In fact, when it came to this young step-aunt who didn’t look much older than himself, Ethan Brooks had rather complicated feelings. The words “step-aunt” were probably something he’d never be able to say out loud in his entire life.

If Grace Bennett weren’t his mother’s younger sister, Ethan Brooks would have had a lot to say. Because when Grace Bennett first appeared, Ethan Brooks felt that everything about her was almost exactly like the ideal partner he’d imagined back when he was still on Earth.

After the Yalong carriage started moving, Ethan Brooks felt his face turn pale. The Yalong carriage had a speed comparable to an ordinary train, but absolutely none of the corresponding stability.

Having gotten used to the vibration-free, smooth ride of maglev trains, suddenly switching to this bumpy, utterly unstable steam train made Ethan Brooks feel like he was about to fall apart.

And because there were so many people, the mixed smells inside the carriage weren’t exactly pleasant. The carriage was crowded and chaotic.

Out of habit, Ethan Brooks glanced around at the people nearby.

“What’s wrong, Ethan Brooks?” Seeing Ethan Brooks looking around, Grace Bennett asked. After calling his name so many times, she was starting to get used to it, though she still called him by his full name.

“It’s nothing, Grace Bennett, I’m just a bit curious.” Ethan Brooks smiled, showing his white teeth.

“Are you hungry?” Grace Bennett asked softly, then opened the travel bag that Butler Dracula had given her before they left. Inside were lots of snacks.

“No, I’m not hungry.” Ethan Brooks shook his head. In this situation, with his whole body shaking like he was doing the robot, he didn’t think he could stomach anything.

Grace Bennett smiled slightly, then took out a thick thread-bound book from the bag and sat beside Ethan Brooks to read.

“Grace Bennett, reading in these conditions is really bad for your eyesight,” Ethan Brooks said out of habit.

“Eyesight?” Grace Bennett asked, puzzled.

“I mean, if you read in such a shaky environment, your eyes will get blurry in the future,” Ethan Brooks tried to explain.

“Really?” Grace Bennett gently brushed her long hair, the bells on the strands by her ears jingling softly. Actually, given what Grace Bennett was—no longer human—her eyes going nearsighted would be a problem in itself. Ethan Brooks was just worrying too much.

“All right, I’ll listen to you,” Grace Bennett said softly, gently putting the book back into the bag.

“If you’re bored, let’s chat about something,” Ethan Brooks suggested.

“Mm, what should we talk about?” Grace Bennett gazed at Ethan Brooks gently.

“Let’s just talk about, I don’t know, the old me or something. Or maybe about my family.” Ethan Brooks said, unable to think of a better topic.

“The old you?” Grace Bennett said softly.

“The old you, well, you were very polite, but a bit timid. Maybe I was a little overprotective before, which made you so afraid of trouble,” Grace Bennett said, resting her chin in her hand and looking at Ethan Brooks with interest. “But after you lost your memory, you’ve changed a lot. It feels like you’ve grown up a bit. But…”

“But what?” Ethan Brooks felt unexpectedly nervous.

“But you’re not as cute as you used to be,” Grace Bennett suddenly burst out laughing, and her laughter left a whole group of people in the carriage staring in shock. “And ever since you woke up, you haven’t called me Aunt Bi even once. Makes me feel like I’m a total failure as a step-aunt.”

“I’ll try my best,” Ethan Brooks replied with a sheepish grin.

“Mm-hmm, so when will you finally call me that?” Grace Bennett teased with a smile.

“Maybe after I get a bit more used to things,” Ethan Brooks quickly changed the subject. “So, which version of me do you like better?”

“Which do I like more? Hard to say, they’re both you,” Grace Bennett said, brushing her hair as the bells chimed softly. “But if I really had to compare…”

“How?” Ethan Brooks asked, a bit nervously.

“Maybe the you right now,” Grace Bennett sighed. “Kids have to grow up eventually.”

“Whew.” Ethan Brooks felt an invisible weight lift from his shoulders. Why did he feel relieved? Maybe just because the first person he’d met didn’t dislike him.

The Yalong carriage kept up its incredible speed. These dragon beasts pulling the carriage weren’t just fast and strong, but also had amazing endurance. Running for days and nights was as easy as breathing for them. But the trade-off was their monstrous appetites. After running for several days, a single Yalong beast could eat as much food as its own body weight.

Night fell.

The people who had been noisy in the Yalong carriage all day were finally tired out and gradually drifted off to sleep.

Ethan Brooks, however, couldn’t fall asleep. Seeing Grace Bennett curled up on the seat, he gently took off his coat and draped it over her.

With Grace Bennett’s strength, she wasn’t afraid of the cold, but Ethan Brooks didn’t know that.

He got up and walked to the back door of the train car, opened it, and took a breath of fresh air.

After Ethan Brooks got up, Grace Bennett cautiously opened her eyes a sliver, saw the coat on her, and a sweet smile appeared on her lips as she closed her eyes again.

Ethan Brooks leaned against the railing between two train cars, watching the scenery flash by on both sides.