Volume One

Chapter One: Unexpected

When all the flowers have faded in April on earth, peach blossoms begin to bloom in the mountain temple.

In this vast and bustling city, the little shop at the intersection of the second and third ring roads is as inconspicuous as a fly. But Brian Cooper, sitting in the dimly lit room, had no mind to think about any of this.

“Sigh.” Sitting on the only chair that wasn’t missing an arm or a leg, Brian Cooper looked around the small room and sighed, his thoughts drifting far away.

This was the only thing Brian Cooper’s parents left him, apart from the fifty thousand yuan for funeral expenses.

A two-story shop on Grocery Street, backed by office buildings—the upper floor was once a cozy home for a family of three, and the lower floor operated as a small noodle shop.

Ever since his parents died in a traffic accident three years ago, he hadn’t set foot in the downstairs shop, and even usually left through the back door.

Now the room was full of dust, with tables, chairs, and benches smashed in the chaos of grief, dishes and chopsticks scattered everywhere. The second floor wasn’t much better—except for the areas he used, it was just as it had been three years ago.

He hadn’t expected that the transfer notice he posted two years ago would finally attract someone willing to take over.

Brian Cooper stood up and took one last look around, a trace of weariness and helplessness on his mature face, as if trying to imprint the messy noodle shop in his memory.

But before he could hold that expression for three seconds, he stepped on something—“bang!”—and Brian Cooper had an intimate encounter with the hard tile floor, accompanied by a cloud of dust.

“Ow, my face.” Brian Cooper grimaced as he climbed up, rubbing the left side of his face where he’d fallen.

“Just wait, someone will take you over tomorrow.” Brian Cooper quickly stood up, feeling that his face no longer hurt.

He patted the dust off his clothes and muttered to the shabby room, sighing inwardly, not wanting to say anything more.

Passing through the messy hall, he skillfully walked to what used to be the kitchen. Near the back door was a hidden, narrow staircase, just wide enough for one person.

Climbing the stairs, Brian Cooper’s face was expressionless, but his hand rubbed the spot he’d just hurt.

The staircase wasn’t long, only eight steps, and in a few strides he reached the second floor.

The lighting on the second floor was much better than the first.

Near the stairs was a shoe cabinet, ivory in color, now covered in dust. The first shelf held two pairs of old-looking leather shoes, the second shelf had several pairs of women’s shoes—outdated styles. The third shelf was much better, with sparkling white sneakers and comfortable, stylish loafers.

Brian Cooper ignored the dust on the shoe cabinet, took off his slippers, and walked barefoot into the room.

The small second floor was divided into three rooms, two of which were cozily close together but not crowded. On the white doors, the left one had a “福” (good fortune) character hanging, and the right one had a “happiness at your door” sign. Both were faded and had been there for years. The last room was at the far right, with a yellow wooden door.

“Ka-cha”—a harsh sound rang out.

He twisted open the door with the “happiness at your door” sign. The floor was covered with dirty clothes, the cabinet by the bed was half open with clothes piled haphazardly inside, and a black laptop on the nightstand blinked, still running.

The only tidy thing in the whole room was the double bed—the quilt was neatly folded, and the pillows were properly arranged.

Disgusted by the dust on his clothes, Brian Cooper grabbed a change of clothes from the wardrobe and, without closing the door, walked straight to the yellow wooden door.

After putting down his clothes, he first washed his face at the sink. In the mirror above the sink, a mature face appeared—just over thirty, with deep, captivating eyes full of maturity and calm, giving his otherwise ordinary features a touch of the currently popular “uncle-type” handsomeness.

Brian Cooper’s hands bore some faint burn scars, and there were a few cuts on his fingers. His fingers weren’t pretty, but the muscle lines on his arms were quite nice. The rest was pretty ordinary.

He had once wanted to train for abs to impress girls, but after three months of working out, he looked down and saw his stomach was still the same, so he gave up.

After a quick wash, he returned to his room just as his phone started buzzing. He dried his hands and opened a text from Mr. Carter. It read: “Brian Cooper, I’ve found someone for the job. You don’t need to come in tomorrow. Your salary will be deposited into your account on time in the middle of the month.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. Although he’d resigned half a month ago, the boss said he had to wait until a replacement was found before leaving. Brian Cooper had long wanted to leave this place of heartbreak and go out to see the world.

Glancing at the photo on the desk, Brian Cooper felt a bit lighter, but thinking about the client coming to see the house tomorrow made him a little anxious again.