Content

Part 46

Luke Carter saw it too, and folded up the math test paper on the desk: "Dada, let me show you something even cooler."

Thomas Thompson had just reached the doorway, and the classroom was already in chaos. He clasped his hands behind his back, holding a cup of middle-aged health tea, and sighed, "Young people really are passionate."

Ethan Young didn’t bring anything at all—after all, he’d be back at school after two nights.

Grace Miller, on the other hand, was more attentive: "You’re just carrying a backpack, so make sure to bring your homework and whatever else you need. Everything else is at home."

"Got it, I’ll handle it myself." Apart from his phone and some change, Ethan Young only had that miraculous homework sheet he’d forgotten to throw away.

After leaving the school gate, he made sure there wasn’t a Cooper Family driver waiting in a luxury car at the entrance before heading to the bus stop.

"It’s so hot, and you still refuse to let someone pick you up. You insist on squeezing with everyone else under the blazing sun," Grace Miller said. "Be careful on the way."

Ethan Young hung up after a simple "Mm."

Ethan Young didn’t really have much concept of birthdays. In his memory, birthdays never involved cake—no surprises, no shocks, nothing lively.

Just a steaming bowl of noodles.

To save money, Ms. Miller never celebrated her own birthday, but every year on Ethan Young’s birthday, she would make him a bowl of noodles.

Eating it made his whole body feel warm. He couldn’t really explain it, but it always made him feel cozy inside.

Jack Cooper did come home for the weekend. Ever since he started college, he was either at school or interning at the company with Gregory Cooper, and soon he’d be taking over the business.

In the three years Ethan Young had been at the Cooper family, he hadn’t stirred up any trouble, always quiet. Everyone knew he was a hopeless case. Besides being annoyed, Jack Cooper secretly felt a bit pleased about it.

"I heard you did pretty well on this month’s exam?" As soon as Ethan Young walked in, Jack Cooper asked in a sarcastic tone.

Ethan Young changed his shoes, hand resting on the shoe cabinet, head lowered so his expression was hard to read: "You flatter me."

Grace Miller came out of the living room, knowing her son was coming home today, and since Jack Cooper was there too, she personally cooked several dishes: "Dinner’s ready, come eat."

Jack Cooper sat on the sofa and let out a cold laugh, for reasons unknown.

Maybe it was Henry Howard’s influence, but Ethan Young found his temper had improved a lot. With the attitude of "you’re mad, I’m not," he actually managed to finish the meal quietly.

Meanwhile, Jack Cooper realized Ethan Young was getting harder to deal with—he’d gone from exploding at the slightest thing to responding with cold sarcasm, and this time he just ignored him completely.

After dinner, Grace Miller pulled Ethan Young aside, planning to cut up some fruit for them to take upstairs.

Ethan Young helped her wash the fruit. The two squeezed into the kitchen, water running over their fingers, a little chilly.

They didn’t talk much, mostly just a question and answer here and there, eventually falling into silence.

Ethan Young finished washing the last apple and handed it to Ms. Miller.

"Take this plate up to your Uncle Cooper first," Grace Miller said. "He’s been especially busy at the company these days. As soon as he gets home, he barely eats before shutting himself in the study."

Jack Cooper was also in the study on the second floor. When Ethan Young reached the door, he heard a heated argument inside—muffled through the door, especially Gregory Cooper’s exhausted and angry voice.

"I hope for the best for you, but what about you? Can’t you hope for the best for me too?! I’m grateful your Aunt Miller is willing to spend her life with me."

Then came Jack Cooper’s hoarse retort: "And what about my mom—?! Where did she go? In this house now, what is she, and what am I?!"

Who knew how this topic came up again—it had been going on for three years, never ending.

Ethan Young thought their voices were a bit loud. He lowered his head, speared a small piece of apple with a toothpick, and popped it in his mouth—it tasted a little sour.

Grace Miller heard the commotion upstairs and rushed up to mediate, not even bothering to wipe her hands.

"Don’t go," Ethan Young stood at the study door, one hand holding the fruit plate, the other gripping Grace Miller’s arm. "Let them argue. If they like it, let them go at it."

But Grace Miller couldn’t just stand by. She hurriedly pushed the door open and went in.

Another restless night.

Ethan Young stood under the shower, drenched from head to toe, eyes closed, trying his best to ignore the sounds outside.

He raised his hand to wipe his face, turned off the water, slid open the door and stepped out. Water dripped from his hair, down his back, finally pooling on the tiled floor, catching a hint of color under the warm light.

Before tossing his dirty clothes into the laundry basket, Ethan Young habitually checked his pockets for anything forgotten, and found that piece of paper folded into a square.

On it were Henry Howard’s slanted, wild, one-of-a-kind handwriting.

Ethan Young stared at it for a long time, but couldn’t recognize a single word.

He casually flipped the paper over and found a smiley face drawn on the back. The curved mouth slanted upward, looking a bit cheeky.

Staring at it, Ethan Young suddenly leaned against the sink and laughed.

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35. Chapter Thirty-Five

Ethan Young didn’t even realize it himself, but all that irritation and impatience in his eyes was slowly fading away.

He folded the note up again. The trash can was right next to him, but after hesitating for two seconds, he still didn’t throw it away.

Henry Howard had a certain quality about him.

That kind of casual, devil-may-care attitude, but he totally made it his own.

Even though his grades were atrocious and all the teachers had headaches over him—sometimes even finding it funny and exasperating at the same time. But after class, sometimes William Warren would still ask Henry Howard to play soccer: "Kid, what did you say in math class? Come to the field at noon, I’ll teach you a lesson."

This had nothing to do with Ethan Young, but for some reason, every time Henry Howard got called out, it always involved him too.

William Warren pointed at Ethan Young again: "You too, kid."

So after lunch, Henry Howard dragged him to the field, and Wanda, Logan Wright, and the others came along to make up the numbers.

William Warren’s team was strong—not only old Thompson, the history teacher from the next class, but even Manager Jensen was there.

William Warren was great at throwing chalk, but his soccer skills were terrible. After all, he sat in the office all day and was getting on in years—he couldn’t keep up with the younger guys.

"Here’s the plan, let’s go easy on them later," Henry Howard whispered during halftime. "Let the mad dogs score a few more goals."

Wanda said, "Bro Chao, that’s a tall order. Their skills are really bad. I’m not as good as you, and this is too much acting for me—I don’t think I can pull it off."

Henry Howard squatted down and patted Wanda on the head: "What’s so hard? I’ll teach you. When they score, you do this—kneel down, right? Then punch the ground in frustration, really show that deep regret for messing up on the field."

Wanda looked a bit dazed after hearing that: "Isn’t that a bit over the top?"

"The more drama, the better. You do it," Ethan Young squatted nearby, holding a bottle of water, screwing the cap back on. "Just don’t drag anyone else into it."

"This needs everyone to cooperate," Henry Howard added. "You’re not ‘anyone else’—you’re my deskmate."

Before Ethan Young could reply, Logan Wright was the first to object: "Throwing the game is a serious violation of sportsmanship! I don’t agree!"

Henry Howard: ""

To make sure old Warren enjoyed the game, they did go easy, and Wanda followed Henry Howard’s advice—even faking falls. But Logan Wright refused to go easy no matter what, so Henry Howard had to play the "useless teammate" role and do his best to hold back Logan Wright’s performance.

Logan Wright was utterly miserable: "Bro Chao, what are you doing? Whose team are you on? Bro Yu, say something!"

Ethan Young: "Why me? What’s it got to do with me?"

In the end, William Warren and the others had a blast, feeling young and full of energy again.

They even scheduled a rematch.

The voices in the study gradually died down.

After listening for a while, Ethan Young more or less figured out what was going on. In short, when Jack Cooper was a kid, the fountain pen his mom bought him was accidentally knocked to the floor by Gregory Cooper, breaking the nib so it wouldn’t write.

A problem that had never been resolved in three years exploded again at this moment.

Gregory Cooper thought Jack Cooper was too old to be making a fuss over this.

"You two calm down. Arguing like this isn’t going to help," Grace Miller chased them out of the study.

Jack Cooper grabbed his car keys and headed out: "Calm down? I’m perfectly calm."

Gregory Cooper was angry too, especially since Jack Cooper had said a lot of hurtful things in his rage, but he couldn’t help standing at the top of the stairs and asking, "Come back! Where are you going? If you’re not staying here, where are you going to stay?"

Jack Cooper didn’t even look back, determined to become a bar-hopper reeking of alcohol and loneliness.