Ethan was able to busk and sing in this small place, attracting a crowd of onlookers. His good voice and charming face were the reasons for the attention. Even though he wasn’t in the best spirits and looked a bit dirty, his face was clean and fit the popular image of a sun-kissed youth.
When Ethan smiled, his dimples seemed to overflow with a intoxicating allure, mesmerizing those around him.
After he said he wouldn’t sing anymore, there were still people staring at his face.
Ethan was used to being stared at, having encountered even bigger crowds before. Was he afraid of being stared at now?
But Aoife was reluctant. She was naturally shy and was also trying to keep a low profile as she was on the run, trying to blend in as much as possible.
“Do you live here?” Ethan was a bit confused about the situation, but he knew that if Aoife lived here, he would have a place to eat and sleep.
Aoife nodded obediently, “Yes.”
In Ethan’s eyes, Aoife was like a little angel sent to save him, her big watery eyes looking at him pitifully.
“Aoife, can you help me out? I have no money on me now, nothing to eat or a place to stay. I was planning to spend the night on the streets.” This was the truth, with the little money he had only enough to fill his stomach. These past few days, he had been walking around, stopping to rest when tired, finding a place to shelter from the rain, wrapping himself in his clothes and sleeping.
He could endure the current temperature for now, but in a few days, when the temperature dropped rapidly, sleeping outside at night would freeze him into a popsicle.
“Let’s go.” Even though they weren’t acquainted, Aoife couldn’t bear to leave him in such a predicament.
With a hungry stomach, Ethan followed Aoife to a small noodle shop by the road, and ordered a bowl of braised beef noodles.
As Aoife was paying at the counter, she saw the landlady bringing out a dish of braised fish from the kitchen. The smell was particularly strong, making her feel nauseous. Aoife threw up.
Whether it was due to a change in environment, Aoife had been feeling unwell since she arrived here. She couldn’t sleep well, had no appetite, and felt like throwing up whenever she smelled something fishy or greasy.
Aoife had always had some stomach issues, which she initially ignored. But recently, the frequent sharp pains were hard to ignore.
She thought to herself, could it be stomach cancer, growing a tumor inside?
After she threw up, many people in the shop lost their appetite. The chef came out, his face turning green, grabbing a broom leaning against the wall.
While Aoife was still dazed, thinking about how to apologize to the landlady, someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her out.
“Quick, run! He’s going to hit someone.”
Ethan held his guitar and tightly gripped Aoife’s hand, running who knows how far until they were out of sight of the restaurant.
Ethan looked back at Aoife, who had a pale face, and panicked. There was no place to sit around, so he put down his guitar case, held her hand, and crouched down.
“Sit here, I’ll go buy you a bottle of water.”
Aoife couldn’t speak, but when she caught her breath, Ethan had already gone to buy water.
He came back with a bottle of lemon water, crouched in front of Aoife, opened the bottle, and handed it to her.
“Thank you…” Aoife didn’t refuse, and finally managed to swallow the acrid taste in her throat after taking a few sips.
Aoife looked guilty, “You haven’t eaten your noodles.”
“It’s okay, the food here doesn’t look good. We should go back to your place so you can cook. By the way… how is your health? Why did you vomit just now, do you need to go to the hospital for a check-up?” Ethan asked with concern.
Aoife shook her head, “My stomach has always been a bit weak, I think it’s just because I’m not used to the local environment.”
“You just arrived here? Why did you come here? Weren’t you abroad? And aren’t you supposed to be with…” Ethan stopped himself, he had learned from his father that Aoife was Finn’s woman, Finn being the heir of the Burns Group.
The Jiang family was not poor, but they were no match for the Burns family.
Aoife didn’t hear the word “Burns” nor did she think in that direction.
Seeing her silent and avoiding the topic, Ethan guessed that she had some secrets she couldn’t share, otherwise why would she come to a foreign place where she was unfamiliar with life and surroundings.
Aoife didn’t want to talk about herself, she changed the subject, “Why are you here?”
Ethan took a sip of water, lowered his head and spoke softly, “After we parted last time, my dad wanted me to go back for an arranged marriage. I didn’t want to, so I ran away from home. I thought about coming abroad to try my luck, but my luggage was stolen, I got on the wrong boat, and ended up here. Life may be harder now, but at least I have my freedom.”
Ethan’s words seemed plain, but the hardships within couldn’t be summed up in just a few words.
“Aoife, it’s good to meet you here. I never thought I would encounter you again in this place. I thought I might die alone here, but meeting you again… I never expected it.” Ethan smiled at Aoife, his eyes still sparkling despite all he had been through.