Watching the two interact as if parting for life and death, Ethan Sawyer raised his eyebrows: “What are you two doing? First time meeting and you already hit it off? Henry Bennett, you better take it easy, my sister is only twelve.”

Grace Sawyer instinctively retorted, “I’m thirteen.”

Hearing that number, Henry Bennett was a bit surprised, his gaze landing on Grace Sawyer again.

“Thirteen?”

From his tone, it sounded like he just couldn’t believe it.

As if the fact that she was already thirteen was something utterly unbelievable.

This reaction hit Grace Sawyer right where it hurt. She instantly forgot she still needed his help, and said unhappily, “Are you trying to say I’m short and don’t look thirteen at all?”

Ethan Sawyer leaned against the door with his arms crossed, fanning the flames: “That’s exactly what he means.”

Henry Bennett scratched the skin under his eye and shook his head, “No.”

But his words didn’t sound very sincere.

Grace Sawyer stared at the two of them for a few seconds, then lost her temper: “Forget it, I’m not talking to you guys.” She didn’t argue with Ethan Sawyer like before, as if she was really hurt, and muttered in a low voice, “I’ll still grow taller anyway.”

Seeing this, Ethan Sawyer actually felt a rare twinge of guilt and tried to comfort her: “Isn’t being short a good thing? When you’re thirty, people might still think you’re only eighteen.”

That was like rubbing salt in her wound.

Grace Sawyer kept a straight face: “So it’s because you’re tall that people think you’re my dad?”

“……”

Whatever guilt Ethan Sawyer had instantly vanished.

The little girl’s eyes were still red, looking like she’d been terribly bullied, but she still refused to back down.

Both times she got upset, it seemed to be because of him. Henry Bennett sighed, his attitude softening, and asked, “Thirteen, so you’re in eighth grade?”

Grace Sawyer didn’t look at him, replying stiffly, “Seventh grade.”

“Which school?”

“Xuri Middle School.” Grace Sawyer paused, unsure if her sudden thought was right, but still added weakly, “Class 1, Grade 7.”

Henry Bennett repeated slowly, “Xuri Middle School, Class 1, Grade 7—”

Then he bent down to meet her eyes.

“Kid, what’s your name?”

Grace Sawyer pressed her lips together and said softly, “My name is Grace Sawyer.”

“Grace Sawyer?”

“Yes.” Grace Sawyer instinctively avoided his gaze, “The ‘zhi’ from ‘childish’.”

Henry Bennett affectionately pinched her cheek: “Well then, little Grace Sawyer.”

“……”

He lowered his voice, as if whispering a secret to her that no one else could hear.

“Do you know when next time will be?”

-

After saying goodbye to Emma Reed, the two of them left The Sawyer Family.

The sun had completely set, the evening glow coloring the whole sky, and the air had grown a bit cooler.

Henry Bennett suddenly asked, “Your sister is pretty well-behaved, right?”

“Well-behaved?” Ethan Sawyer snorted, pulling a lollipop from who knows where and biting down on it, “That little brat’s in her rebellious phase, she’s a handful.”

Rebellious phase.

Hard to manage.

Not too bad, though.

Henry Bennett thought it over. After all, she was still a kid, not fully mature, and he didn’t know if anything serious had happened. He still brought it up to Ethan Sawyer: “Your sister got called in for a parent-teacher meeting. She just asked me if I could go see her teacher. You decide how to handle it.”

Ethan Sawyer clicked his tongue: “No wonder she kept trying to get you to stay for dinner. I knew that little brat was up to no good.”

Henry Bennett just smiled and said nothing.

“It’s probably nothing serious, happens all the time, always for the same reasons.” Ethan Sawyer looked down, replying to messages absentmindedly, “Are you free tomorrow? If you are, help me go. I’ve got something to do tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, huh…”

“Yeah. If not, forget it, I’ll tell my mom.”

Just promised her, and now he’s calling her parent in.

That kid will probably cry again.

“Even if I’m not free, I’ll make time.” Henry Bennett lowered his eyes, speaking lazily, “Can’t lie to a kid.”

-

Hearing the sound of the door closing at the entrance, Grace Sawyer peeked out, then ran barefoot to Emma Reed: “Mom, why did brother come back?”

Emma Reed: “He said he was playing basketball nearby and just stopped by to take a shower.”

“It’s so late, why didn’t you have them stay for dinner?”

“Your brother’s friend had something to do.” Emma Reed didn’t think much of it, and asked casually, “Zhi Zhi, did your brother really hit you?”

“……” Grace Sawyer immediately felt guilty, didn’t dare ask more, and ran off to her room, “I’m going to do my homework!”

Back in her room, she locked the door.

Grace Sawyer kicked off her slippers, jumped onto the bed, and grabbed a stuffed animal to hug. She was still in a bad mood, but her mind drifted off, and Henry Bennett’s last words kept echoing in her head.

—“Do you know when next time will be?”

He must have been responding to her “When is next time?”

That means he’ll come again, right?