William Brooks's expression had already changed several times, but Ethan Sutton just kept looking at her in silence, clearly waiting to see how she would explain herself.

"I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to delete you from my friends list."

Even Ethan Sutton's blinking became slow and deliberate.

"So?"

Meanwhile, William Brooks's fingertips were burning, her eyelashes fluttering nonstop to hide her wandering gaze.

"I forgot I had added you as a friend. I didn't remember at the time, so I deleted you by mistake."

"......"

After a moment, Ethan Sutton softly said, "You might as well not have explained at all."

Then he grabbed Edward Sutton's backpack strap and turned to go downstairs.

-

Dusk was falling, and only the last ray of sunset churned beneath the dark clouds.

In the kitchen, pork ribs coated in flour were dropped into the pot, the hot oil sizzling and crackling, filling the air with a delicious aroma.

Henry Sutton returned home, took off his jacket and tossed it onto the sofa, then went to the kitchen counter in the dining room to pour himself some water.

After catching his breath, Henry Sutton wanted to ask the housekeeper Ms. Clark about his own son's situation, but she was busy cooking, the kitchen was full of smoke, and the door was closed, so she probably couldn't hear anything outside.

So he decided to go check on his son's room directly.

Holding his glass of water, just as he was about to take a step, the front door suddenly opened.

Who could be coming at this hour?

Henry Sutton was still wondering when he saw his own son walk in with his backpack.

"Dad!"

Edward Sutton rushed over and hugged his waist, rubbing his head against him, then turned to look at the kitchen. "It smells so good! I'm hungry! Let's eat!"

Following behind him was Ethan Sutton.

Ethan Sutton walked in, glanced at his cousin and manager, "You're back?"

He didn't wait for a reply and headed straight for the study.

"Wait a minute."

Henry Sutton finally snapped out of it, ignored his own son, and hurried after Ethan Sutton. "Did you take Yuanyuan out to play?"

"No."

Ethan Sutton took off his mask, folded it, and tossed it into the hallway trash can. "I went to school to pick him up after class."

"What?"

Henry Sutton thought he had misheard. "You picked up Yuanyuan after school? You went to the school?"

"What else?"

"?"

"...Are you out of your mind?!"

Henry Sutton almost choked on his own saliva, his face turning red. "Didn't Ms. Clark know to pick him up? Why did you have to go yourself?"

Compared to the agitated Henry Sutton, Ethan Sutton was much calmer.

He pushed open the study door, piled the things on the sofa into a corner, then slumped into it as if he had no bones, even grabbing a magazine to cover his eyes.

"What's wrong with me picking up my own nephew after school?"

It wouldn't be a problem if it were someone else.

But it's a big problem when you, Ethan Sutton, do it.

Henry Sutton was so angry he laughed, slamming his glass down on the table. "Interesting, Ethan Sutton. Other male celebrities don't even dare ride in the same car as a female producer, but you just go straight to the school to pick up a kid."

Ethan Sutton said nothing, and it was unclear if he was even listening.

Henry Sutton's voice gradually turned cold.

"Fine, you just go pick him up, pick him up every day. At most, someone will take a photo and the whole world will know you have a seven-year-old son. That kind of attention is something others can only dream of."

After a long while, the mouth under the magazine finally moved.

"If it's real, then be afraid. If it's fake, what's there to be afraid of?"

Henry Sutton: "......"

That actually made some sense.

After a moment of silence.

"Stop giving me that twisted logic." Henry Sutton snapped back, scolding him, "How come you were never this considerate before? I think it's just because you've had too much free time on your hands during this break!"

"Enough."

Ethan Sutton waved his hand at Henry Sutton. "Go worry about your own son's studies, don't worry about me."

"......"

That was clearly not something an artist should say to his manager.

But things were different between Ethan Sutton and Henry Sutton.

Henry Sutton had a background in law and was originally a legal advisor at the agency where Ethan Sutton worked. Later, he became his executive manager, handling all business inquiries.

Afterwards, Ethan Sutton left his original agency and started his own studio, and at the same time, Henry Sutton grew into a well-rounded manager.

Naturally, this cousin became Ethan Sutton's manager and a partner in the studio.

But in terms of company shares, Ethan Sutton was the boss and held absolute authority.

So although Henry Sutton managed all of Ethan Sutton's business affairs, when it came to music and personal freedom, Ethan Sutton always made his own decisions.

"Fine."

Seeing that Ethan Sutton was unmoved, Henry Sutton could only convince himself that there had been too much drama lately and he was just being overly cautious.

But thinking about it, Ethan Sutton picking up a kid really wasn't a big deal. If someone took a photo, they could just clarify things.

Could his son really turn into Ethan Sutton's son?

Forget it.

Henry Sutton muttered a few curses, was about to turn and leave, but seeing Ethan Sutton sleeping on the sofa, couldn't help but say, "Why are you sleeping on the sofa? If you need to catch up on sleep, go to your room."

Ethan Sutton's place was being renovated recently, and staying at a hotel was inconvenient, so he was temporarily staying at Henry Sutton's house.