Chapter 58: Perhaps, A Farm

A while later, Evelyn returned home, looking bright and happy. Her shop had gotten more customers today, and she was starting to see the progress herself.

’And today’s just the third day. Hmm.’

She smiled as she entered the living room. To her surprise, she found both her husband and her daughter sprawled on the couch, fast asleep.

Her eyes widened slightly. ’Eh? What did they do...?’

She turned to the TV and realized they had been watching a wrestling tournament before they probably got bored and slept off.

Smiling, she sneakily approached Ethan and leaned towards his face.

Taking a short breath of courage and determination, she planted a kiss on his cheek.

He blinked awake immediately, his eyes locking onto her. A flicker of confusion appeared in his eyes, but it quickly melted as soon as he recognized her.

He smiled, then pulled her into his arms. With a short squeak, she also collapsed onto the couch with her back pressed against him.

He rested his chin on her head and asked, "How did your business go today?"

Dropping all resistance, she relaxed and answered. "Pretty good. I sold a lot more than yesterday, and there were a few new customers too."

Ethan hummed, his eyes still closed. After a moment of silence, he slowly sat up. Evelyn tried to stand up so she wouldn’t burden him with her weight, but Ethan stopped her.

He scooped her into his arms and stood up.

"E-Ethan? Where are we going?" She asked, blushing heavily.

He chuckled lightly but didn’t answer. Instead, he just carried her to their balcony and had her sit on one of the relaxation chairs there.

He settled into the one beside her, leaning into it. Evelyn stared at the beautiful evening sky through the roof and smiled, "My life feels like a beautiful lie. Sometimes I get scared and think it’s a dream."

Chuckling, he reached out and patted her head. "A dream? Well, dreams are meant to come true, aren’t they?"

She smiled. "Not all, but yes. Dreams come true."

Ethan stared at the orange sky in silence, then asked, "Evelyn... is there something you want to do or become?"

She blinked and turned to him. "Mn? What do you mean by that?"

"I was just wondering," He said. "Do you have a preferred career you want to pursue? Maybe acting, modelling, a bank job, or something."

"Oh..." She turned back and looked at the sky. "I used to think about becoming an actress as a child. However, I know the entertainment industry is very dark. So, I lost interest in it."

Ethan raised an eyebrow, then asked, "Anything else?"

Evelyn shook her head. "No. I’m very satisfied with my current business. It’s in my name, and I own it. I’m proud of myself."

He smiled and patted her head again, amused.

"In that case, we’ll focus on your business and make it grow very big."

Knowing he was planning something again, she shifted and turned to face him. "Eh? What do you have in mind?"

Raising a finger, Ethan answered, "A farm. Instead of buying fruits from another farm, you could have yours and get all your fruits from there. In fact, you could be wholesaler selling to other prominent shops."

Evelyn pursed her lips and thought about it. "But... wouldn’t that be too stressful? We’ll have to buy land, plant crops, and become farmers ourselves."

Chuckling, Ethan shook his head. "No, not that. I’ll have someone handle the farm. You’re definitely not going there to weed any grass or something. Also, it’s a long-term project, so it’s only natural that it would take some time."

Seeing that he was seriously considering it, she took it seriously too.

"That would actually make things easier for me, but we’d need a huge capital to start that, right? Land, workers, farm machines..."

He closed his eyes and said, "I’ll handle all that. I just wanted to know if you support it."

Evelyn’s expression changed slightly, and she looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Ethan, you’re not involved in fraud, right?"

Her question made his eyes snap open, and he looked at her in disbelief. Seeing her concerned expression, he burst into laughter.

"That was a wild thought, Evelyn. I’m not into fraud. I’m a legit trader and consultant. Trust me."

She smiled and nodded. "I trust you. I just wanted to get that off my mind."

With a final hum from Ethan, they both fell silent and quietly enjoyed the cool evening breeze. After an hour, Ethan finally stood up and stretched his body.

"Well, that was a good rest. Let’s head inside."

Evelyn also opened her eyes and stood up. They entered and found Nora already awake, watching the TV while hugging her teddy bear.

Evelyn walked over to her and gave her a light peck on the cheek.

"How’re you doing, my princess?"

Nora’s eyes lit up. "Mom! I’m doing fine."

Evelyn smiled and sat beside her. "Did you miss me? I missed you a lot today."

Nora pouted slightly. "Hm, it’s your fault. But I missed you too."

While the mother-daughter pair conversed, Ethan went to the kitchen and started preparing for dinner.

Still, before he cooked anything, he came to the living room and asked his daughter, "Is there something you want to eat? I’d prefer not going out tonight too."

Nora immediately shook her head. "No. Anything you cook is fine."

Raising an eyebrow, Ethan pressed. "Are you sure?"

"Mn, mn." She nodded with a faint smile.

He gave a thumbs-up and returned to the kitchen. Evelyn quickly followed him.

"Let me assist you today."

Ethan shrugged and didn’t refuse. As she stood beside him, slicing the onions, he remembered something and asked.

"About your friend. Do you know what happened to her that made her go drink at that kind of bar?"

Evelyn blinked and answered, "Yes. She said it was because of her boyfriend. Apparently, she got a new one, and he broke her heart again."

Shaking his head, Ethan muttered. "Tough luck."

Inwardly, though, he felt a flicker of suspicion.