"The rule at Virtue Retreat is that, since you are friends of Miss Scott, this meal is on the house." Miss Turner was startled, and after a brief pause, she instinctively cast a confused and shocked look at Sophie, barely able to hold back her expressions. Having frequented Virtue Retreat often, she knew a bit about the place. Virtue Retreat opened three to four years ago and quickly established itself in Fenton City’s highly competitive dining scene due to its top-notch standards in specifications, environment, security, service, and cuisine, attracting high-class officials and high society patrons with its lofty style. The owner never appeared in public; all they knew was his surname was Duan, and his background was unknown. The staff at Virtue Retreat were especially unique, featuring renowned chefs from across the country and waiters with various talents capable of handling matters independently. The managerial staff surpassed this quality, each possessing enviable crisis management skills that other restaurants could only dream of. Numerous people had secretly offered them opportunities, but no matter how tempting, they remained unmoved. It’s well-known that while Virtue Retreat offers excellent service, it strictly correlates with the price. No matter how frequent the visits, they wouldn’t discount a single cent during payment. Some speculate that the owner of Virtue Retreat has a remarkable background. This mysterious restaurant was waiving the bill because of ’Miss Scott’? Does Sophie have a deep connection with the owner of Virtue Retreat? Facing Miss Turner’s astonished gaze, Sophie, who also connected ’Miss Scott’ to herself, was equally bewildered and confused, having no idea where this ’special treatment’ originated. She had been to Virtue Retreat before but never received such treatment... Lightly pressing her lips together, Sophie raised her eyes, took half a step forward, and looked at the smiling waiter, speaking softly, "Hello, may I ask, I—" "Sophie, have you finished?" Her words were interrupted by a voice from behind. Turning around, Sophie saw the impeccably dressed, graceful Ethan, and her confusion and astonishment faded, replaced with joy. She exclaimed, "Second brother." Miss Turner discreetly observed him. She had heard Sophie mention this second son of the Scott family, Ethan, who had graduated with a master’s from Capital Tech and now worked in the archaeology field. Sophie always praised him, which she thought was due to familial bias. Now seeing him in person, he indeed appeared distinguished, with a handsome demeanor and outstanding presence, comparable to male celebrities in the entertainment industry. Even his every move exuded a rare refinement. "Let me introduce, this is my cousin, Ethan Scott." Sophie walked a few steps towards Ethan, naturally linking her arm with his, and smiled while introducing the two, "Second brother, this is sister Lily, the celebrity I’ve mentioned." "Hello." Ethan’s smile was gentle, nodding slightly at Miss Turner, courteous and polite, "Sophie often talks about you, saying you’ve helped her a lot and taken great care of her. Thank you." Miss Turner smiled, "No need to be so polite, I’d say it’s Sophie who’s helped me quite a bit." Casually surveying her, Ethan’s warm and friendly smile deepened, and he met Miss Turner’s gaze without retracting his own. Miss Turner’s smile froze momentarily, a chill climbing from her feet, creeping up her legs and knees, piercing her back and straight to the top of her head. During their brief exchange, Sophie looked over at the front desk with fleeting hesitation and confusion, took a deep breath, and suppressed her urge to ask further. "Second brother, let’s go." Considering Ethan’s sudden appearance, asking about ’Miss Scott’ now seemed inappropriate. I’ll ask next time... "Alright." Responding to Sophie, Ethan turned to smile as usual and, after a pause, asked Miss Turner, "And Miss Turner?" Meeting his gaze, Miss Turner smiled and said, "I drove here." Ethan also smiled, "Drive safely." Amid swirling undercurrents, Sophie, occupied with the matter of the ’complimentary meal,’ remained oblivious. "What’s going on, spacing out?" Leaving the Virtue Retreat, Ethan glanced at the absent-minded Sophie, playfully tapping the back of her head. Sophie snapped back to reality belatedly, slowly shifting her thoughts away from the front desk’s words. Seeing her loosely draped scarf, Ethan grabbed one end, wrapping it twice and tightening it a bit. "It’s nothing, just thinking about something." Sophie slightly tilted her head, her dark eyes flickering as she immediately changed the subject, "Second brother, you got back yesterday, right?" Slightly tilting her head, Sophie hid half her face in the scarf, curiously asking, "Did you find that ’Master Sliver’?" Within the scattering beams of light, her eyes glimmered, hiding fleeting fierceness and anger that vanished in an instant. Ethan’s voice lowered, "No." "You didn’t even meet him?" Sophie was full of surprise. "Then can you still finish the birthday gift you prepared for Grandpa?" After the New Year, it would be Old Master Scott’s birthday. Although there was still time, the gift Ethan intended to make had a lengthy crafting process, requiring several months in advance. More than half a month ago, Ethan acquired a mechanical item, intricately and intriguingly designed, which, after studying, he found astonishing—the seemingly simple mechanism had numerous fragmented components, each tightly interlinked for smooth operation. Even Ethan, versed in the field, couldn’t guarantee restoration after deconstruction. Meaning it was nearly impossible to replicate. At the time, Ethan was troubled over the mechanical gift for his grandfather until someone suggested that the maker of this mechanical item might have extraordinary skills, and he could seek the maker’s help. Thus, he inquired about the whereabouts of this individual, but the person remained elusive, only known in the circles as ’Master Sliver,’ with his works appearing at Anchel’s regular auctions, yet he had never appeared publicly. Rumors described the master as having broad connections, being a descendant of a mysterious family of mechanical techniques. Beyond that, nothing was known. To express his sincerity, Ethan personally went to Anchel to investigate and wait. Despite exhausting all his resources and connections, he ended up with nothing. Ethan calmly said, "It’s alright, I’ll seek out my former mentor to see if he can recommend a few assistants for me." "Oh." Sophie nodded and asked, "Will it be in time?" However, before getting into the car with Ethan, she glanced back at Virtue Retreat’s entrance, unable to quell her puzzlement: does she have an encounter even she is unaware of? Her heartbeat pounded wildly, throbbing.