Bai Ci thanked the young man and stepped out of Winston's Grocery Store. Following the route he had recommended, she went to a nearby bakery to buy some freshly baked bread, then stopped by a general store for some simple daily necessities. Placing them all in a wicker basket, she prepared to head back.
Just as she walked out of the store, she ran straight into three people. Bai Ci stopped in her tracks instinctively. Looking closer, she recognized Zhao Yu, Zhou Kai, and a young stranger.
Zhao Yu was leading the way, his arm slung over the shoulders of a neatly dressed, handsome young man.
The youth wore a clean, light gray shirt and had a straight, upright posture. Beneath his left eye was a row of tiny black moles curving along his eye socket—about five or six of them at first glance. There was a subtle trace of uneasiness in his eyes. Being held by Zhao Yu clearly made him uncomfortable, yet he did not push him away.
Zhou Kai followed half a step behind them as usual, his head bowed, hands shoved into his pockets. His eyes were vacant, his mind clearly wandering elsewhere, utterly indifferent to his surroundings.
Zhao Yu was the first to spot Bai Ci. His eyes lit up slightly, and he immediately released the young man, walking quickly toward her with a smile on his face.
He swept his eyes up and down the wicker basket in Bai Ci's hand, his tone playful. “Oh, isn't this Hugo's beautiful fiancée? What are you doing out here shopping all by yourself? That freshly baked bread looks delicious.”
A polite but distant smile appeared on Bai Ci's face, and she nodded slightly. “Yes, just picking up a few things before heading back.”
Zhao Yu didn't seem to mind Bai Ci's coldness at all. Instead, he grew even more enthusiastic. He suddenly reached his hand toward her ear. Bai Ci instinctively dodged, but when she turned to look, she saw a bright red rose in his hand.
Zhao Yu held the flower in front of her eyes, his tone teasing. “A lady as beautiful as you deserves a flower like this. It's yours. After all, we'll be seeing a lot of each other at the post office from now on.”
Bai Ci felt a shiver of goosebumps. Zhao Yu's behavior was far too abnormal. Not long ago, he had stolen Hugo's letters, and now he was suddenly presenting her with a flower. He clearly had ulterior motives.
She stepped slightly to the side, avoiding the flower he held out, and declined gently but firmly. “Thank you for your kindness, but I cannot accept this flower. Please forgive me.”
The smile on Zhao Yu's face remained unchanged. Instead of pulling his hand back, he reached out, trying to force the flower onto her. “It's just a small gesture. Please accept it, Miss Lora. Don't be so cold.”
Just then, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed the rose from Zhao Yu's hand. With a gentle pinch, the flower bud was snapped off, leaving nothing but a bare stem.
Bai Ci turned to look and saw Chen Mo standing nearby with a look of impatience. Lin Wan followed behind him, her expression calm, though a hint of vigilance lingered in the depths of her eyes.
It was Chen Mo who had just stepped in.
Looking at the bare stem in his hand, Zhao Yu didn't get angry at all. Instead, his grin widened, and he said playfully, “Chen Mo, are you jealous that I'm giving flowers to Miss Lora? Since you like it so much, you can have it.”
He waved the bare stem, his hand moving so quickly that in the blink of an eye, the stem was stuffed into Chen Mo's coat pocket.
Chen Mo's face twisted in disgust. He glared fiercely at Zhao Yu, yanked the stem out of his pocket, threw it onto the ground, and stomped on it a few times.
“I'm off, then. No more playing around with you guys.” Zhao Yu didn't care about Chen Mo's reaction. He turned, waved his hand with his back to them, and walked away, quickly disappearing into the crowd.
Huh?
Bai Ci stared at Zhao Yu's retreating figure. When did Zhou Kai and that young man leave? How had she not noticed?
Bai Ci reflected on it. The reason she hadn't noticed was that Zhao Yu's sudden flower-giving stunt had completely monopolized her attention.
In that case, could she assume that the purpose of Zhao Yu's little show was precisely to distract her?
Of course, it was highly likely that his real targets were Chen Mo and Lin Wan, and she was merely being used as a tool.
Chen Mo watched Zhao Yu's back and muttered under his breath, “What a psycho.”
After cursing, he turned to look at Bai Ci. His tone softened slightly as he offered a warning, “Miss Lora, you should stay away from that Zhao Yu in the future. He's not a good person, and his mind is always in the gutter. He spends all day messing around. Don't let him trick you.”
Bai Ci looked at Chen Mo, a perfectly timed look of confusion appearing in her eyes. “Thank you for the warning, sir. But... you seem to know him well?”
Chen Mo shook his head, saying impatiently, “We're not close. I've just heard of his reputation. Anyway, just remember to keep your distance from him.”
“That Zhao Yu indeed has a rather poor reputation back where we come from,” Lin Wan chimed in, stepping forward quickly to defuse the tension with a gentle tone.
“Quite a few people whisper behind his back that he's unreliable and has shifty motives. It's always wise to be cautious around him. Chen Mo is only speaking so bluntly because he's worried about you, Miss Lora. Mr. Hugo has helped us a lot at work, so please don't take offense.”
Bai Ci nodded gently. “I see. Thank you both for letting me know. I'll make sure to keep my distance from him from now on.”
Lin Wan nodded, gave her a few more reminders to stay safe, and then turned to leave with Chen Mo.
Returning to No. 7 Red Brick Street, Bai Ci unlocked the door and put her purchases in the kitchen. And then... there was nothing else.
For a pampered young lady to voluntarily cook dinner on only her second day in the house would be completely out of character.
Sitting down on a chair in the living room, she closed her eyes and began to review everything she had seen and heard today.
The anomalies at Winston's Grocery Store, the handsome young man Zhao Yu was trying to shield from view, and the changes in the postmaster that Mrs. Ella had mentioned... Could these be connected to the plague in town? What kind of connection would it be?
These questions coiled around her mind like a thick fog, refusing to dissipate. It seemed she would have to look into the owner of that grocery store tomorrow...
Bai Ci couldn't help but wish she could find someone with a class like private detective. With her current identity, she had plenty of money to hire help; what she lacked was information.
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of a key turning came from the door. Bai Ci opened her eyes immediately, stood up, and walked over, just in time to see Hugo pushing the door open.
Hugo was still wearing his dark blue post office coat. Although his face showed a trace of fatigue, he couldn't hide the excitement and joy in his eyes.
Upon seeing Bai Ci, he immediately rushed over. Before she could react, he wrapped his arms around her in a careful, somewhat clumsy and shy embrace. “Lora, I'm back.”
Bai Ci froze slightly. Had that love letter really been so powerful? To think it could make such an introverted person express his emotions so openly.
She then gently raised her hand and patted his back, saying softly, “Welcome back.”
Hugo released her, his cheeks flushed and his eyes shining. He pulled a letter from his pocket—the very love poem Bai Ci had written that afternoon—and held it delicately in both hands. “Lora, this letter... did you write it? I found it in my mail carrier bag. This is the first time I've ever received a poem written for me. I've already read it several times.”
“When did you send it? How did I not know? I was delivering my very last letter today when I realized it was addressed to me. It was such a wonderful surprise.”
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