"Are you sure it was an accident, right?" I ask. "I wouldn't let him off easily if he really had wrong intentions."
"I don't know. Maybe that's not even the reason why I was mad," she speaks, her face buried in her hands.
We stand on the balcony of my apartment. We seem to have forgotten about the scene we just created down there; currently, there's complete silence in the air around us.
I hand her a cup of coffee as she leans on the railing, her face still hidden in her hands, while the not-so-special view of Xinyuan sprawls before us.
"I think you should try to understand Mrs. Lee. She just wants to live her life for herself."
"Don't you see, Alex? She just wants to take revenge. A revenge against my father for not visiting for just like... 10 years? That's not even a reason."
It feels like we are closer than just neighbors when she calls me by my name.
"Those 10 years when she felt lonelier than ever."
"Oh, come on, don't make it sound like she is a tragedy queen or something. I mean, of course, she is his wife, and it's only natural that she would do that."
"But that also gives her the right to have a say in his property, which your father was trying to take from her."
"Alright, shut up! I don't want to sound patriarchal while you flaunt your feminist ideas in front of me. I just want you to tell me how I can solve this problem. I don't want to see this family breaking apart. I love everyone equally—not equally, actually. I love my dad a bit more. But I just don't want to see them fighting over money."
She takes a sip from her cup of coffee, and gazes silently at the view. Her beauty is highlighted by the soft evening light, her slightly tensed facial expressions adding depth to her delicate features. Her eyes, though weary, sparkle with determination. I look at her, and my heart swells with a mix of admiration and concern, her faint smile sending a warm flutter through me.
The next morning, I wake up with a smile on my face, with an intuition that the day is going to be very pleasant. Today is Sunday, and that's the reason for staying up late than usual and waking up with a fresh mind.
I start my day by putting on music and gathering all the dirty laundry to have it washed on this clear, sunny day. I take out all the stuff I need and head towards the nearest laundry across the street. While on my way downstairs, I knock at the door of my landlords, being a specimen of a good neighbor who wants to help.
"I'm going to do the laundry right now," I say when Lily stands before me, opening the door.
"Yeah! I can see that," she replies, seeing a basket full of dirty clothes in my hands.
"Yeah! Just wanted you to know, just in case, it's right by the street, if you want. Alright!"
I start walking further, not looking back, as I have suddenly started feeling awkward.
"Hey! Wait," she calls me. "Let me get my clothes as well, just wait here."
So, she decides to follow me—not that I wanted her to, but I think it is nice to help her get adjusted in this town.
She comes out with a bag full of clothes, both hers and her grandparents', "Shall we go?"
We head out into the street and reach the laundry place, owned by an old man. A 16x16 ft shop with a total of 9 working washing machines and dryer segments.
We find the last two washing machines idle and take on one each. I empty my basket into the mouth of the washing machine and pour the detergent powder. However, when I take a look at my side, I find Lily struggling to find out how that thing would open.
As both our machines are of different models, copying me doesn't help her. "I don't see the opening of this lid," she says.
I point towards a button on the right side, which says, "Press to open." "Ah, I see."
"You've never done laundry yourself, have you?" I ask, while setting the timer on my machine.
The look on her face says it all; she purses her lips.
"So you are the typical spoiled daughter, just as I thought you would be."
"Excuse me, you think that about me? I don't think you know, but I am someone who can make a washing machine in front of you. I'm an electronic engineer. I used to repair all the gadgets in my house."
"But still don't know how to use one," I interrupt.
"This is just a very stupid model. Who needs a button to open the machine?"
"Yeah, yeah," I mock her.
"Do you like making fun of me, Alex?" she asks, with a serious expression.
My hands stop mid-air, and I look towards her. "I'm sorry, I do not enjoy making fun of anyone."
She bites her lip slightly while putting her clothes in the machine one by one. "Then it's okay, because when a boy enjoys making fun of a girl, it is said that he just wants to hide his crush."
Suddenly, I feel a current running through my body. It feels as if she is trying to read my mind.
"Nonsense," I say, my hands shaky.
After setting up the timer, we head outside of the shop to a table in front of an ice-cream shop. I get myself a vanilla cone, and she devours a whole mango-flavored tub under the slightly warm sunlight.
"Don't you think that's a lot of ice-cream?" I ask, seeing her putting a spoon inside her family pack.
"Don't you think yours is too little?"
The rays of sun brightly shine on us, the ice-cream scoop couldn't stay upright for even a minute and started melting to end up on my T-shirt.
"Why don't you put that T-shirt in with the rest of the laundry? Otherwise, it will have to wait for a whole week," she remarks, seeing the stains on my shirt.
"So, you want me to walk back home shirtless?"
She coughs, almost choking on her ice-cream with a sudden laugh that catches her breath.
"Oh, God, I just imagined you like that."
"Hey! Stop imagining that right now, it's not funny."
Suddenly, as we sit cheerfully enjoying each other's company, a sleek, black Mercedes stops before us, grabbing our attention. The door of the driver's seat opens, and out comes a middle-aged man. He looks strict, wearing a gray T-shirt that contrasts with his graying hair, though his body still exudes strength and vitality.
Just a look at him and Lily rises from her chair, all tensed. "Papa," she addresses him.