David Bennett burst into loud laughter, but then suddenly seemed to remember something. His laughter stopped abruptly, his eyes widened, and he recalled what Henry Foster had said to him. If it weren’t for Henry Foster’s last words, and thinking about his own usual driving speed, he might have ended up as one of the unlucky car owners involved in the accident.

Thinking of this, David Bennett’s expression became uncertain. Was Henry Foster’s last sentence just a casual remark, or could he really foresee what was about to happen? If it was the latter...

David Bennett drew in a sharp breath. If it really was the latter, then maybe he had missed something in his investigation of Henry Foster, or perhaps everything so far was just a façade.

……

……

David Bennett’s current thoughts were unknown to Henry Foster. After returning to his dorm, Henry Foster made a decision: to go home for a while, and then consider where to go next.

Henry Foster’s hometown was also in a county in Jiangxi Province, not far from Nanchang City. It was only a two-hour train ride, and most importantly, there were plenty of trains going back and forth, so tickets were always available.

There wasn’t much to pack in the dorm since it wasn’t graduation time yet. Henry Foster only took a few sets of clothes and put them in his travel bag. Once everything was ready, he took out his phone, stared at that familiar number in his contacts for a while, and finally dialed.

“Hello, Henry Foster, you’re back from your trip!”

A clear and gentle voice came from the phone, tinged with joy—it was Emily Bennett’s voice. There was no sign of the usual anger or tantrum that most girls would show if their boyfriend hadn’t called for seven or eight days.

During all the time Henry Foster had been with Emily Bennett, they had never argued. This made the guys in the dorm cry out that the heavens were blind—not only did Henry Foster manage to date a campus beauty, but she was also gentle and considerate, a stark contrast to the girls nowadays who seemed to want to treat their boyfriends like servants.

“Yeah, I just got back.”

Henry Foster replied softly.

“Where did you go on your trip?”

Over the phone, Henry Foster told Emily Bennett in detail about the places he had visited and some funny things that happened during the trip, making her giggle from time to time. Of course, he didn’t mention the matter of the Zhuge Inner Canon—not because he didn’t trust Emily Bennett, but because it was just too unbelievable. If he hadn’t experienced it himself, he wouldn’t have believed it either, and would have just called it “crazy talk.”

After Henry Foster finished recounting his trip, both of them fell silent for a moment.

“Emily Bennett, I have something to tell you!”

“Henry Foster, I have something to say to you!”

They spoke at the same time, then both burst out laughing. Henry Foster continued:

“You go first!”

On the other end, Emily Bennett hesitated, as if unsure how to begin. After a moment, she spoke softly:

“Henry Foster, my family has arranged for me to study abroad next month.”

“So David Bennett had everything planned out all along. No wonder he provoked me into making that bet.” At this moment, Henry Foster thought of his earlier conversation with David Bennett. This guy claimed to be giving him a chance, but it was probably all part of his plan. Arranging for Emily Bennett to go abroad had been in the works for a while.

“Henry Foster, are you listening?”

An anxious voice came from the phone—it was Emily Bennett noticing the silence and asking. Henry Foster quickly pulled himself together and said:

“I’m listening. Studying abroad is a good thing. Since your family has arranged it, you should go. With all the communication tools we have now, it’s easy to keep in touch.”

Hearing Henry Foster’s words, the person on the other end let out a gentle sigh of relief, and then Emily Bennett’s voice came again:

“But, Henry Foster, can you go abroad with me?”

Emily Bennett’s voice was full of hope. For a moment, Henry Foster really wanted to nod and agree, but then he thought of David Bennett and the promise between them. He couldn’t say yes to Emily Bennett.

“Emily Bennett, I’m afraid I can’t go abroad. You know my family’s situation—my parents are just ordinary people. The cost of studying abroad is more than they can afford, and I don’t want them to work themselves to the bone for me.”

In the end, Henry Foster hardened his heart and refused Emily Bennett. In the four years they’d been together, this was the first time Henry Foster had ever refused her, and it was also the first time Emily Bennett had ever asked Henry Foster for something.

“Oh!” Emily Bennett sounded a little disappointed, but quickly spoke again:

“Henry Foster, will you come visit me abroad then?”

“Of course I will. I have to keep an eye on you, so you don’t get swept off your feet by some foreign hunk and abandon me!”

Henry Foster joked. Sure enough, hearing this, Emily Bennett’s voice became cheerful again:

“Well, that depends on how often someone comes to see me!”

Henry Foster could imagine Emily Bennett on the other end of the line, wrinkling her delicate nose and looking playful.

……

After hanging up with Emily Bennett, Henry Foster put his phone away, shouldered his bag, and strode out of the dorm. At this moment, he silently vowed in his heart: “Emily Bennett, wait for me. In two years, I’ll come to the Meng family myself and let you be with me openly. By then, no one will be able to keep us apart.”

……