Stuffing the last few dumplings into his mouth, but already finding them tasteless, Ethan Taylor paid the bill, left the small restaurant, and gazed at the sparse stars in the sky. Ethan Taylor felt a bit down, sighed, and walked toward the workers' club. He had only taken a few steps when he suddenly heard the low sobbing of a woman coming from a dark corner created by the shadow of a streetlamp at the base of a nearby wall. Ethan Taylor took two steps forward and looked carefully, only to see Grace King with her back to him, her shoulders shaking—clearly crying.

Ethan Taylor hesitated for a moment, but finally walked over. Grace King, startled by the sound of footsteps, turned around. Under the dim streetlight, her pretty face was streaked with tears. Seeing Ethan Taylor, Grace King quickly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and forced a smile, saying, "Finished eating?"

Her tear-stained smile was so beautiful and sorrowful, so much like his godmother's when they parted, that Ethan Taylor suddenly felt as if his heart had been struck hard. A thought suddenly sprang up: I want to protect her! I can't change all the unfairness in the world, but why shouldn't I do something about the unfairness I can see?

Grace King asked, "Are you going back to school?"

Ethan Taylor pointed to the workers' cultural center next door and smiled, "I'm going to watch a movie. Want to come along? It's a Stephen Chow film—really funny."

Grace King shook her head. Clearly, she wasn't in the mood for that right now.

Ethan Taylor pondered for a moment and said, "Can you tell me about you, your brother, and Sanzi's older brother? I'd like to hear it."

Grace King looked at Ethan Taylor in surprise. Ethan Taylor said, "Bottling everything up inside is bad for your health. Finding someone to talk to is good for you."

Grace King smiled, "You want me to confide in a kid like you? I don't even know your name."

Ethan Taylor said, "Precisely because I'm young, it's easier for you to talk. As for names, I already know you're Grace King, and me, I'm Ethan Taylor."

"Come on, let's go watch a movie and take your mind off things! Don't just stay here feeling miserable."

Looking at Ethan Taylor's sincere face, Grace King finally nodded.

The screening room was pitch black. "The Lucky Star" had already started playing. Ethan Taylor and Grace King found seats in the farthest corner, with hardly anyone sitting nearby.

The audience burst into laughter again and again. Back then, Stephen Chow's nonsensical humor was pioneering in comedy films—every move, every line, made people laugh till their sides hurt.

Grace King stared at the screen, but her mind was blank. Tears silently fell again. Suddenly, she felt something in her hand. Looking down, she saw Ethan Taylor handing her a handkerchief, and heard his gentle voice in her ear: "Don't cry. Try to look on the bright side. There's no obstacle you can't get past. Things might not be as bad as you think."

In the darkness, Grace King had just gone through the harshest ordeal of her life. For her brother's future, she had already resolved to become the mistress of that disgusting man. At this moment, she was at her most vulnerable. She felt so, so tired, and really wanted to lean on a man's shoulder for a while. Hearing Ethan Taylor's gentle words, her nose tingled, and she suddenly threw herself into Ethan Taylor's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

A soft, fragrant body suddenly plunged into his embrace, startling Ethan Taylor. Instinctively, he wanted to push her away, but hearing her heartbroken, desolate cries, his raised hands hesitated for a long time before finally settling gently on her hair, softly stroking it.

Grace King cried for a long, long time. She hadn't felt this kind of warm embrace in ages. The warmth of the big hand on her head brought waves of comfort. Exhausted from crying, she drifted off to sleep just like that...

The bell signaling the end of the screening rang, and the lights in the theater came on brightly. Grace King suddenly sat up, only then realizing she had slept soundly in Ethan Taylor's arms. It seemed she hadn't slept so sweetly in a long time. Seeing Ethan Taylor's faintly smiling face, Grace King's pretty face flushed red. She silently scolded herself for being foolish—how could she embarrass herself like this in front of a boy she had just met? She pouted and said, "Why didn't you wake me up?"

Ethan Taylor just smiled without saying anything. Grace King felt even more embarrassed, glared at him with her almond-shaped eyes, and was about to scold Ethan Taylor when she suddenly found it funny. Why was she acting like a spoiled little girl, throwing a tantrum at this half-grown boy? She shook her head with a smile.

Ethan Taylor and Grace King were among the last to leave the theater. Ethan Taylor said softly, "Don't worry too much. Things might still turn around."

Grace King was silent for a moment, then finally looked up and smiled at Ethan Taylor, waving the handkerchief in her hand. "Thank you. Let me keep this as a memento!" With that, she turned and hurried away.

Ethan Taylor watched her back for a long time without moving.

The next day, back in town, Ethan Taylor immediately went to the police station and cornered Daniel Brooks, who was about to head out on duty, in his office. After closing the door, he asked about Sanzi's older brother. Daniel Brooks said in surprise, "Secretary Tang, you're in such a rush—I thought it was something big. Are you looking to deal with that kid? I can take care of it for you." It turned out Sanzi's older brother was named Michael Bolton, a squad leader in the criminal investigation team—basically just a regular full-time police officer in charge of some officially appointed auxiliary officers. But in the eyes of ordinary people, these full-time officers were, of course, powerful big shots.