Eye of Insight

The young woman bit her lip but showed no intention of leaving. In a low voice, she said, "My name is Eliza Montgomery. I'm a sophomore at River City University. I ran away from home because my family forced me into an engagement. Someone was chasing me just now, which is why I…" Her watery eyes gazed at Ethan, filled with sorrow and helplessness. 

Ethan frowned, recalling the moment when Eliza had suddenly kissed him. It did seem like a group of people had run past, and only then had she turned into some kind of biting creature. 

"Telling me this won't help. I'm just here in Yunnan with friends to buy jade. There's nothing I can do for you." Ethan spoke doubtfully. 

Eliza's eyes lit up. "You're from River City, right? We were on the same flight." On the embankment earlier, she had chosen Ethan for that impulsive kiss partly because he seemed familiar—on the plane, this shy young man hadn't even glanced at her, which at least meant he was an honest guy. Plus, he looked decent enough. 

If she had to pick some greasy old man for the kiss, she would rather jump into Dianchi Lake and befriend the turtles. 

Ethan had no idea that he had just been handed a "nice guy" card. He nodded. "Just say what you want. I don't like beating around the bush." 

Eliza straightened her posture and said seriously, "Find a way to take me back to River City. I'll pay you five hundred thousand. While you're in Yunnan, I'll stay with you. Deal?" 

Her birth mother had passed away early, and the only person who could protect her now was her grandfather, who resided at the Gragon Mountain Sanatorium in River City. He was one of the last remaining founding fathers of the nation. Though retired, his loyal subordinates still held key positions in both the military and government. To put it bluntly, if the old man coughed too loudly, even the ground might shake. Even the current leaders had to show him respect. 

However, to avoid disturbing his rest, only designated phones could call his residence. Eliza didn't have her phone with her, so the only option was to return to River City and visit Gragon Mountain in person. 

Ethan frowned in thought for a while before finally saying, "Prove to me that you're really a student at River City University, and I'll believe you." 

Eliza thought for a moment and said, "I'll give you a landline number—it belongs to my homeroom teacher, Maggie. You can call and ask if there's a student named Eliza." 

Ethan took out his phone and dialed the number Eliza provided. After two rings, the call connected, and a low female voice answered. 

"Hello, who's calling?" 

"Are you Ms. Maggie?" 

"Hmm?" 

"I'm Eliza's uncle. May I ask when River City University starts classes?" 

"Classes officially begin on August 31st. Eliza should already know that, though." 

Ethan smiled slightly, exchanged a few polite words, and then hung up. When he turned back, he saw Eliza rolling her eyes at him. 

"Now do you believe me, Uncle?" she asked in annoyance. 

Ethan shook his head. "Halfway. How old are you?" 

Eliza casually replied, "Seventeen. I'll be eighteen in September." She wasn't sure what he meant by "halfway." 

Ethan tapped his fingers on the sofa's armrest. "You're not eighteen yet, but you're already a sophomore?" 

Eliza wrinkled her nose nonchalantly. "I skipped two grades in elementary school." 

Ethan continued, "Do you have a boyfriend?" 

Eliza's cheeks flushed slightly. She shook her head. 

"Well then, I suppose I'll reluctantly be your boyfriend from now on." Ethan reached out, pulled Eliza into his arms, and grinned. 

Eliza's face turned red as she struggled slightly, but his grip was firm, leaving her no choice but to lean against his solid chest. In a soft voice, she murmured, "But… I don't even know your name." 

Ethan, enjoying the feeling of holding her, gently stroked her slightly damp hair and said, "Ethan. You can also call me Ean." 

Eliza let out a soft "hmm," the corners of her lips curling into a bitter smile. She finally understood—running away from a forced marriage was nothing more than escaping from one man's arms into another's. 

She shifted slightly, adjusting to a more comfortable position against Ethan. As she gazed at his handsome yet slightly youthful face, the faint masculine scent surrounding him made her feel unexpectedly at ease. Instead of rejecting it, she felt a strange excitement—at least this young man was someone she had chosen herself. 

*Gurgle!* 

A poorly timed stomach growl broke the moment. Ethan looked down to see Eliza blushing furiously, her eyes filled with embarrassment. 

He chuckled, lightly patting her back. "I'm actually a bit hungry too. Let's go downstairs and grab something to eat." 

In truth, his dinner hadn't even fully digested yet, but he didn't mind eating again for the sake of his new "girlfriend." 

Eliza nodded and obediently stood up. She hadn't eaten anything since her flight that morning and was already feeling weak from hunger. 

The two headed to the restaurant downstairs. Ethan deliberately chose the same private dining room where he had eaten earlier. When the server arrived with the menu and tea, they paused slightly upon seeing Ethan's face but quickly regained composure. *Didn't this guy just eat here less than two hours ago? He sure has a big appetite.* 

Ethan took the menu and handed it to Eliza. "Order whatever you like. Don't starve yourself." 

Eliza didn't hold back, ordering five dishes and a soup before passing the menu back to Ethan. 

"Two bamboo tubes of rice wine. That should do." 

The server finally understood. *Ah, so the main guest has changed this time. No wonder…* They still vividly remembered Ethan's whirlwind eating session from earlier. As they left the room, they couldn't help but chuckle. 

Soon, the food arrived. Ethan asked the server to stay outside and only come in when called—not because he was worried about Eliza's table manners, but so she could eat more freely. 

Eliza was indeed starving, but to Ethan's surprise, she ate with incredible grace. She chewed her food delicately, almost like an old lady with no teeth. When drinking soup, she made no slurping sounds whatsoever—it was clearly a long-ingrained habit. 

The most baffling part was how she ate the *Crossing-the-Bridge* rice noodles. Normally, one would slurp up a mouthful in a single go, but she insisted on biting off each strand into ten evenly measured sections before swallowing. If Ethan had a ruler, he was sure each piece would be exactly one inch long. 

Ethan silently vowed that from now on, whenever they ate out together, he would never order rice noodles or anything similar—otherwise, he might just lose his mind.