“I’m going out to buy a marinated egg in a bit. I like eating those. Hurry up and eat, then we’ll take the elevator.”

“Oh.”

Ethan Miller gently tapped the egg, then peeled it—the shell came off perfectly whole. He sniffed it first, then brought it to his mouth and took a small bite.

His eyes immediately squinted again!

Walking out of the building, the sky was still a deep blue, mostly blocked by the greenery in the neighborhood.

Ethan Miller sniffed and said, “There are monsters in your area—two of them.”

“How do you know?”

“I’m amazing.”

“Oh.”

“Aren’t you scared?”

“They were here before me.”

“You’re really brave… People aren’t even afraid of monsters anymore!” Ethan Miller sighed at the state of the world.

“Were people really afraid of monsters in the past?” William Carter asked.

“Of course, just watch TV…”

“Do monsters really eat people?”

“I’ll tell you when I remember.”

“……”

William Carter bought a marinated egg outside the neighborhood and ate as he walked.

The path was covered with locust flowers, soaked by rain and stuck to the ground, scattered everywhere like little stars.

When they reached the school gate, Ethan Miller keenly noticed a change in his whole demeanor and curiously asked, “What’s up? Is your teacher up ahead?”

“There’s a monster in the school too.”

“Huh, aren’t you not afraid?”

“I never said I wasn’t afraid.”

“Does that monster eat people?”

“Probably not.”

“Then what are you afraid of?”

“It’s just troublesome.” Through the retractable gate, William Carter saw that huge figure not far from the school entrance, blocking the tree-lined path.

“Oh, is it that one?”

“Yeah, keep your voice down, don’t attract…” William Carter turned to remind Ethan Miller, but found that behind him was already empty. Instead, he heard Ethan Miller’s voice faintly coming from ahead—

“Hey, do you often bully a human? About this tall, kind of skinny.”

Chapter 6: David Lee

The difference in height and build was striking!

But their auras were exactly the opposite.

Ethan Miller stood with hands on hips, head held high.

Opposite him was a monster over three meters tall, with a waist thicker than a water barrel, covered in fur, a beastly face with fangs, and a pair of horns on its head—each as thick as Ethan Miller’s waist.

The monster lowered its head, staring at Ethan Miller, silent.

“I’m talking to you!”

“Hey!”

“Can you hear me?”

Ethan Miller scratched his waist absentmindedly.

The monster thought for a long time before making a sound, but it was just a long, meaningless monosyllable.

At this moment, William Carter ran up to Ethan Miller.

“What are you doing?” he asked in a low voice.

“Repaying you for breakfast. You’re just in time, just stand here.” Ethan Miller pointed at William Carter, then looked up at the monster again. “It’s him, do you know him?”

“Yes…” The monster looked at William Carter, reacting slowly, and spoke just as slowly.

“Did you bully him?” Ethan Miller then looked at William Carter, “Did he bully you?”

“Play…”

“Don’t make things hard for him,” William Carter said.

“Looks like his brain really doesn’t work well,” Ethan Miller sized up the monster. “What’s your name?”

“David Lee.”

“San Zheng, got it. You guys don’t like me, and I don’t want to get tangled up with you. From now on, don’t bother Zhou… him, and I won’t bother you either, and I won’t take your territory. Let’s mind our own business, got it?” After saying this, Ethan Miller whispered in William Carter’s ear, “I just forgot your name.”

“Play. Together.” David Lee said.

“Let’s go.” William Carter quietly glanced at the empty tree-lined path. Luckily, they came early and there weren’t many people.

“Wait, let me say something tough!” Ethan Miller glared up at the horns on David Lee’s head. “Otherwise…”

“We’re leaving.”

“Oh, fine.” Ethan Miller turned around. “Consider this your overnight fee!”

“Thank you.”

William Carter turned and walked toward the classroom.

It was still early, and there were few people in the classroom. William Carter took out his Chinese textbook to read, while Ethan Miller stood behind him, leaning against the wall, looking at the famous quotes on the wall, the college entrance exam vows on the blackboard, and the bulletin board at the back that hadn’t been updated in months.

When the sound of students reading started to fill the air, William Carter joined in, reciting “Return Home,” “A Petition,” and “Xiaoya: Gathering Vetch” to warm up his voice.

Half reading, half reciting to reinforce his memory, he suddenly noticed a head appear right next to his shoulder.

William Carter forced himself to stay calm.

Ethan Miller squinted at the book in his hand. “I think I’ve heard this poem before.”

William Carter looked around and whispered, “This is from the Book of Songs, Xiaoya section, called ‘Gathering Vetch.’ It’s been passed down through the ages, and all scholars learn it. It’s normal if you’ve heard it before.”

“Makes sense.” Ethan Miller nodded after thinking. “Read it again, let me listen again.”

“Okay.”

“Gathering vetch, gathering vetch, the vetch is growing. Saying return, saying return, the year is ending…”

“What is that over there? The blossom of the everlasting vine…”

“How could I dare to settle down? Three victories in a month…”