Nathaniel Grant bent his fingers, his knuckles pressing against his fair, slender Adam’s apple. His voice was very low, but his tone allowed no resistance.

“Don’t move.”

Ethan Carter unconsciously swallowed and obediently stayed still.

The thick, soft cashmere scarf was carefully wrapped, snugly covering the slender, bare neck, shielding it from the cold night wind.

The scarf was very warm, and Nathaniel Grant’s fingers were warm too. The double layer of warmth protected the cold-sensitive skin, making one crave even more heat.

But Ethan Carter was very clear-headed. As soon as the scarf was tied, he quickly and lightly said,

“Thank you.”

Nathaniel Grant pressed his thin lips together. After waiting a while, he finally said, “You’re welcome.”

He had kept a blank expression for so long that, even though he didn’t hear the word “gege” after the thank you, he didn’t let that little bit of disappointment show.

Ethan Carter had no idea about the other’s disappointment. The night air was chilly, and he carefully took a breath before saying, “We’re pretty close to our dorm now. I can walk back by myself.”

Nathaniel Grant’s tone was still indifferent, but he didn’t agree: “I’ll walk you there.”

Ethan Carter didn’t insist, only thinking to himself that he hadn’t expected Chairman Grant to seem so cold, yet be so dedicated when pretending to be a couple.

The two of them walked into the campus together. The boys’ dormitory building was indeed quite close to the school gate—just a few hundred meters away.

But before they reached the building, Ethan Carter heard someone calling him.

“Senior! Senior Lin!”

Ethan Carter turned around and saw that it was two girls calling him. He was a bit surprised, but still stopped.

He had always had a good memory. After looking at them for a moment, he recalled that he’d met them before at a club activity.

After excitedly calling out to Ethan Carter, the girls noticed there was someone beside him and were a bit startled. When she saw Nathaniel Grant’s face, she was even more intimidated by his presence and fell silent.

In the end, it was the girl next to her who quietly nudged her arm, and the first girl finally snapped out of it, awkwardly turning her head to avoid Nathaniel Grant and thanking Ethan Carter.

“Senior, thank you for helping us with the registration forms last time.”

Ethan Carter had already forgotten about it. Only when she mentioned it did he vaguely recall something.

He said, “It was nothing, just a small favor.”

The girl said, “We should thank you. We wanted to treat you last time, but you said you didn’t drink cold drinks at night because you were afraid of the cold, so we couldn’t. Today our cooking club had an event, and I brought you some late-night snacks—they’re still hot, so you can warm up a bit.”

She was holding a pink thermal food jar, which looked very delicate. Anyone could tell at a glance that this was more than just a club activity—she had clearly put a lot of thought into the snack.

If Liam Bennett were here, he’d probably tease Ethan Carter for being so clueless. But today, it wasn’t Liam Bennett—it was Nathaniel Grant. He listened silently to the conversation between the girl and Ethan Carter, his face expressionless. But the more he acted like this, the more it unsettled those who knew him.

Yet Ethan Carter was completely unaware of the undercurrent of danger in the atmosphere, only feeling that it was getting colder around him, thinking it was just the wind.

“Junior, you’re too kind,” Ethan Carter said. “But I’ve already eaten. And it really was just a small thing, no need to go to all this trouble.”

The girl looked a bit disappointed, her expression dimming.

Girls are shy by nature. Since he’d already refused, she was too embarrassed to insist.

Especially since Ethan Carter wasn’t alone right now.

But she didn’t say goodbye either, hesitating in place, as if finding it hard to speak.

Ethan Carter asked, “Is there something else?”

His tone was as gentle as ever, giving the girl a bit of comfort.

The girl next to her kept holding her arm, quietly encouraging her. The first girl finally mustered her courage and asked, “Can I talk to you alone for a moment, senior?”

Ethan Carter was a bit puzzled, not sure what she wanted to talk about. He himself didn’t mind, but…

He glanced at Nathaniel Grant beside him. After all, he felt a bit guilty for taking up so much of the man’s time.

Now that they were almost at the dorm, Ethan Carter didn’t want to delay him any longer. He was about to ask him to go ahead, but Nathaniel Grant tilted his head slightly and said calmly, “I’ll wait for you over there.”

With that, he walked over to the old tree nearby.

Ethan Carter was a bit surprised, but didn’t think much of it. He walked with the girl to the side of the road.

He asked, “What is it?”

The girl took a deep breath, her face flushing slightly. “Senior, I…”

Ethan Carter still felt uneasy, his mind half on Nathaniel Grant nearby, not sure why he was still waiting. He was distracted when he heard the girl say,

“I want to talk to you about something important in life!”

“…Huh?”

Ethan Carter didn’t react for a moment.

“Well… I heard you’ve always been single, and don’t have a girlfriend.”

The girl smiled, trying to sound casual, though her palm already bore a row of nail marks.