To express her apology, Lila Wang took Grace and Mina Sue to a newly opened French restaurant upstairs for a meal.
After placing their orders, she couldn't help but ask about Grace's plans.
"Are you planning to go back to Wen City?"
Grace's expression dropped a little, and she gave a small smile.
"Yeah. I have to go back. Classes start again next week."
Lila felt a sudden pang in her heart.
For some reason, she felt super close to Grace and didn't want her to leave just like that.
"How about this," Lila suggested, "why don't you stay at our place for a few days before heading back? There's no real grudge between a mother and daughter. You haven't seen each other in years, so it's normal to feel distant. Maybe spending a little time together will help."
Mina's eyes widened, clearly not loving the idea.
"Mom!"
Grace was caught off guard too.
She tried to politely decline at first, but Lila's warmth and sincerity, plus her own mix of regret and longing, made her eventually agree.
"I just need to go back and let my… friend know first," Grace said.
"All my luggage is with him."
"Alright. I'll go prepare a room for you," Lila said, smiling gently.
"Make sure you come over soon."
"Okay!"
Grace returned to Ethan's place and explained everything to him.
"Do you think I should go?" she asked, a little uncertain.
"I feel like my mom doesn't really want to see me…"
"You already made your decision, didn't you?" Ethan said, his voice calm as always.
Grace took a deep breath.
"Yeah, I guess. It's better to try than to regret it later."
Ethan suddenly asked, "Where's the outfit I told you to buy?"
Grace blinked, scratching her head as she remembered.
"I only bought one… but it was super expensive. Like, worth ten regular ones!"
Ethan gave a small nod.
"Put it on. If I see you in those old clothes again, don't blame me for tossing you out."
The look in his eyes made her jump a little, and she dashed off to change.
The housemaids helped her with her hair and picked out a pair of shoes that matched the dress.
When she came back out, totally transformed, the maids gasped.
Even Ethan, who always looked so cool and unreadable, froze for a second.
For the first time, he really noticed, this woman was actually… beautiful.
Like a dusty pearl that had just been polished, shining with soft light.
Feeling shy from how he was staring at her, Grace asked,
"What do you think?"
Ethan snapped out of it.
"Something's missing."
Grace tilted her head, confused.
He glanced at one of the maids, who rushed out. She came back fast, carrying a small black velvet box and a mirror.
Ethan opened the box. Inside was a pearl necklace.
Grace didn't know how much it was worth, but she thought it looked dreamy.
The pearls were soft and glowing, like a bunch of tiny moons strung together. They gave off this quiet, graceful vibe.
Ethan stepped forward and gently put the necklace around her neck.
"There," he said. "Now it's perfect."
Grace glanced at herself in the mirror and was instantly impressed by Ethan's taste.
The necklace was the perfect finishing touch. It turned her plain collarbone into something with layers and depth, like the main character on a vintage movie poster.
"I'll be back early!" Grace waved to Ethan as she left.
Ethan didn't say anything. He just stood there, watching her leave the Hugh residence.
Grace had no clue how Christine would react when she found out she was going to stay at the Su residence for a few days.
"Ma'am! Why did you bring someone like her into the Su family? Just looking at her makes me sick! People like her only bring shame to us!" Christine was shouting, practically losing her mind.
Lila looked confused.
"You said you hadn't seen your daughter since she was born. So you don't even know what kind of person she is. Why are you acting like this?"
Christine snapped, "I told you, Ma'am, no one from the Howard family is any good. A person's character comes from both their blood and the environment! The second I saw her, I felt something was off, she's definitely trouble!"
Lila frowned. Something didn't sit right, but she couldn't figure it out.
"I've already invited her. It'd be wrong to send her away now. If you really don't want to see her, why don't you stay at the old house for a few days? You can come back after she leaves."
To her surprise, Christine looked panicked and turned it down immediately.
"Oh no, that wouldn't be right. I wouldn't want to trouble you, Ma'am. It's just a few days, I can handle it. She can stay with me."
As the head housekeeper, Christine had her own small suite. It was more than enough for Grace to stay in.
Lila agreed, thinking it might actually help the two get closer and finally start rebuilding their relationship.
Later, Henry dropped Grace off at the Su residence, where Christine greeted her with a face darker than a thunderstorm.
Her expression didn't look like a mom seeing her daughter again, it was like she was facing some thief.
"What spell did you put on Madam to make her bring you here? I'm warning you, stay in your room. Don't walk around where Madam or the young ladies can see you. Got it?"
Grace had expected this cold attitude, but hearing it still hit like a punch to the chest. It took her a moment to answer.
"…I understand."
But things didn't go the way Christine planned.
Madam Li personally invited Grace to join her for a meal. Grace tried to make up some excuse to skip it, but Madam came to get her herself.
With Madam being so firm about it, and Christine busy elsewhere, Grace had no choice but to join them.
At the dining table, Mina looked annoyed. She didn't even glance Grace's way.
No matter how close Grace was to Aunt Christine, she was still just the daughter of a housekeeper.
How could she sit at the same table as Mina? Her mom was being way too careless!
Lila asked Grace a bunch of questions about her life. When she heard Grace had made it into A University while still doing house chores, she couldn't help but feel impressed, and maybe even a little jealous.
"Mina's around your age, and she's pretty smart too," Lila said. "But she just doesn't take anything seriously. If only she worked as hard as you do."
This had always been one of Lila's biggest regrets.
Like most wealthy families, she had hired the best tutors for Mina from when she was super young, trying to raise her into a top-tier student.
But Mina wasn't cut out for academics. She cared more about fashion and hanging out.
No matter how much effort or money went into her studies, the results were always just average. Her teachers said she just didn't have the talent.
Lila didn't want to admit that, so she always comforted herself by saying Mina's heart just wasn't in it.
But hearing her mom praise Grace made Mina totally snap.
"Our family's super rich," she blurted. "I don't need to work hard. Even if she got into A University, she'll still have to work her butt off forever and still won't make even a tiny bit of what I get for allowance."