A smile touched Zora's lips. "Be careful then." With that, she ended the call. She had thought Bex's lead was completely useless. Who could have guessed he'd come back around to surprise her? Later, Zane drove Zora home. Arriving at her doorstep, Zane got out, walked around the car, and opened the passenger door for her. Looking at his handsome face, Zora couldn't help but step forward and wrap her arms around his waist, leaning into him. "Zane, when should we get engaged? My mom thinks next spring would be lovely. What do you think?" Zane stiffened slightly. Engaged next spring? That's too soon! Truthfully, even he was confused. What was his relationship with Zora now? Were they a couple? But neither of them had ever officially declared it. His prolonged silence made Zora a bit angry. But she put on an understanding face. "It's okay. We can wait. We've only just reunited. We need more time to know each other. "I'm going in. Drive safely." Zane watched her enter the house. Zora went to a second-floor window and waved down at him through the glass. Only then did he get back in the driver's seat and leave. Once he was gone, Susan went upstairs to her daughter's room. "Next spring for the engagement. What did Zane say?" "He didn't say anything," Zora snapped. Susan frowned. "But he broke up with Darcy, didn't he?""Who knows? It's so annoying!" Zora fell back onto her bed, restless. She had thought that after breaking up with Darcy, Zane would quickly confess his feelings and propose an engagement. But he hadn't. Last time, he ended up drunk in the hospital. Zora couldn't help but suspect that Zane hadn't actually forgotten Darcy. In other words, his feelings for Darcy ran deeper than she had realized. Even Zane himself probably didn't realize how much he still loved Darcy. The thought made Zora narrow her eyes. No. I have to secure him before he changes his mind! Susan patted her hand. "Don't worry. It would be best to marry him before the IPO. But even if not, having him sign a stock transfer agreement after marriage works just as well. I have faith in you. You'll find a way." "Hmm," Zora murmured, closing her eyes.... On the morning of the graduate school entrance exam, Darcy was having breakfast at home when Cindy suddenly called her on video. Darcy answered. "Hey, Darcy! Good luck on the exam! I know you'll ace it!" Darcy smiled, biting into the muffin her mother had specially prepared. "Thanks, Cindy." Cindy asked, "How many days is the exam?" "Two. Today's Verbal Reasoning and Analytical Writing, and tomorrow's specialized exam plus the Math Subject Test." "What time do you finish tomorrow?" "Probably around 5 PM." "Perfect! I'll pick you up and treat you to a huge dinner!" Darcy laughed, "It's just the written exam. Not an acceptance letter." Cindy winked at her. "Hey, it's not like we're paying! Free meal!" "Huh?" Darcy was momentarily confused. Suddenly, Cindy turned the camera toward a refined figure. "Jethro! Come wish Darcy luck! And remember, you're paying for dinner tomorrow!" In the video, Jethro was still wearing casual loungewear. His hair was soft, lacking the meticulous, polished executive look he had at work. He looked more like a college student. It was obvious he had just been dragged out of bed. A gentle smile played on Jethro's lips. His handsome eyes looked through the screen at her. For no reason, Darcy's heart skipped a beat. "B-Boss, good morning," she stammered, instinctively calling him "Boss." Jethro chuckled softly, "I wish you a great start and success in all you hope for." Darcy felt her cheeks grow warm. "Thank you, Boss." Even after hanging up, Darcy felt a bit dazed. "Hurry up and eat! You're going to be late!" Ione urged, coming out of the kitchen. "Oh! Right!" Darcy snapped out of it and rushed to her room to grab her backpack. Ione stood by the door, reminding her. "Check your ID, admission ticket, pens..." "Got it!" "Take your time! You've got this!" Worried about traffic, Darcy didn't drive. She rode her bicycle to the exam center. As she parked her bike at the entrance, she ran into Gwen getting out of a car. "Darcy!" "Gwen," Darcy replied, then nodded toward Hugo."Let's go in," Darcy said. "Wait, Darcy! I have something for you!" Gwen said, smiling and looking at Hugo. "Hugo, hurry up, give it to her." Hugo reached into his pocket and pulled out a purple handkerchief, presenting it to her with both hands. Huh? What's this for? A slight smile touched Hugo's lips. "Test-day hack—tuck this in your bag. It's said purple linens ward off test anxiety." Darcy was speechless. She couldn't help but flash back to what her mom had slipped into her backpack this morning—a shiny lucky penny. But— How old was Hugo? Was he really into old wives' tales like that? ... The two days passed in a blink.The last subject was Darcy's strongest—the specialized one. She finished early and left the exam hall.