Ethan's uncle Julian Blackwood's first contact was with Vivian.
But clearly, she wasn't planning to hand over the Blackwood heirs.
The first phone call ended with her calling him "crazy." Before Julian could even respond, Vivian hung up. When he tried calling back, he found that she had blocked his number.
Unable to reach the guardian, he called the local police station to inquire about the boys' address. They told him it was private information and couldn't be disclosed. Julian scratched his head, claiming to be a relative of the children, but the officer only replied, "Come here and we'll talk."
A month later, Julian set foot on Chinese soil.
His elaborate effort wasn't without reason.
Julian was the cousin of Alexander Blackwood, raised in the United States, and saw his cousin only a handful of times a year. Julian was an only child, unlike Alexander who had at least four or five siblings. Alexander wasn't the first child of their grandfather, nor the last, but he was the first to return to China for business. No one had expected him to become the most successful one, only for his life to be tragically short.
Julian was far removed from the Blackwood family's dramas, and his parents were no different—they didn't want to get involved in the power struggles.
However, the reason Julian had decided to wade into these murky waters was because he had a gambling addiction. He wasn't in debt up to his neck, but his family's wealth was slowly being liquidated.
He needed a large sum of money.
To feed his gambling habit.
So, Julian set his sights on his cousin's inheritance.
He wasn't greedy enough to get involved in the corporate battles—he didn't understand them and would be outplayed by the old-timers anyway. Instead, he remembered that his cousin had once mentioned a mansion in San Francisco, one he had planned to retire to with his wife. While everyone else fought over the company shares, Julian focused on the house.
He intended to sell it and take his last hope to Las Vegas, betting everything on a big win.
He had consulted with a lawyer who explained that the mansion would pass to his cousin's heirs, Ethan and Noah. If he could bring them back and establish a guardianship relationship, he would be entitled to the $20 million seaside mansion.
That's why Julian had come to Vivian to negotiate.
But he didn't expect to run into so many obstacles right from the start.
At that moment, inside Tianhe Airport.
Julian sat on his suitcase, looking utterly helpless.
He downloaded a local search app on a whim and typed in "Ethan." To his surprise, the search results caught his attention.
"Thanks to Mr. Blackwood for nurturing our child! Full marks in math, out of 120, the child scored 119! Next stop, Xiang Middle School!"
In the photo, sitting at a desk with the child was none other than his cousin's eldest son.
Julian couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement and quickly dialed the number.
When the phone was answered, Julian immediately recognized Ethan's voice.
Julian explained that he had come to catch up with him.
They set a time and place to meet.
Because his cousin rarely brought the children back to the US, Julian's impression of Ethan was still from when he was a child. His cousin's son was like his father—quiet, with almond-shaped eyes that were distinctly Chinese. His pupils were dark and cold; even if he looked directly at you, you could feel no emotion.
They met at a noodle shop near the train station.
Ethan sat diagonally across from him at the table.
Julian, looking up from his steaming bowl of noodles, handed him a pair of chopsticks. "I remembered you like your noodles spicy, so I added chili to yours."
Ethan glanced at the thick red chili oil in his soup, his face expressionless. "It's Noah who likes spicy food."
"Ah, sorry about that." Julian signaled the waiter to make another bowl.
Ethan stopped him. "It's fine, I'll make do."
Julian ate quickly, all the while talking non-stop about his long journey and his experiences along the way. He babbled on, but his eyes kept glancing at Ethan, trying to read his expression. Eventually, Ethan put down his bowl, wiped his mouth, and gave Julian a cold, inspecting look.
"Get to the point."
Julian knew he couldn't delay any longer and got to it. "I've come all this way to discuss something. You don't need to worry—just half of the money! Once the house is sold, I'll split the proceeds immediately. It won't affect your life with Noah. This money will set you both up for life!"
After listening, Ethan simply refused. "Not interested."
Julian was taken aback. "Wait—what? You're saying no?"
"We're doing fine here. We don't want to go back to the US, and we don't want to see those people."
"Fine? How is it fine? You can't even go to school properly! You're out here tutoring, picking up odd jobs!"
Ethan immediately became alert.
"You've been investigating me? What do you want?"
"Relax, relax," Julian said, seeing the wariness in Ethan's eyes. "I'm just looking out for you."
Ethan stood up abruptly. "I'm leaving."
Julian called after him several times.
But Ethan didn't even look back.
Julian met with Ethan several more times, each time sharing a meal, reminiscing about the past, but whenever the subject of going to the U.S. came up, Ethan's face would immediately fall, and he would walk away. Julian realized that this method wasn't going to work. So, he visited the local police station in WH City and finally managed to gather some information about Noah.
He took a taxi to Noah's school. As he was about to enter, the security guard stopped him and asked who he was.
"I'm Noah's uncle."
"Uncle?" The guard looked at him with suspicion. "Then you should call Noah's homeroom teacher."
Julian replied, "I don't know who his homeroom teacher is."
The guard thought for a moment. "Oh, it's Class 7, Noah. I recognize his sister. You can call her."
"Sorry, I don't have her number…"
"Then how do I know you're really Noah's uncle?"
Julian flustered, "I know Noah's brother. I also know his parents."
The guard replied, "I know the officers at the station. If you don't leave now, I'll call the police."
Julian had no choice but to leave, defeated.
However, Julian wasn't without ideas. A young man who'd spent his time hanging around the neighborhood had a way of making things work. He spent some time in WH City, gathered information, and returned to confront Ethan again.
"She's been collecting your survivor's benefits every month," Julian said. "You don't share any blood ties with her. She's just a kid herself, yet she's raising both of you. Could it be because of those benefits? Or maybe… are you giving her your earnings?"
Ethan replied coldly, "What does that have to do with you?"
Julian continued, calculating in his mind. "To keep your brother in school, you're doing tutoring work, barely making four or five thousand a month. After paying your brother's tuition, there's nothing left for food or clothes. Don't you want to live your own life? You can't stay here forever. What do you think your dad would think up there?"
At the mention of Alexander Blackwood, a crack appeared in Ethan's demeanor.
"…He's gone. Don't talk about it."
"Alexander and his wife had so many hopes for you, spent so much time and energy on you. They just wanted you to protect your family's business. Your job now is to study hard so you can make connections with influential people and take back your family's company one day."
Julian's tone turned more urgent, his voice low. "And don't you find it strange… that plane crash? Why was that flight the one to go down? Maybe—"
Ethan looked at him, incredulous.
Julian saw that Ethan was wavering.
Just as Julian was about to fan the flames, Ethan turned around and walked away.
"...Damn it!" Julian shouted, growing desperate. "Ethan, listen to me! You and Noah have to come back with me!"
Ethan stood up, unphased, slamming his hand on the table. "If you come after me again, I'll call the police!"
"Call the police? Go ahead, I'll have you both arrested!"
Ethan frowned, his eyes narrowing. "What do you mean by that?"
"You don't even read books, just out here selling lessons… That's not even real income, is it? And your college student status is fabricated. If your students found out that you're not even sixteen, still a kid yourself, would they still buy your lessons?"
This was Ethan's secret.
Julian used it as a weapon.
"If no one buys your lessons, you won't be able to afford your brother's tuition. You think Vivian will keep supporting you both? No chance! If she really wanted to take care of you, she would have taken you in when your parents passed, instead of letting you run, escaping all the way south! Do you think she's helping you out of kindness? She's doing it because you can give her money! And if one day you can't give it to her—"
Ethan gritted his teeth, his mind swirling, his heart sinking like a plane crashing without warning.
Julian, seeing that he'd hit a nerve, softened his tone, trying to appear more sympathetic. He patted Ethan's thin back. "I'm just worried about you and Noah. Don't let Vivian use you without even realizing it. She's not related to you by blood…"
Can she really care about you?
The words echoed in Ethan's mind.
That night, when he returned to the rented apartment, his sister's friend was there. The woman greeted him, asking why he seemed so distracted.
Ethan smiled faintly. "Nothing, just tired." He turned and went to his room, locking the door behind him. He quickly began counting his belongings.
Leave? Escape? Run away again? Is that the only choice left?
Should he tell Vivian?
His mind was a tangled mess.
He felt hopeless and helpless. After everything he'd been through, it seemed like he didn't even have a safe place to run to.
But he didn't ask for much. Ethan just wanted to take care of his little brother and make sure they stayed safe.
Suddenly, Ethan felt a sharp pain on his wrist.
He snapped out of his stupor.
He realized he was cutting himself with a craft knife.
This was the first scar on his wrist.
Does a person do this when they've reached the end of their rope?
In the bathroom, Ethan cleaned the blood off his arm.
The night was deep.
The autumn wind howled through the hallway.
Under the dim streetlights, Ethan walked down to the convenience store on the first floor. He bought iodine and band-aids, then sat by the window, carefully applying iodine to his wound.
If he had the option, he wouldn't end his life so easily. Ethan knew himself well; even in the most desperate situation back in Black Rye Town, he had the courage to fight until the end. He wasn't someone to give up without a fight. From his family's bankruptcy to where he was now, every step forward had been because of his own determination.
He should have been stronger.
But why was he stumbling now?
What was it that tripped him up?
Ethan sent Vivian a message, just three sentences.
He asked if she was awake, if she knew who Julian was.
"If I can't earn money, will you…"
The moment the message was sent, he deleted it.
It's impossible.
She wouldn't do that.
The next moment, Vivian called, asking what was wrong.
Ethan replied, "Nothing. Why are you still up?"
Vivian laughed. "I'm busy making big money." She was always happy when it came to money… his sister.
It had been a while since he'd seen her.
Living alone in another place, a person feels acute loneliness, a sense of existential despair; after autumn sets in and the weather turns cold, more warmth is needed to battle life.
Was that why?
Anyway, the days went on, one after another. When Ethan was busy, when he had free time, when he was on the move, when he was eating, when he woke up in the morning, and when he fell asleep at night… he often thought about Vivian.
"Sis, I…" Ethan hesitated.
Vivian replied softly, "Hmm?"
I miss you.
Don't leave us.
"Make sure you get enough rest."