Even Being a Cockroach Is Tough These Days

In the end, it still fell down.

Jun Lionhead walked up to her, took out a spotless handkerchief, and gently wiped away her tears. "Don't cry, your mentor is still here."

Grace looked at him through tear-filled eyes.

Suddenly, Jun Lionhead reached out, pulled her head into his embrace, and let her rest on his shoulder. "If you want to cry, then cry as much as you need! You don't have to hold back in front of your mentor."

Grace leaned on Jun Lionhead's shoulder and sobbed her heart out.

......

Later, Jun Lionhead escorted Grace back home.

As Grace walked toward Serenity Pavilion, she saw Maya Summers and that old man who always called her 'daughter' playing with stones together.

The old man had changed into the manor servant's clothes, looking much cleaner and more presentable now.

"Auntie, what are you guys doing?" Grace walked over and asked.

Maya Summers saw her and pulled her over, pointing at the mess of stones on the ground. "Look."

"Look at what?" Grace saw a bunch of stones of all shapes and sizes scattered everywhere.

"It's a spell array!" Maya said excitedly. "Mr. Yuan set up a formation!"

The old man claimed his surname was Yuan, so everyone just called him Mr. Yuan.

"A spell array?" Grace circled around it. "Are you sure this is a real spell array?"

"Yep!" Maya pointed at a bug in the stone array. "See? That bug's been crawling around inside for three hours and still can't find its way out!"

Grace stared for a while. The bug—commonly known as a cockroach—was indeed circling around the stones, crawling here and there but never getting out. Finally, it seemed to give up, flopped onto its back, and stopped moving.

Its legs only twitched occasionally, looking utterly hopeless.

"Look, it's so tired it's playing dead!" Maya said, clearly thrilled.

Grace couldn't help but laugh. "Auntie, just how bored are you? You actually spent three hours watching a cockroach?"

"I'm not watching the cockroach, I'm studying the spell array!"

"Take your time," Grace said. "I'm heading back."

Maya waved her hand in disappointment. "Go on, go on!"

Then she continued squatting beside Mr. Yuan.

Mr. Yuan said kindly, "Maya, if you move this here, a Life Gate will appear. Flip it over and let it crawl again—this time it'll definitely get out..."

Grace was speechless.

These days, even being a cockroach isn't easy...

Of course, it's even harder to be a husband who ran away and a suspended President Zhu.

Ever since Duke Winston Wood took over, you can imagine what her days have been like.

Duke Wood had been in the Vermilion Spirit Alliance for twenty or thirty years, knew every corner, and quickly seized real power.

Although Grace was still hanging around in the President's Alchemy Room, she was basically invisible—no authority at all.

Thankfully, Chirpy still listened to her.

Grace basked in the early winter sun, watching Chirpy fly in through the window. She happily reached out and caught it.

It had a tiny note in its beak.

Grace took the note, smiled slightly, and burned it.

Half a month later.

The Spirit Alliance was located far out on the city outskirts.

Most members of the Spirit Alliance usually ate lunch in the mountain cafeteria.

That noon, Grace was waiting for Bobby and the others to bring lunch when Rina Chu's voice sounded outside: "President! President!"

Grace went outside and saw Rina Chu carrying Bobby, who was covered in blood, running toward her.

"What happened to Bobby?" Grace asked.

"President, please check him quickly!" Rina Chu said, placing Bobby on the bench.