At the stroke of noon, James promptly ascended to the third floor. His colleague in the office was already well-acquainted with the peculiar situation and playfully ushered Rowan away with a chuckle. With an amiable grin, James turned to her and asked, "Care to join me for lunch?"Rowan nodded in agreement.Side by side, the two strolled down the staircase, a serene silence enveloping them. Their unspoken understanding, nurtured over the past few days, guided them as they stepped outside.Several days had elapsed since James's unexpected confession. However, during this span, the two of them had chosen not to revisit the events of that day. Rowan, for her part, adopted an ostrich-like approach, burying her head in the sand of denial. James refrained from pressing the issue; he comprehended that any inquiry now would yield a negative response.His restraint in questioning didn't imply inaction, though. Employing the pretext of coincidental errands, he began inviting Rowan to commute to
In Rowan's talking, she said, "This child belongs to the mother!" But her words got cut because the woman interrupted.Fingers kept pointing forward. The woman turned her head first. When she saw James, her eyes lit up, and she went to them quickly."Help Ryan!"She looked anxious before, but seeing James made her sound calmer.James reached out and held the child naturally."What happened? Why did he get sick suddenly?" James asked, looking serious.Now, the woman wasn't as worried as when she talked to Rowan earlier. She talked about what happened, with some tears.James checked the child in his arms. It seemed the child wasn't as sick as he thought, and he relaxed a bit.Then he spoke to the woman, trying to make her feel better. "Don't feel bad. It's not your fault he's sick. You did well by coming here quickly. Let's go!"The woman stopped crying and wiped her eyes.They walked away from where they were, going to the upper floor.James's words were comforting. They reached the el
When James got back home, feeling a bit tired, the city lights were just starting to come on.He pushed the door open and saw a small, warm yellow lamp glowing in the entryway. It lit up a small area around him and made him feel cozy inside."Hey, little buddy."He peered into the room and called out, but there was no answer.He chuckled, figuring the dog had probably gone off to play with Rowan.He wasn't sure whose dog it was, but he'd been looking after it for a while now. Ever since they first met, the dog had shown more affection for Rowan than even for him.He changed his shoes and stepped inside.In the dining room, there was another small ball of orange light, guiding his way like a lighthouse.He moved into the dining area with a slow pace.As he flicked the switch on the wall, the room suddenly lit up.A few homemade dishes sat quietly on the dining table. They had gotten a bit cold, but they still looked delicious and inviting, especially after his long day that left him wi
Just over a week had passed since their last meeting, and the relationship between these two individuals was rapidly improving.Rolland was taken aback for a while. After James obediently disappeared from view, he turned his attention to Rowan."How do you two know each other so well?!" His tone held a mixture of surprise and disapproval. Rowan believed that the quality of interpersonal relationships was about more than just shared words and agreements—it was the depth of interaction that truly mattered.People often feel comfortable expressing their true emotions around those close to them. This was particularly noteworthy because Rowan was typically reserved and kept a certain distance from others. Yet, as Rolland observed, during the days he wasn't around, their relationship seemed to be growing closer, just as Rowan had anticipated. Rolland was far from pleased with this.After posing the initial question, and before Rowan could respond, Rolland continued to press on."Why did you
Rowan pretended to be angry and swatted Rolland's hand away."I didn't say I want to get involved in other people's affairs! It's just that you get so nervous when someone casually asks you. How can you not believe me?"Rolland chuckled, "Isn't this about fearing your impulsiveness?"At that moment, not far off, the elevator the man had been waiting for had already opened. He strolled into the elevator along with the crowd."Let's go as well," Rolland said, taking Rowan's arm."First, let's have lunch and then take a walk. You can simply clarify what you just said. I still have a bunch of questions for you!"Rowan smiled and nodded.The mall's restaurants were all located on the top two floors. Hand in hand, they ascended the stairs, discussing in hushed tones as they walked, deciding which restaurant to dine at.Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Rowan glimpsed through the clear, floor-to-ceiling windows of a passing shop, and a familiar figure caught her attention.She couldn't
Due to the earlier car incident, both of them remained silent until they reached the upstairs landing and approached Rowan's apartment door.As Rowan retrieved her keys from her bag, the closed door was met with eager barks and the rhythmic sound of claws scratching against it. The noise wasn't deafening, but it resonated clearly down the corridor.Almost instinctively, Rowan considered grabbing an extra key to free Bingo and let it spend some time with her. Over time, Bingo had grown fond of Rowan, and now, every time it heard her opening the door, it yearned to dash in her direction.She had secured half of her keys when it suddenly occurred to her that someone was standing beside her.Rolland gazed curiously at the door opposite, locking eyes with Rowan, and asked inquisitively, "Is it that clever? Does it actually know when you're back?"Rowan momentarily halted, her key-laden hand, before smoothly switching to the other key with a nonchalant expression. She slid it into her own d
Rowan picked up the phone."Hello?""Rowan, did you have dinner yet?" James asked, his voice gentle.It seemed like James called just to check if Rowan had eaten.Rowan, hearing James' normal tone, instantly relaxed. He walked back into the room from the porch and replied, "No, I was just about to invite you for dinner, but I noticed you haven't returned home yet"She had another question she wanted to ask: why was he so anxious that he had to handle it at night?However, upon reflection, she felt that her timing wasn't appropriate.She chose different words, "Carry on with your tasks, don't worry about Bingo! Just let it stay at my place tonight, and I'll take care of it."James wasn't overly polite in his response, simply saying, "Okay."After a pause, he inquired again, "Aren't you curious about my pressing matter?"Rowan answered honestly, "A little bit."James smiled softly and remarked, "But I don't want to ask. I wouldn't want to misunderstand your concern for me."Rowan felt a
The following morning, James arrived to walk the dog as usual. Rowan anticipated that he might want to discuss the lingering issue from the previous night, but to her surprise, he simply glanced at her sleepy dog, Rolland, who was trotting behind her, and offered a light smile along with a heartfelt "Thank you."If James didn't initiate the conversation, Rowan suspected she wouldn't have the courage to bring up the topic herself. Thus, the day passed, time stretching on until the approaching evening.As the day drew to a close, Rowan organized for Rolland to be dropped off at home. She inserted the key into her front door's lock, and as she did so, the door swung open from behind. There stood James, a warm smile gracing his features."Hey, do you have a moment to chat?" he inquired.Rowan's heart quickened, her curiosity piqued. "Of course, I'm free."With the key still in her hand, she turned and stepped across the threshold into James's house. However, what greeted her was far from