at his face, paused, and pinched his chin. “What happened here, got into a fight?”

“Ow, Mom, your nails are way too sharp!” William Carter complained. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it all sorted. Qilixiang won’t bother you… ow!”

James Carter pressed hard on the bruise on his chin: “If I hear you giving teachers nicknames again, I’ll…”

William Carter shook his head and wagged his tail at her with a mischievous grin: “Hit me, huh?”