"Ah... I see. Alright, let's eat together then." Luna said somewhat awkwardly. "But we might need to go out later to buy some ingredients, and also get a hotpot and a gas stove."
Marc shrugged. "Okay, I'll go with you. I'll cover the cost for the second round of ingredients."
Darius also raised his hand. "I'll come too. I need to go to the pharmacy to buy some medicine, and I'll pick up a few bottles of alcohol... I don't think I can sleep tonight without a drink. I had nightmares all night after going back yesterday. Do you guys drink?"
Everyone nodded. Li Tao said, "Beer would be good. It pairs well with hotpot."
Luna said, "Since Darius needs to buy alcohol and go to the pharmacy, why don't we head out now? Danny, you can stay at home and help walk Kiki."
Li Tao quickly agreed. "No problem. Terry just messaged me saying his partner will come by in half an hour to deliver the notarized documents."
Li Tao took out some money and handed it to Luna. "This is my share."
Luna didn't take the money, smiling as she said, "You can just take care of the utensils and washing the dishes this time. We'll split the cost next time."
As everyone prepared to leave, Luna reminded Li Tao, "Make sure to hold the leash tight and bring extra bags. Kiki might need to go more than once. And if you're out for a while, remember to bring her a bottle of water."
Li Tao nodded, glanced at Kiki lounging on the sofa, and waved his hand. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her. You guys go ahead."
Luna, Darius, and Marc went out, and the sound of their departure echoed in the empty corridor.
Once outside, Marc yawned and said, "I still can't adjust to the time difference here. It feels like I'm half asleep every day."
Luna laughed. "Is it really that exaggerated? The time difference between France and Canada is only six hours. It's twelve hours between China and Canada."
Darius patted Marc on the shoulder and joked, "Looks like tonight's drink is a necessity for you."
They got in the car, rolled down the windows, and the evening breeze brought a slight chill. The streets suddenly became congested with the usual after-work traffic.
They arrived at a Chinese supermarket, and the group pushed a shopping cart. Marc looked at the array of products and exclaimed, "Honestly, this is my first time in a Chinese supermarket."
Luna smiled and patted Marc on the shoulder. "Well, you're in for a treat today. This place is much more interesting than a regular supermarket." She pointed to the shelves filled with hotpot base ingredients, sauces, and various snacks. "These are the soul of hotpot. Without them, the flavor would be soulless."
Marc curiously picked up a package of spicy hotpot base and scrutinized the chili pepper design on the packaging. "This looks really spicy. Can we actually eat this?"
Luna chuckled. "Don't worry. We're getting a yin-yang hotpot, so you can choose the clear broth if you don't like spicy. The key to hotpot is the fun of it, so just find what you like."
Darius pushed the cart and casually added a few bags of beef slices and lamb rolls to it. "I've tried Chinese hotpot in the U.S. before. Look at these thinly sliced meats; they're cooked in the pot in no time. That's the magic of hotpot."
Marc nodded and enthusiastically added some vegetables and mushrooms to the cart. The three of them wandered through the supermarket, occasionally discussing which ingredients to buy. The cart gradually filled with various hotpot ingredients. Luna also picked out a few snacks and said with a smile, "These can be used as hotpot side dishes; they taste great."
After buying the ingredients, they went to the home appliances section and selected a stainless steel yin-yang hotpot and a portable gas stove. After paying, they were laden with large and small bags.
Marc fumbled with the items and remarked, "I didn't realize so much was needed for hotpot. I feel like I'm moving house."
Luna laughed. "It's alright. This is just the warm-up. Once we start eating, you'll see that all this preparation was worth it."
Next, they went to the pharmacy. Darius quickly bought some medicine for his ankle sprain. "I've already informed the gym. Fortunately, they don't open until September 15th, otherwise, I'd be out of a job."
Afterward, they went to the liquor store next door. Darius hesitated in front of the beer shelf for a moment before picking up a case of light beer. "That's it for today's shopping."
After Luna and the others left, Li Tao started preparing to take Kiki out. There were still over twenty minutes until his appointment with Terry. When Li Tao picked up Kiki's collar, she started spinning around excitedly.
"Alright, alright, we're going out soon. Sit still for now," Li Tao tried to calm Kiki so he could put on her leash.
Finally, three minutes later, Li Tao took Kiki outside. As they walked along the neighborhood streets, they occasionally encountered a few people—some on bicycles, some running, some strolling…
"It's so peaceful…" Li Tao thought to himself, then recalled the strange events they had experienced, and a feeling of melancholy returned.
When they reached the dog park, the small dog area had four or five dogs, while the large dog area had only one giant poodle. Li Tao opened the gate to the large dog area for Kiki and nodded at the poodle's owner—a white elderly man—as a greeting.
Kiki and the giant poodle sniffed each other and then began to play happily together.
"Hello," the elderly man approached Li Tao and greeted him. "Your dog looks beautiful."
"Thank you," Li Tao responded. "What's your dog's name?"
"He's called Turbo, and he's a boy, three years old this year. How about yours?" the elderly man asked.
"Her name is Kiki. To be honest, I'm not sure how old she is. She was entrusted to me by someone else," Li Tao said somewhat awkwardly.
The poodle's owner examined Li Tao and said, "You don't live around here, do you? You look unfamiliar."
"I live nearby. I actually live at…" Li Tao started to say, suddenly realizing that no one could find Room 20 except them. But once the words were out, he couldn't stop himself. Li Tao steeled himself and said, "I live at 20 Claire Street."
The poodle's owner was taken aback. "Haha, young man, you must be joking. Did you hear some scary legend? I've lived here for decades and know better than anyone that 20 Claire Street hasn't existed for at least nine or eight years. Are you trying to fool me?"
A chill ran through Li Tao's heart. "Sir, could you tell me more about it?"
The poodle's owner said, "You young people are always interested in these strange stories. Well, I'll tell you since I don't have much to do right now."
"Claire Street used to have a fork; one side was a dead end. The end of the road was 20 Claire Street. Rather than calling it a dead end, it was more like a loop. The road ended at 20 Claire Street, next to which was the entrance to a community nature park. Although it was a dead end, many people passed by every day, either walking in the forest or taking a shortcut elsewhere." The poodle's owner recalled in detail.
"One winter, around Christmas time, a huge fire broke out at that house. The people inside didn't make it out, and neighboring houses 18 and 22 were also affected. You know, the houses here are wooden, and once a fire starts, it spreads quickly."
"Fortunately, 18 and 22 had no casualties, but 20 Claire Street was a disaster. It seems no one escaped; all six people inside died."
"Oh, and the forest burned extensively. Winter is already dry… Eventually, only the frames were left. I don't remember the exact cause of the fire. I don't know what happened afterward. I only know that 22 and 18 were quickly rebuilt. Maybe it was government requisition or developers. Anyway, 22 and 18 were rebuilt, and the forest entrance was moved next to 18, but the road was widened. So, 20 Claire Street just disappeared."
"Later, they replanned the forest, and this dog park was built at that time." The poodle's owner spoke at length and then began to cough heavily.
Li Tao quickly approached, trying to help, but found he only had Kiki's water bottle and a poop bag with him.
The poodle's owner waved his hand. "I'm fine. I have chronic bronchitis, which has been ongoing for many years. Young man, what you see online might be fake. It's just a tragic event. Try not to joke about it, as it's disrespectful to the deceased."
"Do you know anything about the previous residents of 20 Claire Street?" Li Tao continued to ask.
"Of course not. I've only heard about it. Very few people know now. Even though it was only a few years ago, as you know, we don't care much about other people's affairs. Only us old residents—a bunch of people who are getting on in years—would inquire about it," the poodle's owner said. A gust of wind blew, and Li Tao suddenly felt a bit cold. The poodle's owner glanced at his watch. "It's getting late; I need to head back. You seem responsible, taking care of someone else's pet and bringing it to the dog park. Let's meet next time. I hope you can tell me your real address then."
Li Tao forced a bitter smile. "Alright, see you next time. I'll let Kiki play a bit more."
After Turbo left, Li Tao and Kiki were the only ones in the large dog area. Li Tao sat down on the grass, feeling the cool evening breeze making his eyes dry.
If he could, Li Tao would have liked to leave this place immediately. The phrases "run away when things go wrong" and "if you can't handle it, avoid it" were always his guidelines when facing difficult situations. He didn't want to be like the protagonists in horror movies, who remain clueless even when the ghosts seem to be dancing right in front of their faces.
Looking at Kiki, Li Tao couldn't help but feel envious. Sometimes he really wished he could be a carefree and happy little dog. But Kiki clearly knows something, yet what of it? At least Kiki has someone to feed her every day, take her to the bathroom, and take her out to play…
At that moment, Li Tao's phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number. Li Tao answered, and a man's voice came through. "Hello, Danny? I'm Terry's colleague, here to deliver the notarized documents. I'm now at the entrance of the dog park."
Li Tao quickly got up and patted his pants. "Okay, I'll be there in a moment."
"Kiki, we're going home!" Li Tao shouted. Kiki reluctantly trotted toward him, her ears bobbing up and down with each step, making her look like a moving plush toy.
After putting Kiki's collar and leash on, Li Tao led her out of the dog park. A gray Honda was parked at the entrance, and someone was standing beside it.
The person was of medium build, dressed in a dark blue suit, and appeared to be in his early thirties. He was holding a document folder and had a professional smile on his face. When he saw Li Tao approaching, he waved. "Hello, I'm Terry's partner. You can call me John."
Li Tao nodded and said somewhat awkwardly, "Hello, thank you for coming to deliver the documents."
John smiled. "You're welcome. It's part of the job, and since you don't live far, it's not a big deal." He handed the document folder to Li Tao. "Here are your documents. Terry told me you already have a car from a friend. You can use this for now, and just make sure to get your driver's license soon."
Li Tao took the document folder and felt a wave of relief. "Thank you and Terry for your help. I plan to take the G1 test next Monday."
John nodded and glanced at Kiki, then looked back at Li Tao. "This dog is really cute. But Monday is a long weekend, so the testing center might not be open. You can go on Tuesday or later; no appointment is needed."
Li Tao was taken aback. "Oh? Really? Thanks for letting me know."
John patted Kiki's head. "It's fine. There's no rush to get your driver's license within these few days. This notarized document lets you drive for 80 days. If there's nothing else, I'll head off now."
Li Tao quickly took out some money from his pocket. "Here's the fee for the notarization and translation."
John was surprised. "I thought you had already transferred the payment to Terry. Thanks anyway. Goodbye."
Li Tao watched the car drive away. Kiki was yawning contentedly nearby. Li Tao patted Kiki's head. "Let's go. Luna and the others should be back soon."
With that, the man and his dog walked slowly down the road. "Forget about it, don't overthink," Li Tao muttered to himself, slowly making his way back with Kiki.
As evening darkness fell, street lights began to turn on one by one, casting long shadows on the ground. Li Tao thought silently: Given the situation, worrying won't help. Tonight, he would share today's experiences with Luna and see if they had any ideas.
Back home, Li Tao noticed that Luna and the others hadn't returned yet. Considering they had to shop for groceries, buy medicine, and get alcohol, it was unlikely they'd be back so soon.
Li Tao sighed, loosened Kiki's collar, and wiped her paws. After cleaning her paws, Kiki rushed to the water bowl and drank eagerly. Li Tao said helplessly, "You wouldn't drink the water I brought you. You had to come home to drink."
Li Tao then washed his hands and started preparing the dishes, taking another look at the kitchen—Alex had left many kitchenware and tableware, some of which were new and still in their bubble wrap. There were pots, chopsticks, knives, and forks in the cabinets, looking unused.
Alex had said to use his things freely before leaving. Li Tao took four sets of plates and bowls, washed them, and arranged them on the table.
As Li Tao arranged the vegetables and other ingredients he had bought with Luna earlier, he thought: Alex still hadn't responded. He wondered what had happened to him.
Just as Li Tao placed the last dish on the table, he heard the sound of the door opening.
"We're back, Danny, come help us!" Darius shouted.
"Alright, coming," Li Tao quickly wiped his hands on his pants, changed his shoes, and went outside.