At one o'clock in the morning, Rae Bennett called Doghead.
Doghead answered within ten seconds, "Hello."
"It's not working."
Succinct, as if she didn't want to say an extra word.
You could tell, Fairy Bennett was in a bad mood.
Doghead was at a bar, surrounded by women, "Even the beauty trick didn't work? That's not right." Is he not a man?
"He's not you."
Doghead, "..."
Only Rae Bennett could get away with this. If it were anyone else, he would have lost his temper a long time ago. Really down on his luck, having been chosen by her to be Doghead Military Advisor.
Doghead continued to strategize, "How about I kidnap him and throw him on your bed?"
He thought it was quite feasible.
"Are you a hooligan?"
This voice was clearly sweet, but it felt like a hand choking one's throat, leaving you breathless.
Doghead thought about the usual tricks he used to coax women, "Then let's cater to his interests." He really was a very dedicated Military Advisor, "You know what he likes, right?"
Wyatt liked cameras, sunrises, rainy days, black umbrellas, the stars at night, and landscapes with rivers and mountains.
He liked freedom and girls who were like the sun.
*****
In the blink of an eye, a week passed.
Star Delight Mansion was located in the Perring district, with an elementary school in the rear and a hospital in front. In terms of convenience, it was one of the top residential areas in Ardale.
At eleven-forty-six, the phone hidden under Levi Wright's pillow rang, and he answered groggily.
It was his mother, Charlotte Watson, calling, "Still asleep? Are you a pig? Hurry down and eat!"
At eleven forty-seven, Wyatt also received a call from Miss Watson.
"Wyatt, are you up? Lunch's all ready, come down quickly, don't go hungry."
There were nineteen residential buildings in Star Delight Mansion, of which one belonged to Miss Charlotte Watson, number eight, both the best number and in the best position.
Miss Charlotte Watson was the second daughter of the Grandpa Watson of the Watson Family in Osla, a well-known noble lady in her younger days.
The story is trite: a rich girl fell in love with a poor bodyguard. The family elders disapproved and tried to intervene, but the lovebirds never parted, deeply in love, driving the old man to sickness.
Miss Watson was also a hero amongst women, eloping with the poor boy. Her father then gave her a building and decisively struck her from the family registry, declaring she wouldn't get a dime from Vandis.
Vandis was a Watson Family business, dealing in jewelry and luxury goods.
This poor bodyguard was Khalil Wright.
Ever since eloping and leaving home, Charlotte Watson rarely went back to Osla, settling in Ardale and becoming a landlady. With the strategically located building her father gave her, the rents weren't cheap, and her family of four lived quite comfortably in Ardale.
Wyatt and Levi lived on the eighteenth floor, and the Watson couple lived on the seventeenth.
The two brothers went downstairs one after the other.
Wyatt's hair was unstyled with a tuft sticking up at the back of his head, "Why didn't you go back to school?" It was Monday.
Levi yawned, his eyes watery from sleep, "I only have elective classes today, I'll go back tomorrow."
The door to Apt 1703 downstairs was unlocked, so Wyatt just pushed it open and went in.
Levi followed and asked, "How did you lose your camera?" He found the matter of the camera strange, "Was it stolen or—"
Wyatt suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Following behind, Levi stopped as well and looked up to see—a girl sitting on the living room sofa.
Upon seeing them, she immediately stood up, looking somewhat uneasy but politely greeted them, "Hello."
A pretty girl, Levi found her a bit familiar.
"Bro."
Wyatt didn't respond, standing motionless, his previously sleepy eyes now clear and focused.
"Isn't that your camera?" There was a camera on the coffee table, and Levi recognized the strap.
His brother usually treated his camera like his child, and now, with the child having gone missing last week, a girl had come knocking with it.
Even if Levi didn't watch much TV, he could make a connection and nudged his brother with his elbow.
But Wyatt said nothing and after a short moment of trance, withdrew his gaze and walked past the sofa.
At that moment, Charlotte Watson came out of her room in a floral dress paired with a matching scarf, holding a cat and wearing fluffy Hello Kitty slippers, "Finally came down. Been waiting for you two for a while now. Go wash your hands and get ready for lunch."
Khalil was busy in the kitchen.
Of course, Miss Watson didn't go into the kitchen. When they had run away together, Khalil had sworn never to let her hands touch even a drop of detergent.
But I digress.
Levi whispered to his mother, "Who is she?"
Miss Watson, petting her cat, replied, "A resident from the 19th floor."
Here's what happened...
Khalil, who never let his wife touch a drop of dish soap, meant that her hands were perfectly soft and delicate for manicures. That morning, while Miss Watson was at a nail salon outside the Residential Area getting pearl nails done, her cat disappeared in the blink of an eye. She had to leave her manicure unfinished as she searched for the cat.
"Lily."
"Lily."
Miss Watson's cat was named Lily, a four-year-old Ragdoll with a gender easily guessed from the name—a female.
"Meow."
The sound came from the park next to the residential area.
Miss Watson searched for the source of the noise.
"Lily."
Clad in a pink Lolita maid costume with a lace butterfly bow on her head, Simba was nestled on a wooden bench in the park, next to a girl who had a camera slung over her shoulder. The usually tsundere Simba, who wouldn't let a stranger touch a single hair, was now half-lying on the girl's skirt, even wagging her cat tail.
Rae Bennett picked up the cat, "Are you looking for her?"
Miss Watson hurried over to take the cat, "Lily, how did you get here?"
Simba meowed in a noble and lazy manner.
"It seems like she was lost. I saw her at the crosswalk and feared that a car might hit her, so I brought her over."
Only then did Miss Watson take a closer look at the girl.
Rae Bennett was dressed very stylishly today, with a street-style jacket paired with a black pleated skirt and knee-high socks adorned with little bows.
She was a young girl with a pleasant voice, polite and kind, and radiantly beautiful without a hint of aggression.
Miss Watson was immediately delighted, "Thank you so much."
The young girl smiled shyly, "You're welcome."
"Do you live nearby?"
She said no, "I came to pick up my camera from the nearby police station and thought I'd look for apartments as well."
Miss Watson's greatest regret in life was not having a little girl of her own. Wyatt and Simba simply could not satisfy her immense desire to dress someone up, so she had an irresistible soft spot for sweet and obedient young girls, wanting to whisk them away on sight.
"To buy a house or?"
"To rent an apartment."
Miss Watson's face brightened immediately, "Well, that's perfect, my family happens to rent out properties."
The young girl was somewhat skeptical, "Really?"
Miss Watson immediately fished a big bunch of keys from her designer bag, "Could there be any doubt? If you're free, I can show you the place right now."
Rae Bennett was still hesitant.
Being cautious is natural for a girl out and about on her own.
Just then, a lady carrying a shopping basket passed by, "Miss Watson, my toilet is clogged again."
Although pampered by her husband, Miss Watson had the necessary business skills, "Apartment 1402, right? I'll get someone to fix it as soon as I can."
"Alright, I'm off to buy groceries then."
After the lady with the grocery basket left, Miss Watson's identity as a landlady was firmly established.
The young girl no longer had any doubts, "Can I go see the apartment now?"
"Of course."
Miss Watson, not wasting any moment, led the way and took her into the residential area, smiling like a benevolent mother, "Young lady, what's your name?"
Rae Bennett politely answered all questions, "My name is Rae."
"Which 'ling'?"
"Rae as in 'leader.'"
Miss Watson looked back, "And what's your last name?"
"Bennett."
Miss Watson stopped in her tracks, "The Bennett Family from Osla?"
Rae Bennett also stopped to reply, "My family isn't from Osla; I'm local. It's just that my home is too far from the company, so I want to move out."
Miss Watson seemed to let out a sigh of relief, "That's good to hear."
She continued leading the way towards building eight.
Rae Bennett followed at a comfortable distance, "Was there a problem with your questioning?"
Both entered the elevator together.
"No, no," Miss Watson explained, "It's just that the Bennett surname is quite rare. I knew a family once, and they had a child with the same name."
While Grandpa Watson was still alive, Miss Watson had taken Levi Wright back to the Watson Family a few times, and the Bennett Family lived right next to them.
Even the infrequent visitor Miss Watson knew that the Bennett Family had a notoriously wicked little witch, feared by all, to be avoided at all costs.
"We're here."
The elevator stopped on the nineteenth floor, where there were three apartments per floor, and the middle apartment on the nineteenth had just been vacated days earlier.
The apartment was well-furnished, clean and minimalist, with a clear view from north to south, and it required only a one-month deposit. The rent wasn't cheap, but it wasn't too expensive either, and Rae Bennett signed the lease that very morning.
Miss Watson handed her the keys and they even exchanged Whatsapp numbers.
"Miss Watson."
This single 'Miss' made Miss Watson feel as if she was walking on air.
"Is there anywhere to eat around here?"
Lunchtime was approaching.
Miss Watson, with one hand holding the cat and the other linking arms with Rae Bennett, "If you don't mind, you could come eat at my place."
Indeed, Miss Watson had that overwhelming desire to socialize.
And just like that, Rae Bennett was led home by Miss Watson.