Chapter 315 Damian's smile.
When Damian was getting some acupuncture, he dozed off for a solid forty minutes. He hadn't slept that well in forever – only folks with chronic insomnia would get how amazing that felt.
When he woke up, Damian felt like a new man. He stretched out and got out of bed.
As he headed to the door, he spotted Ashley chatting with the kid in the yard. She had her chin propped on her hand, her eyes sparkling with a smile, and her long hair was swaying in the breeze, looking as silky and gorgeous as ever.
They must've been talking about something fun because her face was lit up with joy.
The kid, on the other hand, was staring up at her with a serious look, making him seem a bit stern.
"Learning martial arts isn't something you can pick up in a day or two. Even if he's willing to teach you, we're leaving in a couple of days. How will you learn on your own here?" Ashley said.
The kid's excitement faded, and he muttered, "You're going back to Rochester City... that's far away. I've never been there."
Ashley gently touched her chin with her fingers, looking very elegant. "Yeah, Rochester City is way more beautiful than Coastal City. The scenery is stunning, the city is bustling, and there are tons of martial arts schools. The top masters are mostly there. The food in Rochester City is amazing; you could eat something different every day for four or five months. For kids your age, there are amusement parks with all sorts of rides and immersive cinemas that make you feel like you're in a movie."
The more she talked, the brighter the kid's eyes got. "Is Rochester City really that great? Mr. Collins says Coastal City is the best place. He says people shouldn't forget their roots."
Ashley replied, "Mr. Collins isn't from Coastal City either. He just lives here. Maybe Mr. Collins also wants to go to Rochester City."
The kid shook his head. "Mr. Collins wouldn't do that. He has to stay with Bodhi. Now that Bodhi has gone back to the mountain, he'll be staring at Foggy Mountain again."
Bodhi went back to the temple?
How did he get back? The mountain was so high. Even if he took the cable car, he would still have to climb over a thousand feet. Could an elderly man in his eighties handle that?
"Why didn't Mr. Collins stop him? When did he leave?" Ashley said. 'Can I still catch up with him if I go now?'
The kid shook his head. "Bodhi left last night."
Ashley turned to look at the peak of Foggy Mountain, hoping Bodhi would reach the top safely.
The kid wasn't interested in Bodhi and kept asking eagerly, "You still haven't told me; how can I get Damian to teach me martial arts?"
Ashley replied seriously, "Figure out a way to get to Rochester City first. Otherwise, even if I can get him to teach you, you won't be able to learn if you're in two different cities, right?"
The light in the kid's eyes dimmed, and he said dejectedly, "Mr. Collins won't let me go. I don't know anyone in Rochester City."
Ashley smiled gently and tapped the kid's forehead with her delicate finger. "Come on, you don't recognize me?"
When Damian heard this, a slow smile spread across his face, lingering for what felt like forever.
Ashley was subtly planting the idea in the kid's mind to go to Rochester City. This way, Martin would go, too, and he could help treat Damian's insomnia nearby.
She was helping him.
Why was she willing to do all this for him? Damian didn't want to overthink it. Whatever Ashley did for him, he always saw it in the best light.
That afternoon, Damian and Ashley decided to take a stroll through the eastern tourist area.
Since it wasn't a holiday, the place was pretty much empty. The shops were open, but there were hardly any customers around.
If this trip hadn't been so spontaneous, Ashley might've thought Damian had arranged for the place to be cleared out.
As they walked past a shop with a vintage vibe, Ashley peeked inside. "Is that person doing wood carving?"
Damian didn't want to call out her bad eyesight. The shop sign clearly said "Wood Carving," yet she still asked? "Let's go in and check it out."
Inside, there was just one person, carefully carving a piece of wood with a chisel. The wood was about the size of an adult's palm, and he was carving a rose, just starting to take shape, looking incredibly lifelike.
Seeing customers enter, the shop owner greeted them warmly. "Feel free to look around. Are you looking for souvenirs? We have both large and small items. You can carry the small ones with you, and we can ship the large ones for free."
Ashley smiled, about to say they were just browsing.
But Damian said, "What if I want to learn?"
The owner looked at Damian seriously, and his first impression was one of amazement. Could he be seeing a big star? He hadn't watched TV dramas in years, so he didn't recognize any of the young idols. If his grandson were here, he might be able to name him. "Young man, have you ever tried wood carving before? It's not impossible to learn, but it's a skill that requires steady practice. You can't master it in just a few days."
Damian nodded and looked at the finished products in the shop. There were flowers, birds, landscapes, and people. The human figures were extremely detailed, with facial features almost identical to those of a real person.
Ashley whispered, "Mr. Hearst, some things can't be done just because you're smart. Skills like this require years of experience. Your hands, which are so used to signing important documents, aren't suited for holding a chisel."
His hands were clean and long, with neatly trimmed nails, perfect for playing the piano.
Damian picked up a wood carving and carefully examined the grain. "That makes sense."
Ashley was speechless.
They wandered through a few more shops, but nothing really caught their interest. After a while, Ashley's lunch had worn off, and seeing the food stalls made her feel hungry. "Mr. Hearst, why don't you head back? I want to grab something to eat over there."
Damian glanced at the row of small eateries. "What do you want to eat?"
From his expression, Ashley could tell he was probably thinking the food in these small places was unsanitary, and he definitely wouldn't eat it.
"Just something simple," Ashley said.
"What do you mean by 'simple'? Can they make it?" Damian said.
Ashley was annoyed. "I want pasta, okay?"
Ashley was ready for his sarcastic remark, but to her surprise, he walked ahead of her to the shop with the sign. "Not eating?"
Stunned for a moment, Ashley quickly followed him into the shop.
Damian reluctantly sat across from her and scanned the menu on the wall. "Order."
Ashley ordered a plate of pasta and then asked him, "Do you want to try some?"
It was a pointless question.
Damian replied with a stern face, "Why do you like pasta so much?"
Ashley thought back to the reason. "Because of something that happened in high school."
"Hmm?" Damian said.
"June of my junior year..." Ashley began.
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