Chapter 115: Chapter 115: The Empty Middle Finger

Wyatt hadn’t eaten either, so the two of them finished off the dumplings in the thermos together.

"Let’s go. David Sutton will be here later to look after Zoe Churchill."

Yvonne Sutton yawned. She really was exhausted.

Mist hung thick in the small town in the early morning. Houses with white walls and blue-tiled roofs stood silently, one after another. Along the main street that ran east to west, early risers hurried toward the fields, carrying bamboo baskets on their backs, shoulder poles balanced, and wearing conical hats. The storefronts on both sides of the road were still closed, save for a single breakfast shop from which steam billowed out.

The atmosphere was so relaxing that Yvonne, already sleepy, grew groggy and stumbled right into Wyatt’s back without realizing it.

Her feet felt unsteady, and she staggered backward, but Wyatt caught her just in time.

She laughed at herself. "Is there some kind of sleeping potion in the air here?"

Wyatt wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "Do you have any idea how shameless you’re being right now?"

"Huh? What did I do?" She forced her eyes open to look at Wyatt and found his gaze was deep, like a whirlpool about to suck her in. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"If there was a bed here..."

"Shut up!"

She gave a dry cough and pushed him slightly.

Wyatt smiled, turned, and crouched down, patting his shoulders. "Hop on."

Afraid he might say something else outrageous, Yvonne quickly clambered onto his back.

"Go ahead and sleep if you want," he said.

Yvonne rested her head on his shoulder, turning to watch the scenery slowly drift by, reluctant to close her eyes. The early morning breeze was a little cool, but it felt wonderful.

"Wyatt."

"Yes?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to say your name."

"You could call me ’hubby’."

"I’m a kind person. Each time I call you that, it costs a hundred million. I’m afraid I’d bankrupt you."

"We still have a lifetime together. Why don’t you give me a little discount?"

"A discount?"

"Let’s call it the family rate."

Bantering back and forth, they left the town behind, and the view suddenly opened up before them. The road ended at a mountain, a ring of white mist encircling its waist. At the very peak stood a lone tree, set ablaze in the fiery red glow of the morning sun.

Before falling asleep, Yvonne glanced at it and muttered softly, "The view from up there must be amazing."

And then she fell asleep. It was a deep sleep, and all she felt was a gentle, swaying motion that was incredibly comfortable. Later, she found herself leaning against a warm embrace; she could sense Wyatt holding her. She slept on peacefully, feeling so safe she wouldn’t have been afraid even if she slept through day and night.

When she had slept her fill, she opened her eyes and was greeted by the stunning sight of distant mountain ranges. She sat up with a jolt, only to discover she was on the very mountaintop, beneath a tree.

She had said, "The view from up there must be amazing."

And then, the moment she opened her eyes, she saw the most beautiful view.

The distant mountains were a dusky indigo, the surging river a white dragon, and the tranquil town below looked as if it were part of a landscape painting. The fiery morning sun had shifted westward, turning a brilliant gold that spilled across the land.

She drank in the scenery, then turned her head to look at Wyatt. He was looking at her.

She could clearly see the love in his eyes, so deep and so intense, yet she suddenly felt a sense of panic, so strong it nearly made her lose her mind.

"Wyatt, who am I?"

Wyatt was slightly startled, and then the light in his eyes dimmed.

"You’re Yvonne Sutton, of course."

"I’m sorry, I just..."

"You’re just afraid that I see you as her, right?"

Yvonne had no rebuttal. They could live together without love, but living without trust... that was the most terrifying thing of all.

The most beautiful scenery, it turned out, carried an undertone of sorrow.

Because it was fleeting, impossible for anyone to preserve.

Yvonne sat down beside Wyatt, and he took her hand, stroking it gently. Neither of them spoke. After a long while, he lifted her hand and saw her bare middle finger.

A ring was supposed to be there.

He sighed, brought her hand to his lips, and kissed it gently, especially the middle finger that had once worn his engagement ring.

By the time they returned to the guesthouse, the sky had already darkened. David Sutton called to say he was staying at the hospital with Zoe Churchill for the night and that they didn’t need to come over.

David Sutton had just hung up when Zoe Churchill called. She was worried about the guests staying in the westernmost room on the second floor.

"There’s a young couple in that room. They just broke up, but as they put it, even a breakup needs some ’ceremony,’ so they’re on a breakup trip. Young people are hot-headed and full of resentment for each other, so they argue and fight constantly. They’ve already wrecked the place. If they start getting too rowdy, please go over and calm them down. Don’t let them tear my house apart."

Zoe Churchill had just hung up when a loud CRASH echoed from the west side of the second floor, sounding like something heavy had been smashed on the ground. It was immediately followed by the sounds of a furious argument.

Yvonne’s mouth twitched. "So they’ve already broken up. Is it really necessary to go on some kind of breakup trip? Are they torturing each other or themselves?"

Wyatt, who was fixing a table with a wrench, glanced upstairs at her words. "They both just graduated from college. The guy found a good job in Aethelgard, but the girl’s family arranged a stable job for her back home and is insisting she return. He’s unwilling to move to her hometown, and she doesn’t want to disappoint her family for his sake. They’ve reached a fork in the road; once they part ways, they’ll only drift further apart. It’s better to make a clean break than to torture one another until their love turns to hate."

Yvonne raised an eyebrow. ’So the two of them are being pretty rational, then.’

Just as she had that thought, the window of the west room shattered with a SMASH, and a suitcase came flying out.

"Get lost! Go on, crawl back to Aethelgard! We’re broken up anyway, so I never have to see you again!" the girl screamed at the guy.

The guy was furious, too, and yelled back, "You’ve changed! You were never like this before!"

"And how should I be? Should I just do whatever you say? Would that make you happy?"

"At least not completely unreasonable like you are now!"

"You’re the one who’s changed! You would never have yelled at me like this before!"

"Fine! Since we’ve both changed, breaking up really is for the best!"

"Get out!" A pair of shoes came flying out.

"Why should I be the one to leave? I booked this room!" A handbag came flying out.

Then came clothes, a laptop, a cell phone—one thing after another, quickly forming a small mountain on the ground below.

Yvonne was stunned. "Zoe Churchill was right to be worried. It looks like they really might tear this house down."

The words had barely left her lips when a chair came hurtling down.

Wyatt’s face was grim. With a wrench in his left hand and a hammer in his right, he strode up the stairs.

The sight of him made Yvonne’s scalp tingle with fear, and she scrambled to follow him.

’That couple was just blowing off steam, but Wyatt looked like he was genuinely losing it. He was capable of beating hardened thugs half to death, let alone two recent college graduates.’

Yvonne chased after him, just in time to see Wyatt walk to the room at the far west end and kick the door open with a resounding BANG.

Then, he took a step inside and raised the wrench and hammer in his hands.

"Wyatt, calm down!" Yvonne shouted in fright.