Chapter 21: Thousands of Sighs

"Brother Ethan, I'll send you back!" Yuyu chased after him like a loyal follower. Behind her were Zara and Wendy, trying to keep up. Zoe, on the other hand, hesitated. With her family nearby, she was too embarrassed to follow.

"The true masters live among us… A hidden expert!" Old Man Night stroked his beard, nodding in admiration as he watched Ethan's departing figure.

Then he turned to Zoe, shouting, "Girl, why are you still standing there like a fool? Go after him! Let me tell you, happiness is earned, not given."

Zoe's face flushed red. She shook her head shyly. "No need. He said he'll come tomorrow to talk business with Dad. Grandpa, now that you're so healthy, let's go make another birthday wish."

"Alright, alright! My granddaughter is so filial!" The old man laughed heartily, leading Zoe back to the banquet hall as if he hadn't just been on the brink of death moments ago.

As the Night family made their way back, Han spoke up, his tone laced with worry. "Dad, we've officially severed ties with the Yu family by rejecting Leo's proposal. Our business will undoubtedly take a hit. Do you really think Ethan has a way to help us recover?"

"Humph! Business relies on the market, not just connections. As long as you have the capital, why fear? And that young man—his medical skills are profound. He wouldn't lie. If he says there's a way, then there is. Even if you doubt him, trust your daughter's judgment!" The old man chuckled proudly.

"Grandpa…" Zoe stomped her foot shyly, her cheeks burning.

In the Yu Family Villa…

"Beast! What kind of grudge do you have with that farmer? Tell me the truth!" Li Yu's voice thundered through the villa, his face twisted in rage after hearing about Old Man Night's miraculous recovery.

Leo trembled under his father's glare. Knowing things had gotten serious, he spilled everything—the fight, the humiliation, and his failed schemes against Ethan.

Li's face turned pale. He rushed forward and slapped Leo across the face—twice.

"You idiot! He made a truck vanish into thin air and conjured a pig out of nowhere! That's not a man you want to cross! When your father and I were young, we encountered a strange old master once. People like them… taking a life is as easy as breathing."

Leo cowered, rubbing his stinging cheek. "Then… what do we do now, Dad? I don't want to die!"

"What do we do? We beg for forgiveness!"

Leo's face went even paler. "B-But Dad… if I confess everything, Ethan will kill me! Or worse, he'll send me to the authorities. I don't want to die, and I don't want to go to prison!"

Li sneered. "Do you think he won't find out if you keep quiet? If you confess first, maybe he'll spare you. Wait, do you have his number?"

"No… but Zoe definitely does." Leo's voice quivered.

Li sighed, rubbing his temples. After a long silence, he finally spoke. "I'll go see him. You book a plane ticket. If things go south, you'll leave the country immediately. Go stay with your mother overseas."

Leo exhaled shakily and nodded.

At the Teahouse…

Li sat across from Ethan, carefully recounting everything Leo had done while apologizing profusely. As he spoke, sweat dripped down his forehead. When he finished, he pushed a card across the table.

Ethan tapped his fingers on the wooden surface, each tap echoing through the quiet room like a drum against Li's heart. The older man could barely breathe.

Finally, Ethan spoke. "Alright. Since you've shown sincerity… and for the sake of this hundred million yuan, I'll let it go. But when you go back, tell Leo there are things he shouldn't say. Some things… are better forgotten."

Li let out a long sigh of relief and nodded vigorously. "Of course! To me, you're just a humble vegetable farmer. I've never met you before today."

Ethan gave a satisfied nod, picked up the card, and left without another word.

As Ethan sat in the back of a taxi, watching the city lights blur past, he let out a quiet sigh. Just a few months ago, he was scraping by on a farmer's wage. Now, he held a hundred-million-yuan bank card in his hand.

It felt unreal. If not for the weight of the card in his pocket, he would've thought he was dreaming.

Suddenly, the taxi slowed. Ethan glanced out the window and froze.

A mother dog lay lifeless in the middle of the road. Beside her stood a tiny black puppy, barking desperately at its unmoving parent. Cars honked as they swerved around the scene, but the little pup remained, oblivious to the danger.

His heart tightened. He saw himself in that puppy—helpless, desperate… alone.

"Driver, pull over."

Ethan paid the fare and hurried to the puppy's side. He knelt, scooping the trembling creature into his arms. "Little guy, your mom is gone. I'll bury her now… After that, would you like to come home with me?"

The puppy whimpered softly, staring at its mother one last time. Ethan gently picked up the mother's body and carried them both to a nearby forest. He dug a grave and buried her beneath the soft earth.

"Rest well," he whispered.

The puppy nestled into his arms, and Ethan smiled faintly. "Let's go."

Back in his ring space, Ethan set the puppy down. "You're still too young. You probably need milk… but I don't have any. How about some spirit water?"

He scooped some water from the well, but the moment he approached with the puppy, a golden light burst forth, sending the pup flying. Ethan barely caught it before it hit the ground.

"Ah… right. The well rejects other living beings."

Shaking his head, Ethan fetched a basin of spirit water. The puppy sniffed the liquid curiously before lapping it up, its tiny tail wagging happily.

Ethan chuckled softly, stroking its fur. "You're a tough little one, aren't you?"

The night deepened, and for the first time in a long while, Ethan felt a strange warmth in his heart.

A companion.

Maybe things wouldn't be so lonely after all.