He really couldn’t see anything unusual in his expression.

So, he didn’t recognize her?

“Because the original homeroom teacher is on maternity leave, I’m temporarily taking over the position.”

Ethan Sutton still showed no change in expression, so calm he was almost indifferent as he nodded to her.

“Hello.”

Should she give him a hint?

But if she reminded him and he still didn’t remember this old classmate, that would be too awkward.

William Brooks hesitated for a moment, then said, “My surname is Zhu.”

She deliberately emphasized that word.

Sure enough, Ethan Sutton looked up at her.

“Mm—”

“Teacher Zhu.”

William Brooks: “……”

Even after all that, he still didn’t remember. He must have completely forgotten.

Forget it.

Better get to the main point first.

William Brooks tucked the hair blocking her eyes behind her ear, sat up straighter, and looked at Ethan Sutton seriously.

“Sorry to bother you so late, but I usually don’t get to see you, so since I brought him home today, I thought I’d take the opportunity to talk to you about his situation.”

Unlike William Brooks’s seriousness, Ethan Sutton lounged loosely on the sofa, speaking carelessly, “Go ahead.”

William Brooks: “……”

Sigh, that attitude.

“First of all, did you know that Edward Sutton had no one to pick him up at school today?”

Ethan Sutton lifted his eyes.

“Doesn’t he have a nanny to pick him up?”

William Brooks: “Even nannies can have issues sometimes, like today. The child was waiting alone in the classroom, and none of the guardians could be reached.”

She paused, “If I hadn’t checked the classroom, what if something happened to the child running around alone?”

At these words, Ethan Sutton finally looked a bit more serious. “Got it.”

William Brooks shook her head slightly and sighed, “I understand your work is especially busy, and it’s not convenient for you to pick him up, but the most basic responsibility shouldn’t be forgotten.”

“All right.” Ethan Sutton nodded, “I’ll talk to him…”

Before he finished, Edward Sutton carefully pushed open the door, holding a cup of water.

“Teacher, please have some water.”

William Brooks took it, nodding with a smile, “Thank you, Yuanyuan, you’re so well-behaved. Go do your homework now. The air conditioner’s off, put on a jacket.”

Edward Sutton nodded in agreement, but didn’t leave right away. Instead, he looked at Ethan Sutton.

The man on the sofa took a while to notice the child’s gaze, then belatedly looked up and caught his signal.

“Oh, go ahead.”

Edward Sutton secretly winked at him, then turned and dashed out.

Once she was sure Edward Sutton couldn’t hear, William Brooks spoke earnestly, “You should spend more time with him, care about him more. It’s not just about making him afraid of you.”

Ethan Sutton smiled, “Does he look like he’s afraid of me?”

He only dared leave after getting your approval—how is that not fear?

But this wasn’t the most urgent issue right now. After all, what kid isn’t a little afraid of their dad?

William Brooks: “Also, about his grades…”

Ethan Sutton: “How many points did he get?”

“……”

William Brooks took a couple sips of hot water with a blank face, trying to control her emotions. “Scores aren’t the ultimate goal. We need to look at the learning habits reflected in the exams. It’s obvious that Edward Sutton is very smart and excellent at math, but his study habits aren’t great, especially in subjects that require memorization—he’s just too careless.”

Ethan Sutton nodded, “True, he’s a lot like me.”

William Brooks muttered inwardly, Are you really proud of making up lines on the spot without a teleprompter?

“You need to pay more attention to cultivating his study habits. That’s something that will benefit him for life, not just focusing on scores in a rough way.”

“Oh, all right.”

Unknowingly, William Brooks had shared a lot of her educational philosophy on this topic, and the water in her cup was almost gone before she remembered another rather troublesome matter.

“By the way, Edward Sutton also got into a fight at school today.”

Ethan Sutton was a bit shocked, “He’s only in first grade and already fighting?”

William Brooks’s hands, holding the cup, froze in midair, and the corner of her mouth twitched awkwardly.

“You… don’t know he’s in second grade now?”

“……”

William Brooks didn’t need Ethan Sutton to say anything more—she understood.

She looked away, trying to adjust her mindset.

If Ethan Sutton had recognized her, and there was some old classmate connection, it would be easier to communicate.

But now, it was just a stranger facing a big celebrity, and William Brooks really wasn’t sure what attitude she should take.

After all, she never dreamed she’d one day be sitting in a celebrity’s home, having such a close conversation.

And it was all about his never-publicly acknowledged, out-of-wedlock child.

After thinking for a moment, she said gently, “The reason for the fight was that a classmate said his mom didn’t want him anymore, and his dad didn’t want him either.”

At these words, Ethan Sutton’s eyes gradually darkened.

That casual look on his face finally faded, and he looked seriously at William Brooks.

It actually made William Brooks a little nervous.

She didn’t meet his gaze, looking away as she said, “I think it’s like this: the child is at an age where he really needs his father’s company. Is there any way you could balance work and family a bit better?”

“Oh.”