Shui Anluo’s face grew hot then turned black and white. Finally, she turned into the color of a braised prawn — red!
Uncle Chu drove the car without turning around. He swore that he had never seen a thing.
The car arrived at the condominium. Uncle Chu got the suitcases from the back as Chu Ningyi got down from the car, carrying the mischievous child.
The mischievous child’s actions today suited his outfit of the day. He looked exactly like a bear-child[1] from top to bottom.
Shui Anluo shivered after she got down from the car. Indeed, the weather here could not be compared to Provence.
Chu Ningyi saw her shiver and pulled her into his arms. “Are you cold?”
“A little, let’s hurry back home,” Shui Anluo replied and pulled her elevator access card out from her bag. After swiping the card, they would still need to wait for the elevator to descend from the sixteenth floor. Shui Anluo promptly felt that this was a slight inconvenience.
Once the elevator had descended and the elevator door opened, the heavy stench of alcohol burst from within. Shui Anluo was about to walk in when she noticed a figure squatting at the corner of the elevator.
“Ah!” Shui Anluo shrieked in shock. She immediately stumbled backward into Chu Ningyi’s arms.
Chu Ningyi lowered his head and saw a man who was dressed in a long, black windbreaker. He was crouched down and his head was buried inside his clothes. He could not see his face at all.
Chu Ningyi gently soothed Shui Anluo, frowning as he led her to stand to one side of the elevator.
Shui Anluo leaned into Chu Ningyi’s embrace and did not feel too scared anymore. She carefully examined the person behind her through Chu Ningyi’s grasp.
“Is that person drunk?” Shui Anluo asked in a small voice.
“Be a good girl, don’t look.” Chu Ningyi calmly pressed her head into his chest.
The person behind them whined as if they were in pain. Shui Anluo was worried and wanted to take a peek again. However, Chu Ningyi held her back firmly and refused to let her move.
“Luoluo, Luoluo…”
An anguished groan echoed along with Shui Anluo’s footsteps as they headed outside.
Shui Anluo turned around as the elevator door slowly closed. The person inside slowly disappeared from her line of side.
Shui Anluo’s hands shuddered. “Senior Brother?” She muttered and quickly turned around to open the elevator door again just as it was about to shut completely.
The man inside had remained huddled in the corner, mumbling under his breath.
The only syllable that sounded clearly was Shui Anluo’s name.
“Senior Brother.” Shui Anluo probed but the huddled man did not react.
Chu Ningyi frowned as he stood outside. There was an obvious annoyance in his eyes.
“Luoluo…” Chu Ningyi called out in a solemn voice.
However, Shui Anluo ignored him. Instead, she walked to the man huddled in the corner.
“Senior Brother, is that you?” Shui Anluo asked softly.
However, aside from his anguished groans, the man did not respond to her.
Chu Ningyi’s frown deepened because he had already confirmed the man’s identity.
Has that one answer reduced him to this state?
How very annoying.
“Shui Anluo, get back here.” Chu Ningyi added an icy tone to his voice.
Shui Anluo gently prodded the man’s shoulder with the tip of her fingers as if she never heard what Chu Ningyi had said. She continued to ask carefully, “Senior Brother?”
“Shui Anluo…”
Chu Ningyi’s angered tone rang out as the man lifted his head.
Shui Anluo shuddered. She stumbled back to immediately lean against the elevator wall.
The man slowly lifted his head. The first thing to enter Shui Anluo’s gaze was his bloodshot eyes.
[1] The raws wrote this as 熊孩子, which literally translates to ‘bear child’. However, in this context, it’s used as a dialect spoken in northern China. Here, 熊 serves as an adjective, meaning irritating, annoying or rude. It refers to kids who don’t behave or listen. It also can be spoken playfully among family members or friends.
