Vanessa Sterling was initially worried that Riley Raines might come to the shop again because of this incident.

The next day, Riley Raines indeed appeared once more.

He came to the shop early in the morning, but contrary to Vanessa Sterling’s expectations.

He wasn’t there to cause trouble, but to apologize.

His attitude was sincere, tinged with a hint of fear, and he dared not say those frivolous words to tease Vanessa Sterling anymore.

Only after Vanessa Sterling nodded her forgiveness did Riley Raines timidly leave the studio.

A few days later, rumors spread in the city that the Raines Family had relocated abroad, selling their domestic assets to a wealthy man in Rivia.

No one mentioned the exact identity of this wealthy man, but Vanessa Sterling had a good guess of who he might be.

It must be said that after Riley Raines left, Vanessa Sterling indeed felt much more at ease living here.

In the past couple of days, Miles Sterling’s car could still be seen parked across the road.

Vanessa Sterling also noticed that Miles Sterling seemed to be handling some business in the area, rather than coming specifically for her.

These days, Miles Sterling was probably back in Rivia, as the car hasn’t appeared since.

The area across the road feels empty and somewhat unfamiliar now.

"Teacher Sterling, what are you looking at there every afternoon?" the assistant walked over, following Vanessa Sterling’s gaze towards the road outside the window.

Vanessa Sterling withdrew her gaze, changed the subject with a light laugh, and asked, "Have you collected the children’s assignments?"

"Yes, I’ve put them in your office."

"Great, you can leave work now, go home early."

"No rush, my boyfriend is coming to pick me up after work. I can help tidy up the studio."

Vanessa Sterling asked with a smile, "I heard you’ve been with your boyfriend for a long time?"

The girl laughed cheerfully and said, "Yeah, he and I grew up in the same courtyard, you could say we’re childhood sweethearts."

"No wonder you two have such a good relationship."

"Not really, we’ve been bickering since we were young. He loves to compete with me on everything, doesn’t know how to give in at all."

Vanessa Sterling chuckled, "It’s precisely because you can’t be driven apart by arguments that you have a strong bond."

The girl smiled shyly and asked, "Teacher Sterling, do you have someone you like?"

Vanessa Sterling remained silent, seemingly contemplating the question seriously.

The girl continued, "Before I met you, I thought you must be a lively young girl because you draw those sweet, girlhood mangas. But after getting to know you, I realized you’re quite mature and rational, and you don’t seem to yearn for romance much. It just feels like you have many stories within you."

Vanessa Sterling smiled and said nonchalantly, "It might be just getting to the age where there isn’t much yearning for love anymore."

"I think it’s because Teacher Sterling hasn’t met that special someone yet. The feeling of being moved never disappears; the person who can move you simply hasn’t appeared."

"Perhaps."

Vanessa Sterling thought about it seriously, and she indeed hadn’t experienced being "moved."

Her definition of love is quite vague, and she doesn’t know what kind of emotions would mean falling for someone.

After going through so many things, she never considered trying to fall in love with anyone again.

But she suddenly wanted to know what it feels like to be moved by someone.

However, if she encounters love again, she’ll try to enjoy it as much as possible while maintaining her sense of self, instead of blindly accommodating the other person, turning love into a burden.