Nathaniel Grant, but just from this name alone, it carries a silent sense of hostility and hardship.

　　Even so, for Ethan Carter and the others, the eldest son of the Lu family was already far beyond their reach, so the stepmother spoke with great caution.

　　"Mr. Lu's people have already taken your information to have it calculated."

　　The stepmother tapped lightly on her tablet, and a complex astrological chart appeared on the screen, densely packed with text and filled with many obscure symbols.

　　"Although there's a ten-year age gap between you and him, fortunately your birth charts are compatible. They've already agreed to the marriage."

　　To have a college student marry a man ten years older with no emotional foundation—such an unspeakable matter, when spoken by the stepmother, sounded as if it were Ethan Carter's good fortune.

　　This was even more absurd than the marriage itself.

　　Ethan Carter looked at the steam rising from the coffee in front of him and responded calmly.

　　The coffee was rich, with a strong, bitter aroma. While they spoke, the stepmother had already finished half her cup, but Ethan Carter hadn't touched his at all.

　　He had never liked bitterness.

　　The stepmother didn't pay much attention to Ethan Carter's lack of enthusiasm. Her only dissatisfaction with Ethan Carter came from his resemblance to his birth mother, but now that this face had become an excellent bargaining chip in negotiations with the Lu family, she had nothing left to criticize.

　　"The eldest son of the Lu family usually works in Shencheng. He's very busy and probably won't come to Yancheng before the wedding."

　　As she spoke, the stepmother pulled up the background information of Nathaniel Grant's company.

　　"But he'll send someone to make arrangements. When the time comes, someone will contact you. Just follow their instructions."

　　Ethan Carter nodded. He had no objections to the fact that his fiancé was too busy to meet him before the wedding.

　　The stepmother glanced at him and casually brought up, "Your illness has cost quite a bit in the past. The eldest son of the Lu family has invested in laboratories and medical technology, so he can help you."

　　Ethan Carter fell silent, his throat faintly itchy.

　　The room was at a comfortable temperature, shielding him from the cold wind, yet he still felt the urge to cough.

　　Ethan Carter had hereditary asthma, and previous treatments had cost a lot of money. He had even undergone major surgery at eighteen. The Lin family's assets weren't enough, and part of Ethan Carter's medical expenses had been provided by his stepmother, Ivy Harris.

　　So when it came to marrying the eldest son of the Lu family, Ethan Carter had no right to protest.

　　Ivy Harris left it at that, not pressing the issue further so as not to seem petty. She softened her tone and said, "I came here this time not just for work, but also to discuss the wedding with the Lu family's people. I'll be staying in Yancheng for a few more days. If you need anything, you can come to me."

　　Ethan Carter naturally understood this was just a polite formality, so he replied courteously, "Alright, thank you, Auntie."

　　Ivy Harris was very satisfied with his attitude and continued, "The Lu family is pushing for the wedding, so it has to be done before the end of the year. The preliminary plan is to get engaged in the first ten days of next month, and hold the wedding a month later. Once the exact date is set, you'll be notified."

　　At this, Ethan Carter finally showed some expression.

　　"The first ten days of next month... we have midterm exams then." He hesitated before speaking, "If possible, could we avoid the exam period? There are a lot of subjects, and retaking them would be troublesome."

　　This was the first request Ethan Carter had made today, but to Ivy Harris, it sounded like a childish and naive concern, and she couldn't help but laugh: "...Midterm exams?"

　　"This is a major event—marrying into the Lu family—and you're talking about midterm exams..."

　　Ivy Harris shook her head, but didn't finish her sentence. As if she didn't want to argue with Ethan Carter, she waved her hand and said, "I'll mention it to them, but in the end, the arrangements will depend on the date the Lu family chooses and the eldest son's schedule."

　　Having said all she needed to, Ivy Harris didn't waste any more time: "That's all I have to say. Go ahead and eat."

　　She glanced at her watch. "I have work to do, so I'll head back. If you have any questions, contact me."

　　Ethan Carter said softly, "Take care."

　　After Ivy Harris left, the dishes were finally brought out one after another. The dinner was lavish, and judging by the hotel's standard, it must have been expensive.

　　The Wu family was much wealthier than the Lin family, and Ivy Harris never hesitated to spend money on Ethan Carter.

　　In front of outsiders, she never left herself open to criticism.

　　Expensive dishes crowded the entire table, making the surrounding chairs and tables seem even emptier.

　　Ethan Carter didn't touch his chopsticks. He called the waiter and had the whole table packed up to go.

　　By the time he braved an even colder wind to return to the dorm, Liam Bennett and Second Brother were already back, discussing whether to order takeout.

　　Second Brother's name was Blake Cooper. According to him, he was named that because his family wanted him to get a PhD. But before he could get his doctorate, Blake Cooper had already become a streamer—a famous one with over a million followers.