William Carter's test paper was finally finished, albeit with some bumps along the way, thanks to his full arsenal of answering techniques.

If there are three long and one short, pick the shortest; if there are three short and one long, pick the longest.

Mainly copy, with a bit of guessing on the side.

I’m not well-educated, but I get by with wordplay.

After finishing the paper, William Carter felt as if his soul had been elevated.

Halfway through, the shop manager asked Ethan Brooks to go buy some strawberries.

In the quiet milk tea shop, a female employee finally found an opportunity and eagerly came over to strike up a conversation with him.

“Hey handsome, can I ask you something? What’s your relationship with Mr. Brooks?”

The female employee’s name was Little Lily. She was quite pretty, with big eyes and a touch of orange lipstick, looking both pure and striking.

After finishing the test, William Carter was in a great mood and casually replied, “Friends. When school starts, we might even be classmates!”

Little Lily smiled when she heard that, revealing two sweet dimples, and seemed genuinely happy.

“That’s great, so Mr. Brooks actually has friends.”

She placed the delicate gift box she’d been holding onto the table and said softly, “Can I ask you for a favor?”

William Carter was taken aback. “A confession? You should really tell him that yourself.”

Little Lily couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. “No, Mr. Brooks barely even talks to me. How could I possibly have the guts to confess?”

She lowered her head, hair falling beside her ear, as if lost in memory. “Last week, Mr. Brooks saved my life. I’ve been wanting to thank him, but I’m a little scared of him and haven’t dared to say it yet.”

William Carter was stunned for a moment, suddenly finding Little Lily's name a bit familiar.

Little Lily bit her lip and continued, “I want to ask you to give him this gift for me. Mr. Brooks might have already forgotten, but I really, really want to thank him.”

As if recalling something frightening, her eyes turned red and she sniffled. “That night, I was walking alone and almost got taken away by a group of thugs. He saved me. Mr. Brooks really is an incredibly, incredibly good person.”

William Carter finally remembered.

In the original book, Ethan Brooks got into trouble with that group of thugs and had his fingers broken during summer break, all because he saved this girl named Little Lily.

Feeling a mix of emotions, William Carter bit his straw and thought for a moment, then shook his head at Little Lily and said, “If you think he’s such a good person, why are you still afraid of him?”

Little Lily was stunned.

William Carter's eyelashes trembled slightly. “Why not thank him in person? Maybe he hasn’t forgotten, maybe your gratitude will make him happy for a long time, maybe he’s been waiting for you.”

Little Lily's face was full of confusion and uncertainty.

William Carter's words sank in, one by one.

The girl’s reddened eyes gradually cleared, shining with determination. She took the exquisitely wrapped gift box back into her hand, took a deep breath, stood up, and bowed to William Carter. “Thank you, I understand now.”

William Carter stirred the lemon slices and lime in his cup with his straw.

He watched as Ethan Brooks, carrying strawberries, returned to the door and was suddenly handed a gift, his expression stiff.

He couldn’t help but lower his head and smile.

He had entered this book and come to Ethan Brooks's side out of compassion for this kind and innocent boy, wanting him to escape the original fate and live as someone his age should.

It wasn’t to win his favor, nor to become someone indispensable to him.

He wanted Ethan Brooks to see the gentleness of the world—not just... his own gentleness.

The milk tea shop closed at nine.

As usual, William Carter had the driver wait for him at the street corner.

After giving the gift, Little Lily was still blushing, but much braver now. Seeing William Carter about to leave, she urged, “Mr. Brooks, go walk him out.”

Ethan Brooks frowned slightly.

This place was indeed rather remote, with only a few scattered streetlights along the road, leaving the street in darkness.

William Carter suddenly thought of something. “Do you want to buy a phone?”

Ethan Brooks was holding the gift, his expression indifferent in the shadows, but a trace of hostility flickered in his dark eyes.

William Carter's arrival had changed many things, and he didn’t like this feeling of things getting out of hand.

“Hey, are you even listening to me?” With no response, William Carter asked again.

Ethan Brooks lowered his eyes and said calmly, “I’ll buy one when I’ve saved enough.”

William Carter paused and asked, “I have an old phone at home that I was going to throw away anyway. I’ll sell it to you for a hundred. Want it?”

A hundred yuan—basically the same as giving it away.

Ethan Brooks's eyes were icy cold, his irritation growing. He licked his teeth and smiled.

“Sure.”

Ethan Brooks agreed so readily that William Carter was stunned. He’d thought, given Ethan Brooks's current sensitivity and low self-esteem, he’d have to persuade him with lines like “I was going to throw it away anyway.”

“Alright then, I’ll bring it for you tomorrow and go with you to get a SIM card.”

William Carter was a bit excited—this way, he could contact Ethan Brooks directly by phone.

He was about to say something else when suddenly, from straight ahead, came a whistle, followed by a young man’s cocky voice.

“Well, if it isn’t our big hero! I’ve been looking for you for ages, and now you’ve come right to me.”

William Carter turned his head and looked ahead.