David Sullivan awkwardly scratched his head, a rare trace of embarrassment flashing across his face. But he immediately shoved his chubby face in front of Emily Clark, asking with a lewd grin, “Besides touching there, did you do anything else?”

“Get lost!” Emily Clark unceremoniously ordered him out.

“There’s a pretty nurse waiting outside. Even if you don’t say anything, I’m leaving anyway. But there’s something I have to ask first—do you actually have feelings for this pretty nurse?” David Sullivan asked, for once looking serious.

“Feelings? No feelings. She’s just a roommate.” Emily Clark couldn’t be bothered to deal with David Sullivan, picking up a book and reading on his own.

“If you really don’t care, then I won’t hold back!” David Sullivan said.

“Do whatever you want, but I advise you to save your energy.” Emily Clark didn’t even spare a glance at David Sullivan.

David Sullivan didn’t seem to catch the sarcasm in Emily Clark’s words at all. He actually thanked Emily Clark cheerfully, then trotted off to the living room to look for Yvonne Foster. Unfortunately, in just that short time, Yvonne Foster had already hurried off to her own room.

At midnight, the night sky was dotted with stars and the bright moon hung high. Emily Clark sat cross-legged on the balcony as usual, drawing in energy. After an hour of cultivation, Emily Clark felt his inner energy full and his spirit refreshed, one step closer to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

But tonight, Emily Clark didn’t feel the usual joy, nor did he climb into bed to sleep as he usually did. Instead, he stood alone on the balcony, facing the wind, gazing out at the bustling Hangzhou city lights in the distance.

Originally, Emily Clark just wanted to quietly enjoy a mundane life. That was one of the reasons he was willing to stay at the institute—to seek that peace and quiet.

Accompanying this peaceful, leisurely life was steady, unhurried cultivation.

But the incident at the East Bus Station had sounded a warning bell for Emily Clark: even a quiet life needs strength to protect it.

Strength—obviously, with Emily Clark’s current abilities, dealing with those small-time thugs at the East Bus Station was more than enough. But if he ran into someone a bit more formidable, this once-dominant figure of the Immortal Realm might find himself in real trouble.

But cultivation is all about not being impatient or rash—this, Emily Clark understood better than anyone in this world. Thanks to his experience and exceptional talent, his cultivation speed was already astonishing, so he couldn’t afford to be hasty, especially during the foundational stage. So he had to consider making other preparations.

The next day was Saturday. While David Sullivan and Yvonne Foster were still asleep, Emily Clark had already left the house.

Because it had rained in Hangzhou in the early morning, the air on this June morning was unusually cool and fresh.

From a distance, Emily Clark once again saw the landlady’s graceful figure, her full body looking especially wholesome and attractive beneath her simple clothes.

Unconsciously, a faint smile curled at the corner of Emily Clark’s lips. The landlady was like a unique scenery in this world, bringing Emily Clark a touch of gentle warmth.

“Two buns and a bag of soy milk,” Emily Clark said with a smile.

“All right, is it to go or eat here?” The landlady’s beautiful, mature face broke into a sincere smile at Emily Clark.

Since it was the weekend, there weren’t many people in the shop at this hour—just a little girl of about seven or eight, who looked a bit like the landlady, propping her cute chin on her tender elbow and daydreaming.

Emily Clark felt a slight stir in his heart and said, “I’ll eat here.”

Taking the buns and soy milk, Emily Clark sat down next to the little girl and smiled, “Little one, how old are you this year?”

But the little girl’s deep, clear eyes remained blankly fixed on the shop entrance.

“Seven!” The landlady walked over to the little girl, gently stroking her head with loving care, and said softly, “Wenwen, when uncle asks you something, you need to answer, okay?”

The little girl still seemed not to hear, her gaze still blankly fixed on the door.

A barely noticeable trace of despair flashed in the landlady’s beautiful eyes, and the corners of her eyes grew faintly moist.

Looking at this mother and daughter before him, something soft deep inside Emily Clark seemed to be suddenly touched.

“Children have their own inner worlds. She’ll get better as she grows older.” Emily Clark also gently patted Grace’s head, comforting her, a trace of sadness flashing in his eyes. If only his magical power weren’t so pitifully low right now, maybe he could help this little girl come out of her closed-off world, help this hardworking mother escape her daily torment.

Looking up at Emily Clark’s delicate, thin face, the landlady could feel his genuine concern.

Raising her daughter alone and running this bun shop with painstaking effort, the landlady was not a weak woman. Beneath her simple, elegant, and charming appearance was an incredibly strong heart. But for some reason, when this man before her—with especially deep eyes and a faint air of world-weariness that didn’t belong to someone his age—spoke to comfort her, she suddenly found herself becoming especially vulnerable. Unknowingly, tears slid down her smooth, fair cheeks and quietly dripped onto the table.

A faint sadness crept into Emily Clark’s heart. He naturally picked up a napkin from the table and handed it to the landlady.