Chapter 115 Mr. Phillips, Long Time No See
Henry was the person who made Grace's heart skip a beat from the very first glance.
Their first encounter was in the bustling campus cafeteria.
She had just heated up her homemade lunch and found a small corner table, lifting the lid of her container.
It was peak lunch hour, crowded with students.
A young man approached and asked, "Is this seat taken?"
Grace looked up to find Henry standing before her, holding his meal tray. His tall frame, handsome features, and mature demeanor that surpassed his peers made him instantly unforgettable.
She shook her head.
Henry sat across from her and ate quietly.
Students around them kept glancing toward their table.
Back then, as a freshman, she had no idea that this young man was a sophomore campus celebrity.
Henry was academically brilliant, excelling in every subject. Not only was he incredibly handsome and intellectually gifted, but he also came from an influential family.
He ate with quiet elegance, chewing thoughtfully without checking his phone or attempting conversation. Even while eating, he possessed an indefinable air of sophistication.
After finishing his meal, he simply got up and left.
Their second encounter was at the library entrance.
She was working her student job, carrying an armload of heavy books to reshelf, when someone opened the door from inside just as she was about to push through.
She tumbled backward, landing hard on the ground.
The books scattered everywhere in a chaotic mess.
Grace scrambled to get up, frantically checking each book for damage, when another pair of hands began gathering them more quickly than she could.
The young man's fingers were long and elegant, his nails neatly trimmed—remarkably clean hands.
Grace had never seen a guy with such beautiful hands—they could have belonged to a hand model.
Following those hands upward, she recognized him.
Henry's features were refined yet clean, radiating quiet elegance.
He visited the library every afternoon, always claiming the same window seat. She would steal glances whenever she passed by.
At that age of budding romance, he was like a gentle breeze drifting through her world.
What she didn't know was that every seemingly chance encounter between them had been carefully orchestrated by him.
At the end of freshman year, a girl wrote an anonymous love letter and asked Grace to deliver it to Henry.
During break time, the letter vanished from Grace's desk.
The next morning, that same letter was posted on the school bulletin board for the entire campus to see.
Grace saw it and immediately tore it down, but her action made her the target of everyone's assumptions.
Students surrounded her, mocking and questioning her, convinced she had written the letter to Henry.
Then Henry appeared in the crowd, pushing through to stand before her.
He smiled gently and said, "I've liked her for a very long time."
...
Grace snapped back from her memories, realizing she had unconsciously walked to the back garden.
She felt tired from walking, and her aide looked even more exhausted.
Throughout their journey, Grace had leaned most of her weight on the aide, barely able to use her legs for support.
Passing a bench, the aide wiped her brow and suggested, "Let's sit and rest for a moment."
"Alright."
Grace settled onto the bench.
Meanwhile, on the third-floor rooftop of the medical building.
Henry stood against the railing, gazing down at Grace sitting on the bench below. The aide was fanning her gently as a soft breeze lifted strands of her hair.
"Mr. Phillips, what are you looking at?" asked the accompanying deputy director.
Henry replied, "I spotted an old acquaintance."
"Mr. Phillips, we should go. Your mother has been waiting quite some time."
The deputy director gently reminded him.
Henry turned away slowly.
Below, Grace sat stiffly on the bench, her tailbone aching against the hard surface. She muttered, "This bench is so uncomfortable."
The aide chuckled. "It's not the bench that's hard—you're just too thin."
Grace's cheeks flushed as she quickly stood. "I'm rested enough. Let's head back to the room." Surely Henry had left by now.
Just as she got to her feet, Max and Liam came running toward her from the distance.
"Mommy!"
"Grace!"
Grace turned to see Max and Liam racing toward her, one behind the other.
"Max, Liam?" Grace looked surprised, glancing at the sky. "Did school let out early today?"
Max nodded. "Early dismissal today."
Liam stood nearby, breathing heavily—Max had run so fast he couldn't keep up.
Max looked annoyed. "Liam, you really need to work on your fitness."
Liam's lip quivered with hurt. It wasn't that he lacked exercise—Max's athletic abilities were simply extraordinary.
Max possessed not only incredible endurance but also explosive speed. Whether sprints, middle-distance, or long-distance running, he dominated every race.
Grace asked, "Have you two eaten?"
Both boys shook their heads.
Max said, "I'm not hungry. Are you hungry, Mommy?"
Grace replied, "I'm not hungry either."
Max observed, "Mommy, the wind's picking up. Let's go back to your room."
"Good idea."
Max and Liam trailed behind Grace like little ducklings as they returned to the hospital room.
Approaching the room, they found the door standing open.
Without thinking much of it, Grace struggled forward with her walker. The moment she crossed the threshold, she froze at the sight of someone sitting on her bed.
A man.
Henry heard footsteps and turned around. Seeing Grace, he slowly rose to his feet.
Grace stood paralyzed.
She never expected Henry to enter her hospital room.
Grace remained stunned, caught completely off guard.
Henry gazed at her quietly, equally speechless for the moment.
Max looked between Henry and Grace.
Liam tugged gently at Max's sleeve, his curious expression seeming to ask who this man was.
Max shook his head. "I don't know him."
Grace furrowed her brow, her lips parting slightly. "Mr. Phillips, it's been a long time."
Henry's mouth twitched at her formal address, clearly unable to remain unmoved by such distant courtesy.
After all these years of her disappearing act, avoiding him for so long, their reunion was marked by such cold formality.
Henry raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Phillips?"
He walked slowly toward Grace.
Grace felt momentarily lost, unsure how to respond.
Until Henry stood directly before her, looking down at her pale, fragile face. His Adam's apple bobbed as his voice came out slightly hoarse. "You've been hiding from me for so many years. How much longer do you plan to keep running?"
Grace felt her scalp tingle. "I... I wasn't."
Henry suddenly pulled her into his arms, enveloping her in an embrace.
Having reviewed her medical records, he knew about her multiple fractures throughout her body. He didn't dare apply pressure, yet couldn't control the tremor in his arms as he held her.
Nearby, Max's jaw dropped in complete shock, his eyes wide with amazement.
Beside him, Liam cupped his face in his hands, his mouth forming a perfect "O" shape.
This man was actually...
Actually...
Actually embracing Grace in such an intimate way!