Drunk Call?!

*****

Zhi Li drove Mrs. Chen and Shui Yi to the gated community, which was newly constructed by the new highway road bridge built to the city to connect this community. 

"You knew about this when you brought a plot here?!" Mrs. Chen's eyes bulged She looked at her surroundings and glared back at Shui Yi, "Good Job."

Shui Yi shook her head as she wrapped her arms around Mrs. Chen and hugged her into the house. As they entered, Mrs.Chen pulled the scarf in Shui Yi's hair.

"You were hiding this badge" reffering to the band aid dressing on her head Mrs. Chen tried to grab Shui Yi's ear. Shui Yi shook herself away from Mrs. Chen and walked ahead of her.

Shui Yi showed Mrs. Chen to her room behind the wall with the TV hung in the hall. Mrs. Chen took a glance at the inside of the room, which was full of dust, and white sheets covered the furniture.

"Let Zhi Li organize the room" Shui Yi gestures with her hand at Zhi Li standing beside her.

"Yeah! I'll have it done for the night" Zhi Li chuckled.

Mrs. Chen left to the kitchen on their right beside them. She checked every cupboard, but they were either empty or filled with fast food. She then checked the freezer, and the same was true there.

"Get some groceries?!" Mrs. Chen flared at Shui Yi. "How can you be so lazy?"

None can compare with Mrs. Chen's knowledge about Shui Yi. Yeah, she is aware of Shui Yi's condition, and she knows that it cannot prevent her from living her life and it can't prevent her from getting groceries.

"Go Now " her brows drew near.

Shui Yi hurriedly caught her things—earpods, gloves, and a mask. As she rushed out, "Aye!" her voice faded. She rushed to the store within the community.

***

Zhi Li, Mrs. Chen, and Shui Yi sat by the dining table.

"How long has it been?!" Mrs. Chen raised a brow, taking a taste of the sweet and sour chicken.

"How Long What?!" Shui Yi raised a question back at Mrs. Chen.

"For home-cooked meal!" Mrs. Chen's nose turned red.

"Been a while" Shui Yi devoured the food, she added, "food's good."

"Can't you make yourself one everyday?" Mrs. chen grabbed Shui Yi's ear by her right as she pressed tightly She said, " you made this meal yourself too!!!"

Shui Yi learned cooking when she was younger. She grew up watching her mom cook, which in turn spurred her to learn to cook. Shui Yi immerses herself in cooking; whatever the dish, lost in the world of food, with not much time to spare, hindered her from cooking every day.

"Old hag!!!" Shui Yi cried out and struggled to escape Mrs. Chen's hold.

Zhi Li, sitting through all this, nibbled the food quietly.

Mrs.Chen sat back in her stool. "Have the veggies!" She added veggies to Shui Yi's and Zhi Li's bowls.

Back in her seat, Mrs. Chen conducted Shui Yi's interview, "What does he do? "

On hearing her question, Zhi Li arrested from eating. Answers decided Shu Yi's life, On the verge of life and death, corners of Zhi Li's mouth carved downwards, her eyes darted and back at Shui Yi, awiting for her answer, worried.

Shui Yi took a deep breath. "He's an illustrator."

Xiao Zhou Shui Yi did come up with it on the spur of the moment, and coincidentally, Xiao Zhou is an illustrator, so that popped into her mind along with her answer. 

A perfect, convincing answer. If it were outside of the gaming industry, Mrs. Chen would've caught on. Well, she is aware Shui Yi can't even meet people within the industry outside of it, an obsolute lie.But its not enough to convince the old hag. After all, she is mindful of Shui Yi's ability to come up with solutions.

Mrs. Chen's eyes narrowed, wrinkles on her forehead. She is ready to throw more questions at Shui Yi. "What do his parents do?"

He didn't agree to it yet! Well!!

Shui Yi pushed her chopsticks on the table. "Mother is a retired nurse, and father is dead." 

She is talking about Xiao Zhou's parents. Shui Yi took the risk to have Xiao Zhou play the decoy role. Whatever his answer may be, he was the only choice she had.

He didn't call!!  Shui Yi glared at her phone resting on the table across her hand.

"Any Siblings?"

"A Brother"

"What does he do?" Mrs.Chen walked to the couch 

"Just finished college!" Shui Yi followed, "He recently found a job."

Zhi Li took the opportunity to clean the table and do the dishes.

"He knows your background?" Mrs. Chen rested her back on the sofa.

"Hmm" Shu Yi nodded, and she added, "He's not after money." seated opposite to Mrs. Chen.

"Hmm" Mrs. Chen nods.

Mrs.Chen doubts Shui Yi having boyfriend but she fully believes in her judgement.

Zhi Li let out a sigh of relief, which did not last long. 

"Set a meeting." Mrs. Chen left to her room, now neatly organized.

Their conversation that went back and forth ended.

Shui Yi saw Zhi Li out to the door, patting on her shoulder. Shui Yi said, "I've got this." Throughout the dinner, Shui Yi noticed how much the topic troubled Zhi Li.

Zhi Li shook her head, and her facial features brightened. Zhi Li has complete trust in Shui Yi's words. Always it was only her words she needed to hear,those were sufficient for Zhi Li, as she knows Shui Yi has never gone against her words.

****

Shui Yi rests her back on the bed, tossing left and right, she turns to her mobile laying on the stool beside her bed.

I guess he wouldn't call at 11pm She went underneath her blanket.

|Buzzzz buzz |

Shui Yi jumped out of her blanket and fell on her phone

"Hmm" she coughed in the phone

A voice came out from her phone saying "Why pretend? Why??Why?"

"Xiao Zhou!" She narrowed her eyes

The voice yelled in the phone "Let me finish!–" he took a long pause " Aye Live Yu—"

|Thud |

"What was that sounds?" Shui Yi roams "Xiao Zhou?" She called out

|Still|

"You there?" she called out again "Xiao Zhou?!?"

"Yes" a voice replied

Shui Yi let out a sigh "Are you drunk?"

"Wha–t? Woo is dr–unk?!" said Xiao Zhou on the phone

"Humph"

He is drunk!

"I'll give you an answer now" Xiao Zhou yells

Seriously

He continued " Are you listening?—"

"Yes"

"Don't interrupt me!!! Pick me up then I will do it!!" saying that Xiao Zhou hung up.

What??!!!!

Shui Yi tried to reach him again, instead she found, he had shared his location with her.