Grace Winslow and Joanne Chase’s outstanding performance meant they were given firm offers by the Ministry of Diplomacy before their internships even ended. As soon as they graduated, they could start their official positions—and not at the entry-level, either.

Neither of them gave it much thought.

They had gotten this far on their own merit.

It felt like time was on fast-forward; the days flew by.

Their senior year grew increasingly busy.

Grace Winslow and Joanne Chase had to juggle not only their work responsibilities but also their graduation theses.

They were so busy they barely had time to greet each other when they passed in the halls.

As the national economy recovered, more and more people started businesses. Others even began eyeing a piece of the custom-tailoring pie. Several new custom shops opened in Coronet, offering cheaper prices and shorter turnaround times.

Hayley and her partners’ business was affected to a certain extent.

But customers soon discovered that while the other shops were cheaper, their designs and quality were far inferior to Hayley’s.

The moment they received the finished garments, they were disappointed.

The quality of these clothes wasn’t even as good as the mass-produced, ready-to-wear items sold in the Winslow family’s store.

So, the customers they had lost came flocking back, no longer complaining about the long wait times.

Hayley and Lily Callahan continued to scout for good tailors. They held to a "quality over quantity" mindset, requiring not only excellent craftsmanship but also high moral character.

In two years, they hired five more tailors and opened two more branch stores.

During this time, although Grace Winslow was busy every day, she didn’t forget to go house hunting with Andrew Aldridge on the weekends.

The number of properties she owned had already exceeded thirty, and she had also bought twelve storefronts.

For the past two years, Archer Rhys hadn’t reappeared. There wasn’t even a single letter from him.

Grace Winslow also seemed to have temporarily forgotten his existence. Only when she occasionally saw an old object would she remember that someone had once loved her deeply, only to leave for some unknown reason.

Grace Winslow and Joanne Chase graduated in May of ’83. It was an important year for them, and for all of Celestia.

Both of them graduated with outstanding grades.

They put on their academic gowns and took a group photo, holding the flowers Nolan and Brandon Winslow had brought them.

What Grace Winslow hadn’t expected was that Sean York showed up on graduation day.

He was wearing a suit and had changed a lot from three years ago. He was no longer the greenhorn he once was; now, he was much more mature and composed.

Three years had washed away his immaturity and childishness, leaving only a sense of stability.

Holding a bouquet of roses, he walked toward Joanne Chase.

Joanne Chase never expected him to appear and stood frozen on the spot.

Hayley grabbed Grace Winslow’s arm, happily watching the drama unfold from the sidelines. "This kid really knows how to keep a secret. How romantic, showing up now of all times. If I were Joy, I’d definitely say yes and marry him on the spot."

But Grace Winslow just smiled and shook her head. "I wouldn’t be so sure. He left without a word back then, leaving nothing behind. That really hurt Joy. Three years have passed now. It’s hard to say if she still has feelings for him."

"Plenty of guys at our work are pursuing Joy, and they’re all great catches, no worse than Sean York."

"Hayley, not all relationships can be salvaged. If he had just said goodbye to Joy when he left, or even asked her to wait for him for a few years, she might have run to him without a second thought today."

Hayley nodded in agreement. "That’s true. If it were me, and someone I liked suddenly took off without a word, only to pop back up years later and disrupt my life, I’d probably slap him twice and tell him to get lost."

’Where were you before? You weren’t there when I needed you most, so anything you do now that I don’t need you is meaningless.’

"Still, at least that punk Sean York knew to show up with flowers. What about Archer Rhys? Wasn’t he pretty aggressive when he was chasing you? How come it’s been over two years and he’s nowhere to be seen?"

Grace Winslow froze. It suddenly dawned on her that she and Archer Rhys really hadn’t seen each other in over two years.

These past two years, her days had been so busy and fulfilling that she had almost forgotten the things he’d once said. Only now, being reminded, did it all come back to her.

She forced a smile. "Hayley, why are you suddenly bringing me into this? Let’s just see what Joy decides."

Hayley shook her head. "You... just keep avoiding it. Before, you said you were focused on your studies and didn’t want to think about relationships. Now that you’ve graduated, what’s your next excuse going to be?"

"If Archer Rhys showed up today too and forced you to make a decision, I’d like to see what you’d do then."

Hayley’s words made Grace Winslow a little nervous.

She was afraid Archer Rhys would pull a Sean York, suddenly appearing with a bouquet of roses to confess his feelings. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, it would be awkward whether she accepted or rejected him.

By now, Sean York had reached Joanne Chase, flowers in hand.

He handed the roses to Joanne Chase. "It’s been three years. How have you been?"

Joanne Chase took the flowers, cradling them in her arms. At his words, she looked up at him.

The man before her hadn’t changed much—his features were the same as three years ago, yet somehow different.

She glanced down and saw the ring on Sean York’s hand. The last sliver of hope in her heart shattered.

She forced a smile, pretending to be calm. "I’m doing great. I graduated without a hitch and got a job at the agency I wanted. I’ve gotten everything I ever wanted, so I’m very content."

"What about you? Are you doing well?"

Sean York nodded. "After my parents divorced, I went south with my mom and sister to start over. Business is going pretty well now, and we’ve settled down there."

"My mom doesn’t want to come back to Coronet and see the people and things that made her unhappy. We’ll probably be settling in the south for good."

"The south is nice. The economy is booming there, too," Joanne Chase replied distractedly.

The conversation suddenly died. They stood in silence for a long time, neither speaking a word.

Nearby, Grace Winslow and Hayley quietly continued to watch the drama unfold.

Hayley shook her head, making her judgment. "No chance. I can tell just by looking at Joy. There’s a ninety-percent chance it’s over between her and Sean York."

While the two of them were still standing in silence, someone else walked over, breaking the strange atmosphere between them.

"Comrade Joanne Chase, my name is Evan Holland. I’m twenty-six years old and single. I’m an only child, and my parents are very open-minded. I have my own house, so we wouldn’t live with my parents after getting married. If you plan on having children in the future and are worried about childcare, my mom could come help take care of them."

"I would like to start a relationship with you with the intention of marriage."

The man wore thick, black-rimmed glasses and a drab, black Zhongshan suit, but his tone was as solemn as if he were taking an oath to join the Party.

You could tell he had mustered all his courage to come up and say this to Joanne Chase.

After he finished speaking, the tips of his ears were beet red.

Joanne Chase was taken aback. She recognized him—it was her colleague from the Ministry of Diplomacy. When she had first joined, she didn’t know much, and it was Evan Holland who had guided her and helped her a great deal.

She never thought Evan Holland would choose today to confess to her—and at such a sensitive and awkward moment. For a moment, she had no idea how to respond.