Julian said to Ethan, "I'll give you time to think it over, but my patience isn't unlimited. By the time Noah finishes elementary school, you both must come back with me."
Ethan knew all too well—Julian's so-called patience only lasted as long as his greed was being fed. A gambler like him, if pushed into a corner, could very well do something far worse.
Ethan had no choice but to agree.
That was in January.
He was heading back to WH City for the New Year.
Julian could go wherever he pleased. But Julian just smirked. "What if you take your brother and run?"His smile was sleazy, full of knowing malice.
"I'm not going anywhere. Not now, not ever. I'll stay right here, watching you—not you two, just you—until June. And then, I'll personally take you both to the U.S."
Ethan met his gaze coldly. "Suit yourself."
And so, life went on.
February came, and during the New Year holidays, Ethan returned to WH City.
Julian followed but kept a deliberate distance from Vivian.
"That bitch treats me like a damn criminal. Called her the other day, said I was your relative, and she blocked me on the spot." Julian crushed his cigarette against the wall, sneering. "Tell me, is she nuts or what? Got bipolar or something?"
Ethan ignored him, standing at the mouth of an alley, watching Vivian and Noah buy breakfast in the distance.
"Hey—" Julian huffed. "Don't tell me you actually think of her as family?"
"She's coming," Ethan said. "Get lost."
Julian scoffed but stuffed his hands in his pockets and strolled away.
Vivian carried three cups of hot soy milk, while Noah held two large servings of pork dumplings. They walked ahead, and Ethan fell in step behind them, taking the food from his brother's hands.
"Where the hell have you been?" Vivian asked. "Did you get the Yellow Crane Tower cigarettes I told you to?"
"Got a carton."
"I've been teaching the road test portion of the driver's license exam," Vivian said, warming her hands around a steaming cup of soy milk before passing another to Ethan. "Today, my students took their test, and the examiners expected cigarettes—you know how it goes." She sighed. "After heading home for dinner later, you need to tutor Noah with his homework, especially his mistakes."
Ethan nodded. "Got it."
Vivian patted his shoulder. "Made some money from your tutoring?"
"Yeah, I still have six or seven grand left after tuition."
"You… want me to give it to you?"
"What for? Keep it for yourself."
Ethan nodded. "Alright."
But Vivian kept looking at him as if hesitating to say something.
"What?" Ethan asked, a sudden unease creeping up his spine.
"That…" She rubbed her nose. "Someone from the Blackwood family reached out to me."
Ethan's breath caught. "Who?"
"No idea. They kept calling, so I blocked them."
Ethan exhaled, relieved. Vivian glanced at him. "They didn't call you?"
He shook his head.
"Well," she continued, "once Noah finishes elementary school, I have something to tell you."
His nerves tensed again. "What is it?"
"You'll know when the time comes." She bit down on a cigarette but didn't light it, her words muffled.
They reached home, and had breakfast, and as Noah pulled out his homework, Vivian grabbed her keys and left.
She had to pick up students for their driving tests. On the way, she kept repeating her instructions: "I've already taught you all this. Three routes, three directions. Brake early. Big turn for left, small turn for right. Lights first, then go. Step one, step two, step three. Step three is?"
"Left turn signal," the students answered in unison.
"That's right. Forget the signal, and you're done."
After seeing them off to the exam center, Vivian braved the cold, waiting outside. Coach Gao walked up beside her.
Vivian offered him a cigarette.
"Nah, my throat's shot," he said, rubbing his neck. "Weather's dry, and I've been yelling too much."
"Maybe yell less. I hear your students cursing you out all the time."
"Cursing me? Ha! If anyone's doing the cursing, it's me!" He shook his head. "Last batch of the year."
"Tough one, huh?" Vivian mused.
"You made a good chunk this year, though." Coach Gao gave her a pointed look. "How does a college student end up so obsessed with money? You barely study, don't even date. Just spend all day grinding at the driving school. You must've made tens of thousands."
Vivian smiled, eyes curving.
"What's a student doing with that kind of cash?" he asked.
She just grinned, tucking the cigarette behind her ear. A student was led out by an examiner, and she stepped forward, handing over a pack.
"From Honglong," she said.
The safety officer caught her signal, accepted the pack, and gave her a knowing smile. The deal was sealed.
After the New Year, Ethan quickly returned to Xiangyang for school. Noah was preparing for his junior high entrance exams, and enrolled in an advanced tutoring class. Vivian continued her grind, barely glancing at her low, passable grades—she cared more about her bank balance.
The school was stressful. Money, on the other hand, brought joy.
Meanwhile, Julian was making his next move.
One day, Ethan had just finished a tutoring session. Stepping out of the study room, he froze.
Julian was there, casually chatting with one of the student's parents, looking utterly at ease.
Ethan's jaw tightened. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Julian turned to him with a smirk, clapping him on the shoulder. "Just checking out your teaching skills."
Then he turned back to the parent. "Our Ethan here—top of his class, already secured a spot in grad school. Just teaching for some extra pocket money."
The parent beamed. "Mr. Blackwood is an excellent tutor. My kid's grades improved so much thanks to him."
Julian sipped his tea, meeting Ethan's dark glare with an unreadable expression.
Once outside the apartment complex, Ethan spun on him. "What the hell do you want?"
Julian was direct. "When are you going to tell Vivian?"
"Tell her what?"
"You and Noah are going back to the U.S."
Ethan hesitated for a moment. "I'll do it soon."
"Soon? It's almost June already. Don't tell me you're thinking of—" Julian's expression darkened. "Do you believe I'll march upstairs and expose you right now?!"
Ethan said he'd come clean to Vivian this weekend.
"Don't push me, Julian."
Julian shot him a look before leaving.
Ethan returned home unexpectedly.
"Hey, what are you doing back?" Noah was about to head out for tutoring.
"Been exhausted lately. Figured I'd take a break and come home to rest," Ethan said as he stepped inside.
"That's great!" Noah beamed. "You should tell Sis—let's go out for dinner tonight!"
Ethan was indeed looking for Vivian. Just not for a reason Noah could know.
"Where is she now?"
"At driving school, I think. You're looking for her? Now?"
"Just asking." Ethan watched Noah leave, waited a moment, then unzipped his backpack.
Inside were stacks of red banknotes. He didn't dare transfer the money—Vivian might refuse it. So, cash it was.
He counted the bills once more, slung the backpack over his shoulder, and boarded a bus. Sitting by the window, he held the bag close, lost in thought.
How should he bring this up to Vivian? Would she find it troublesome? There was no blood between them—how much did she truly care?
If he swallowed his pride and begged her…
No. He couldn't do it.
Ethan arrived at Honglong Driving School.
From a distance, he spotted Vivian.
Late May, the sun was scorching. She was in a white T-shirt and shorts, skin exposed to the harsh light. She was instructing a student on parallel parking, her phone pressed to her ear. A moment later, she chuckled. "Over the line."
Her laughter was neither sharp nor distant, and the dimples on her cheeks seemed like tiny specks caught in the sunlight.
Ethan straightened instinctively, as if under scrutiny—though she hadn't even noticed him. It hit him then: authority didn't need blood ties to exist. She was older. He listened to her. That familial weight settled over him, making deception impossible.
Tell her.
Ask for help.
She'd figure something out.
Ethan took a step forward, just as Vivian's voice drifted over.
"Ethan, yeah."
He froze.
The person on the other end said something, and Vivian sighed, irritation creeping into her tone. "What else can I do? Not like it's the first time. Just handle it like you said."
Another pause. Then, she gave a short, amused scoff. "What, break my heart?"
"He's not even my real brother."
Ethan stood still, his shock dulling into a quiet, creeping emptiness.
The light in his eyes faded completely.
Abandonment, again.
But really—was it such a big deal?
Wasn't this inevitable?
He turned and left, stopping only at the security desk. He set down his backpack. "For Vivian."
Then, without another word, he walked away.
Vivian had waited all day for this call.
"Ethan? Yeah."
"You're really getting him into another school? Transferring mid-ninth grade is a nightmare." Her friend rambled on. "Public schools want new household registrations, fresh records—who knows if his old private school will cooperate. And it's expensive!"
"What else can I do?" Vivian said lightly. "Did the same for Noah, didn't I?"
"Fine, fine, I'll figure it out. Schools are scrambling for students before summer, so someone's bound to take him. But listen, the fees—"
"Just handle it. Money's the least of my worries. Kids' futures matter more."
"You say that now, but watch, once you drop fifteen, twenty grand, you'll feel it. Don't tell me you're not the least bit pained."
"Pained?" Vivian scoffed. "What's money for if not to spend?"
"And what if he never repays you?"
"Then he doesn't. He can go wherever he wants when he's older." Vivian laughed, dismissive. "It's not like he's really my brother."
"Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that." Her friend snickered. "You're practically bleeding money for those two."
"Shut up! Don't jinx me!" Vivian cursed, laughing. "I'm still making money, alright?!"
She hung up, turned back to the student in the driver's seat. "Are your mirrors just for decoration?"
The student fumbled to check the rearview.
"Wrong side! Left! Left!"
By evening, Vivian was clocking out when the security guard stopped her.
"Someone left this for you."
A blue-and-white gradient backpack.
Vivian recognized it instantly.
She had bought it for Ethan.
Opening it, she found it stuffed with cash. Her jaw dropped.
"Whoa! That kid's loaded!" The security guard whistled. "You and him…" His gaze turned suspicious. "You two aren't… y'know, dating, are you?"
"No!" Vivian snapped. "He's my brother."
Then she realized something was wrong.
Damn it.
She bolted for her car, tore through the streets, and burst into the apartment.
"Ethan!"
Shoes still on, she stormed through the living room, eyes darting around.
"Come out here!"
She flung the backpack onto the couch. "What the hell is this supposed to mean?!"
Silence.
Vivian's pulse pounded. She shoved open the bedroom door.
"Ethan, you little—"
The words died in her throat.
Like a wad of soaked cotton lodged deep inside.
Ethan sat at the edge of the bed, quiet, devastated.
His gaze met hers, empty and resigned.
And he did not stop.
Blood trickled from his wrist.
Dripping to the floor.
Drip.
Drip.