"Oh my goodness!"
Yang Lixue and Xu Lian stared in shock at the scene unfolding in front of them, water was pooling across their apartment's tiled floor, drenching everything in its path. The walls were already streaked with water, and the faint odor of mildew was in the air.
A tall man stood next to them lingering near the door with an apologetic look, and his sharp black suit looked somehow out of place in the wreckage.
He was a stranger and neither of them had ever met him before, but he claimed to be the hostel caretaker,
" Oh my goodness!" Xu Lian screeched once again, and although Yang Lixue couldn't hear the full effect of her scream, she could tell it was deafening from how the man next to them winced.
"I'm so sorry about the inconvenience," he said, his tone professional but laced with genuine condolence. "The flooding was unexpected, and we have already started to fix the issues with the pipes."
Yang Lixue stared at him hearing nothing of what he said. Her confusion only increased by the dull ache in her temple. The buzz of her hearing aid was faint but it was making her headache worse, and she could barely follow what was coming out of his mouth. The man's lips were moving but not matching her ability to understand.
Xu Lian took a gentle hold of her arm and brought her attention back. Yang Lixue looked to her, and Xu Lian signed, fingers swift but steady.
He said he can't stay here anymore. They're paying us fifteen thousand Yuan each for the trouble.
Yang Lixue's eyes widened as they shot up in shock. She quickly signed back,fifteen thousand? That's way more than we paid. How come?
Xu Lian shrugged, signing back with a slight smile. I don't know. But frankly, I'm okay with that. This could be a blessing in disguise. She looked around at the destruction, her gaze resting on a pile of important documents and keepsakes, all neatly piled in a corner, untouched.
None of our important things were destroyed, which is definitely a miracle. Maybe this is our opportunity to get a better place finally.
Yang Lixue bit her lip, hesitation in her eyes. ' How was this possible? They are willing to pay us seven thousand dollars each?, this stroke of luck is getting out of hand!'
She still couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something wasn't adding up. But Xu Lian's optimism was infectious and she couldn't fault her logic.
Until then, Xu Lian signed again, we will stay at an hotel and spent the night. I'm areally tired today, we are just going to start afresh tomorrow and go out to find a new apartment.
This time her fingers moved slowly, and she kept her eyes soft as though trying to soothe Yang Lixue's building anxiety.
Yang Lixue averted her gaze, but then her eyes fell on Kael Chan, who was standing by the door with his hands shoving deep into his pockets. Although he did not know sign language, he appeared to sense the mood of the room, offering her a kind reassuring smile.
Yng Lixue paused, then signed to Xu Lian, Why don't you go to Kael Chan's place? You were already going to spend the weekend there. I will get a hotel room and pack up some stuff tonight.'
Xu Lian scowled, her fingers already twitching in protest, but Yang Lixue silenced her with a hard stare.
We cannot move all of our belongings into a hotel this night she signed. And we can't leave the important stuff here overnight. Something bad might happen, God forbid we meet them and eventually drown in a pile of water. She checked her watch as she looked quickly at Karl Chan before adding, You both have to finish your class project before tomorrow, and he already said it's fine if you stay over, so you should go.
When Xu Lian opened her mouth to argue again, Yang Lixue stubbornly stared down at her sneakers, an obvious sign that there would be no more conversation on the matter. Xu Lian let out a dramatic sigh and reached out to flick Yang Lixue's forehead.
Yang Lixue grimaced, pouting at her friend, but Xu Lian only grinned.
"Okay," Xu Lian said aloud, then whispered slowly, "Kael Chan and I will take you to check in at the hotel first so that I can sleep in peace knowing you're alright. No arguments." She sighed in resignation
Nodding, Yang Lixue smiled weakly yet again, despite her nerves.
Kael Chan quickly enlisted a moving company to begin clearing out the apartment. Yang Lixue tried to contain her amazement as he made calls with ease, it was clear evidence of his wealth and connections. It was surreal how fast everything was being arranged, but she still rejected his repeated invitations to stay at his place too.
Even when he was trying to convince her himself to come back with them — he maintained a respectful distance so he would not make her uncomfortable or trigger her anxiety. It was so kind of him, but she still stood her ground.
His quiet attempt to convince her to come with them was met with the polite shaking of her head repeatedly. She typed her reply into her tablet and held it up for him to see: "Thank you, but I'll be alright on my own, it's only for tonight."
'Im helping you dummy, I know you like my best friend.' She kept her thoughts to herself, hiding the mischievous glint in her blue eyes
Yang Lixue stood outside the flooded building, in the cold evening air, waiting for a taxi that would take her to the hotel. She wrapped her oversized gray hoodie tighter around her small body, the hem trailing her joggers. The black slides on her feet hadn't been the best choice for the cold weather, and the chill crawled up her exposed feet, but she didn't care.
She liked the way the gentle drizzle pelted against her skin, and the little beads of water hitting the back of her outstretched palm and her toes like a fleeting promise of peace.
She let out a soft giggle—soundless, yet full of light as she stared down to see the water ripple in the puddles around her legs.
But then, she froze.
A chill ran down her spine from the undeniable feeling of being watched. Her heart raced as she looked up, scanning back and forth across the street before her eyes caught on something— or rather someone.
Standing in the shade of a nearby tree there was a man. His silhouette was imposing and his presence was magnetic. A streetlamp behind him glowed weakly and framed him in the dark, but it was his eyes that caught her attention.
His emerald eyes blazed with an intensity that made her catch her breath.
Her heart raced and thudded as their eyes met. There was an unexpressed understanding, something she couldn't exactly define but she felt with every fiber of her being.
she suddenly felt the urge to turn around and run, but the magnetic eyes held her captive
The world seemed to pause, the drizzle turning into a gentle whisper as it fell gently around them.