He Got Engaged to His First Love On the Day I Died-Chapter 160: Look, That’s My Man

The first rays of dawn had yet to fully banish the shadows of night, and a fine drizzle fell like a sheer veil, blanketing every corner of the city.

Ethan Yates drove to Natalie Morgan’s home.

"Mr. Childs." Ethan got out of the car and opened the front passenger door for her like a gentleman. "Please, get in."

"Thank you," she said with a faint smile.

The car slowly pulled onto the road.

Raindrops tapped against the car windows, making a soft pattering sound.

There were few cars on the road, and the city, draped in a light veil of rain, seemed all the more tranquil and mysterious.

After they had driven for a while, Ethan Yates finally broke the silence. "Mr. Childs, please forgive any offense I may have caused yesterday."

His tone was filled with apology.

"I didn’t take it to heart," Natalie Morgan said with just a faint smile.

"Actually, I’m the one who started this charity competition. I genuinely just want to do some good."

A rare sincerity flickered in Ethan Yates’s eyes.

Natalie turned her head slightly, her gaze landing on his face as a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes. "You’re the one who started it?"

"Yeah. I don’t look the part, do I?" Ethan scratched his head, slightly embarrassed.

Natalie’s eyes gradually grew heavy, as if veiled by a thin layer of gloom.

She’d seen too many hypocrites who cloaked themselves in charity while their hearts were filled with calculation and greed.

She didn’t know Ethan Yates well, so she had no idea if he was also hiding ulterior motives.

Natalie fell silent.

When they arrived at the construction site, the foreman was there to greet them.

The foreman and Ethan Yates clearly knew each other well. They shook hands warmly, their exchange full of pleasantries.

Her eyes, however, scanned the busy figures, searching for a familiar presence.

"That man you have here... where is he?" Natalie asked suddenly.

The foreman looked at Natalie, confused, then after a few seconds, shot a questioning glance at Ethan Yates.

Ethan understood immediately. "She’s asking about that big, tall fool you’ve got here. What was his name again?"

"The fool?" The foreman grunted, comprehension dawning on him. "Ah, you’re asking about the fool. His name is River. He’s been working here for three months. He’s a real hard worker, I like him a lot."

He couldn’t quite understand why. He narrowed his eyes warily and asked, "What do you want with him?"

"I painted a portrait of him the other day. My colleague here really liked it and wanted to meet the man in person."

Ethan Yates’s explanation was perfectly plausible.

It was as if he and Natalie had rehearsed it beforehand.

"He’s out working right now. If you want to see him, just head over that way. But he’s shy with strangers, so if you talk to him, be careful not to upset him. Fools, you know... their moods are unstable," the foreman said with a smile.

"Alright, we’ll go take a look in a bit." Ethan handed the foreman a pack of nice cigarettes. "We’re not here for any other reason, just looking for source material. Thanks for your help."

"No trouble, no trouble at all. It’s just... River’s wife is a real piece of work. If I don’t watch her man properly, that fat broad will come and give me hell."

The foreman looked genuinely wary.

Ethan Yates nodded. "Got it. My colleague and I will go take a look. Don’t let us keep you."

"Alrighty then."

Ethan Yates led Natalie Morgan out of the foreman’s office.

This site was for the construction of a new commercial district in Fenchest, and there were workers everywhere.

They had arrived right at the breakfast break.

Workers were gathered in groups of two and three, squatting on the ground and eating from meal boxes.

"You see? These are the conditions these workers face. They do the most grueling work for the lowest pay."

A troubled expression washed over Ethan Yates’s face.

Natalie’s gaze swept dispassionately across the workers.

’No line of work was easy, but it was true that this specific group, migrant workers, was more likely to lack any real protections.’

Her eyes never stopped searching.

A woman’s voice broke her concentration.

"Where’s my River? I brought him his lunch. Made him fried eggs today!"

The voice was loud and full, each resonant word carrying a hint of a boast.

"The fool? He’s over there," a fellow worker pointed into the distance, laughing loudly.

The woman was very fat; a quick glance suggested she was close to 220 pounds.

Her flesh jiggled as she walked, and her heavy footsteps seemed to make the ground shake.

’This was the man’s wife?’

Natalie’s eyes locked onto the woman, and she started walking, following her.

The rain had started to come down a little harder, making the ground wet and slippery.

The large woman had only taken a few steps before she lost her footing and fell.

She landed hard, creating a crater in the mud that sent a spray of dirty water everywhere. It was a sorry sight.

Natalie was standing close by, and her clothes were splattered with dots of mud.

She rushed forward to lend a hand and help the woman up. "Ma’am, are you okay?"

"This damn mud pit is gonna be the death of me," the woman cursed, pushing Natalie away. "You’re as scrawny as a little bird. You couldn’t lift me. Move aside, I’ll get up myself."

Natalie had been rebuffed.

As the woman struggled to climb up from the mud, she still kindly gave her a steadying hand.

"Who are you?" The woman slapped the mud from her backside, looking Natalie up and down. "This is no place for a woman like you to be wandering around. It’s dangerous."

Natalie pointed to Ethan Yates, who was standing nearby chatting with another worker. "I came with my colleague. We’re entering a painting competition with a theme of migrant workers, and we’re here looking for subject matter."

’She knew this woman probably didn’t understand a word she was saying.’

’It didn’t matter. All she wanted now was to follow her and meet the man named River.’

"Ma’am, are you here to bring your husband his lunch?"

"Of course I am!" The woman lifted her chin proudly, completely ignoring the mud caked on her clothes. "My man is so capable and handsome. I really hit the jackpot with him."

The woman radiated an air of unparalleled superiority.

Her eyes shone with a light like gemstones in the dark.

This only made Natalie more curious.

"Ma’am, you must really love your husband."

The woman shot Natalie a sidelong glance. "You’re not married, are you? A handsome man... he can make a woman live to a hundred. I can tell just by looking at you that you’re not married. You wouldn’t understand."

Just as Natalie opened her mouth to reply...

...the woman cut her off mockingly. "Pretty little girls like you turn your noses up at every man. Then you wait until you’re old, and all the good ones are already married. All that’s left for you are the divorcés and widowers."

’Fair enough.’

’She was completely right.’

Natalie couldn’t argue with that.

The woman walked on ahead.

Natalie followed right behind her.

After a few more steps, the woman stopped abruptly. She looked back at Natalie, her expression full of suspicion. "Why do you keep following me?"

"Ma’am, I told you, I’m looking for subjects."

"There are so many people here, but you have to pick my husband for your subject." A flicker of suspicion, barely perceptible, crossed the woman’s face. "You... you haven’t taken a liking to my man, have you?"

"Ma’am, I don’t even know your husband. How could I have designs on him?" Natalie said with a helpless smile.

Only then did the woman’s expression soften slightly. "I suppose that’s true. My old man’s not all there in the head. I’m the only one who’d put up with him. A pretty girl like you wouldn’t look twice at a fool."

Her suspicions allayed, the woman started walking again. "But I’ll give him this, my man is devastatingly handsome. No one for miles around can hold a candle to him."

"Ma’am, how long have you two been married? It looks like you have a wonderful relationship," Natalie said, smiling and nodding along. "You seem like a capable woman yourself. Why would you marry someone who’s... a bit slow?"

"I’ll be honest with you," the woman said. "Ever since I was little, I’ve been a sucker for a handsome face. As long as he’s good-looking, I don’t care if he’s a bit slow or foolish. It’s not like he can’t work, you know what I mean?"

Natalie managed an awkward grin.

’She had absolutely no response to that.’

Following the woman, Natalie rounded a corner and saw more migrant workers. They were huddled in small groups, eating while taking shelter from the rain. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The large woman was familiar with everyone there.

After greeting them one by one, she finally spotted a solitary figure in the near distance, his back turned to them.

"See? That’s my man," the woman said, puffing out her chest with pride.