Girls received hair ties and clips, while boys got knee pads, soccer balls, and textbooks. The older girls were given lipsticks and skincare products. These older girls had never seen such items before and were curious, with their brown eyes filled with confusion. "Mr. Micah, what is this?" one of them asked."Lipstick can enhance your skin tone," Mr. Micah patiently explained. "In other countries, people use it to make themselves look better. This process is called makeup. This is foundation. If you don’t know how to use it, I can find a video for you to watch and learn from."Mr. Micah spoke in a mix of English and Yaren language, and Nina could mostly understand him."Thank you, Mr. Micah!" The girl didn’t fully understand but clutched the lipstick and skincare products like treasures. The desire to look beautiful is a natural human trait.The children were thrilled with their gifts. "Mr. Micah, please come to my house for dinner tonight! My mom sold some herbs and bought chicke
Nina grabbed the boy's arm. His entire village had been slaughtered by Pharaoh's men, and this Mr. Micah seemed to have some connection to Pharaoh. She feared the boy's simmering hatred might lead him to expose them prematurely.Feeling the pressure on his arm, the boy came to his senses. Nina said, "If there's nothing else, we'll take our leave now."To Mr. Micah, they were outsiders. He was likely scrutinizing them closely. Initially, they had just wanted to catch a glimpse of Mr. Micah, but since he had already noticed them, they needed to return and devise a strategy.Mr. Micah smiled but said nothing, implicitly agreeing to let them go. After they left, Mr. Micah called over two men and instructed them in the Yaren language, "Keep a close eye on those two."Nina and the boy returned to the man's yard and went into the designated room. "We've been marked," Nina said.She had noticed Mr. Micah's scrutinizing gaze and probing questions during their conversation. It was clear
"Alright, I'll take you to meet Mr. Micah tomorrow," the man said.He didn't overthink it. Mainly, he noticed Nina's statement about being from Birkham. Mr. Micah also spoke English and had a similar appearance to Nina. If Nina could cook meals that Mr. Micah enjoyed, it would be a way of showing their gratitude."Thank you," Nina replied.Although she wasn't used to Yaren food, she managed to eat half a bowl of mashed potatoes. In an unfamiliar environment, she needed to maintain her strength.After dinner, Nina returned to the small room. There was no bed, so the man had brought them two pieces of cardboard to sleep on. Lying on the cardboard, Nina's thoughts drifted to Scarlett and the others. She wondered how they were doing.The boy whispered in her ear, "I need to go with you tomorrow."Although Nina hadn't mentioned him in her plan while talking to the man, he insisted on going. He had to keep an eye on Mr. Micah, ready to act at the slightest hint of trouble."Your hand
One of the children noticed Mr. Micah and immediately beamed, waving enthusiastically. "Mr. Micah!"Nina turned her head at the sound. Mr. Micah was wearing a black shirt today, with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He stood in the sunlight, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a few books. His black eyes were inscrutable behind his gold-rimmed glasses, but his mouth curved into a deep smile.The next moment, the children around Nina swarmed toward Mr. Micah."Mr. Micah, she said that it should be 'perfect' instead of 'prefect'!""Mr. Micah, didn't you tell us last time that it's the 'prefect'?""Mr. Micah, we only trust you!""Mr. Micah, we don't know her. Who is she?"Voices clamored all at once, and a few children even glared at Nina. Suddenly, a little boy picked up a stone and hurled it at her. Nina quickly dodged, but Mr. Micah rushed over, taking the hit on his thigh.Mr. Micah's expression turned stern. "Sean, what have I
The next moment, Mr. Micah also found a spot and sat down beside Nina. He handed her a piece of cheesecake.Nina didn’t take it. "That child already apologized to me.""He only apologized because I told him to. If you hadn't dodged in time, he would have hit you," Mr. Micah maintained his position, holding out the cheesecake. "I don’t know your name yet."After a moment of hesitation, Nina decided to give her name, knowing she was already being watched. If she could use herself to help in some way, hiding her name was pointless now. "My name is Nina."Mr. Micah's smile remained warm. "What’s your last name?""It's Walker. I’m Nina Walker," Nina answered calmly.The next second, Mr. Micah placed the cheesecake in Nina’s hand. "Why did you come to such a chaotic place?"I noticed you understand and speak the Yaren language," Mr. Micah added, his gentle voice not betraying any suspicion.Nina smiled. "I was sold here. I just happened to pick up a bit of the language."As a breeze
This scene did not escape Micah's notice, though his expression remained unchanged. He had the charger in hand, but he didn't approach immediately. Just then, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, his eyes grew noticeably colder. He answered the call.A gentle voice sounded in his ear, "Brother, when are you coming back?""Not coming back for now," Micah responded coldly. At this moment, he seemed entirely different from the gentle, polite man he was with the children or when speaking with Nina.There was a brief silence on the other end before the voice, tinged with anticipation, said, "Brother, when you decide to come back, please call me, or let someone inform me in advance...""Got it. I have things to do, I'm hanging up now." Without another word, Micah ended the call. The woman on the other end heard the beeping of the disconnected line, a flash of anger crossing her eyes. She was seemingly blaming him for hanging up too quickly and not being affectionate enough.---Af
In front of her stood a girl in a brown dress with bronze skin, looking at her with disdain. Nina's lips curled into a cold smile. "Trying to scare me?"Throwing a mouse was such a childish move.The girl crossed her arms and approached Nina with a chilling glare. "No, I'm warning you! Stay away from Mr. Micah. Don't even think about seducing him!"The girl's English was slightly better than the children's, but still not fluent.Nina chuckled. "You're warning the wrong person. I have no such intentions toward Mr. Micah.""Liar!" the girl spat out, her face full of hatred. "You're not from our village. You must have bad intentions!"The more the girl spoke, the angrier she became. "And as soon as you arrived, you started hanging around Mr. Micah. What else could you be trying to do?"Nina found the situation amusing. Her laughter, however, only fueled the girl's anger. The girl rushed forward, trying to push Nina to the ground. Nina dodged and noticed a snake coiled in the gras
Arin felt utterly humiliated by the accusations. The villagers quickly realized who was in the wrong, and they began to criticize Arin while apologizing to Nina."We're sorry. We didn't understand the situation and almost harmed you.""Don't take it to heart. You can stay here as long as you like.""Arin, if you make a mistake, you need to own up to it. Apologize to this lady."Though they spoke in the Yaren language, Nina could understand most of it. Arin, however, was not willing to back down. She liked Mr. Micah but had never dared to express her feelings. Now that everything was out in the open, she couldn't imagine how to face him. Being scolded by so many people made her want to disappear. Apologizing to Nina was the last thing she wanted to do.Mr. Micah's voice was firm, "Arin, apologize to Nina."Shaken by his authoritative tone, Arin had no choice but to walk over to Nina with her head down. "I'm sorry. It was my fault. I apologize and hope you can forgive me.""I