"He seems really thoughtful, remembering even such things for you," Grace remarked.

  Scarlett nodded without denying it. "He does take very good care of me. I just didn't like having a somewhat dull boy following me around at first, but I got used to it over time."

  Grace nodded understandingly, then changed the subject. "I've gotten leave approved by the Department Head. I booked a 6 PM flight back to Novastra."

  "Huh?" Scarlett was startled, quickly pausing the girl group dance tutorial on her computer. "What's the date today? The Department Head approved your leave?"

  Grace raised an eyebrow, giving her a "you know why" look.

  Scarlett rolled her eyes at this. "So it's true, everyone is a slave to money. Then you're not going to watch that Clara carry out her punishment? I wanted to watch it with you."

  Three laps around the field shouting "I'm an idiot"—just thinking about it seemed hilarious and spectacular. Missing it would be a pity.

  Pulling out her suitcase and starting to pack, Grace said, "Not watching. She won't go through with this punishment."

  For a pampered, high-and-mighty rich girl like Clara, pride was everything. Other punishments might be possible, but this kind? She would definitely not fulfill it.

  It'd probably be less painful to just give her a stab.

  "You're that sure?" Scarlett still felt it was a bit of a loss. "Wasn't the bet for nothing then?"

  Grace smiled at this. "If she actually did this punishment, she'd probably have to live with this joke hanging over her for the next few years of university life. If someone filmed and posted it, it would be even more inescapable. But if she doesn't do it, everyone will forget about the bet in a few days. Clara isn't smart, but she's not so dumb as to not understand this simple logic. So, she definitely won't do it."

  "As for the bet, it wasn't entirely for nothing. From now on, whenever we see her, we'll call her 'Clara B*tch'. I said it back then—if she doesn't do it, we'll give her a new name."

  Scarlett shook her head with a smile. "Alright then, one less spectacle to watch. Anyway, she was humiliated enough today."

  Grace had booked a first-class seat for the 6 PM flight. Scarlett saw her off at the school gate, hugging her reluctantly. "You'll be gone for half a month. I'll be all alone in the dorm."

  Grace patted her back comfortingly. "See you after the National Day holiday. Just message me if anything comes up. I'll bring you back some local specialties."

  "And if Eric comes looking for you again, I'll just say I don't know?" Scarlett asked.

  Grace shrugged indifferently. "Say whatever you want."

  Scarlett sighed, feeling Eric was somewhat pitiful deep down, but matters of the heart couldn't be forced. Ultimately, she firmly stood on Grace's side.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  On the way to the airport, Grace texted her sister about coming home today. Her sister sent her a picture of a deep V evening gown.

  ?Do you like it, sis??

  Looking at the dress in the picture, Grace smiled. If it were her past self, she was actually quite conservative and wouldn't even consider a deep V gown like this.

  But this time, she just wanted to live more freely. Since fate had given her a new chance, she wanted to live as her new self even more.

  To hell with constraints and rules. Her happiness was what mattered most.

  So she replied: "The neckline isn't low enough. It might look better a bit lower."

  ?Any lower and it would show the navel, sis.?

  Grace smiled even wider. "Then this is fine too. It's very beautiful. I'll wear it if I get the chance."

  At the airport, Grace first had a light meal in the first-class lounge, then used the priority lane for quick check-in.

  Only when she sat down on the plane did a noticeable sense of unease set in.

  Because the person she was about to see was her mother, who was not yet forty-five.

  She opened the chat window with her mother on LetsChat. The most recent message was from her birthday in April this year—her mother's birthday wishes.

  Scrolling up further, they were all messages sent by her mother alone, to which she had never replied.

  Mom, my flight home is tonight.

  Mom, what are you doing? I have a surprise for you tonight.

  Mom...

  In the chat box, Grace typed and deleted, typed again and deleted again. After several rounds of this, she closed the window.

  Just as she was immersed in her own thoughts, someone suddenly sat down in the seat next to her.

  Grace instinctively glanced sideways. It was a man fully equipped with a hat, mask, and sunglasses. As he sat down, a scent of woody pine wafted over, quite pleasant.

  Someone who looked like an assistant followed behind, helping him stow his carry-on bag and handing him a thick folder before the assistant and the rest of the team went to the economy class section at the back.

  The man casually picked up a pair of noise-canceling headphones nearby, put them on, and projected an aura of being cut off from the world and unwelcoming to strangers. Grace looked at him curiously.

  The man opened the folder, which was densely packed with text. Grace caught a few lines unintentionally and actually saw the name of a character from Destined to be Queen.

  Grace glanced at him again.

  The man's peripheral vision behind the sunglasses subconsciously caught Grace's look. His eyes couldn't help but brighten slightly.

  This stalker fan today is... quite pretty, huh.

  "I can give you an autograph, but you have to promise me you'll never engage in any obsessed behavior again."

  As soon as Gavin spoke, he said something that sounded utterly inexplicable to Grace.

  Grace looked bewildered, watching as Gavin quickly pulled out a blank sheet of paper from his folder and signed his name on it with a flourish.

  He then handed it to the utterly confused Grace.

  Grace looked at the scribble on the paper: What the heck did he sign?

  Who is he?

  Seeing Grace not accepting his autograph, a trace of impatience crept into Gavin's expression. He cautiously glanced around, and seeing no one paying attention, he lowered his mask and whispered, "You want a photo too, right? Hurry up. Just this once."

  If she weren't so pretty, he wouldn't have the patience to deal with a stalker fan.

  "I don't know you," Grace stated flatly.

  Gavin's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? You're saying you don't know me?"

  Grace frowned, studying his face carefully for a moment. He did look somewhat familiar—she must have seen him in some drama. But she hadn't been back in her 20-year-old self for long and really couldn't remember offhand who the popular male celebrities were right now.

  Seeing Grace's reaction, Gavin awkwardly put his mask back on, muttering discontentedly, "Then why were you staring at me?"

  Feeling helpless, Grace simply reached over and took the noise-canceling headphones off his ear. Before he could get angry, she clarified, "You took the wrong ones. These are my headphones!"

  Gavin: ...

  Grace casually put on the headphones, adjusted her seat to a comfortable angle, then turned her head to the side and closed her eyes.

  The flight was three hours. She needed to get some proper rest.

  Gavin looked awkwardly at the back of Grace's head, glanced around uncomfortably, and finally could only pretend nothing had happened as he lowered his head.