They had all been so busy before that they hadn’t had time to figure out what to eat.

Liam Bennett still hadn’t recovered from the exam, looking half-dead as usual, sprawled unceremoniously on top of Ethan Carter.

While the others were talking, Liam Bennett’s nose twitched slightly as he sniffed, unable to hold back from saying, “Hehe, you smell so good.”

Ethan Carter chuckled, “Are you so hungry you want to eat human flesh?”

“No!” Liam Bennett protested, “It’s that herbal scent, the one you naturally have.”

That was actually true—Ethan Carter had hereditary asthma and had grown up surrounded by medicine. Although his asthma was now completely under control, almost as if cured, that faint medicinal fragrance still lingered on him, subtle but noticeable up close.

But since they were used to bantering in the dorm, as soon as Henry Sullivan heard this, he mercilessly teased him: “Herbal scent? Last time you went to the Chinese medicine department to chase someone, didn’t you say you were almost nauseated by the bitter smell from the pharmacy?”

“That’s different,” Liam Bennett insisted, “The scent on Hehe is much nicer.”

He couldn’t help but keep chattering to Ethan Carter: “With your constitution, you’d definitely be the protagonist in a novel—naturally carrying a medicinal fragrance, so trendy.”

Ethan Carter laughed, “Don’t think I haven’t seen those short video novels you usually watch. Are you about to say that people like me are usually the tragic second male lead?”

Liam Bennett grinned, “There are main characters too. If you want, I can recommend—”

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence, as if something had gripped his throat. Ethan Carter, being the closest to him, immediately noticed Liam Bennett’s sudden stiffness and couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know either…” Liam Bennett instinctively shrank behind him, muttering softly, “Weird, why does my back suddenly feel chilly, so cold…”

Ethan Carter asked, “Did you catch a chill from the wind?”

Liam Bennett didn’t answer. Instead, he raised his hand and pointed in a direction, his voice starting to stutter: “Th-that person, who is it?”

The others looked over in confusion, following the direction Liam Bennett was pointing.

Under the tall acacia tree stood a tall man in a dark teal long coat.

It was already late autumn. The sturdy acacia tree was unleashing all the energy it had stored up over the year, its branches ablaze with brilliant gold, as if splashed with buckets of paint—bright and flamboyant.

But beneath that dazzling canopy, the man’s figure wasn’t touched by a hint of warmth. He was like an unsheathed blade, cold and gleaming, his entire presence exuding an unrestrainable sharpness.

Even the famously chilly autumn wind of Yancheng couldn’t compare to the coldness he radiated.

For some reason, Liam Bennett, who had been clinging to Ethan Carter’s back, suddenly felt a sense of fear and instinctively let go of Ethan Carter.

But at this moment, Ethan Carter was too distracted to notice Liam Bennett’s movement. His mind was filled with surprise—why was Mr. Grant here?

He was so shocked that he didn’t notice the reactions of those around him, so he also missed the expression on Henry Sullivan’s face.

At the first sight of Nathaniel Grant, Henry Sullivan’s heart gave a jolt, his expression changed slightly, and his brows furrowed.

Could this be that person…? But why would he come here in person?

Before Henry Sullivan could voice his doubts, Ethan Carter hurriedly said, “It’s someone I know. Wait a moment, I’ll go say hi.”

He quickly ran over to Nathaniel Grant under the tree, finally remembering the proper way to address him this time.

“Brother, what brings you here?”

Nathaniel Grant’s face was as expressionless as ever, making it impossible to tell how long he’d been standing there. He glanced nonchalantly at Ethan Carter’s collar, which had been tugged messily by his roommates, revealing a patch of glaringly pale skin.

Nathaniel Grant said, “I happened to have a meeting nearby.”

“Work must be tiring.” Ethan Carter asked, “Did you need something from me?”

Nathaniel Grant finally moved his gaze away from the other’s fair neck and said calmly, “I remember you finished your exams today.”

Ethan Carter nodded, “Yeah, I’m done now.”

He offered, “If you have anything planned, I’m free to do it now.”

Mr. Grant had chosen to come at this time, and Ethan Carter actually felt quite relieved. Although he’d always had good grades and was considered the “model child” by parents, he still got a bit nervous before every exam. Comparatively, he always felt much more relaxed after finishing.

Doing whatever Mr. Grant wanted now, he’d be able to perform better too.

Ethan Carter waited expectantly for Nathaniel Grant’s instructions, but the other man didn’t speak.

The man was silent, his expression hard to read.

Had he said something wrong? Ethan Carter was still wondering when he heard the man say, “You worked hard on your exams. I wanted to come see you.”

Ethan Carter was stunned.

At first, he didn’t even react. After a two-second pause, an unbelievable thought finally formed in his mind.