"Thanks." Eric Bennett glanced at him, started the car, turned around, and drove off.

Brian Carter sat back down on the stone post. The internet was actually pretty good at the moment, but strangely, no one had picked up his order for quite a while, and none of the passing taxis stopped no matter how much he waved.

What the hell kind of place is this?

Even though he was in a terrible mood, he hadn’t had the chance to really process it. He just felt like he’d been living in a haze lately, wrapped up in shock and confusion, barely able to breathe. He hadn’t even thought about why he’d agreed to all the arrangements—he just ended up here.

Rebellious, huh?

Just like Mom said, “No one in our family has ever been as rebellious as you, bristling with thorns.”

Of course, they weren’t really a family to begin with. Besides, these past few years, they’d been more like enemies—every time they saw each other, sparks flew.

Brian Carter furrowed his brows. He hadn’t had time to think about any of this.

Not until now, this very moment.

It was only here, in this unfamiliar, cold, snow-filled city, that he suddenly snapped back to reality.

Despair, pain, and resistance to all the unknowns made his nose sting.

When he lowered his head, a tear cut harshly down his face.

When his phone rang, Brian Carter was sitting in a KFC somewhere—he had no idea where exactly. He glanced at the unfamiliar number and answered, "Hello?"

"Is this Brian Carter?" a middle-aged man's voice came from the other end.

The voice was a bit loud, so Brian Carter pulled the phone away slightly. "Yes."

"I'm your father," the man said.

"...Oh." Brian Carter replied. The conversation actually sounded a bit funny, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

The man on the other end chuckled as well. "My name is David Thompson, you know that, right?"

"Yeah." Brian Carter took a sip of Coke.

"Has your bus arrived?" David Thompson asked.

"It has." Brian Carter checked his watch—it had been two hours.

"Do you have the address? I don’t have a car, so I can’t pick you up. Just grab a cab over, I’ll wait for you at the intersection," David Thompson said.

"Okay." Brian Carter hung up.

This time, luck was on his side. He got a cab as soon as he stepped out, and the heater was blasting, making it so hot he felt like he might get a fever.

The driver tried to chat, but Brian Carter just leaned against the window, silently watching the world outside. The driver tried a few times to start a conversation but gave up in the end and turned on the radio.

Brian Carter tried hard to get a clear look at what this city actually looked like, but it was already very dark. The streetlights were dim, and snowflakes swirled everywhere in the halos, making his eyes dizzy.

He closed his eyes.

Then quickly opened them again.

He didn’t know what was wrong with him—acting like a girl, so lame.

When the car stopped, Brian Carter grabbed his suitcase and got out, standing at the intersection.

No one.

The "dad" David Thompson who claimed he’d be waiting at the intersection was nowhere to be seen.

Suppressing his irritation and the sting on his face from the wind, Brian Carter pulled out his phone and dialed David Thompson's number.

"Ugh, this round was terrible..." After a long while, David Thompson finally answered, "Hello?"

"I'm at the intersection." Hearing the background noise, Brian Carter instantly wanted to hang up and go find a hotel.

"Huh? You got here that fast?" David Thompson exclaimed in surprise. "I’m here, I’m here, I’ll be right out."

That "right out" took at least five minutes. While Brian Carter was dragging his suitcase and trying to flag down a cab, a man wearing a Lei Feng hat finally ran over, grabbed his arm, and shouted loudly, "Brian Carter, right?"

Brian Carter didn’t say anything. He saw that David Thompson had run out from a residential building right behind him.

Right out, huh?

And when he saw several heads peeking out from the second-floor window, all watching him, he really didn’t want to say another word.

"I was at a friend’s place for a bit, let’s go," David Thompson patted his shoulder. "Let’s go home... You look taller than in the photos."

Brian Carter looked down at the muddy road and followed him forward.

"Hey," David Thompson patted him on the back twice, "How many years has it been, huh? Over ten, right? Finally, I get to see my son! I need a good look at you."

David Thompson leaned in close, staring at him.

Brian Carter pulled his mask up over his chin.

Suddenly, he felt completely empty, as if the air itself was filled with nothing but confusion.

Chapter 2

According to Mom’s version... Brian Carter suddenly felt that calling her that was a bit strange, and his train of thought was oddly interrupted—he couldn’t remember what her version even was at that moment.

In his more than ten years of life, his parents and family had always been the only ones, for better or worse. Mom was just that woman named Ethan Sullivan, Dad was that man named Kevin Carter, and there were two twin younger brothers... But now, suddenly, there was a whole new set: David Thompson and... a few other names he’d already forgotten.

It was really hard to wrap his head around.

His relationship with his family was indeed tense—parents or brothers, any contact sparked a fight, and every fight exploded. He hadn’t spoken to his brothers in almost a year, and even his usually calm and self-controlled mom had lost it more than once.