Ethan woke up later than usual the next morning.
The moment he opened his eyes, he instinctively knew why. His body had gone through too many things in a very short period of time—long-distance travel, continuous mental pressure, unnecessary confrontations with people like Derek and the pretentious Young Master Sirius, and finally, the exhausting task of cleaning the entire clinic and its surroundings.
For someone who had just stepped into a new city and a new phase of life, the strain was unavoidable.
Yet, when he stretched his body, he felt surprisingly refreshed.
His muscles were relaxed. His breathing was steady. His mind felt clear.
He sat up on the bed and glanced outside through the window.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
There wasn't even a bird chirping nearby. No footsteps. No distant voices. No movement at all.
Apart from himself, there was not a single living creature in sight.
Ethan stared at the scene calmly.
He didn't feel depressed.
In fact, he had expected this.
From the moment he publicly offended Young Master Sirius, he had already prepared himself mentally for this outcome. Being isolated, suppressed, and quietly targeted was the most common tactic used by people in power. They didn't need to kill him openly; starving him out or cutting him off from society would achieve the same effect.
Ethan took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"Calm down," he murmured to himself. "This is only the beginning."
He took a simple shower using the water he had stored earlier. Living practically in the middle of a forest meant convenience was nonexistent. There were no restaurants, no food stalls, and certainly no street vendors nearby.
After changing his clothes, he stepped out of the clinic, locked the door behind him, and began walking toward the city.
The distance was far.
Very far.
Each step reminded him of how deliberately inconvenient this location had been chosen.
"How annoying," Ethan muttered under his breath.
He knew this was yet another consequence of antagonizing a descendant of power. The administration couldn't openly stop him from opening a clinic, but they could silently make his life miserable.
Walking such a long distance just to eat a single meal was one of those petty yet effective methods.
For a brief moment, irritation surfaced in his heart.
Then he suppressed it.
Getting angry wouldn't solve anything. Complaining wouldn't fill his stomach. The only thing that mattered was finding solutions.
As he walked, Ethan began thinking.
"I need a long-term plan," he thought. "I can't keep coming to the city just to eat. This will waste too much time."
He resolved to address this problem as soon as possible.
The walk took quite some time, but eventually, the familiar city walls came into view. As soon as he entered the city, he noticed something different.
People were looking at him.
Some gazes were curious. Some were cautious. Some carried a hint of admiration. Others showed fear.
It didn't take Ethan long to understand why.
Yesterday's incident in the Administration Building had already spread throughout the city. Even though he was under disguise, many people had memorized his figure, posture, and demeanor.
He ignored the stares and quickened his pace.
Right now, his priority was simple.
Food.
Under the gazes of the crowd, Ethan quickly spotted a restaurant nearby and headed straight toward it. The aroma of food drifting through the air made his stomach protest loudly.
He was genuinely hungry.
Later, he needed to think about how to attract patients to his clinic. One or two challenging cases would be enough to prove his ability. The more severe the illness, the faster his reputation would spread.
But all of that came after eating.
At the entrance of the restaurant, a man was loudly announcing the menu.
"Meals are ready! Please come and enjoy!"
"Today's special dishes include—"
Ethan didn't bother listening to the details. Menu or not, he was going in.
As he approached, the announcer's eyes lit up. A warm smile appeared on his face as he prepared to welcome what looked like his first customer of the day.
"Welc—"
Suddenly, the man stopped.
His gaze sharpened as he looked at Ethan more carefully. Recognition flashed through his eyes, followed by panic.
"Esteemed guest, please stop!" the announcer said hastily.
Ethan frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Well… you see," the man hesitated, clearly nervous, "the restaurant is reserved today. Please find another place."
"Reserved?" Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly. "But you're still making announcements."
The man swallowed nervously. "That's… that's for customers who have already made advance bookings."
Ethan felt a faint sense of unease.
"Then I'll book for the next available meal," he said calmly. "When is it?"
"I'm sorry," the man replied, avoiding eye contact, "the entire day is already booked."
Ethan paused, then smiled. "That's fine. I'll book for tomorrow."
The announcer almost choked.
"Ah—well… actually," he stammered, "the restaurant has been booked for the next week… no, for the next month."
His voice trembled.
Ethan followed the direction of the man's gaze and turned his head.
A familiar face entered his vision.
Derek.
Standing behind him, surrounded by his followers, wearing that same smug expression.
"So that's how it is," Ethan thought.
Just like the novels.
In countless stories he had read, once the protagonist offended a young master, the suppression would begin. Blocking food, blocking lodging, blocking resources—everything would be used.
Reality was no different.
"I beg you, sir," the announcer whispered urgently, "this restaurant is all we have to survive. Please don't make things difficult for us."
Ethan looked at him for a moment, then smiled.
"Don't worry," he said gently. "I'm not like certain people who bully the weak but lick the boots of the strong."
The announcer's face flushed.
"I understand your situation," Ethan continued. "I'll leave."
"Thank you," the man said, bowing repeatedly. "We're truly sorry."
Behind him, Derek's face darkened.
Those words had clearly struck a nerve.
Ethan turned around and walked away calmly.
He wasn't foolish enough to cause trouble for innocent people. Reality wasn't a novel, and reckless behaviour only led to unnecessary consequences.
"Oh? We meet again," Derek sneered as Ethan passed by. "What a coincidence."
He mocked loudly, "So how's your day? Not causing any trouble, right? If you are, you should ask Young Master Sirius for help. Oh—how could I forget? You're too proud for that."
He continued mocking relentlessly.
But before Derek could finish, Ethan suddenly moved.
In an instant, he sprinted away at full speed.
"What—?" Derek froze.
By the time he reacted, Ethan was already dozens of meters away, disappearing into the crowd.
"What the hell are you standing there for?!" Derek roared. "Chase him!"
His followers snapped back to attention and immediately gave chase.
They couldn't afford to lose track of Ethan.
Not now.
Not when their orders were clear.
And so, silently and relentlessly, the shadow of suppression followed Ethan wherever he went.