“I just saw it, Little Henry, sometimes you just have to let things take their course. Grace Harper's family is not ordinary. Try to let it go, or maybe someone more suitable for you is right by your side.” Lillian Reed's tone was very gentle, as soft as a cloud drifting in from the horizon, soothing Little Henry.

Little Henry seemed not to have heard Lillian Reed's words. He just stared blankly at the storm drain where the beaded hairpin had fallen. After a while, he finally came to his senses and said to Lillian Reed, “Thank you. I have to go.”

“Wait, Little Henry, let me walk with you for a bit.” Lillian Reed suddenly stepped forward, her gaze even a little intense as she looked at Little Henry.

Little Henry shook his head, said nothing more, turned around, and quickly melted into the street, disappearing into the crowd.

Watching Little Henry's disappearing figure, Lillian Reed bit her lip and whispered in a voice even she could barely hear, “Little Henry, I like you more than Grace Harper does.”

She was Grace Harper's best friend, and she even felt she understood Little Henry better than Grace Harper did. He was the most outstanding man she had ever met, bar none. Little Henry was resilient and optimistic; no matter how difficult things got, he never seemed to mind.

It was because she got to know Little Henry that she tried every way she could to learn more about him. She found out that since Little Henry started high school, he had barely touched his textbooks, yet he still got into college. After entering college, he didn’t read textbooks or attend classes, but he never failed a single course. According to what she had found out, Little Henry never cheated on exams; every time, he would just flip through the book an hour or two before the test, as if he were reading a novel.

Even so, Little Henry never failed a class, including some science and engineering courses that required more than rote memorization. The time he saved was almost entirely spent working part-time jobs. All the money for his and his sister’s schooling came from his own work.

Lillian Reed concluded that Little Henry not only had an eidetic memory but also an extraordinary ability to understand things—almost like a superpower.

The only pity was that Little Henry didn’t know how to make money. With his abilities, he shouldn’t have needed to work on construction sites. But later, Lillian Reed realized she might have guessed wrong—Little Henry didn’t lack the ability to make money; he just seemed to deliberately hide his talents from others.

The more she got to know Little Henry, the more her heart was filled with his shadow. Even though Grace Harper was her best friend, she still wanted to win Little Henry for herself. The idea for Grace Harper to investigate Little Henry's family was actually hers.

……

“Let’s get out here.” Grace Harper's words left the still-excited Samuel Grant momentarily stunned.

“We haven’t reached the restaurant yet…” Samuel Grant blurted out instinctively, but still stopped the car—he didn’t dare offend Grace Harper.

Grace Harper opened the car door and said, “My family just called and asked me to go home right away.”

Watching Grace Harper walk away, Samuel Grant suddenly felt like he’d been played. He hadn’t heard Grace Harper answer any call at all. Even though he knew he’d been tricked, he still didn’t dare show any dissatisfaction toward Grace Harper.

……

Little Henry stopped. He realized he had unconsciously walked onto an overpass—one meant for cars. He shook his head and decided to look for Grace Harper again tomorrow and ask her clearly why she was acting this way. If Grace Harper really was as heartless as she claimed, then he had no reason to stay in this city any longer.

His sister was about to graduate and no longer needed his care. If it weren’t for Grace Harper and his sister Evelyn Clark, he would have left long ago.

Just as Little Henry turned around, a blinding yellow flash shot toward him. Even with Little Henry's quick reflexes, he didn’t have time to figure out what it was before it struck him. In the instant he lost consciousness, he seemed to sense an ancient, timeless aura.

……

Grace Harper sat in her dorm room, looking absent-minded. She picked up her phone and put it down, repeating this several times. Little Henry had completely disappointed her, but now that he had truly disappeared from her sight, she realized she couldn’t forget this boy who was always covered in dust.

After several rounds of hesitation, Grace Harper sighed and finally decided not to contact Little Henry anymore. She even considered deleting the phone number for Little Henry's dorm.

But just then, her phone rang.

Grace Harper answered, and a clear but slightly cautious voice came through, “Are you Grace Harper jie? I’m Little Henry’s younger sister, Evelyn Clark. I wanted to ask about my brother…”

……

Ten minutes later, Grace Harper arrived at a café outside the campus and saw a rather anxious-looking Evelyn Clark.

“It’s you?” Grace Harper recognized Evelyn Clark—wasn’t this the girl who had been with Little Henry last time?

Evelyn Clark had never met Grace Harper before, but as soon as Grace Harper walked in, she knew this woman had to be Grace Harper. Only a woman like this could be worthy of her brother.

“I’m Little Henry’s younger sister, Evelyn Clark. Grace Harper jie, my brother hasn’t been heard from, and he hasn’t returned to the dorm. Do you know where he is?” Evelyn Clark had no mood for small talk; as soon as she opened her mouth, she asked about her brother’s whereabouts.