Evelyn closed the door to avoid disturbing others.
She strode into the room, following the noise to the bedroom, and upon seeing her silly son treating the soft bed like a trampoline, she instantly raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you howling again?"
Leaning against the doorfra, Evelyn glanced sharply, loudly interrupting his howling.
Clent stopped.
He stood on the bed, twisted his head, and looked over in confusion, blinking his pure, bright eyes. After two seconds of silence, he started howling again.
"Mom—Mrs. Winter—ahhhh—"
Clent leaped off the bed, barefoot across the floor, then rushed over to hug Evelyn tightly.
"Mom! My idol wished a happy birthday!"
"She ca to the electro music festival yesterday to watch my performance!"
"Mom—"
Covering this little brat’s howling mouth with one hand, Evelyn pushed the octopus latched onto her away.
Raising her hand to straighten the sleeve, Evelyn adjusted her collar, frowning, "That Zero?"
Filled with excitent, Clent didn’t notice Evelyn’s disdain, holding his phone up to show her, nearly poking her face with the screen.
Snatching his phone, Evelyn glanced casually, then noticed sothing odd, frowning slightly, enlarging the two hands tightly clasped together.
Clent moved closer excitedly, "Mom, if you like my idol’s bracelet, I can make one for you—"
"With your kindergarten level craft skills?"
Evelyn glared at him.
"..."
Clent blinked, took a half step back, shoulders drooping, and said nothing.
Evelyn looked at the screen again.
This black bracelet, seed familiar...
That girl from yesterday?
The angle looks quite similar.
Throwing the phone back to Clent, Evelyn raised her eyebrow, "You said your idol turned from an uncle to a beauty?"
"Yeah!"
Eyes lighting up, Clent nodded eagerly.
"Why aren’t you closed off now?" Evelyn asked.
"Haven’t I already closed off once and accepted the reality..." Clent blinked, then softly added, "If there’s another explosive news, I might close off again."
"Such weak ntal resilience."
The disdain of a mother was overflowing from her eyes and brows.
Forget it, better not tell him that she saw a girl resembling "his idol" twice last night.
"The uncle you followed for seven years turned into a beauty, wouldn’t you feel closed off?" Clutching his phone, Clent earnestly asked Evelyn.
Giving him a disdainful glance, Evelyn replied unhurriedly, "I’d be too happy."
Clent: "...Oh."
"Breakfast."
Tossing the breakfast bag she’d been holding to Clent, Evelyn said, "I’m leaving soon."
"Aren’t you going to stay in Anchel for a few more days? I can find soone to accompany you." Clent asked considerately.
Clent still needed to attend a program recording.
"Searching for the City’s Secret" had been recording two consecutive episodes, the last one was in Anchel, finished two days ago.
The new guests arrived at Cloud Sky Hotel last night and had to rush to Greenhill Town this morning. The town had no airport, so they had to take the high-speed rail or highway, the crew arranged a bus to take them, it’s a two-hour drive.
In short, the busy schedule left Clent unable to accompany Evelyn to play around Anchel.
"Play in Anchel?" Evelyn said, "I stayed here before you were born."
"..."
Clent scratched his unruly hair.
If soone else said this, it would be taken as a challenge, but to Clent, it only ant — Mrs. Winter had lived here over twenty years ago.
Over twenty years, the city changed drastically.
Clent bit his cheek, not daring to speak.
*
Seven-thirty.
Nora was stuffed into the car by Pedro, who took the initiative to drive, heading straight to the nearby Tofu Shop.
Nora rolled down the window, leaned on it, letting the wind wake her up.
With John not around, Humphrey stood at the door, finished with two cigarettes, and upon seeing them, brought over the packaged breakfast.
"What about his?"
Taking the breakfast, Nora glanced inside, suspiciously asking.
Frowning slightly, Humphrey glanced at the driver, and said in a deep voice, "None."
"Oh."
Rembering she hadn’t told Humphrey beforehand, Nora understandingly nodded, looking back, said to Pedro, "Then we’ll share it."
"Mm."
Pedro smiled, nodding slightly.
Humphrey: "..."
"Let’s go."
Nora leaned back in, said lightly to Humphrey.
Pedro furrowed his brow slightly, Humphrey Jennings frowned, "Call if you need anything."
"Okay."
Nora hadn’t even finished her word before Pedro drove away.
*
Although Humphrey Jennings only prepared one breakfast, the portion was still sufficient enough for two people to share.
Since Pedro was driving, Nora held a bag of dumplings and fed Pedro a couple while eating so herself.
Pedro felt sweetness in his heart, but bitterness in his mouth, "Do you really have to go today?"
"Yes."
Half an hour ago, Nora was still finding various excuses to stay in bed, but now she answered calmly.
Pedro furrowed his brow.
The matters at hand were not yet dealt with, so he couldn’t accompany Nora to Greenhill Town.
"Just two or three days."
Nora slowly drank from a plastic cup with a straw inserted into tofu brain.
Katherine Collins’ docuntary included an episode fild in Greenhill Town.
Nora needed to stay there for two or three days.
Before sleep last night, Pedro suggested calling Katherine Collins to ask to postpone the docuntary filming by two days, but Nora refused.
Being capricious is one thing, making promises is another, and they are not to be mixed.
Pedro looked over and saw Nora looking relaxed and carefree, without a hint of attachnt or reluctance, feeling quite conflicted.
She likes you, protects you, indulges you, but there are too many things distracting her attention, and you are forever just one among them.
At this mont, busy since getting out of bed and having no ti to go online, the two were unaware of the storm Nora’s tweet stirred up online last night.
*
First Affiliated High School, Class 2, Grade 3.
Oliver Scott was carrying a backpack, walking down the hallway, and even before reaching the classroom, he could hear the commotion inside.
Planning to blow up the school?
Filled with doubt, Oliver Scott entered the classroom from the back door and saw his usually normal classmates acting as if on drugs, gathered in groups, chattering excitedly with animated gestures.
"Dig! Dig hard!"
"With all the pictures uploaded by the audience at the scene, there’s just no way there’s not a single picture of her."
"It’s so pitch-black, even finding the person by the wristband doesn’t make her clear."
"Then find a clearer one."
"Even a silhouette is enough for us to fantasize."
"Hahaha, the topic following Zero has exceeded a hundred thousand, and it’s still soaring straight up."
...
Oliver Scott: ???
What kind of scene is this?
Did they all collectively take drugs in just one night?
"Why are you standing here?"
A cold voice suddenly ca from behind, pulling Oliver Scott’s drifting thoughts back.
Oliver Scott turned his head and, as expected, saw Marcus Shaw’s indifferent and world-weary face.
Shrugging his shoulders, Oliver Scott said, "I want to know too."
Marcus Shaw glanced at him, then swept his gaze across the bustling classroom, without the slightest interest, and walked towards his seat.
Oliver Scott initially wanted to follow, but then Steve Singleton ran over excitedly with his phone, extending his hand to grab Steve Singleton’s shoulder, pulling him sharply back from rushing into the crowd.
"What’s going on here?" Oliver Scott slightly furrowed his brow and asked.
Steve Singleton was excitedly gesturing, "My study tyrant, this is really sothing big—"
Oliver Scott kicked him, "Calm down and speak properly."
"Oh."
After three seconds, Steve Singleton slightly cald himself.
Then, his face flushing with excitent, he explained to Oliver Scott, "So, here’s the thing, today is Clent Winter’s birthday, oh, and yesterday Clent opened for the electric music festival in Anchel—"
Oliver Scott watched him calmly, patting his shoulder and gritting his teeth as he said, "The point."
"Oh oh, the point!" Steve Singleton hastily nodded, continuing, "This morning, around midnight, Zero tweeted to celebrate Clent’s birthday, with a picture from the electric music festival. In it, there were two hands—"
At this point, Steve Singleton fetched a picture from his phone and handed it to Oliver Scott.
"Look at this hand, there’s a black cord on the wrist, similar to the one Zero used before."
"..."
Seeing the slightly blurry wristband after zooming in, Oliver Scott’s face showed a subtle change.
Steve Singleton, however, didn’t notice at all and continued to explain, "Previously, not many people wanted to know Zero’s true identity, but now she keeps making big news, the entire internet is united to dig out her identity to see who she really is."
"Around four or five o’clock this morning, soone established the ’Dig Zero’ topic, and last night’s audience at the electric music festival received the news, uploading their pictures to the topic."
"Now, everyone is searching for the black cord among thousands of pictures. Anyway, recognizing Zero based on this black cord."
...
Steve Singleton kept jabbering.
Oliver Scott suddenly handed the phone back to him and walked straight towards Marcus Shaw’s desk.
A shadow suddenly fell, Marcus Shaw slightly raised an eyebrow, "What’s up?"
"Co out with for a bit."
Grabbing Marcus Shaw’s wrist, Oliver Scott directly pulled him outside.
Marcus Shaw frowned slightly, hesitated for a mont, but didn’t shake him off.
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