On the way back, the two of them fell silent. When they were almost at Little Emily Harris's doorstep, William Carter stopped.

"You’re not happy?" Little Emily Harris parked the car and came to stand in front of William Carter.

"No, I’m actually in a good mood today!" William Carter forced a smile. Little Emily Harris nodded, "Then... I’ll head in..." but her feet didn’t move.

"Go on, it’s getting cold!" William Carter said softly.

Little Emily Harris finally turned around, but after only a couple of steps, she suddenly heard William Carter call her, "Xiaoyue!" It was the first time William Carter had called her so affectionately. Blushing, Little Emily Harris turned back.

Summoning all his courage, William Carter walked up to Little Emily Harris and suddenly pulled her soft body into his arms. Little Emily Harris shyly lowered her head, and William Carter gently lifted her chin, pressing a deep kiss onto her moist, soft lips. Both their faces were burning hot.

Startled, Little Emily Harris broke away from William Carter's passionate kiss and whispered, "You’re bullying me again..." William Carter lowered his voice, "That was my first kiss, so you didn’t lose out!"

"Bad guy!" Little Emily Harris buried her head in William Carter's chest.

"Tomorrow..."

"Tomorrow I have class, so I probably can’t come out."

"No... I mean, tomorrow I’m going to Taiwan," William Carter explained.

Little Emily Harris's eyes showed surprise as she gently pulled herself out of William Carter's embrace.

"My father passed away. I have to go there to inherit the estate," William Carter said quietly.

"When will you be back?" Little Emily Harris's voice trembled a little.

"I don’t know..."

"Will you not come back?"

"I really don’t know!"

"Jerk!" Little Emily Harris shouted with all her strength, then gave William Carter a resounding slap. William Carter was left a bit dazed by the hit. "That was too much!"

Little Emily Harris's eyes were full of tears. "William Carter, you’re not human. Just go to your Taiwan, why did you have to mess with me?" She turned and ran toward her house, stopping halfway to shout fiercely, "I hate you!"

William Carter shook his head helplessly. "Trouble..." Deep down, he suddenly felt a bit of regret. He had indeed gone too far just now. Judging by the look of that little girl, she had definitely fallen for him. Maybe he really shouldn’t have shown his feelings to her. Snowflakes began to fall from the sky again—maybe this was the last snowfall he would see this year. Watching the swirling snow, he suddenly smiled, and only when he saw the lights come on in Little Emily Harris's house did he slowly head home.

The flights at the airport weren’t delayed by the snow. When William Carter and his mother arrived, there was still some time before boarding. He began to realize that Henry Bennett truly had extraordinary connections. In just two days, he had managed to get all the paperwork for William Carter's trip to Taiwan sorted out—something an ordinary lawyer could never have done.

Henry Bennett always wore that same smile. "Actually, before I came to Beijing, I already had my friends here handle William Carter's paperwork. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have gone so smoothly!"

William Carter asked in return, "How did you know I would definitely go to Taiwan with you?"

Henry Bennett replied meaningfully, "I only believe in one thing—there’s a bond between father and son!"

William Carter was shaken. A bond between father and son? What about mother and son? For the first time, his gaze met his mother’s.

Grace Parker's eyes were bloodshot; it was clear she hadn’t slept all night. Her pale face made it seem as if she could collapse at any moment. Richard Morgan held the suitcase in one hand and supported her with the other.

William Carter finally walked over to his mother. Grace Parker couldn’t say a word, she just cried.

"Yun-jie, I’m leaving now!" There wasn’t much sorrow in William Carter's voice. Grace Parker wiped away her tears and nodded, finally managing to say, "Take... care of yourself... Come back quickly after... you’re done..." Her voice was completely hoarse.

William Carter nodded, then turned his gaze to Richard Morgan.

Richard Morgan handed him the suitcase. "Everything you’ll need, your mom has packed for you. Don’t forget to call when you get there!" This time, William Carter looked into Richard Morgan's eyes and found that his gaze wasn’t as unpleasant as before.

Brian Cooper, Samuel Clark, and Iron Dan came over and each gave William Carter a hug. "Bro, don’t forget to come home after you strike it rich!" William Carter nodded, moved, and his eyes searched for Little Emily Harris's figure.

"Attention, passengers! The flight to Hong Kong will depart in twenty minutes. Please proceed to the boarding gate..." The pleasant voice of the airport announcer rang out, and everyone knew what that meant.

Richard Morgan took the suitcase from William Carter and led the way to the boarding gate. William Carter glanced at his mother again, feeling a pang of sadness. He wanted to say something, but swallowed the words, turning to head for the gate.

"Son!"

Suddenly, William Carter heard a nearly hysterical cry. He spun around and saw his mother collapse to her knees in the aisle behind him. William Carter could no longer hold back his tears. He rushed to his mother’s side and held her trembling body tightly.

Then he looked up at the equally tearful Richard Morgan and said, "Please... take good care of my mom. I’ll come back as soon as I can..."