Chapter 259: Extra Story

Chapter 259: Extra Story


The yacht had been drifting at sea for a few days. Ethan took a look at their supplies and decided to dock at the next port.

It was a small town they had never been to before, built against the mountains. The houses were painted in various vibrant colors, looking from the sea like a row of colorful building blocks.

The pier wasn’t large, with just a few fishing boats moored there, and the air was thick with the scent of brine and freshly baked bread.

Ethan docked the boat and took Anna’s hand as they stepped ashore.

The two had originally only intended to buy some fresh water and food before leaving, but as soon as they walked to the small square in the center of town, they were stopped.

A girl wearing a floral wreath slipped an identical one over Anna’s neck. Smiling, she rattled off a string of local words they couldn't understand, pointed to the bonfire being built in the middle of the square, and then gestured toward the long tables and barbecue grills already set up in the distance.

"There's a festival today." Anna touched the wreath around her neck; the petals were still damp with dew. "It seems like she's inviting us to join them."

Ethan looked at the bustling crowd in the square, then at the faint look of anticipation on Anna's face, and smiled. "Then let's go join the fun."

By evening, the bonfire was lit.

The flames roared high, sending sparks crackling and flying into the night sky.

The long tables were laden with food. Large chunks of meat sizzled and dripped oil on the iron grills, and the locally brewed fruit wine was served in wooden cups—cloyingly sweet, but with a powerful kick.

Someone started strumming a guitar, and the beat of a drum followed. The townsfolk gathered around the bonfire and began to dance; some were barefoot, others held wine glasses high, dancing with zero structure but absolute enthusiasm.

Anna and Ethan sat on a nearby bench. She leaned against his shoulder, holding a cup of fruit wine, her face flushed warm from the heat of the bonfire.

"Are you happy?" Ethan asked, looking down at her.

"Yes, I am," Anna said, her eyes crinkling into a smile. "This feels really nice."

Just as the words left her mouth, a hand was extended in front of her.

She looked up and saw a man.

The man stood easily over 6.4 feet tall, with shoulders as broad as a door panel and muscles on his arms that rippled under the firelight.

His facial features were deeply chiseled, his skin a rich bronze baked by the sun, and when he smiled, his teeth were blindingly white.

Bending slightly, he held his hand out to Anna, making a formal gesture to invite her to dance.

Anna froze for a moment. Before she could say anything, Ethan had already stood up.

He stepped right in front of Anna, blocking her and placing himself squarely between the man and his wife. His tone was perfectly flat. "Sorry, she's with someone."

The man sized him up from head to toe.

Ethan, standing at over six feet, was already considered tall, but in front of this titan, he looked rather slender.

Add to that his simple white shirt and casual trousers, and compared to the other guy's massive build, he did indeed appear "frail."

The man frowned, looking at Ethan with a serious expression, then tilted his head to look at Anna sitting behind him. Then, he made a gesture that sent Ethan's blood pressure skyrocketing.

He pointed a finger at Ethan, shook his head, then pointed his finger at himself, and nodded.

The meaning was crystal clear: He won't do. I will.

Ethan’s expression cooled by an inch.

"I do just fine." His voice dropped, speaking English very slowly, each syllable sounding as if it were being ground over blocks of ice.

The man clearly didn't take his warning seriously. Instead, he looked right past him and spoke directly to Anna.

He had a heavy accent, but his meaning was perfectly clear. "He's not your type. Too skinny. Cannot protect you."

The corner of Anna’s mouth twitched. She lowered her eyes, desperately holding back her laughter.

"You should find a strong man," the muscular man continued to lecture with a completely straight face. "I can protect you. I can give you a better life."

Ethan’s jaw clenched tight.

"I am her husband," his voice was strained taut. "We are married, and we have children."

The giant frowned, appearing to give the matter some serious thought, before delivering a line that utterly broke Ethan's defense: "You can divorce even if you are married. I will treat the children as my own."

Anna almost spat out the fruit wine in her mouth.

She covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking violently, tears of suppressed laughter threatening to spill.

The tips of Ethan’s ears turned red at a visible speed—not the red of embarrassment, but the raging red of being pushed to the absolute limit.

"Say that again," Ethan took a step forward.

The giant looked down at him, his expression serious and candid, as if he were reasoning with an unreasonable child. "What can you give her? You have no strength at all. If someone hits her, can you help her?"

"How do you know I can't?" Ethan's voice was as cold as tempered ice. He had already begun unbuttoning his shirt cuffs, his movements unhurried but radiating a powerful pressure. "Want to find out?"

"Ethan!" Anna couldn't laugh anymore. She quickly stood up and grabbed his arm.

Ethan was losing his mind. This man was built like a mountain; if they actually fought, Ethan would only get the short end of the stick.

Watching Ethan unbutton his cuffs, the giant raised an eyebrow, his expression earnest and sincere. "You're really no match for me. I don't want to bully you."

The corner of Ethan's mouth twitched. He pulled his arm straight out of Anna’s grip and prepared to step forward.

"Alright, that's enough!" Anna threw her arms tightly around his waist, dragging him backward. "Why are you picking a fight with a bear?!"

Having successfully held him back, she turned to face the earnest giant, speaking in English slowly but making every word distinct: "Thank you for the invitation, but he is the only one for me in this lifetime. No matter what he's like, I will only be with him."

The giant froze for a moment, looking at Ethan, then back at Anna, his expression filled with obvious bewilderment. "Why?"

"Because I love him," Anna said with a smile. "We’ve been together for many years and have been through a lot. I'm very happy with him."

The giant fell silent for a moment, a profoundly serious look of disappointment washing over his face.

He looked at Anna, then at Ethan, who was still practically breathing fire, and finally sighed, patting Ethan on the shoulder.

"You are very lucky." He looked at Ethan, then shifted his gaze back to Anna, his tone sincere. "If you change your mind..."

"She won't," Ethan cut him off.

The giant shrugged, turned, and walked away. After a few steps, he glanced back at Anna one last time, shook his head, and vanished into the crowd on the other side of the bonfire.

Anna breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Ethan.

His face was still pitch black.

"Still angry?" She reached out and poked his chest. "The guy's already gone."

Ethan looked down at her, a deeply aggrieved look in his eyes. He bent down, scooped one arm under her knees and the other behind her back, and lifted her into a bridal carry.

Anna gasped in surprise, instinctively looping her arms around his neck. "What are you doing?"

"Letting him see," Ethan muttered, his voice muffled. "I might not be as built as him, but I can carry my wife."

Anna blanked for a second, and then her entire body began to shake with laughter. She buried her face in his neck, laughing so hard tears came to her eyes.

"Ethan, how can you be just like a child..."

"I wasn't sweating him," Ethan said, his tone so serious it only made him seem all the more endearing.

"Yes, yes, yes, you weren't sweating him. You were just about to throw hands with the guy."

Ethan glanced down at her, the anger in the depths of his eyes gradually melting away, replaced by a profound intensity.

"I love you," he said. His voice wasn't loud, but every word felt as though it were being pulled from the absolute depths of his heart. "So, so much."

Anna stopped laughing and looked into his eyes.

She reached out, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him.

The surrounding crowd noticed. The dancers paused for a brief second before erupting into a wave of good-natured cheers and applause.

Someone whistled, someone shouted something in the local language, and a group even formed a circle around the two of them, launching into a lively, passionate dance as if celebrating some grand, joyous occasion.

Anna's face flushed bright red at the spectacle. She quickly buried her face back into Ethan's chest, her forehead resting against his collarbone as she mumbled, "Put me down quickly, there are so many people..."

Looking down at the deep red tips of her ears, the corners of Ethan's mouth finally curved upward.

"Not putting you down." He gave her a slight upward nudge, holding her even more securely. "Let them look."

"Ethan!"

"Let them see how much we love each other."

Anna gave his chest a light swat, the force so gentle it felt like a tickle.

The music didn't stop; the drumbeats grew faster and faster. The dancers waved at them with smiles, inviting them to join.

Ethan finally set Anna down, but he didn't let go of her hand. Leading her by the hand, he stepped into the dancing crowd.

He didn't know how to do this kind of dance, and neither did Anna. The two of them clumsily swayed along to the rhythm, pulled into spins by the locals until they were completely dizzy. They bumped into each other, bounced apart, and laughed so hard they could barely stand straight.

The music skipped a beat, then swelled again.

Amidst the roaring festivity, Ethan pulled her close to his side, leaning down to press his lips against her ear. "I really, really love you."

Leaning into his embrace, Anna replied earnestly, "Me too. I love you so, so much."