When Molly entered the courtyard, she stood in the middle and looked around. Everything was the
same as usual, and every house had its door closed, as if all the neighbors there lived in their own
worlds, without the slightest interest in communicating.
She went straight to her family house. When she got to the door, it was locked. She fumbled for the key
hidden under the mat at the doorstep and finally opened the door, which ushered her into dead silence.
"Why is it that nobody is at home?" she muttered to herself, frowning. After searching every corner of
the house, she confirmed that there was indeed no one at home now. "Hasn't mom just left the
hospital? Where did they go? Why aren't they at home now?"
Upset, Molly sighed. As she slowly looked around this familiar house again, memories of her mother's
daily suffering flooded back.
Suddenly, Molly laid her eyes on the bedside desk. She hastily walked up and saw a piece of paper
pressed under a glass.
As she grabbed it and read the words, she furrowed her brows and muttered,"Friend? What friend?
Who is it?"
From the day they moved out of the military compound, her father had cut any contact and severed all
ties with his old friends. Proud and arrogant, he couldn't face up to his failures, especially in front of his
former colleagues and acquaintances. And in his isolation, for many years, he dragged the family
along, forbidding any attempts to communicate with relatives. To pay off his huge loan, her mother
worked like a beaver, and couldn't afford the luxury of friends.
Looking at her father's good and firm handwriting, Molly pondered on his message again. He said that
he would call her back later. It seemed that... her father had already known that she would come back
home today.
The confusion increased in her mind. She kept staring at the piece of paper, rapt and unable to move,
until her phone rang breaking the hushed silence of the house and shook her back to her senses.
At once, she put down the paper, took the phone from her bag. It was Shirley Ling calling. She grinned
with pleasure and answered without hesitation,"Aunt Shirley!"
"Little Molly, where are you now?" Shirley asked cautiously, as if she was doing something
clandestinely.
Looking around the house, Molly intuitively answered,"I am at home now."
"Home?" Shirley asked in surprise. A dash of excitement flashed through her eyes. She thought that
Molly meant to say Brian's villa. She turned around to glance at Antonio who was standing at the
doorstep, and then quickly turned back and asked with a big smile,"When can you come out?"
The cheerfulness in Shirley's mood was infectious, even over the phone. Molly was very much fond of
Shirley, though they had only met once. There was something so enchanting and inspirational about
Shirley's personality. "I can go at any time," Molly said, instantly cheered up.
"Really? Um... then how about we have lunch together?" Shirley paused, and then added,"We can
meet at the rotating restaurant on the top floor of Falloon Mall. What do you think?"
"That's perfectly okay!" without hesitation, Molly agreed. As she hung up, Molly took out a pen and
scribbled a message on the same paper, below her father's words. She asked them to contact her as
soon as they came back home, because she had something important to discuss with them.
After one more glance at the paper, she put it back on the desk, under the glass, the same way it was.
Then, she locked the door and walked towards the bus station. She didn't want to take a taxi, as she
wasn't spending her own money now. What was more, she wasn't into luxury. She was determined to
pay this money back to Brian when there was a chance one day.
Holding onto the rail to keep her balance on the crowded and stuffy bus, Molly kept thinking about what
she should do in the following few days. No matter what would happen then, she had to get her
parents' agreement to leave here. As long as they agreed to move to another place, she believed she
would leave the city, once and for all, never to come back again.
Immersed in her thoughts, she didn't notice the man in a cap, discreetly staring at her, with malicious
intent.
**
Sitting at a table of the rotating restaurant, on the top floor of the Falloon Mall, Shirley looked out of the
window, contemplating the dark gloomy clouds in sky. She curled her lips with displeasure and shifted
her gaze to her phone, upset.
Her upset look fell onto Antonio's eyes, and he comforted her,"I believe Young Master misses you, too."
Antonio had kept addressing Richie Long as "Young Master" ever since he had become Richie's
shadow, his bodyguard many years before. If possible, he would be loyal to Richie and work for him for
his entire life.
With discontent, Shirley glanced at Antonio. She raised her brows and snorted,"He misses me? I've
been away from home for so many days, but he hasn't made a single call or sent any messages to me,
yet. Fine! Just let him keep ignoring me! I won't go back home even after watching the concert. Huh!"
With a sigh, Antonio shook his head. It seemed that Richie and Shirley were taking these sorts of
quarrels as some form of amusement, ever since Wing and Brian had moved out.
Despite her careless words, Shirley actually felt even more upset at heart. Staring at the phone in her
hands, she kept cursing Richie in her mind, again and again.
On the other side, in South Africa, Richie was talking to someone on the phone, with one hand in the
pocket. Even though Richie was in his middle age, it seemed that age hadn't left its trace on his cold
and handsome face. He had become more profound, and his eagle-like sharp eyes were devoid of any
emotions.
"Remember to take care of Brian and Eric, considering Aaron isn't a simple guy," calmly, Richie
instructed.
"Of course, I will!" from the other side of the line, came Shawn's wild and proud voice. When he spoke,
his charming eyes bent with a smile. "But, I don't want to intervene too much in their affairs. The two
kids have grown up. They are more capable now," he continued.
Shawn had already been tricked by Brian to have come to the QY Island.
Richie narrowed his eyes with satisfaction. He knew that his son, Brian Long, would stand at the top
like an emperor one day in the future.
After hanging up, Richie clicked his phone screen and stared at the photo. As he touched the smiling
face, a thin smile formed on his lips as well.
'Shirley, we didn't have the chance to experience all those normal things between a girlfriend and
boyfriend when we were young, ' he thought. 'And now, I would make up for it!
I will let you feel and experience all those things in a relationship. This is another way for me to love
you.'
Now at the restaurant, Shirley was also looking at the cold and handsome face on her phone screen.
Unhappy, she let out a deep sigh, but remained stubborn. She wasn't willing to be the one to break the
silence, as she didn't think that it was her fault this time.
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