I Returned to the Day He Brought His First Love Home-Chapter 146: Reporting Grace Winslow

"Are you all right? Can you walk? There’s a stone stool over there. Let me help you over so I can take a look at your foot." Archer Rhys reached out and steadied Grace Winslow.

His movements were restrained and respectful, so Grace didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.

Leaning on him for support, Grace made her way to the nearby stone stool.

The light was dim. Archer knelt, took hold of Grace’s foot, and slipped off her shoe.

"This might hurt a little. Try to bear it." He looked up at Grace, and the light behind her cast a warm, yellow glow upon her face.

For some reason, Archer felt his pulse quicken.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, before gently taking hold of Grace’s ankle.

"Hiss..." Grace sucked in a sharp breath.

It hadn’t felt like much before, but now a sharp, stabbing pain shot through her ankle.

"It’s dislocated, but it’s not serious. Just hang in there, I’m going to set it." As he spoke, Archer gently rotated Grace’s ankle a couple of times.

Grace frowned, the pain causing her to instinctively clutch at her clothes.

The next moment, Archer gave a sudden, firm tug. Grace let out a sharp cry— "Ah!"—and he had already let go, slipping her shoe back on for her.

"Try standing up and see if you can walk. A dislocation isn’t a minor thing, though. You should try to avoid standing for long periods of time and any strenuous exercise for the next few days." Archer stood nearby, his hand hovering near Grace, ready to support her.

Grace placed a hand on his arm and stood up.

She tested her foot. Surprisingly, it really didn’t hurt as much anymore.

"Thank you so much." She took a couple of tentative steps. She could walk. There was still a dull ache, but it wasn’t debilitating.

’It should be fine after a day or two of rest,’ she thought.

Archer glanced at the sky. "It’s getting late. I’ll take you back to campus."

"But don’t you have a mission to carry out?" Grace asked, looking at him with confusion.

"It’s fine. Other people are keeping an eye on things here. I’ll take you back first." Archer shook his head, not elaborating on the nature of his mission.

Grace understood it was likely confidential and couldn’t be discussed, so she didn’t press him.

Archer walked with Grace under the dim streetlights, their shadows stretching out long behind them.

Grace didn’t know what to say, so when Archer asked a question, she would give a simple answer, like some kind of emotionless answering machine.

She had little experience interacting with men, especially men who were clearly interested in her. As a result, their time together felt strangely awkward—like two strangers who were somehow both familiar and politely distant.

After escorting Grace to the entrance of her dorm building, Archer waited until she had gone inside before turning to leave.

From a distance, Pearl Grant saw Grace Winslow walking intimately with a man. She couldn’t see the man’s face clearly, but she noticed him still standing there like a statue, watching Grace’s building long after she’d gone inside.

She snorted in disdain. ’So much for Grace’s holier-than-thou act. She’s found herself a boyfriend after all, hasn’t she?’

’That man looks like he comes from a wealthy family. She must have latched onto him after coming to Crestwood University.’

When Grace returned to her dorm room, she found most of her roommates were already there.

She didn’t bother greeting them.

After all, her relationship with her roommates was just so-so, not close enough to warrant active greetings.

After putting her things away and washing up, she climbed into bed.

Pearl Grant came in from outside, shot a glance at Grace’s bed, and then started gossiping with a roommate she was friendly with about what she had just seen downstairs.

"So Grace has a boyfriend, huh? Did you see what he looks like?"

"I couldn’t get a clear look at his face, but he was pretty tall. And he looked older, at least in his thirties or forties. You could tell his family is loaded. That outfit he was wearing? Must have cost a few hundred, at least," Pearl said, lifting her chin smugly.

"No way! Grace always acts so prim and proper. You think she’d go after some old man?"

"Why not? It’s all an act. How else is she supposed to seduce men if she doesn’t put on that innocent facade?"

"I don’t think we should be spreading rumors. If this gets out, it could really damage her reputation."

They chatted for a bit longer. Not everyone in the room was on bad terms with Grace.

Pearl’s eyes darted back and forth. Her roommate’s words had just given her an idea.

’Grace has a promiscuous private life. She was just chosen for that department event... maybe she got the spot by sleeping her way to the top with some old man.’

’I have to report her.’

’I absolutely can’t let Grace get away with such a great opportunity so easily.’

The next day, Pearl Grant wrote a letter of accusation and, when no one was looking, slipped it into the principal’s mailbox.

The letter was filled with a long list of Grace’s supposed misdeeds, arguing that she was completely unqualified to participate in the upcoming exchange program.

When Principal Vincent Holland arrived at work the next day, his secretary handed him the letter of accusation from the mailbox.

"A letter of accusation? How strange. This is the first one I’ve received. I thought I’d seen the last of these things after that whole affair ended." A cold smile touched the corner of Vincent Holland’s mouth.

The secretary smiled as well. "Tell me about it. I wonder who sent it."

Vincent Holland opened the letter, glanced at its contents, and said nothing, simply handing it to his secretary.

Maloney Hughes took it and read it, his expression showing some surprise. "Principal, this looks like a personal attack, just malicious slander. There’s not a shred of concrete evidence, just baseless accusations."

"I agree. It’s a shame it’s anonymous. Have someone look into this Grace Winslow. If there’s nothing to it, we’ll drop it. But if there really is an issue, then it must be handled seriously." Vincent Holland nodded, instructing him after a moment of contemplation.

Maloney Hughes nodded and left the principal’s office immediately.

Grace Winslow was something of a minor celebrity at Crestwood University.

She was the ultimate overachiever, always either in class or on her way to one.

If you asked any random student, they might not recognize the principal, Vincent Holland, but they would absolutely know Grace Winslow, the resident overachiever.

After all, her drive had inspired many others to start pushing themselves harder too.

It didn’t take Maloney Hughes much time to get the scoop on Grace Winslow.

As for her dating life, the university wasn’t some holdover from a feudal society; there was no rule against students dating. They were all adults, after all. Besides, ever since the national college entrance exam had been reinstated, many of the students taking it were already married with children.

In the first few years after the exam was brought back, it wasn’t uncommon for new students to be in their thirties or forties. Forget dating—no one would have batted an eye even if a student had a child who was already eighteen.

After asking around, Maloney Hughes had formed a clear impression of Grace Winslow.

He went back and reported everything he’d learned to Vincent Holland. "Principal, I asked around quite a bit. It’s not just the first-years; even the second-years know who Grace is. Plus, her reputation and standing with the professors are also excellent."

"She’s a foreign languages major, but she’s also auditing courses in several other disciplines. Her daily schedule is packed. I got a copy of her class schedule. Here, take a look."

Maloney Hughes handed a piece of paper to Vincent Holland. When Vincent saw it, the corner of his mouth twitched. This girl was a veritable learning machine, a perpetual motion engine of studying. Twenty-four hours a day, minus time for eating and sleeping, was basically all spent on her studies.