Chapter 1

    On a bustling street in a major city, throngs of people relentlessly moved back and forth, ranging from office workers to students from primary to university level. The crowd symbolized a myriad of business opportunities, prompting numerous vendors to set up their stalls along the sidewalk, catering to the needs of passersby.

    Amidst these vendors, predominantly middle-aged men and women, stood a young man. He appeared quite young and notably handsome, drawing the gaze of many women. People wondered why he chose to sell soy milk here instead of pursuing a modeling career.

    Gavin had been selling soy milk at this spot for three months, driven by aimless days and a lack of direction until he was advised to venture into this business. Soy milk was simple to make and sold quickly.

    Initially, Gavin had to fiercely compete for customers, but his dedication to quality won them over. He refused to dilute his product with water and used only premium ingredients, including a special blend. This quickly made him become a favorite among busy workers and students alike.

    Importantly, the secret ingredient was not a drug but premium soybeans from another world.

    Gavin had the fortune to spend quite a while in another world, and he could bring back just enough special items from that magical world to edge out his competitors.

    So he had to use a little bit of his treasury. The ingredients from the magical world were high quality. His otherworldly soybeans provided unparalleled nutrition and taste.

    This soy milk was made from the king of soybeans! It was crafted from soybeans from the magical world, known for their benefits to both beauty and health.

    Gavin dreamed of bold advertisements to attract more customers and justified a quadruple price hike, but he shied away from potential madness and unwanted attention from regulatory authorities.

    "Handsome brother, I'd like two bags of your soy milk with extra basil seeds, one bag of ginger drink, and ten cents of mini doughnuts—quickly, please!"

    "Right away, beautiful!"

    "Brother! I'd like two bags of your black sesame soy milk, plus two fried custard buns—hurry, I'm late for work!"

    "Just a moment!"

    "Hey, young man, your shop is quite busy. Interested in hiring some help?"

    "I'm still vigorous and can manage more on my own," Gavin replied with a smile, skillfully filling bags with soy milk. Looking at it, it was astonishing, as if he had been the greatest soy milk owner for ten years, though he had only been at it for a short month.

    Beyond the quality of his soy milk, Gavin also catered to the rushed needs of his customers. He could distribute soy milk to ten customers in just a few minutes, preventing long waits and allowing them to enjoy a quick breakfast without fearing long queues at his stand.

    ‘My business is doing quite well. In another month, I might not need those otherworldly soybeans,’ Gavin thought, entertaining the idea of slightly reducing the quality of his ingredients once he had a steady customer base, what was the harm in that? Hehehe.

    Gavin sold his soy milk from six in the morning until the sun began to heat up around nine when the flow of customers dwindled. It was unfortunate that today was Sunday, reducing the student clientele and leaving him with surplus unsold soy milk.

    “Time to pack up,” Gavin stretched and yawned lazily as he began to organize his condiments and utensils neatly. Yet, the lingering aroma of the remaining soy milk wafted down the street, leading to a significant turn of events…

    Inside a luxurious car:

    "Aunt Holly, Eris feels stuffy. Can you open the window for me?" the three-and-a-half-year-old girl looked uncomfortable, causing her young aunt in her early twenties to worry, given her niece's delicate health.

    "My dear, the air outside isn't great. I think it's better to keep the windows closed."

    "I want the window open."

    "Miss Holly, the air around here isn't bad. Opening the window for a while might be a good idea for the young lady," suggested the driver.

    "Alright then," Holly consented, allowing the driver to lower the window. Fresh air flowed into the car, different from the stale air inside the mansion. But most captivating was the enticing aroma of soy milk.

    "Aunt Holly! I want that, I want that," Eris's eyes sparkled, nearly ready to clamber through the window in excitement. Holly was startled; even the refined young miss was attracted by the soy milk's aroma. Even young miss who had eaten good things their whole life was being attracted to it. The thought of her, a young miss, eating soymilk’s street food made Holly's face pale slightly.

    "What an exquisite aroma! This old man hasn't smelled soy milk this enticing in decades. Don't underestimate street food, young lady. Sometimes the best things are hidden in the most unexpected places."

    "Uncle, find a parking spot and buy some for me, please."

    "Understood, Miss," the driver parked nearby and followed the scent to Gavin's stall.

    "Good morning, young man."

    "Good morning," Gavin replied.

    "How much for two bags of soy milk?"

    “Sorry. But I'm not selling anymore."

    “Why not?”

    “Since I'm packing up the shop, I won't sell it. It's my rule.”

    “Young man, I can pay you twice as much.”

    “Sorry, uncle. Come back tomorrow.”

    Gavin smiled at Uncle, the driver, and continued to pack up the shop without paying much attention. Others might think he's crazy! There were customers who came for it, why wasn’t he selling? Had he gone mad? But this was the rule Gavin set for himself. He would work only during work hours. Other than that, even if someone threw money at his head, did't expect him to work.

    “Young man, I will pay you ten times. Two bags of soy milk, please.”

    “Even a hundred times, I won't sell. I closed the shop.”

    Gavin sternly refused and picked up his pace. The driver observed the young man in front of him and sensed his firm resolve. Despite making a generous offer, the other person immediately rejected it. Furthermore, his expression remained unchanged.

    What an admirable young man!

    The driver walked back to the car and reported to the young lady.

    "Miss, the shop owner said he has closed the shop. He refused to sell to us."

    "What? It's just soy milk. Why is it such a big deal?"

    "He's a pretty resolute young man. He immediately rejected me when I said I would pay ten times more. Plus, he hasn't changed his expression at all."

    "Pay him a hundred times over. It's just soy milk. If my niece doesn't care, then don't expect this honor from me."

    "I think that even if I offer him a thousand times, he won't sell it. This old man has encountered many kinds of people. One look and you can tell what kind of person he is. Today, you must be missing."

    "I can't believe it! Eris wants to eat whatever she wants. These past two months, it was the first time she had said what she wanted to eat. I can't forgive myself if I can't even get soy milk for my niece to eat." Holly opened the door and looked at her niece, who was also walking down.

    "Eris, be a good girl. Wait for me in the car."

    "Eris wants to come too."

    "No, there are a lot of bad people in the city. Be a good girl, listen to your aunt, and stay close to the driver." Holly closed the door and walked towards the stall. When she saw Gavin's face, she was stunned for a moment.

    ‘The premium-grade seller of soy milk.’

    Did the soy milk owner have to be this handsome?

    "Ahem! Owner, please give me two bags of soy milk."

    "I told Uncle just now that I wouldn't sell it," Gavin replied, frowning.

    "Uek," Holly growled under her breath. So she had been rejected? Even if she lowered herself to buy it herself, she would still be treated like this. Truly disgraceful.

    "I want two bags of soy milk. My niece really wants it. I can offer you a thou-" Holly picked up a gray banknote.

    "Not selling. I'm closing the shop."

    "Hey, five cents per bag of soy milk. Two bags are ten cents, but I paid one thousand cents."

    "Not selling means not selling. Even if you offer me a million, I won't sell it," Gavin insisted firmly. He was resolute in sticking to his own rules. Even if one were to unearth his ancestors and plead, it would be futile.

    Holly felt an unusual defiance from Gavin; she had never encountered someone so stubborn. Even a significant offer of money was rejected, not even acknowledging her beauty. This left her displeased; after all, he was just a soy milk owner. Why the arrogance!

    "I want to eat, I want to eat it!" the little girl wailed inside the car, her eyes fixated on the soy milk stall, as the enticing aroma began to fade with the dropping temperature.

    "Little lady, just wait for your aunt; she'll be back soon. Be a good girl."

    "I want to eat it, Eris wants to eat it!" Eris's eyes welled with tears, the driver started to wonder, a behavior so uncharacteristic of the usually well-mannered and shy young lady. What was it about the soy milk that made her so insistent?

    "Please, be patient, little lady."

    "I really, really want to eat it!" Unable to contain herself, Eris opened the car door and pushed her way out, causing the driver to widen his eyes in shock.

    ‘Oh no,’ he thought, as Eris stepped onto the pavement and ran towards her aunt.

    "Little lady!" The driver immediately exited the car and chased after the mischievous child, who looked on the verge of tears, deeply upsetting the old man.

    "I want to eat, I want it!"

    "Be good now, and wait in the car with grandpa."

    "I WANT TO EAT!!" Her cries echoed far enough for Holly to internally exclaim in dismay.

    "Eris! Oh dear, why did you come out? Why couldn't you be good and listen to your aunt in the car?" Holly ran to console her crying niece, her heart aching to see her distress and wanting to obliterate everything around to ease the child's sorrow.

    "Uek... I want to eat."

    "Alright, alright, your aunt will make sure you get it, even if I have to spend a fortune," Holly promised, determined to soothe her beloved niece. She was ready to spend two thousand cents for just two bags of soy milk. Turning back, she noticed Gavin was nearly done packing up, seemingly oblivious to her presence!

    "Hey, you! My niece desperately wants to eat your soy milk. It's been months since she asked for anything like this. Please, do it for my sake of appearance."

    "What's so special about your appearance?" Gavin retorted almost instantly, leaving Holly, the driver, and the surrounding crowd in shock.

    Why such harsh words!

    Holly was at a loss. As a refined young lady with beauty rivaling that of a model, always adorned in costly attire and possessing undeniable grace, why was she being ignored like this? Even the driver was bewildered, let alone the surrounding crowd.

    "I'm willing to pay two thousand cents! Just give me the soy milk," Holly pulled out two gray bills.

    "Not selling," Gavin flatly refused.

    "Look! Don't be ridiculous. I'm offering two thousand cents for two bags that cost just ten cents. What kind of merchant are you?" Holly protested, backed by public opinion. Everyone looked at Gavin, thinking what a fool this man was. No wonder a man this handsome was out here selling soy milk.

    "I've set my own rules to follow. If I break my own rules, then what's the point of making them?" Gavin replied, puzzled. He was just not selling at this moment. He would be back to sell at the same spot tomorrow morning at six. It wasn't a holiday, so why the desperate need for soy milk now?

    "Four thousand. I'll give you four thousand. Will you sell it or not?"

    "Even for a million, I won't sell," Gavin immediately refused again. Money was just external; if he truly wanted it, he wouldn't be selling soy milk. He needed to be a man of principle. How could he break the rules he set for himself?

    "You're insane! You've lost your mind," Holly wanted to explode in anger but restrained herself for the sake of her niece. If not for her presence, she couldn't have held back her wrath.

    "Please mind your language, Miss."

    "I'm hungry..." The child's feeble voice sounded so pitiful, making Gavin realize there was a little girl involved.

    Her adorable face was so endearing, with bright azure eyes, fair skin, and beautiful white hair that seemed rare and oddly familiar, unlike her aunt's jet-black hair. She might be the most charming little girl Gavin had ever seen.

    Suddenly, Gavin's gaze locked with Eris's, and they both seemed entranced. He had never felt this way before; he was overwhelmingly drawn to this child!

    Whoosh!

    Gavin's garnet eyes flickered, foreseeing that this child might soon be in danger of abduction!!

    "I'm hungry," Eris pleaded.

    "Alright! I'll give it to you for free. Take it all."

    "What!" Holly was so shocked she nearly choked. The driver was just as astonished. Where did my praise go! What happened to your firm principles, young man? Give me back my admiration.

    "What's this? Just a moment ago, you said you wouldn't sell no matter what. Now you're changing your tune?"

    "Don't get it wrong! I'm not selling; I'm just giving it away for free. This doesn't count."

    "What are you up to?"

    "Do you want it or not!" Gavin became irritated. She was insistent on buying just a while ago, and now when offered for free, she hesitates. Wealthy people were indeed hard to understand.

    "I'll buy it."

    "No need. I like this child. What's your name, little one?" Gavin smiled warmly at the little girl.

    "My name is Eris."

    "Eris, I'm giving you this soy milk, and I'll add this charm as a gift," Gavin said, offering a keychain to Eris, but Holly turned away.

    "Eris, your mommy said not to take things from strangers."

    "It's pretty. I want it."

    "Eris, listen to your aunt, be a good girl."

    "Please, Auntie, please."

    "Aww... you're sweet-talking me again. Alright, but once we get home, you must throw it away, understand?"

    "Uh-huh," Eris nodded, not fully grasping the concept but pleased with the keychain, admiring its beauty. She liked it and smiled, while Gavin felt content, quickly packing all the soy milk into bags in no time and handing them to the driver.

    Holly, preoccupied with Eris, failed to notice, but the driver clearly saw the man's unusual speed and precision – not a single drop was wasted! This man was no ordinary individual.

    "Uncle, I really like this child. I must warn you, there might be a kidnapping attempt soon. Just you might not be enough," Gavin spoke seriously, but Holly, who was ignoring him, heard this statement loud and clear.

    "What did you say? Do you think my niece will be kidnapped? Are you cursing her?!"

    "No, I'm just warning you out of concern."

    "What right do you have to say my niece will be kidnapped? Enough of this; I won't demean myself by staying in front of you any longer. Come on, Eris, let's see how tasty this soy milk really is."

    "Thank you very much, uncle," Eris beamed, expressing her gratitude. She got the treat she desired and a beautiful keychain. Her first sweet smile at Gavin made him feel elated, a sensation he'd never experienced before.

    If it weren't for knowing his own tastes, he might think he was becoming overly fond in an odd way.

    "Uncle, I know you're not an ordinary driver. Believe me, don't be complacent. It would be good to have more people come and help."

    "Hmm, thanks for your concern," the driver responded, surprised but not dwelling on it much. It was getting late.

    Gavin then parted ways with Eris and her entourage and continued to pack up his stall, as time swiftly moved on.