In the evening, in Hugo's kitchen, Aunt Martha was briskly putting the finishing touches on the last dish. A rich aroma of food filled the entire house—the scent of roast beef, thick vegetable soup, and freshly baked whole wheat bread, all meticulously prepared by Aunt Martha.
“Miss Lora, the food is all ready, so I'll head back now. Lena might be off work soon, and I need to go back and leave some warm food for her.” Aunt Martha untied her apron and wiped the water off her hands as she spoke.
Bai Ci was already prepared. She portioned out some of the food warming in the pots, packed them neatly into food containers, and handed them to Aunt Martha to take back with her.
“The food smells delicious, Aunt Martha. Thank you for running around and helping me. Take these with you so you don't have to cook again at home. You've been busy all day; you should get some rest.”
“You and Hugo really are meant to be a couple. I'll just have to accept this shamelessly.” Seeing Bai Ci stubbornly force the items on her in the exact same manner as Hugo, Aunt Martha tried to refuse a few times but failed, so she accepted the kind gesture.
After accepting the food containers, Aunt Martha gave a few more reminders about staying safe, picked up her woven rattan basket, gently closed the door, and left.
After Aunt Martha left, Bai Ci briefly tidied up the dining table and arranged the utensils neatly. Not long after she sat down to rest, the sound of a key turning came from the door.
Hugo was back.
Bai Ci went to the door just as Hugo pushed it open. Behind him stood Chen Mo and Lin Wan.
“Please come in,” Bai Ci said, stepping aside to make way.
Chen Mo nodded slightly in greeting and was the first to enter. His eyes quickly swept across the room, not lingering on anything.
Lin Wan, on the other hand, smiled as she met Bai Ci's gaze, raising a cloth bag in her hand. “Miss Lora, I didn't bring anything fancy, just some homemade cookies I baked. Please try some.”
“You're far too kind.” Bai Ci smiled as she took the cloth bag, her tone sincere. “Please sit. We're about to eat.”
The meal wasn't particularly lively, but it wasn't awkward either.
Chen Mo didn't speak much. He seemed different from the initial impression he had given Bai Ci; she couldn't tell which was a facade and which was his true self. He kept his head down, focused on eating, only occasionally chiming in with a word or two in response to Lin Wan.
Lin Wan, however, was very good at livening up the atmosphere. She kept finding topics to talk about, doing her best to keep the mood from turning cold.
These two have very complementary personalities. No wonder they moved together, Bai Ci thought. Moreover, judging by their chemistry, it was obvious this wasn't a temporary alliance formed just for this instance.
The dinner went very smoothly. Before they knew it, there was barely any food left on the table, and they began putting down their utensils one by one.
Hugo was the first to stand up and gather the dishes, his tone earnest. “You guys sit and rest. I'll clear the table. It'll only take a moment.”
“I'll help you,” Chen Mo said, standing up as well.
Hugo was taken aback. “There's no need to trouble yourself. I can manage.”
“I've got nothing else to do anyway,” Chen Mo replied. He picked up the plates from the table, leaving Hugo no room to refuse, and walked straight toward the kitchen.
Seeing this, Hugo had no choice but to follow. The two entered the kitchen one after the other, and soon, the sound of running water and the clinking of dishes drifted out.
Only Bai Ci and Lin Wan were left in the living room. They stood up and moved to sit on the sofa.
Lin Wan was the first to break the silence. “Miss Lora, I've compiled the mail delivery addresses you asked me to organize yesterday.”
Hearing this, a look of well-timed pleasant surprise appeared on Bai Ci's face. Her tone carried a hint of eagerness. “Really? Thank you so much, Miss Lin Wan. I appreciate the hard work.”
Lin Wan smiled. She pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from her bag and held it out to Bai Ci, but she didn't let go immediately. “However, Miss Lora, I didn't just organize Mr. Hugo's delivery addresses.”
Bai Ci paused, the pleasant surprise on her face gradually fading into a look of confusion. “Not just Hugo's?”
“Yes,” Lin Wan nodded, her eyes locked onto Bai Ci's face, refusing to miss even the slightest change in expression. “I compiled the delivery addresses for all of us—me, Chen Mo, Zhao Yu, Zhou Kai, Mr. Hugo, and Mr. Old Tom—from the letters we've delivered over the past few days.”
“After all, when you asked me, you mentioned the distribution of delivery locations lately. You never specified that you only needed Mr. Hugo's, did you?”
Her words carried a clear implication. Though there was no malice in her tone, it held a degree of unavoidable probing.
Bai Ci knew very well that Lin Wan was calling her bluff. If she were truly just worried about Hugo's safety, having only Hugo's delivery addresses would have been more than enough. There was absolutely no need for everyone's.
Lin Wan had intentionally compiled everyone's addresses, waiting for her to either reveal the real reason on her own or be left with incomplete information.
Bai Ci fell silent for a moment. Her expression gradually grew somewhat awkward, as if her lie had been exposed. After a long while, she sighed softly and looked up at Lin Wan, her tone carrying a trace of helplessness mixed with honesty. “You caught me. I'm sorry, Miss Lin Wan. I lied.”
She didn't make any more excuses. Since Lin Wan had already put it so plainly, continuing to hide the truth would only arouse greater suspicion. Besides, she was the one who had cast this hook in the first place, specifically to prompt Lin Wan to work harder at gathering information.
Seeing this, Lin Wan smiled with understanding. She let go of her tight grip on the paper but still didn't hand it over, only saying, “Actually, it was just a guess. After all, if you were really just worried about Mr. Hugo, asking him directly would have been much easier than asking me. Unless, Miss Lora, you actually needed everyone's delivery addresses, right?”
“It's true that I'm not just worried about Hugo. I need everyone's mail delivery addresses because I've noticed some anomalies. I'm worried Hugo might get dragged into danger, and I must investigate this.”
Bai Ci nodded, not denying it. Her tone was serious. “Yes, I indeed need everyone's delivery addresses. Miss Lin Wan, I know you have your doubts. What do you want? As long as it is within my power and doesn't violate my principles, I can satisfy your request.”
As a fellow player, she naturally knew what Lin Wan and the others wanted. However, Lora shouldn't know, so she still had to keep up the act.
Hearing this, Lin Wan knew she was about to achieve her goal. She tried her best to suppress the joy on her face. Without beating around the bush, she asked directly, “I just want to know why you need these delivery addresses?”
“I don't mean to pry into your secrets, Miss Lora, but this town gives me a bad feeling, as if a rope is wrapped around my neck. I just want to untangle it, that's all.”
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