Chapter 7: A New Mission

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“I’m telling you, your father and I both disagree with you taking the art entrance exam!” At the dinner table, Chen Jin’s mother, Su Wanyu, held her bowl firmly, picking up food while speaking with unwavering resolve.

Assuming the air of an empress dowager, this was undoubtedly an ultimatum.

Old Chen held his rice bowl, feeling uneasy. But since his wife had spoken, he couldn’t possibly contradict her. Clearing his throat softly, he said, “Mm, listen to your mother. Focus on improving your English grades; don’t worry about anything else.”

In the past, Chen Jin would have argued back several times, but in the next instant, he recalled his “future biopic” self.

That version of him had quarreled fiercely with his mother, then sneaked out to the second floor in secret, sealing his miserable fate.

So now, Chen Jin decided to change tactics and avoid angering Su Wanyu. He nodded obediently, “Okay, Mom.”

“Hm?”

This sudden change threw Su Wanyu off balance.

What’s going on?

She had prepared a whole series of rebuttals—how difficult the art exam was, how she’d already asked around—but unexpectedly, her son was acting so compliant.

Ding!

While eating, Chen Jin observed his old system.

Suddenly, a virtual interface popped up with a line of text.

【Congratulations, Host! Your dialogue skills have upgraded to ‘Proficient’!】

【Dialogue Skills】: Proficient (10/100)

Note: Proficient — mastery of voice tone and intonation, clear lines, and rhythmic pacing!

...

“That upgraded so fast?”

“I didn’t even do anything!”

Chen Jin exclaimed, but then a vast stream of information about dialogue skills flooded his mind.

His eyes caught the previous reward prompts on the virtual panel.

【Accompany elders for 20 minutes, Dialogue Skills +1!】

Half an hour, Dialogue Skills +1!

One hour, Dialogue Skills +2!

Two hours, Dialogue Skills +2!

“So if I keep accompanying them, does that mean I can keep leveling up?”

Chen Jin chuckled.

So that was the key to upgrading. However, the longer you stayed, the harder it became to gain rewards.

At first, even one minute would increase the skill; now it only happened once every hour, and presumably, the intervals would grow longer yet.

But the longer the time, the more dialogue points earned.

【New Task】

Just as Chen Jin wanted to test his newly acquired proficient dialogue skill, a large question mark appeared on the virtual panel.

【Aging parents truly wish for your company, but after years apart, beneath the joy lies an unresolved emotional rift from the past!】

【Task】: Attempt to dissolve the emotional barrier between you and your parents after so many years of separation.

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“Barrier my foot! There’s no rift between me and my parents.”

“There’s only natural bloodline dominance, okay?”

Chen Jin read the task, understood the words, but was utterly confused.

“Isn’t this system glitching now?”

“This clearly targets me after age 38. How do I resolve a 38-year-old’s emotional knot when I’m only 18...?”

It’s impossible, completely out of reach.

How is this task supposed to be completed?

Chen Jin was momentarily at a loss. If he failed this task, wouldn’t it be game over?

“I’m telling you, the system at 38 is tough; at 18, it’s impossible!”

Just at the beginning, this task was already making Chen Jin a little depressed.

But in the next moment, he miraculously realized the task was already 50% complete!

What the—50% done instantly?!

“Am I seeing things?”

“I haven’t even done anything, yet it’s half done—”

Before his thoughts finished, the realization hit him.

Dad!

There’s no rift between him and his father, so half the task was already done. As for Mom... the problem wasn’t an emotional rift either!

It was because of the art entrance exam.

Originally, Chen Jin and Su Wanyu had a warm mother-and-son relationship.

“In other words, if I can get Mom to agree to me taking the art exam, this task might be considered complete!”

“Probably so!”

Chen Jin guessed, quietly eating. This silent behavior looked strange to Chen Xianqi sitting beside him.

He kept glancing at his wife, signaling her with his eyes.

Something was off!

Though talking during meals was forbidden, Chen Jin’s lively personality seldom made him so quiet.

Old Chen was worried about his son’s true mental state.

Smack!

Su Wanyu gave him a kick under the table, signaling with her eyes to mind his own business.

Chen Xianqi had no choice but to eat in silence, making the entire dinner table atmosphere strangely tense, even eerily quiet.

“I’m done eating!”

Chen Jin finished his meal in just a few bites, his voice as pleasant as ever.

“You didn’t even try the braised pork your mother made—”

“I’m going to memorize vocabulary now!”

Chen Xianqi wanted Chen Jin to eat more meat, but Su Wanyu shot him a sharp look, and Chen Jin pretended not to notice. He stood and headed upstairs.

If he wanted to remove the “barrier” in his mother’s heart, reciting English vocabulary would surely please her.

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Coincidentally, he hadn’t completed his daily task today.

Using his dialogue skills to recite aloud would be killing two birds with one stone.

Thinking this, Chen Jin felt rather clever.

He deliberately left his bedroom door open, took out his English textbook, warmed up his voice as usual, drank some warm water to soothe his throat, and then loudly and skillfully began reciting English.

Downstairs, Chen Xianqi and Su Wanyu clearly heard him.

“Well, well, the boy’s got some awareness!”

Chen Xianqi was stunned.

In all his days coming home after work, this was the first time he heard Chen Jin voluntarily reciting vocabulary aloud.

Previously, after meals, Chen Jin rarely showed such diligence. If he said he was studying vocabulary, sometimes Chen Xianqi peeked in to find him watching e-books on his MP4 player.

Chen Xianqi turned a blind eye, and Su Wanyu had also noticed this many times.

Chen Jin didn’t own a computer or phone, and the MP4 was borrowed from a classmate and had to be returned, so Su Wanyu couldn’t confiscate it.

Thus, loud recitation had never happened in the Chen household before.

Chen Xianqi was genuinely surprised.

Beside him, Su Wanyu listened attentively but muttered, “Putting on a show is the only thing he’s good at. If he can keep this up for three days, I’ll take his surname!”

“Heh, I believe that!”

Chen Xianqi chuckled.

Su Wanyu snapped, “He’s faking it, just trying to get me to agree to the art exam!”

“No way!”

“Chen Xianqi, I’m telling you this time, you have to stand with me!”

“Yes, madam!”

Chen Xianqi promised without hesitation.

“Can you be serious? Your son’s come this far because you never gave him any discipline. When he was little, you secretly let him watch cartoons and movies, and now look—English score of 30, last in the class!”

“...”

Seeing Su Wanyu about to start nagging, Chen Xianqi quickly raised his hands in surrender.

“Alright, alright, I’m definitely on your side this time. No matter what, he’s not going to take the art exam!”

“But honey, listen to how well he’s pronouncing those English words, so clear and precise!”

“You’d think we had a translator in the house.”

“Chen! Xian! Qi!”

Su Wanyu shouted, “Are you even listening to me?”

“Of course, I’m listening!”

Chen Xianqi perked up and grinned, “But yes, his English pronunciation is really good!”

Bang!

Su Wanyu’s mouth moved twice, but unable to hold back any longer, she just reached out and gave him a slap!