After dinner with Suzie, Ethan quietly settled the bill himself. As he calculated his remaining funds, he realized that if all his ongoing projects were completed and the bills paid, his money would be nearly gone. The thought made him sigh — money seemed to slip away faster than he could earn it.
As he mulled over his finances, the rumble of a truck broke his train of thought. The bridge hadn't been repaired yet — so how did a truck get across? Curious, Ethan hurried outside and saw the construction manager stepping out of a car. "Manager Chen! How did you get the truck here?" Ethan asked, surprised. Manager Chen chuckled. "Boss Ethan, our crew worked overnight to build a temporary bridge. It's not pretty, but it'll hold. Cars and trucks can cross without a problem now."
Ethan was impressed. Their efficiency was astounding.
Under Ethans instructions, the workers quickly erected a temporary house — three bedrooms, a living area, a kitchen, and a small guard post. Ethan moved his and Suzie's belongings into his ring's space, leaving only a few essentials for the workers to carry.
Once everything was settled, Ethan busied himself preparing lunch. As the food neared completion, he worried Suzie might not find their new location, so he sent Blackie to fetch her.
Whiskers, the little flower-patterned cat, rarely left Blackie's side. The moment Blackie set off, Whiskers meowed loudly and pounced onto his back, riding him like a tiny queen. The sight of the black dog trotting through the village with a cat perched on his back drew laughter from the locals.
Natalie didn't join them for lunch that day. After all, her house was nearby, and she didn't want to intrude too often.
Once they finished eating, Once they finished eating, Ethan drove his new Range Rover SUV to the city. His first stop was a lumberyard, where he picked out quality wood and arranged for it to be loaded onto his truck. Afterward, he visited the market, stocking up on poultry and vegetable seeds, tucking them away into his ring's hidden space.
As he left the market, an antique shop caught his eye. Since he was building a new house, he figured a decorative painting might brighten things up.
The shop was dim and smelled faintly of old paper. An elderly man, sat behind the counter, spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose as he idly watched television. When Ethan entered, the old man's eyes lit up.
"Welcome, young man! Looking for something special?" the old man greeted him with a practiced grin. "I've got genuine antiques here — rare treasures you won't find anywhere else."
Ethan chuckled. "I'm just looking for a decorative painting for my new house. Nothing fancy, just a nice imitation."
The old man's enthusiasm deflated. "Ah, imitations, is it? Suit yourself. Have a look." He gestured lazily toward the rows of paintings.
Ethan browsed patiently. Even if it was just for decoration, he wanted something he liked. Most of the paintings were obvious knockoffs — crude strokes, dull colors. Still, he eventually found one that caught his eye: a rendition of The Peach Blossom Nunnery by Edgar Whitmore.
"How much for this one?" Ethan asked, pointing at the piece.
Blake squinted at it. "Oh, that one? Some desperate fellow sold it to me for eight thousand. The imitation is rough, and the corner is a bit damaged, but I'll let you have it for ten thousand."
Ethan glanced at the old man, sensing the exaggeration, but he didn't feel like haggling. "Fine. Wrap it up."
The old man blinked in surprise. "No bargaining? Well, alright then!" He shuffled over, carefully rolling up the painting and tying it with twine.
As Ethan reached for the painting, a strange sensation washed over him. The moment his fingers brushed the canvas, an inexplicable uneasiness stirred in his chest — a mix of restlessness, excitement, and loneliness. He frowned.
That's odd… He let go of the painting, and the feeling vanished. Picking it up again, the strange emotions returned.
This isn't normal… Ethan thought. He carefully placed the painting on the counter and once again, the sensation disappeared. Something about this painting was… different.
The old man paid no mind, too busy counting his freshly earned ten thousand yuan. "Good eye, kid. Even if it's a fake, you can brag to folks back home that you spent a fortune on it. They'll believe you."
Ethan forced a polite smile, tucking the painting under his arm. There must be something strange about this painting!
As soon as Ethan walked out of the store, he immediately dialed Don. When Don heard that Ethan had found something unusual, he excitedly insisted on coming over right away.
Since they were a few hours apart, they agreed to meet at a hotel in a city halfway between them. That way, both would only have to drive a little over an hour.
Ethan hopped back into his Range Rover and hit the road. He arrived at the hotel first, and about ten minutes later, Don showed up. The two headed up to a room — Ethan holding his rolled-up painting, and Don carrying a large black bag.
"Come on, let me see this treasure you bought," Don urged impatiently as soon as the door clicked shut.
Ethan slowly unrolled the painting on the table. Even though he had already warned Don that it was a fake, Don took one look at it and burst out laughing.
"Brother, if you want fake paintings, I've got plenty! I bought a bunch of them when I first started out in business, and every single one looks better than this! This painting… haha, man, it's rough."
Ethan's face flushed slightly. He lit a cigarette and said defensively, "Brother, I only bought it because I felt those strange emotions from it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have touched it."
Don pulled a magnifying glass from his bag and leaned in, inspecting the canvas closely. "But why didn't I feel this 'restlessness, excitement, and loneliness' you mentioned?"
Ethan smirked. "Heh, maybe your realm just isn't high enough yet."
Don's mouth twitched. "Brother, you spent ten thousand yuan on an ugly, fake painting. Are you sure you want to be lecturing me about 'realms'?"