30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 150: Ethan’s Peculiar Gentleness

The people in line behind them immediately started complaining. "Hey, cutting in line is bad enough, but could you hurry up and pay?!"

"Yeah, you look decent enough, but you’re cutting in line to get on a bus?"

"Young people nowadays... The future of the country..."

"The standards of young people are getting worse... Just look at them."

Ethan instantly turned around and glared at them, yelling unceremoniously, "What are you shouting about? If you’re not getting on, then get lost!"

Oh, my god!

Lily wished she could find a hole to crawl into. She quickly paid the fare and dragged Ethan to a seat, covering her face with her hand as she listened to the passengers behind them whisper and throw disdainful glances.

She was utterly embarrassed...

What was wrong with Ethan today?!

"Ethan, what are you trying to do?!" Lily whispered, her face full of disbelief. They had a Lamborghini, but he chose to take the bus. Had he lost his mind?

"Mind your own business!" Ethan snorted, utterly unfazed by the situation. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Cutting in line is rude and lacks manners and basic decency," Lily whispered sternly.

"I used to squeeze onto buses all the time. The result of waiting in line was standing next to a bunch of sweaty guys, packed together like sardines," Ethan glanced at her, his tone dismissive.

"..." Lily felt a shiver of discomfort at his description. He had squeezed onto buses before? After a pause, she continued, "Nowadays, people rarely cut in line. It’s basic courtesy..."

"Are you lecturing me?!" Ethan frowned in displeasure, his voice cold as he reached up and removed his sunglasses.

Lily was momentarily stunned.

His eyes were bloodshot, with faint red veins, making him look extremely tired and worn out...

"You..." Lily opened her mouth to ask what was wrong but asked, "Why did you take the bus?"

"Because I felt like it."

Ethan snorted through his nose, turning to look out at the street through the window.

What nonsense about the "five gentle ways to win over a girl"? The bus wasn’t crowded, so what umbrella did he need to hold up for her? The stuff on the internet was completely unreliable!

"Where are you trying to go?"

Lily asked helplessly. He must have been having a momentary lapse in judgment. Why else would he leave the Lamborghini behind and take the bus? Was he reminiscing about his hard life from the past or something?

"Harlem Street."

"...!" Lily suddenly felt like crying. Without thinking, she punched Ethan’s arm, exclaiming in disbelief, "Ethan, are you telling me you didn’t check where this bus was going before getting on?!"

This bus was headed toward somewhere other than Harlem Street!

It was going in the opposite direction!

Even if they got off at the next stop, they’d have to transfer to two more buses to reach Harlem Street!

Ethan didn’t get angry at her sarcastic remark. His face remained dark and brooding as he lowered his head and glanced at her hand, which had just punched his arm. Her hand was pale and slender.

Ethan’s gaze deepened.

Realizing he was staring at her, Lily quickly withdrew her hand, saying nothing more.

Suddenly, the atmosphere became awkward.

When they got off the bus, Lily refused to let Ethan drag her around anymore and hailed a taxi straight to Harlem Street.

Harlem Street was a bustling commercial district.

Ethan had already reserved a private room at a high-end Chinese restaurant. The waitstaff, dressed in traditional qipao, greeted them with warm smiles as they entered.

The restaurant was adorned with ink paintings and calligraphy, brimming with Chinese cultural charm.

"You reserved a private room. Please follow me," the waitress said, smiling as she led the way.

"I’d rather sit outside. Can we move to a table out here?" Lily asked. Ethan immediately shot her a cold, sharp look...

Lily couldn’t help but gasp.

Ethan didn’t explode, but his hand, hanging by his side, had already clenched into a tight fist.

He was a man well-versed in romance. He knew Lily didn’t want to sit in a private room because she feared he might try something...

She always had a way of making him so angry that he wanted to hit something!

Did she think she could escape him if he wanted to do something?

"Of course, follow me. How about a window seat?" the waitress smiled and led them to a table by the window, handing them both menus.

Lily casually ordered a few dishes and handed the menu back.

After the waitress left, they sat across from each other in silence. Lily kept her head down, sipping her water, saying nothing.

Ethan stared directly at her, his gaze profound and unwavering.

Lily felt incredibly uncomfortable under his gaze. When he was yelling and shouting, she could ignore him. But when he was this quiet, staring at her...

It felt suffocating, like there was a weight pressing down on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

"When did you make the reservation?" Lily finally broke the strange silence, lifting her eyes to meet his.

All this time, he hadn’t once taken out his phone.

"I had my secretary make reservations at every five-star restaurant on Harlem Street," Ethan answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

He reserved every five-star restaurant on Harlem Street?!

And then planned to take the bus there?!

What kind of logic did Ethan operate on?!

A large pot of pickled fish was brought to the table, followed by several other dishes.

Lily picked up her chopsticks to grab some fish, but after several failed attempts, Ethan grabbed a spoon and scooped a large portion onto her plate. "Rinse it with some hot water," he said coldly.

"Huh?"

Lily blinked in confusion.

Ethan picked up his water glass and poured it over the fish on her plate. Although the restaurant claimed the dish wasn’t spicy, there were still a few chili peppers.

Watching Ethan’s actions, Lily couldn’t figure out how to feel. She silently picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of the fish.

There was no spiciness, only a faint sour flavor.

After a while, Lily remembered something and asked, "Isn’t Lynn your woman now? Aren’t you going to help her with the lawsuit?"

He wasn’t helping Lynn, but he had gotten the court to approve her case so quickly...

Ethan shot her a cold glance. "Why should I help her?"

"...Okay, then." Lily thought to herself, Ethan never does things according to common sense.

She had just asked for the sake of it.

Lily lowered her head and continued eating the fish, but then she heard Ethan ask coldly, "Who is Lynn?"

"Pfft—"

Lily almost spat out her food.

Ethan frowned at her reaction. She had the nerve to criticize his lack of manners, yet she ate like this?

"You don’t know who Lynn is?" Lily asked in disbelief. Just a few days ago, he had been getting cozy with her at the class reunion, and now he didn’t even remember who she was?!

"With a name that awful, why would I know her?"

Ethan replied matter-of-factly as he reached across the small table with a napkin, trying to wipe her mouth.

Lily was startled and instinctively turned her head away, making his hand freeze midair.

Ethan glared at her coldly, then angrily threw the napkin onto the table.

"I can do it myself," Lily said, sensing his anger as she picked up the napkin and wiped her mouth.

"Lily Anderson!" Ethan spat her name, each syllable forced through clenched teeth, his eyes blazing with fury.

Lily pressed her lips together, watching him warily.

It was followed by a tirade of insults whenever he called her like that.

He wouldn’t stop until she was utterly humiliated...

"Eat the fish!"

Ethan growled, scooping up two large fish pieces, putting them on her plate, and rinsing them with hot water again.

Wasn’t he going to scold her?

Why was he suddenly insisting she eat fish?!

Forget it. Ethan was already acting strange enough today.

Lily lowered her head and continued eating the fish, while Ethan just sat there, watching her eat without touching his food...

"What are the chances of winning the lawsuit?" Ethan asked abruptly.

Lily shook her head. "The lawyer said the chances aren’t great, and the police haven’t found any key evidence. But even if we lose, the negative publicity will be a huge blow to the Liang family."

Especially since Alice Johnson’s father, Mayor Johnson, was about to be promoted to a central government position...

This scandal would undoubtedly be a significant embarrassment.

"If you’re going to fight, fight to win, with a 100 percent chance of victory." Ethan sneered at her lack of enthusiasm before picking up his phone and making a call. "Get Attorney Ronald’s team on this case immediately and have them handle it fully."

Lily listened as he issued the command in an authoritarian tone, unsure what to say.

There was no room for her to refuse. Ethan had already hung up the phone and was staring directly at her.

"Why are you helping me?" Lily couldn’t help but ask.

His gaze was so intense it almost gave her the illusion that it was filled with affection.

"To bring you back," Ethan replied matter-of-factly.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Thinking back to her online quiz, Lily felt even more confused.

She knew that no matter what she said, it wouldn’t change anything, so she remained silent.

After finishing their meal and leaving the restaurant, Lily pondered how to say goodbye when Ethan suddenly grabbed her arm and dragged her toward a nearby sneaker store...

"Ethan?" Lily asked in surprise.

"Pick out a pair of shoes!" Ethan ordered, his tone forceful and domineering.

"I don’t need sneakers." Lily looked at him bewildered and then glanced down at her leather shoes.

What was wrong with her shoes?

Why did he seem to have such a problem with them?

"When I say buy, you buy!" Ethan snapped. The word "nag" was on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it with difficulty.

What was wrong with him today?

Lily watched in confusion as he started browsing through the sneakers in the store. Just then, her phone rang.

It was Alex calling.

Lily glanced at Ethan, who was still looking at shoes and stepped outside to take the call. "Alex?"

"Where are you right now?" Alex asked.

"Alex, I’m..."

"Your passport is ready. After we get married, we can go to Paris," Alex said with a smile, his voice full of excitement for their future. "Are you coming to the beach tonight? Bobi misses you."

"Alex..."

"I’m the one who misses you," Alex added, his voice filled with longing.

Lily gripped her phone tightly, trying to sound casual. "Okay."

It seemed like one of the servants was calling Alex, so they said their goodbyes and hung up.

When Lily turned back, she saw Ethan standing inside the store, watching her through the glass door with a deep, unreadable expression.

Lily lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze, and slipped her phone back into her pocket.

Ethan opened the glass door and said coldly, "Get back inside."

"I don’t need sneakers."

Lily protested, but Ethan roughly pulled her back inside and sat her on a bench.

"Try them on!" Ethan tossed a pair of pink and white sneakers at her.

The sneakers’ design was cute and energetic... but they didn’t match her outfit.

Sighing, Lily took off her leather shoes and put on the sneakers. They fit perfectly.

"These will do."

Lily said, ready to pay and leave, hoping to use this as an excuse to say goodbye and get the court documents from him.

Being around Ethan made her feel increasingly uneasy, as if something was gnawing at her heart. It made her both nervous and restless yet also... strangely excited.