Surprise Party (Please Vote!)

Chapter 43: Surprise Party (Please Vote!)

New Jersey.

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Under teenage Leonard's reluctant gaze, Adam started the pickup and left New Jersey.

Honestly!

Leonard really was a decent guy.

After spending only a short time together, Adam had personally experienced how that impression, once merely a character setting from a TV show, had stepped into reality.

After driving for a while, Adam, still deeply moved, circled back. He secretly sought out Jimmy the bully and had a good talk with him, reinforcing the idea that Leonard had a ruthless friend and shouldn't be messed with.

Only then did he drive away again.

Texas.

Galveston County.

Duncan's Home.

"Surprised? Didn't see that coming?"

The moment Adam pushed open the door, a crowd of people suddenly jumped out. Holding a banner that read "Welcome Columbia University Student Adam Duncan Home," they shouted in unison.

"Wow!"

Adam responded with exaggerated enthusiasm.

In truth, he had already guessed there would be a surprise party like this.

It couldn't be helped. This was the country of parties—the kind where people would throw a party even during the apocalypse.

Naturally, Adam had called home the moment he received news that he had passed Columbia University's interview.

Columbia University was a genuine elite school. Adam getting in was absolutely a major event that brought great honor to the Duncan Family.

The three-day gap had also been enough time for the family to prepare a grand party.

All the Duncan Family's relatives and friends had come.

In fact, it was much like the huge banquets held for guests in East Country after the college entrance exams.

"Come here, let me hug you!"

His mother Amy was beside herself with excitement. She stepped forward and gave him a warm hug, chattering away as she did. "When you were little, Bob was holding you and dropped you straight onto the ground. We all thought you'd never get into college in this lifetime. Who would've thought my PJ would get into Columbia University? Thank God!"

In her excitement, she forgot that Adam had changed his name and directly called him by the original owner's name. After all, they had called him PJ for more than a decade.

"Ahem."

His father Bob coughed awkwardly beside them.

Dropping children while holding them was practically one of his signature moves.

Adam had been the first. Teddy and Gabe were unclear, but Charlie had also been dropped by Bob.

In the original timeline, PJ's intelligence had indeed been rather worrying. Bob and Amy had even strictly forbidden Gabe from calling PJ an idiot. Teddy and Gabe were both quite smart, so it seemed that one fall really had affected the original PJ's intelligence.

"Adam, I'm proud of you."

Once Amy released Adam, Bob spoke solemnly.

"Thank you."

Adam went with the local custom and uttered the most frequently used phrase in American TV dramas.

"Nice one, big bro."

Teddy stepped forward and gave Adam a light punch with her little fist.

She had always been an excellent student and had originally thought she would be the pride of the Duncan Family. Yet her foolish older brother had suddenly changed completely, and now he had even gotten into Columbia University, a school she could only dream of attending. She was happy for Adam and proud to have such an older brother.

"Is New York fun?"

Gabe came over too. Four years had passed, and he had evolved from a ten-year-old little brat into a fourteen-year-old little brat.

"Of course."

Adam encouraged him. "New York is one of the world's greatest cities. The excitement there is beyond anything you can imagine, so work hard, young man."

"Really?"

Gabe stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"There's a saying: New York is both heaven and hell."

Adam hurriedly gave him a warning. "For rich people, it's heaven. But if you're trying to get by there without money, it's absolutely a hellish place."

"Your brother's right."

Bob caught on as well and sternly warned him, "New York is heaven for someone with prospects like your brother. Don't get any crooked ideas."

"Adam, Adam~"

At that moment, a small body wrapped itself around Adam's leg, accompanied by a childish little voice.

"Charlie."

Adam looked down and saw his little sister Charlie. She was already four years old, chubby and adorable as she tilted her head up at him. He quickly picked her up and teased her until little Charlie giggled nonstop.

In the United States, relatives often called one another directly by name.

In their view, friendship was more important than family because friends were equals and could stay by your side, while family members were often scattered far apart.

That was why many parents, when trying to communicate with their children, would say, "We're best friends," rather than, "I'm your father and mother."

Between siblings, aside from possibly using terms like older brother or younger brother when introducing each other to someone else, they almost always called each other by name.

"Hey, Adam."

Emmett walked over too and bumped fists with Adam, though his expression was far more complicated.

Graduation was approaching. His best friend had already received an acceptance letter from Columbia University, while he still had no idea what his future would look like. The only thing certain was that he would not be going to college.

Forget elite schools—even ordinary universities were beyond what his family could afford. He did not dare take on such enormous student loans and gamble on his future.

As for the cheaper diploma mills and community colleges, he had not even been interested enough to properly study his high school courses. Why would he be willing to spend money going there to fool around?

Unless something unexpected happened, he would graduate into unemployment, then enter society and drift through life.

Adam understood this perfectly, yet there was nothing he could do.

In the original timeline, the original PJ had been able to give Emmett a hand because PJ needed help with the Food Truck, and anyone could do that job.

Adam's future lay on the Path of a Great Doctor, which had nothing to do with Emmett.

After graduation, the two of them would be like two lines, moving farther and farther apart until they no longer intersected at all.

It was cruel, but it was also very real.

Hadn't it been the same in East Country in his previous life?

Unless Adam wanted to show off, or had some ulterior motive and deliberately organized gatherings or something. Clearly, Adam had plenty of integrity and was not that kind of person.

Besides, Emmett was not some beautiful female classmate.

"Congratulations."

After Adam had finished celebrating with all the relatives and friends, Juno stepped forward to offer her congratulations.

"Same to you."

Adam smiled, his gaze briefly sweeping over Karen, who was tightly following beside Juno. What a pity.

Not only had the good cabbage become sentient, it had even formed a group.

During this time, Juno had also gone to interview at Harvard University and passed successfully.

"When the time comes, I'll visit you in New York. Don't say I'm not welcome."

Juno teased.

"Of course you're welcome."

Adam smiled.

Harvard University was in Boston, roughly 340 kilometers from New York. It was only a three- or four-hour drive, so it truly was not far. Adam's welcome was not mere politeness.

Although he knew Juno was a Bloodthirsty Little Red Riding Hood, with another heinous Little Red Riding Hood beside her, after four years together, Adam felt that Juno meant him no harm.

Besides, after four years, he was destined to apply to Harvard Medical School.

By then, he would most likely still be spending time with Juno. Rather than let Juno become a familiar stranger whose temperament he no longer understood, it was better to keep their relationship going.

PS: Thanks to Emperor Red Like a Painting for the donation!