The morning sunlight filtered through the thin curtains and gently spilled onto Evelyn's bed. She slowly opened her eyes. The scenes of being with Lucas in the moonlit garden last night played back in her mind like a movie, and the corners of her mouth lifted up unconsciously, showing a sweet smile. She reached out and gently touched the rose placed beside her pillow. After a night, the petals were still as bright and beautiful as ever, as if still retaining the romantic atmosphere of last night.
Evelyn got up. After a simple wash, she sat in front of the dressing table and combed her long hair. Looking at herself in the mirror, there was a special glow in her eyes, the kind of look that only a woman in love would have. However, soon, her brows furrowed slightly as her thoughts drifted back to all the encounters with Lucas since they met. There always seemed to be a mysterious veil shrouding Lucas. His extraordinary skills, the occasionally deep look in his eyes, and the way he seemed to know many secrets yet never spoke of them easily all made the doubts in Evelyn's heart grow and spread like vines.
She changed into a simple off-white shirt, paired it with a light blue pair of jeans, and casually tied her hair into a ponytail, looking fresh and neat. Before going out, Evelyn took another look at the rose and secretly made up her mind that she must try to explore the story behind Lucas today, even if it was just to lift a corner of that mysterious veil.
Evelyn first came to the alley where she and Lucas had their first encounter. The alley in the morning didn't have the seclusion and danger of the night. The sunlight shone on the ground, illuminating every corner. She walked slowly along the alley, trying to find some clues that might be related to Lucas from the surrounding environment. But apart from the familiar walls and a few small shops that had already opened for business, there was nothing special to be found.
She walked into a grocery store. The owner was a kind old grandma. Evelyn often came here to buy some small items, and they were quite familiar with each other. She greeted the grandma with a smile and then pretended to ask casually, "Grandma, you've been in this alley for such a long time. Have you ever seen a man who always wears a long black windbreaker, is tall and handsome, and looks a bit mysterious? It was a few nights ago, and he taught a few hooligans a lesson right here."
The grandma narrowed her eyes and thought for a while, then shook her head and said, "Oh, girl, I'm old, and I don't really pay attention to what's going on outside at night. But now that you mention it, I don't seem to have any impression. What's the matter? Is he your friend?" Evelyn nodded disappointedly and replied, "Sort of. I just think he's very mysterious and want to know more about him."
After coming out of the grocery store, Evelyn continued to wander around nearby. She went to ask the uncle who sold breakfast on the street and some passing residents, but either they had no impression or they hadn't really noticed Lucas. Evelyn felt even more curious and eager in her heart. She knew that Lucas must have an unknown past, but now it seemed that she was trapped in a fog and couldn't find a breakthrough no matter what.
Just when she was about to leave this area a bit dejectedly, she suddenly remembered that Lucas seemed to be very interested in art and had appeared near the gallery many times. Maybe the people in the gallery would know something. Thinking of this, Evelyn's eyes lit up, and she quickened her pace and walked towards the gallery.
When she arrived at the gallery, her colleagues greeted her warmly. Evelyn greeted them back with a smile and then took the opportunity to pull an old employee who had been working here for a long time to one side and asked in a low voice, "Uncle Wang, I want to ask you about someone. You've been in this gallery for so long. Have you ever seen a man named Lucas? He always dresses very appropriately, looks quite elegant, and seems to know a lot about art."
Uncle Wang stroked his chin and thought for a while, then said, "Lucas? The name sounds a bit familiar, but I'm not really sure. There are quite a lot of people coming to our gallery. If he hasn't done anything particularly remarkable, I might not really remember him. Girl, why are you asking about him?" Evelyn hesitated for a moment, then said frankly, "I've met him and think he's very mysterious, so I want to know more about him."
Uncle Wang smiled and teased, "Oh, it seems there's something going on here. But I really can't help you much. If you really want to know, why don't you just ask him directly?" Evelyn sighed helplessly and said, "I've asked him, but he's always been very vague. So I thought I'd look for clues elsewhere."
After chatting with Uncle Wang, Evelyn inquired around the gallery again, but still got very little information. She sat in the lounge area of the gallery, resting her cheeks on her hands, looking rather troubled. She knew that it might not be appropriate for her to explore Lucas's affairs like this, but that strong curiosity was like a kitten scratching inside her heart, making her unable to hold it back. She didn't want to just have a superficial relationship with a person full of mysteries. She longed to truly enter Lucas's world and understand everything about him.
Just then, her mobile phone suddenly rang. Evelyn picked it up and saw that it was a message from Lucas, asking her how her day was going. Looking at the short text, Evelyn had mixed feelings in her heart. On the one hand, there was the joy of seeing his message, and on the other hand, there was a bit of guilt because she was currently exploring his secrets. She took a deep breath, thinking about how to reply, and at this moment, her determination to explore the truth hadn't wavered in the slightest because of this little episode.