Chapter 73: Ethan's Parting Gift

Chapter 73: Ethan's Parting Gift

Emily's wrist marks took two days to fade.

In retaliation, she left a mark on the man's throat that was even deeper and more pronounced than before.

Ethan didn't bother with a bandage. During the day, he flaunted the conspicuous mark at work, and at night, he doubled his efforts to make it up to Emily.

"Remember," the man said as he held her from behind, gently wiping the sweat from her forehead, "you can only be away for eight months at most."

Emily had just exhausted her energy and was feeling dizzy. She lazily turned around, her nose brushing against his still warm body, and mumbled groggily, "Why eight months?"

Ethan chuckled softly, his voice rich and alluring, almost coaxing her into mischief. "Because I can only tolerate being apart for eight months."

Emily: "…"

What happened last time she was away for eight months?

Oh right, she had to pay double the debt.

There were a few days when she could barely walk down the stairs.

Given Ethan's current state, she honestly doubted he could last even eight months…

She glanced at him sideways, "What if I can't come back in eight months?"

He lowered his lashes and glanced at her, the massive blanket shifting slightly.

Emily stiffened and instinctively pulled back.

The man held her back gently and whispered, "Then the belt buckle will explode."

Emily: "......"

You must be joking.

"If you really can't come back, there's always a solution," Ethan began considering the issue seriously.

Emily: "What solution?"

"I could fly to see you," he said, turning to embrace her, his voice even deeper with a hint of humor, "Or just think about you while I'm flying solo!"

**

The day to depart for the travel shoot with Annie Sassen came quickly.

Since it was a budget travel plan, Ethan didn't want to keep her up too long the night before and let her rest early.

Emily, who usually had trouble sleeping before important events, slept particularly well that night.

When she woke up in the morning, the bed beside her was already empty.

Looking at the crumpled white sheets, she felt a strange sense of loss.

She walked into the bathroom and her gaze fell on the black bottle of body wash, momentarily lost in thought.

Emily picked up the bottle and sniffed it. Smelling the familiar scent, she inexplicably packed the man's body wash into her luggage.

The luggage had been packed by Ethan the previous day.

She had asked the maid to pack it, but Ethan insisted on doing it himself, wanting to be sure everything was perfect.

She watched her husband fuss over every detail like a concerned father, almost packing up the entire Star Pavilion for her. After packing, he hugged her tightly, burying his chin in her neck, constantly reminding her of this and that…

Pulling the suitcase's handle, Emily hesitated, a strong feeling of regret washing over her.

Why didn't being the richest woman's wife feel more exciting?

Why wasn't spending his money and letting him support her enough?

Why was she going on an adventure with Annie?

She had barely worn running shoes and was now about to hike for a travel shoot?

Why couldn't the travel shoot be like the game where she changed into various beautiful outfits and traveled the world…

But last night, faced with Ethan's various worries and questions, she had been full of confidence.

Emily had thought he would be the one to stop her, but now she realized that wasn't the case at all.

She wasn't as determined and strong as she thought.

He was actually the one encouraging and supporting her to venture out.

If only he were here now…

The butler walked in, smiling and nodding at Emily. "Madam, it's time to leave."

Mr. Guan took the luggage. "Ethan has arranged everything."

Emily followed the butler to the top floor and saw the plane waiting on the helipad.

It wasn't the private jet she usually took, but a helicopter with her name on it.

The massive propeller began to spin as Emily climbed aboard. She looked up and was momentarily stunned.

Ethan, wearing a helmet, was sitting in the pilot's seat, smiling at her.

"Sweetheart, I'm sending you off."

The travel shoot with Annie Sassen was different from what Emily had imagined.

Firstly, they couldn't just be away for four or five years like last time.

Emily even suspected she might be back home before Ethan's belt buckle exploded.

It had been nearly twenty years since Annie had traveled the world alone, and she was now in her sixties.

Although the photographer refused to let Emily use the term "old lady," her age meant her physical stamina wasn't what it used to be.

The grueling scenes Emily had worried about didn't exist; she could easily handle the intensity. It was Annie who, during the trip, expressed regret for slowing down their pace.

They hadn't ended up in impoverished or war-torn areas like Ethan had feared. In fact, after nearly four months, they were still in the country.

Annie had never had the chance to shoot in China before, and now that she was here, the photographer seemed reluctant to leave.

Emily didn't find the relaxed schedule or familiar scenery boring—interacting with Annie Sassen was far more important to her than the shoot.

She quickly realized that even when photographing the same scene, there was a noticeable gap between her and the master.

The gap wasn't technical but rather in the soul of the photographs.

Every photo Annie took had a sense of story; even a high school girl running home from school conveyed a vivid feeling of "Mom made braised pork, I'm rushing home!"

Annie told Emily that she started as a fashion photographer and understood what fashion magazine shoots were all about. You needed creativity and ideas, but most importantly, you had to make people look good.

For a cover photo, looking good was always the top priority.

Annie liked glamorous photos, but after shooting so many, she often pondered whether there was more meaning beyond "looking good."

So when she captured a photo of a jobless mother carrying her child sweeping the street in the snow, she realized that a camera could create more meaning.

"Your camera can be a tool to help yourself or others, even change the world," the highest-paid photographer once told Emily. "The sooner you understand this, the better."

Annie then smiled, "But with a super-rich husband, you probably understood this earlier than I did."

Recalling how her super-rich husband had just bought her an expensive handbag…

Emily felt that understanding this lesson might take a bit longer for her.

Annie mostly used film cameras. She told Emily that film was once very precious, so each shutter press had to be decisive and careful.

Even though digital cameras came later, Annie still preferred film.

"Don't think you can retake a shot. As a photographer, you must know when it's time to press the shutter."

Annie rarely gave lectures; instead, she often shared stories from her past shoots. As they grew closer, their conversations expanded.

Aside from age and nationality, the two female photographers had many commonalities, and after a few days, Emily even felt like she was traveling with a sister.

But photography wasn't always easy. To capture a rare bird, they had to wait by the lake for two days; to photograph the real scene of a morning market, they ventured out in the rain before dawn; for the perfect angle, Emily climbed a ten-meter ladder for the first time…

She captured many people and scenes she had never seen before, and developed a new feeling:

How she wanted to share these beautiful sights with him. If only he were here.

Emily even thought that Ethan's idea of accompanying her was actually a good one.

Not having the person she most wanted to share with around felt like… a waste of the beautiful scenery.

But she guessed he probably didn't have this feeling. After all, his invisible bodyguards reported every detail, so in a way, he was traveling with her virtually.

The bodyguards' reports were detailed to the point of being like tattletales. Ethan's daily WeChat messages reflected this:

[No more climbing so high]

[Why are you barefoot in cold water again [angry]]

[Two hot pot meals in two days?? Emily, are you trying to ruin your stomach!]

[The qipao looks great. I had someone make you an identical one based on the photo. When you come back, you can wear it for me, and I can help you zip it up.]

[Sure. Undressing is fine too. Always happy to assist]