Josh walked ahead uncertainly, occasionally glancing back and scratching his head. The woman continued to follow him closely.
He let out a sigh, realizing he shouldn't have bought those drugs earlier. What would his friends think if they found out? If only he had gone straight home and rested instead.
But now he had to consider whether it was safe to bring this woman to their place. They had never allowed outsiders into their sanctuary before, and it wasn't just because their living conditions weren't ideal. They simply had no experience with women.
Their conversation drifted from comic books to scouting new locations, dreaming of what they would do with a lot of money, and reminiscing about their first meeting. Josh, at twenty-nine years old, had never interacted with a woman due to the difficulties of his own life.
He wondered how this woman had found him. Judging by her large backpack, she must have just arrived. He couldn't help but think about her reaction when she learned about Mr. Cheng's death... caused by them.
It was actually Magenta's fault, but indirectly. Mr. Chang had become an unintended victim, caught up in a situation he never expected.
Considering Mr. Chang's kindness, Josh took a risk and decided to bring the woman to their small apartment. But before proceeding, he needed to make sure.
"Wait a moment," Josh suddenly stopped, causing the woman to bump into him from behind. "What proof do you have that you're really Mr. Cheng's daughter?"
The woman took out her smartphone and showed him a photo of herself and Mr. Cheng during a video call.
"This is all I have," she said sadly. "I never met Baba in person. He never came back so he could provide for us there."
Josh swallowed hard, feeling a mix of doubt and empathy. The evidence seemed to confirm that she was indeed Mr. Cheng's daughter. Not some kind of impostor.
They arrived at the flat, and once again, a heavy sigh escaped Josh's lips before he slid the iron grille connecting it to the adjacent store and opened the door. They ascended the narrow staircase to the second floor.
"Hey, wait here. I need to inform my friends first," Josh blocked the door that was half-opened.
"No, I won't," Josh's eyes widened as the petite woman wriggled past him and skillfully entered the flat.
"Hey! You can't just barge into someone's house like that!"
"How could you guys have such a nice place? As far as I remember, Baba said you were mole-people," the woman unabashedly explored the contents of the house.
"That's none of your business."
"Was that what you said when my Baba was killed? Despite Baba saying that he accepted you when others didn't."
"Hey, you don't know the situation back then, so don't jump to conclusions."
"So? We're here now. Tell me who killed Baba," the woman stood with folded arms, staring at Josh with a serious expression.
"Josh, who is she?" Ian emerged from his room, his face disheveled and still sleepy, rubbing his eyes quickly.
Earlier, he woke up abruptly upon hearing Josh's voice mixed with the woman's. Was Josh finally seeking some "fun" now that they were out of the slums? But that was rude! Roe was in the room; he was still too young!
That's why he hurriedly went to meet Josh. However, upon hearing their last conversation, it seemed like he had misunderstood. Especially when he finally saw the woman Josh was talking to—stiff English, narrow eyes, tall stature, a large backpack on her back, and a mole right in the center of her forehead.
"Are you Cheng Yue?"
The woman turned quickly to face Ian. "Yes, you must be Ian because you're the smartest," Yue said sarcastically, directing her words towards Josh.
Meanwhile, Josh stood there dumbfounded, wondering how Ian instantly recognized this fierce woman.
"You're looking in the wrong place. Cherish your life and move on. Forget about this matter if you don't want to end up with a tarnished name. Your Baba would want you to stay alive."
"Do I look like someone in need of counseling? No, I won't take advice from just anyone. What I want is answers to my questions, and you at least owe me that much."
Ian scrutinized Yue. He could have simply answered Yue's question. However, his conscience refused, considering Mr. Cheng's kindness towards them. Moreover, Mr. Cheng had great hopes for his daughter, so if Yue wanted to commit suicide, they shouldn't be the intermediaries.
"No," Ian gave a brief response and turned to continue his sleep.
"Hey!" Yue swiftly ran and suddenly blocked Ian from closing the bedroom door. Her narrow eyes stared sharply at Ian, filled with tears. Ian hadn't even exhaled tiredly yet. They had an additional problem, and it was this stubborn young woman.
"We will never tell you. Remove that hope from your mind. Do we owe you something? Who do you think you are? The moral police? If not, then leave immediately."
"I am disappointed. So, this is how the young men Baba often talked about are like. He described you with sparkling eyes. Our conversations were always stiff, but they came alive when he spoke about you. I was once jealous of why you could capture Baba's attention more. Now, that feeling has turned into heartache because those young men don't even think the same way about him."
Ian's hand clenched behind the door, listening to Yue's emotionally charged story. Of course, they also lost Mr. Cheng, but what were they supposed to do? Their opponent was Magenta, whose predatory aura was even more intimidating than Bartwin or even the Apex in the game he played.
"Thanks for the fairy tale, but we're not interested in drama right now. So, hush... hush... Be gone, I won't fall for your fake tears." With the palm of his hand, Ian waved Yue away.
Yue, who had been shedding tears, quickly wiped them away and put on a poker face. Typical fox-like behavior. Josh was even taken aback by her actions. He slapped his forehead, feeling like he had brought trouble to their residence.
"I'm not going anywhere until you give me a name!" Yue yelled, challenging Ian. They exchanged sharp glances until Ian gave in.
"Fine, whatever you want. All the rooms are occupied. Let's see if you'll enjoy living with the guys..." Ian didn't finish his sentence as Yue dashed towards her backpack, took out a sleeping bag, unfurled it in the middle of the living room, and curled up inside like a cocoon.
"Goodnight."
"Aaargh...!!" Ian let out a frustrated groan and slammed the door shut.
Josh, who had witnessed the entire drama, fell silent and quietly made his way to his room with Roe when Ian once again opened the door and shouted at him.
"You better watch out if I catch you smoking that cursed thing! I'll flush the whole thing down the toilet!! You have to face this too! No running away!!" It was the first time he had seen Ian explode with such emotions.
Josh tightly clenched the black plastic bag in the pocket of his jacket, fearing Ian's threat even though he had spent his last bit of money on it.
***
In the middle of the night, a person hurriedly ran towards the toilet located across the room. His bladder was full, so he was in a rush. The dimly lit room didn't require turning on the lights since he knew his way around.
DUG!
His foot stumbled over something on the floor, causing him to fall. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest when the object he stumbled upon groaned!
"Awww!! That hurts!!"
"Who are you!!! A thief!!!"
The figure in black, who groaned, rose from the floor, and Roe watched in horror. Was it a ghost?!!
"Why are you accusing me? Aren't you the thieves?!"
"That voice is a woman!! This house is haunted!" Roe became even more frightened.
Creak.
Someone suddenly opened the door. "What's all the noise about?"
"Ian. It's a g-gh-ghost!!" Roe pointed to the black figure.
Ian, understanding the situation, turned on the lights, causing everyone to squint due to the glare. Roe stood up from the fall while protecting his eyes from the brightness.
"Don't accuse without evidence. I'm still alive. You must be Roe. Let me introduce myself, I'm Yue." Yue released her sleeping bag to shake hands with Roe, putting on a sweet demeanor. Ian looked at her with annoyance.
"Oh... Nice to meet you. Sorry for tripping over you earlier." Roe accepted Yue's handshake.
"It's alright. Starting tonight, I'll be sleeping here. I hope we can get along." Yue slightly bowed and flashed a wide smile with her narrow eyes.
"Hmph!" Ian scoffed and went back into his room, once again slamming the door shut.
"Mm... What's the story behind you sleeping here?" Roe asked curiously, especially after witnessing Ian's unpleasant attitude towards Yue. If Ian didn't like her, how did this woman end up sleeping inside? Roe felt like he hadn't slept for too long, but why didn't he realize he had missed an important event?
"I... am Mr. Cheng's daughter."
"Oh..."
"Yup..."