Chapter 0250
"Aren't you afraid those fanatics will camp out near your home?" asked a viewer.
Ethan flicked the ash off his cigarette with an indifferent chuckle, "Let them come if they dare."
He seemed to answer every question thrown at him, the live stream viewers swelling to over half a million in the blink of an eye.
Ethan furrowed his brows at the screen, "Tips? What's that?"
The stream of virtual gifts was relentless, the screen awash with their effects.
Only after querying William via W******p did Ethan grasp the concept, promptly saying, "No need to tip me."
"How do I turn this feature off?"
His fumbling with the settings was proof of his usual disinterest in social media.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.
He glanced at his account, dumbfounded, "You've tipped over two hundred thousand in just this short time?"
"Forget it, I'm ending the live stream."
And with those words, Ethan ended the broadcast, leaving countless viewers in disbelief.
Who turns down money?
Madison had remained quiet, mistaking his activity for a work call.
"Do you understand this?" Ethan showed her the phone.
"You want to refund it?"
"Yeah."
"That might require contacting F******k directly," Madison suggested.
Ethan nodded, "I'll have William handle it."
Yet, the short live stream had already gone viral, a common occurrence Ethan paid no mind to.
On New Year's Eve morning, it was a phone call that woke him.
He silenced it quickly not to disturb Madison, who was sound asleep beside him. Their night had been a passionate one, lacking restraint. Ethan stepped out of the bedroom to take the call.
"Come home for dinner tonight at eight, don't be late," the familiar voice of Mason commanded.
Ethan's patience was thin, "I won't come back. I've said it before; we have nothing to do with each other."
Mason coughed in anger, "Ethan, you!"
"Stop calling me. Whatever it is, go to your other son. It's none of my concern."
Ethan hung up, blocking Mason's number decisively. Legally, he had severed all ties with Mason, a relationship grinded away by years of grievances. Father? He barely mattered now that Ethan had Madison.
Before returning to bed, Ethan received another call.
"Who's this?"
After a brief silence, "It's me. Happy New Year."
It was Yin Xiangtian.
Ethan instinctively strode toward the balcony, "Thanks, same to you."
Yin's voice carried a hint of helplessness, "Is this necessary? After all these years, you still—"
"Stop."
Ethan cut her off, "Don't bring up the past. I don't want my fiancée to be upset. I appreciate your wishes. Anything else?"
Yin Xiangtian felt a mix of emotions as the call ended in silence. She hadn't expected Ethan, once so infatuated with her, to fall for another woman.
A spur-of-the-moment call after learning of his engagement on F******k, and his number hadn't changed. She remembered it well.
Back in college, Ethan had aspired to
pilot large aircraft like his mother Yin, as his mother's classmate's daughter, had provided guidance during his flight training.
After the call, Ethan didn't return to the bedroom but lit a cigarette in the upstairs living room.
He reflected on the past. During his
.net
flight training he had thought he'd end up with. Yin Xiangtian. But just as he was about to confess his feelings, she left, stating, "We're not suited for each other. You're younger, and your future is tong. You have better choices."
Her noble words, in the end, masked a simple lack of interest.
Ethan, though not deeply hurt, had been confused. Why hadn't she told him sooner?
He had wrestled with these thoughts until work took over, and Yin Xiangtian faded from his memory. Her sudden reappearance now only brought annoyance. Ethan blocked her number, adhering to his standard of cutting off unnecessary contact with the opposite sex.
He tossed his phone aside and returned to Madison in the bedroom.
She stirred and embraced him as he lay down.
Madison murmured, "I had a dream."
"What dream?"
With a raspy voice, without opening her eyes, she said, "I dreamed another woman was pursuing you, you hesitated, and then I woke up."
Ethan's heart skipped a beat, and he hugged her tighter, "Don't believe dreams. We're getting married."
"Ethan, you wouldn't betray me, right?"
Madison's voice was tinged with a sob, her half-awake mind troubled by the dream and shadows of the past.
Ethan comforted her, "Never, never!
Before we register, let's sign a
.net
deal if stray, I'll leave with nothing, including Mukino International. How's that?"
He knew the importance of security and how to provide it.
"After I'm done with work, I'll call you immediately, pick you up after work, and have dinner together, okay?"
Madison slowly woke further, her eyes finally resting on his face.
After a while, she said earnestly, "Ethan, don't betray me."
It was a seriousness Ethan had never seen in her, laced with a complex terror.
"I won't," he declared firmly.
Brother Jia greeted them with a smile, "Mr. Grant, the others drank too much last night and haven't woken up. Shall you start eating?"
Ethan instructed, "Get Jessica up. Tell her I need her to do something."
Brother Jia nodded and set off to wake Jessica.