Chapter 747: Chapter 747: Going Home
The final resolution of this incident was carried out according to Xu Ke’s method. The police took the three girls to the police station, and they were facing astronomical compensation and a prison sentence. The female shop assistant who tried to make Xu Ke the scapegoat was also fired by the owner. Once today’s events spread, no shop would dare to hire them, and it can be said that their future prospects are bleak.
Xu Ke seemed to have let them go, but in reality, the punishment they received was on par with what they would have suffered at Claude’s hands, perhaps even worse. After all, even if Claude’s knife cuts deep, its pain is momentary; once it’s over, everything is past. But Xu Ke’s knife is like a soft blade, its pain not as intense as Claude’s but lasting much longer, causing them daily suffering without respite.
After dealing with the toy store incident, Xu Ke naturally released Alice’s hand, which he had been holding, and looked at Claude and said, "I guess you must have come personally because you have something you need me to do. I wonder if there’s anything I can do to help you." Xu Ke said with a slight smile on his face.
Behind Xu Ke, Alice showed a hint of disappointment on her face, her eyes unblinkingly looking at the hand that had just been released. Her heart felt like it was on a roller coaster, going up and down without ever reaching the ground, feeling uneasy and unsure of what Xu Ke meant.
In front of Xu Ke, Claude turned around, looking serious and earnest. After a while, he said, "I admire you a lot. Sometimes I wonder if you have some special power because you can so easily read my mind. I came personally this time partly to thank you for saving me last time. Although I gave you some money afterward, I always feel that some things cannot be replaced by money, so I came personally. On the other hand, I really do have something I need your help with. I don’t know who else could help me; the only person I could think of is you."
Claude looked at Xu Ke with sincere eyes, as if Xu Ke were his last hope.
"As long as I can help, I certainly won’t refuse. There’s no need for you to make a special trip." Xu Ke adopted a flattered posture but felt no emotional stir within; even being tested by others didn’t make him feel any nervousness. It was as if he was born missing this part, with few people or things able to make him feel tense.
Although Xu Ke was always in the position of a superior, he had once lived a few years in destitution in Luo City. Saying such words and doing such things now did not seem abrupt; as long as you don’t pay careful attention, you won’t notice even a hint of incongruity.
Whether it was truly Xu Ke’s luck, Claude’s face showed no unusual expression. After exchanging a few polite words, they arranged to meet again at a specific time. Claude then took his people and left, leaving Xu Ke and Alice alone after a short while.
"It’s getting late. Let me take you back to rest. I didn’t get to show you a good time today, and you were frightened; I’m really sorry. I’ll make it up to you next time." As Xu Ke watched Claude walking away, he hid the complexity in his eyes and spoke to Alice.
Alice, who had been a little lost in thought, snapped back to reality upon hearing Xu Ke’s words. She quickly waved her hands to refuse Xu Ke’s apology, "This incident was just an accident. No one wanted it to happen, so how can I blame you? Besides, if anyone should be blamed, it’s me. If I hadn’t taken a liking to that doll, we wouldn’t have gone in. If we hadn’t gone in, we wouldn’t have run into those three, and we wouldn’t have been caused so much trouble. So if you must blame anyone, it should be me."
When Alice said this, she lowered her head as if she had made a mistake and was waiting to be punished, feeling very guilty.
Xu Ke reached out and ruffled Alice’s hair, "Alright, don’t blame yourself. This was not something any of us could have predicted, so it’s not your fault. Let’s go home."
Alice’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing Xu Ke say "let’s go home." She wanted to know what Xu Ke meant by this, but when she looked up, she could only see his back. Alice opened her mouth but decided to swallow her words, torn between thinking Xu Ke might have feelings for her and chiding herself for being delusional.
The conflicting thoughts in Alice’s mind argued fiercely, giving her a terrible headache.
Xu Ke took a few steps and didn’t hear any footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw Alice standing there with an unpleasant expression. Xu Ke quickly walked back, "What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Xu Ke asked with concern, bending down.
"No," Alice denied, lowering her head as her eyes met Xu Ke’s gaze. She bit her lip hesitantly and said, "It’s just a little headache, but it’s better now. Let’s go back."
"Problems with the head are not to be taken lightly; I think we should go to the hospital for a check-up." Xu Ke held Alice’s hand, ready to hail a cab, but Alice pulled her hand back.
"No need to go to the hospital. I just didn’t sleep well last night. Let’s go back." Alice’s eyes looked at Xu Ke like a young deer drinking by a stream in the morning, softening Xu Ke’s heart.
"Alright, let’s go home first. If you still feel unwell, you must see a doctor. Don’t leave it untreated." Xu Ke urged Alice, looking at her face.
"Don’t worry; I won’t. I promise." Alice’s face showed a relieved expression when she heard there was no need to go to the hospital. This look made Xu Ke want to laugh yet be angry at the same time, leaving him not knowing what to say.
The two returned to the hotel, walking and talking along the way, unknowingly closing the distance between them. The atmosphere between them was tinged with pink bubbles, making the landlady happy at heart.
Xu Ke greeted the landlord and landlady before heading to his room, while Alice was pulled into a room by her mother. Just like a thief, her mother peeked outside before closing the door to ensure no one was there, leaving Alice amused and annoyed.
"Mom, what are you doing?" Alice asked, hugging her mother’s arm.
"Never mind what I’m doing; look around first to make sure no one is there. Now, tell me honestly, how far have you two gone?" The landlady asked her precious daughter with a nervous expression.
Alice’s face turned red suddenly. After hesitating for a while, she said, "We held hands today, even hugged. He protected me today, and he said he wanted to go home with me." The more Alice spoke, the redder she became, her eyes getting mistier, her budding affection overly obvious.