Diana tightened her grip on Ethan's arm, like a flexible fish shuttling through the gaps between tour groups with colorful flags.
The flow of people at the entrance gates was like a winding dragon, slowly wriggling in the morning light.
When Diana raised her phone to show the reservation code, a sharp shout suddenly came from behind:
"Don't push! You're going to step on my grandson's shoes!"
Ethan turned sideways calmly, making way for a young couple sweating profusely with a stroller. The sleeping child in the stroller was flushed, unaware of the hustle and flow around him.
Passing through the entrance, their eyes suddenly opened up.
The grandeur of the museum spread before them.
In the early morning, the air was fresh and cool, filled with the scent of history.
The classical architecture and solemn atmosphere looked particularly majestic in the pure morning light, precipitating a wordless weight.
Diana affectionately held Ethan's arm and strolled through the spacious halls.
The vast space spread out before them, and at the end were exhibits symbolizing pivotal moments in history.
The architecture silently looked down at the pair of tiny figures.
"Standing here, I feel like a speck of dust blown away by history."
Diana softened her voice unconsciously, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing Ethan's sleeve, her eyes sweeping over the magnificent displays around her in awe.
"Mm! No matter how brilliant the leaders, no matter how grand the monuments, they can't match the passage of time—in the end, everything returns to dust."
Ethan's eyes also swept over the exhibits, his gaze deep and calm, with transparency beyond his age.
His fingertips gently rubbed the back of Diana's hand, and suddenly changed the subject:
"But there are some things that time can't take away. You see, these structures have withstood earthquakes and disasters for centuries; look at these ideas—they've inspired generations without fading."
His fingers traced the void, as if outlining invisible crystallization of wisdom:
"This is the real eternity."
The morning breeze blew through his hair, revealing those particularly clear eyes.
The monuments in the distance loomed in the morning light.
...
The sunlight gleamed off the white marble architecture, refracting historical brilliance into dazzling spots of light.
Diana stood on tiptoe and raised her phone, but the frame was crowded with students wielding selfie sticks—their bright clothing and exaggerated poses completely blocked the solemn exhibits.
"Forget it!"
She reluctantly lowered her arm:
"The guide said we should go to the special exhibition..."
The words didn't fall.
A child's scream and the sound of something shattering came from diagonally ahead!
On the steps nearby, a little boy wearing a dinosaur T-shirt had fallen, and blood beads oozing from his knee were particularly vivid against the floor.
His knee was scraped and bleeding, and he was crying in fright.
A replica souvenir he'd been holding had broken into more than a dozen pieces, fragments glinting in the sun.
A middle-aged couple next to him panicked and tried to help him up, but were jostled and stumbled by the crowd.
Ethan's figure had already flashed forward.
"Excuse me! The child is injured!"
Ethan's voice wasn't loud, but it penetrated the noisy crowd like a sharp blade.
The tourists pushing around heard him and subconsciously gave way to a passage.
His left arm parted the crowd like a watershed, his right hand firmly holding the boy's arm, and he turned to protect the child in a safer area against the wall.
Diana had already knelt down, neatly taking out wet wipes and antiseptic cotton swabs from her bag, gently but quickly cleaning the boy's wound.
The blood on the boy's knee was mixed with dust, and she comforted softly while disinfecting:
"It's okay, just scratched the skin. It won't hurt much longer."
"Leo! You scared mommy to death!"
A lady in a light gray linen dress staggered over, her face pale and voice trembling.
She was followed by a middle-aged man wearing wire-rimmed glasses, sweat beading on his forehead.
His eyes swept over Ethan's calm actions and Diana's skillful handling, grateful and surprised, thanking Ethan and Diana repeatedly:
"Thank you so much! This kid is too rambunctious, he insisted on buying that replica..."
The boy pointed at the broken pieces on the ground, tears falling:
"It was... for my brother..."
The father shook his head and sighed lightly, taking out a gilded business card from his suit pocket and handing it over:
"My name is James, this is my wife."
As he spoke, he gestured to the lady beside him whose eyes were still red:
"Our youngest is Leo, and his brother..."
Partway through, a look of pride unconsciously appeared on his face:
"Just got accepted to NYU's Archaeology Department this year. This kid insisted on buying a replica from the museum to give his brother as a college gift, but then..."
Ethan took the business card (James, General Manager of a New York tech company).
Diana suddenly exclaimed in surprise:
"What a coincidence! Ethan just got accepted to NYU too!"
She gently pushed Ethan's shoulder, then squatted down and said softly to the sobbing Leo:
"Being safe is what matters most. How about sister takes you to the museum gift shop to pick out something even more special, okay?"
James and his wife were surprised and delighted:
"NYU? That's the same school as Marcus!"
Mrs. hurriedly took out her phone, her voice trembling slightly with excitement:
"This is such rare fate! Ethan, you must exchange contact info and let Marcus show you around New York when school starts."
She opened her messaging app as she spoke:
"We're just visiting DC for vacation—we're New York locals. Which pizza place is most authentic, which street has the best bagels, Marcus knows all the best spots!"
She glanced at her husband as she spoke, and James immediately added knowingly:
"Yes, yes, you absolutely must come over for dinner! My wife's Italian cooking is incredible!"
As the two sides exchanged contact information, Leo had already stopped crying.
The little guy tugged at Ethan's sleeve, raising his tear-stained face, eyes shining:
"Big brother, you moved with a 'whoosh' just now—do you know martial arts? Can you teach me?"
Ethan couldn't help but laugh, squatting down to his eye level and gently ruffling his fluffy hair:
"I just like to run and exercise. When you grow up and exercise more, your reflexes will get faster too."
...
At parting!
Mrs. Chen insisted on giving Diana a beautiful gift box from a local bakery:
"These are pastries I bought fresh this morning—the traditional recipe, you absolutely must try them!"
Diana couldn't refuse, so she accepted with a smile.
Ethan looked at the packaging box and suddenly remembered Jack had asked him to bring back local specialties—perfect timing!
Walking away, Leo's childish shout came from behind:
"Ethan! When you get to New York, I'll take you to see the Statue of Liberty!"
The crisp child's voice echoed in the museum halls.
"Definitely!"
Ethan turned around and waved, and the sunlight plated a layer of gold on his tall figure.
Diana noticed this was the first time he'd smiled so happily today.
There are 60 advance chapters ahead in my Patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
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