Chapter 247: Live Well
Chapter 247: Live Well
"So urgent?" Ethan Sterling couldn’t understand, they were almost drenched to death, yet they were still thinking about those candies."..."
Seraphina Redgrave blinked, tasting nothing but rust and bitter discomfort in her mouth.
"Search! Damn it, even if I die here today, we have to find them for you."
Ethan Sterling, somewhat exasperated, said as he carried Seraphina Redgrave, but he still held her tightly, walking steadily as if not trudging through a muddy path.
Seraphina quietly lay on his back, gripping the flashlight to prevent Ethan from falling.
Suddenly she thought she heard Ethan Sterling whispering, but didn’t catch it, so she leaned in closer.
"What are you saying?"
Drenched, Seraphina Redgrave was cold and numb, except for the warmth where she clung tightly to Ethan Sterling.
"I said, I wonder if you’ll be just as sad when I die." Ethan Sterling remarked coldly.
After saying that, he felt the woman on his back suddenly stiffen. Ethan’s expression darkened; her so-called brother died, and she was angry enough to vomit blood, what about him?
With a sense of defiance, he sped up, Seraphina suddenly asked, "Why can’t you live well, and instead keep thinking about dying?"
She knew the inevitability of death, but she didn’t want to see those close to her leave.
"Live well? Is that what you wish?" Ethan Sterling sneered, "I bet you wish I could trade my life for the lives of the whole Veridian Isle."
But before Ethan’s words were finished, he felt the arm around his neck tighten.
Instinctively, Seraphina Redgrave tightened her grip on his neck, though unable to explain why.
Hearing the frantic breaths in his ear, Ethan Sterling’s heart tightened.
Suddenly, his heart softened, immensely so, and he spoke gently and slowly, "Alright, I’ll live well."
He hadn’t yet given her a lifetime of warmth, so of course, he should live well.
With those words, Ethan felt the grip on his neck lighten, although she still remained silent.
Ethan slowly curved his lips into a smile.
Hmm.
Feeling good.
"Stop here."
Ethan Sterling stopped under an eave, letting Seraphina Redgrave climb down to shelter from the rain.
Seraphina picked up the flashlight to illuminate the house number, but it was still wrong, so she lit up the nearby low houses, "Let’s check over there."
By the time they found the correct address, more than two hours had passed.
What they first saw was a severely rundown house, seemingly on the verge of collapse.
Just looking at the door, it was obvious the house leaked.
"But I don’t have the key." Seraphina Redgrave was at a loss.
"Bang!"
Ethan used the most violent and direct method, kicking the door open.
Seraphina turned on the light; it was a lone orange bulb hanging on the wall, cheap and flickering.
The furniture inside was simple and shabby, mismatched, likely bought cheaply from a second-hand market.
Under such conditions, Zachary Zane said it was already enough.
"Where are the candies?" Ethan asked.
"In the basement."
Even though the conditions of this house were extraordinarily poor, Zachary Zane couldn’t afford it, and had to live in the darkest basement.
This year, he somehow managed to get through.
Carrying Seraphina, Ethan Sterling moved toward the stairs; they had taken only a few steps when a man with a bare torso rubbing his sleepy eyes appeared.
Swearing, "Damn, why so noisy, is the door broken again?"
Seeing two strangers in the house, he jumped back in fright.
Seeing the fat on the man’s body, Ethan kicked a nearby stool, sending it flying toward him, "Get out."
The man dodged in panic, wanting to curse back but, seeing the murderous look in Ethan’s eyes, he was too scared to utter a sound, fleeing back to his bedroom and locking the door tight.
Only then did Ethan sling Seraphina onto his back again, heading toward the basement.
Seraphina Redgrave turned on the basement light, surprisingly discovering that although the furniture was old, it was all one color and neatly arranged, even with dolls on the table as decorations, creating a cozy atmosphere.
The small single bed was tidily made, and the walls were covered with various photos.
All were pictures of two people.
It was him and his girlfriend.
They were very intimate, demonstrating a once strong relationship.
"He had a girlfriend?" Ethan was somewhat surprised.
"Yes."
This time, Ethan felt a bit more relieved, and asked willingly, "Where are the candies?"
"Underneath the seventh floor tile counting from the right in the southeast corner," Seraphina recalled.
Zachary Zane had prepared for the worst, fearing the day would come when people would break into his room to steal things, including these candies, so he had to protect them well.
Seraphina wanted to go down to get the candies, but Ethan stopped her.
"I’ll get them, you sit."
"Okay, then put me by the bed," Seraphina did not refuse.
The bed was very clean, still seemed to have the scent of sunshine; during the time in Veridian Isle, Zachary treated life with seriousness.
He had carried her for over two hours; he deserved a good rest.
Ethan turned around, placing Seraphina on a chair instead of the bed.
But she didn’t think much of it.
Seraphina quietly looked at the southeast corner, Ethan went over, moved the table that was covering it to the side, the floor tiles swayed slightly.
Counting to the fifth tile, Ethan lifted it, revealing a rusty iron box locked with a combination lock, surely what they had searched for today.
Ethan placed the box in front of Seraphina; she looked at the slightly rusted box, unable to resist reaching out to touch it, eyes full of complex emotions.
"Don’t know the combination?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"Brother Zack didn’t tell me, meaning I should be able to figure it out myself." Seraphina said, then began to think.
The numbers surely were related to her.
She thought for a while, then entered her birthday into the combination lock, turning it, revealing it really was her birthday.
Ethan’s face darkened like a pot bottom, "Ha! You really understand his thoughts. But if I were to set a combination, could you guess it?"
Like a child, loving to compare.
Seraphina didn’t think for long before responding, "The date you brought me back." Her voice was steady.
"Wrong, the day before." Ethan snorted, "Or I wouldn’t have been in the rain for so long."
Seraphina maintained her silence, not intending to argue; having just been in the rain, he was in a bad mood. She understood.
She lowered her head, opened the iron box.
Inside were an array of candies, various flavors and brands, obviously meticulously prepared over a long time.
Whenever he saw a type of candy he hadn’t seen before, he would buy it, wanting her to taste it.
Seraphina Redgrave took out a piece of candy, already expired, placed it in her palm, just looking at it—this was the candy he started buying from the very first day he received his salary.
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