I Returned to the Day He Brought His First Love Home Chapter 166: He Has Liked You for Many Years

"It’s you?"

Grace Winslow recognized her at a glance. It was the sa old woman whose house she had looked at before. Her husband’s surna was Forrest, though Grace hadn’t yet asked for her first na. But what was the old woman doing at her house? And from the looks of it, she seed to be on good terms with Irene Lynch?

"Mom?" Grace looked at Irene Lynch, confused.

Irene Lynch was also puzzled, not expecting Grace to know the old woman. She wiped her hands. "Why are you back at this hour?"

"You and Dad weren’t back when Joy and I ca ho last night. I was worried, so I found so ti to co check on you. Mom, what’s going on? Are you hiding sothing from ?" Grace explained, then glanced at the old woman sitting in the courtyard.

The old woman still looked listless and her complexion was poor. Grace worried she might have a dical episode at any mont.

"Ms. Forrest lives alone. I happened to find her collapsed on the side of the road when I was out shopping for groceries, so I helped her."

"Seeing her all alone with no one to look after her, I couldn’t rest easy, so I started checking on her at her house whenever I had ti. Last night, after your dad and I went with Sean to look at desks and chairs, we stopped by to see her on our way back. We didn’t expect her to have an episode and pass out. We rushed her to the hospital, which is why we got back so late."

"I was worried sothing else might happen to her, so I invited her to stay here for a while. That way, I can keep an eye on her."

"She’s not a bad person. Don’t listen to the nonsense people are saying. She’s a very good person."

"Grace, you’re not mad that I kept this from you, are you?" Irene Lynch asked, worried Grace would disapprove of her helping the old woman.

But she just couldn’t bear to see the old woman all by herself.

The old woman might be ill-tempered, but she wasn’t a bad person at heart.

Grace looked helpless. "When have I ever been mad at you for sothing like this? But this is a big deal. Why didn’t you tell ? I could have at least been prepared."

"She can stay here. Get a room ready for her. If there’s anything you can’t handle on your own, co find at the university."

"Do you have enough money? If not, I can give you so."

"Enough, enough, more than enough! You gave several thousand before, and I still have plenty left." Hearing Grace’s words, Irene Lynch’s face lit up with a smile.

"Ms. Forrest, this is my daughter, Grace Winslow. She’s a student at Crestwood University."

Grace smiled and greeted the old woman.

The old woman maintained her usual look of soone who couldn’t be bothered with anyone, offering neither of them a pleasant expression.

Grace looked helpless.

Irene Lynch, however, didn’t seem to mind. "Ms. Forrest, I’ll get a room ready for you in a bit. There’s one in the back with good light and ventilation."

"Don’t try to butter up. I have nothing now. You won’t get anything from , so there’s no need." The old woman snorted, her tone harsh.

Hearing this, Irene Lynch just smiled, unbothered. "I’m not after anything. My husband said he used to know your husband and was fortunate enough to be under his care. It’s no trouble for to look after you. With just one more mouth to feed in the house, what could I possibly want from you?"

"I have sons and a daughter. My daughter is filial, I have money... I don’t lack a single thing."

The old woman sat with a stony face, saying nothing.

Grace pulled Irene Lynch aside. "Has she always been like this?"

"Not always. She can be more reasonable at tis. She’s not in good health, she’s getting on in years, and her family went through what they did. It’s normal for her to be a bit wary of people, so just be patient with her. Her husband was your father’s old boss," Irene Lynch explained in a hushed voice, afraid Grace would misunderstand and want to kick the woman out.

Grace knew her mother was dead set on letting the woman stay.

She knew it was pointless to try and persuade her otherwise.

"Alright, then. If everything’s fine at ho, I’ll head back to class. My afternoon is packed. If you need anything, co to the university and have soone at the gate tell the guard," Grace said with a nod. After giving her instructions, she turned and left.

Irene Lynch saw her to the door.

When she returned, she saw the old woman still sitting there with a sour expression. She sighed and sat down across from her. "Ma’am, we all have to look forward in life."

"I know what you went through was probably devastating, and you still haven’t moved on from it. Your body will never get better if you’re always sad and heartbroken. The doctor said you need to stay optimistic and cheerful, or else sothing bad is bound to happen sooner or later."

"There’s no obstacle in life that can’t be overco. My life used to be even harder than yours, and look at now. I’m doing just fine, aren’t I?"

"My daughter, at such a young age, fell for the wrong person. She was deceived and married a bad man. But now, she’s gotten into university, hasn’t she? She’ll have the brightest future ahead of her and won’t be troubled by the past anymore."

"You shouldn’t always dwell on the unhappy things from the past. Try to think about happy things more."

The old woman looked at Irene Lynch. Sotis she couldn’t understand what this woman in front of her had to be so happy about.

It seed that every ti they t, there was a smile on her face.

She seed so happy.

She had a husband who was very good to her, a filial and sensible daughter, and two sons. Though she’d never t them, she imagined they were filial as well.

She, too, was once this happy, with a perfect family.

But unfortunately, everything changed overnight.

So things you could never go back to.

She didn’t trust anyone.

Her entire family had been destroyed by people they once trusted.

’How could soone be kind to a stranger for no reason?’

’If soone is giving sothing, they must want sothing in return.’

’The only thing I have left that anyone could possibly want is that house.’

It wasn’t as if no one had tried to get on her good side lately. She had driven them all away with a scowl.

Irene Lynch was an exception.

She never seed to take your insults to heart. No matter how much you hurt her, she always showed you kindness and a smile.

The old woman averted her gaze, closed her eyes, and stopped looking at her.

’What a fool, happy all day for no reason.’

On her way, Grace ran into Sean York.

Sean York stopped his bicycle and greeted her. "Comrade Grace, are you heading back to the university?"

"Yes. And you?" Grace nodded.

"Looking for new listings! Our line of work isn’t easy. We have to go door-to-door, asking and negotiating. How else can we find properties to show clients?" Sean York replied with a smile.

He seed quite happy about it.

Grace shook her head. "Oh. Well, I’m heading back to the university."

"By the way, Archer went back to his military base. Did you know?" Sean York was about to leave when he suddenly rembered sothing and asked.

Grace’s steps faltered. She was silent for a mont before replying, "No, I didn’t."

"His job is pretty dangerous. He’s almost lost his life several tis. Actually, I’ve known about you for a long ti. He’s liked you for many years. As for that business with the Quinn family... maybe he didn’t handle it well. But the engagent between the two families was officially called off. I never thought the Quinns could be so shaless. Now that they see Archer has risked his life to build a career and gain so status, they’re trying to cling to him and force a connection."

"It’d be a real sha if you two broke up over this." Sean York looked at Grace. He knew he probably shouldn’t be saying these things, but he couldn’t help himself.

Grace didn’t turn back. She stood there for a long while before replying faintly, "I’m going."