The only stroke of luck in this misfortune was that his body didn’t seem to be seriously hurt. Although it was very painful, he could feel that it was just some superficial wounds; his bones and internal organs hadn’t suffered any major damage. It was truly unbelievable.

He subconsciously didn’t want to think too much about the problem within all this.

Anyway, he had already memorized the other party’s license plate number. Calling the police in the middle of the night would take too much time—by the time he finished giving his statement, it would probably be morning.

He didn’t want to keep Ethan Lane waiting too long, and besides, he was starving, so he decided to buy something to take back and eat first.

However, what he had to face next was a harsh reality...

That antique bicycle, which had accompanied him for over three years and had survived more than twenty years of wind, rain, and snow, finally met its end in his hands after stubbornly enduring the passage of time—it was utterly destroyed.

In other words, he would have to walk.

April 18, 2013—what an unlucky day.

……

Bathed in the warmth of the heater, the on-duty waitress yawned as she leaned on the counter under the soft lights, drowsy and half-asleep.

The dinner rush was long over, and there were hardly any customers left in the fast food restaurant. That was the good thing about working the night shift—it was easy.

In her sleepy haze, the restaurant’s front door was pushed open, and the crisp sound of a bell rang out.

The young girl with a ponytail quickly straightened up behind the counter, opened her eyes wide, and tried to perk herself up, habitually calling out loudly, “Welcome to Ken, Ken...”

“Ken, Ken...”

Ken what, exactly?

She stared blankly at the man in front of her, suppressing the urge to scream, unable to finish her sentence.

Bright red renminbi was slapped onto the counter. The young man, who looked like he’d just been through a terrible accident, wiped the smeared blood from his face and said hoarsely, “Family bucket.”

“Ken, Ken...” The dazed waitress still hadn’t recovered from her mental crash, mechanically repeating the same words.

“Ken your ass!” William Carter slammed the counter hard. “Family bucket!”

Ugh... No matter who you are, getting hit by a car right after losing a loved one would put anyone in a bad mood, right?

Because he’d hit the counter so hard, the wound on his palm split open again, making William Carter grimace in pain.

The waitress finally snapped out of it, shakily took the bloodstained bill, and stammered, “D-do you want to eat here or take out?”

William Carter rubbed his stiff face and replied in a tired, low voice, “Take out.”

Still frozen in a forced smile and on the verge of tears, the waitress turned to the kitchen and shouted, “T-take out, um, that... one family bucket!”

……

Chapter 4: Do you all think I’m already dead?

“Why are you so late?”

Ethan Lane sat under the eaves by the front door, looking up at the panting William Carter.

William Carter smiled, patting the family bucket. “I accidentally took a fall.”

In the light at the doorway, Ethan Lane lifted her face and looked behind him in confusion. “Where’s the bicycle?”

William Carter thought for a moment and said helplessly, “Sorry, I fell into the river. I’ll buy another one some other day.”

“Oh, no need.” Ethan Lane shook her head gently. “When I was little and learning to ride, I fell off that bike so many times. Besides, it was ugly and old—I haven’t wanted it for a long time.”

“Don’t talk like you’re a kid.” William Carter couldn’t help but laugh, reaching out to ruffle her hair. “You’re still just a child now.”

Ethan Lane grunted twice in her throat, shook her head in annoyance, trying to shake off his hand, but then suddenly frowned.

She lifted her wrist and grabbed William Carter’s left hand as he tried to pull it back, sniffing it seriously like a puppy, then looked up in confusion. “Did you fall badly?”

William Carter raised an eyebrow helplessly, almost forgetting such an important detail.

She’d helped out at her parents’ pharmacy since she was little, and her nose was incredibly sharp—she could easily pick up the scent of blood.

“It’s just a scrape. I’ll disinfect it with some alcohol and I’ll be fine.”

He pulled his hand back and picked up the chair she’d dragged out. “Come on, don’t stand out here. You’ve been outside almost half the day.”

“Okay.” Ethan Lane took his outstretched hand and nodded gently.

With one hand held by William Carter, she lightly jostled the family bucket in her arms with the other, complaining, “You have to give me more later, I’m hungry.”

William Carter looked down at her and said helplessly, “You’re going to fight me for food?”

Ethan Lane thought seriously for a long moment. “Since you took a fall, I’ll let you have one more drumstick.”

“All right, just one.” William Carter chuckled softly. “One is good enough.”

As he set down the chair at the door, he looked up in confusion. “Why is it so noisy upstairs?”

Ethan Lane’s fingers trembled slightly. She lowered her head in silence, saying nothing.

William Carter finally remembered those uninvited guests, his brows furrowing. The bit of good mood he’d just regained vanished completely. “Them again?”