After the meal, Freya brought an investigation report for Alex to see. It contained information about the recent activities of Zhang Shikou's family.
The report stated that a few months ago, Zhang Shikou's family moved out of the village they had lived in for over a decade and bought a house in a prime area of the city. Recently, the Zhang family's adopted daughter even started attending the same school as Alex. As for the reason the Zhang family got rich, it had not yet been determined.
However, the report also mentioned that the Zhang family had recently acquired quite a few assets. A company that was on the verge of bankruptcy had been revitalized after being acquired, and the Zhang family had also made a fortune through stocks and futures. They were now considered somewhat famous wealthy people in the city.
Alex had an expression as if he had seen an alien. Did the Zhang family have the destiny of a "Child of Destiny"? Whatever they invested in made money; whichever stock they bought rose. They had actually managed to defy heaven and change their fate, transforming themselves from impoverished people into wealthy ones.
The only thing that was puzzling was where the Zhang family's startup capital came from. The initial cost of moving and buying a house was also a significant expense.
"You've met Zhang Shikou, haven't you?" Freya's expression seemed a bit complex. She looked at Alex cautiously, as if she were afraid of losing him.
Alex snapped back to reality and said frankly, "I just saw her today. She's in my class, and she seems to really hate me."
"That must be because of what happened back then. It was my fault back then. If I explain it to her properly, she should forgive you." Freya said with her head lowered, sounding insincere.
Alex, however, shook his head. "There's no need. This is fine. We haven't seen each other for ten years; now, we're like strangers to each other."
"Is that really what you think?" Freya asked him in a low voice.
"Yeah." Alex nodded.
She looked at him for a long time, seemingly confirming that he was serious. The corners of Freya's mouth curled up. She tentatively reached out her small hand and grasped Alex's large hand. Alex didn't pull away, so the corners of her mouth curled up even more, and she looked very happy.
Of course, she wasn't as relaxed on the inside as she appeared on the surface. Strangers? That was likely just Alex's wishful thinking. If she really didn't care, then why did she come to find Alex after being apart for ten years? It was clearly because she couldn't forget him; that little girl was quite devoted.
However, Freya could tell that Alex's words just now were also extremely sincere. In other words, compared to Zhang Shikou, she held a more important position in Alex's heart; the ten years they had spent together hadn't been without effect.
Seeing Freya's expression shift between worry and confidence, Alex somewhat guessed what she was thinking. However, for Alex, he had no obsession left for Zhang Shikou, especially after what happened today. Zhang Shikou probably hated him to death, and there was no way the two of them could return to how things were in his memories.
Thinking this, a trace of sentimentality quietly faded from his heart.
At night, Alex was burying himself in typing. The data for "legend of fengyun hualong" had exploded for a while, but suddenly quieted down again.
Everyone who should have seen it had seen it, and it was a bit difficult to continue expanding the audience. This kind of writing was always going to be suppressed; it couldn't be brought out into the open and only circulated in small circles.
However, Alex believed that no matter which world it was, men were all the same. The souls of perverts were no different. As long as he maintained persistent updates, one day, all the perverts in the world would awaken and create a world belonging to dirty jokes.
The phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Chen Luoqiu. Alex awoke from his wandering thoughts and answered the phone.
"Are you asleep?"
"No, I'm busy."
"I'm not disturbing you, am I?"
"It's fine, I'm..."
Alex suddenly realized that he hadn't told Chen Luoqiu about "legend of fengyun hualong". He didn't know if she could accept it, but she probably could; after all, it was a dream experience they had shared.
However, Alex decided for the time being not to bring it up. Serializing erotica online was hard to talk about.
"I'm busy with something. How about you? Still not asleep?"
"I've been having some insomnia lately. Every time I close my eyes, memories of the dreams surface in my mind. Sometimes, half-asleep and half-awake, I have that dream again, but I know this dream is different from the previous ones because it lacks that immersive feeling, and you aren't there. After I wake up, I don't remember anything."
Chen Luoqiu sighed softly. Her voice sounded exceptionally lonely in the dark night.
In Alex's mind, an image of her sitting with her knees hugged in the endless darkness surfaced, looking as fragile as if she would shatter at a touch. A strong urge to hold her grew in Alex's heart. He made his voice become increasingly gentle:
"I also often miss the things in the dream. I miss your body; it was so wonderful, so nostalgic, and I feel reluctant to leave it. I also miss your tenderness when you were stirred with passion. At that moment, it made me feel like you belonged to me. I also miss your various identities in the dream—youthful and vibrant, a powerful career woman... In the dream, we were indulgent, lingering together, almost without needing to worry about anything in reality."
"Don't say these things..." Chen Luoqiu's voice trembled, and her breathing became rapid. "As soon as you say these things, I miss everything in the dream even more. I want us to go back there."
Alex said gently, "We don't need to go back to the dream. We can do the same thing in reality, as long as you are willing."
"My mom asked me about your situation." Chen Luoqiu didn't directly answer his insinuation and said in a low voice, "She seems worried that I'll be deceived in love, and also worried that you might look down on my family. She always feels like she's a burden."
"That won't happen. Regardless of what your family situation is, all I value is you." Alex said emphatically. He paused and continued, "As for your mom's illness, let's think of a way together. You don't have to work so hard; I hope we can be each other's support."
Because he was worried that the girl had too strong a sense of self-esteem, Alex tried to make his wording as tactful as possible. Although he didn't know what kind of illness Chen Luoqiu's mother had, Alex was confident that he could dig up useful items through the Treasure Girl.
Chen Luoqiu smiled and said, "I knew you wouldn't mind these things. However, my mom's illness isn't something that can be easily cured. The problems involved are somewhat complex. If there is a need, I will ask you for help."
By saying this, she was essentially refusing Alex's request to help. Alex didn't actively expose it, saying, "You also shouldn't work too hard. It's so late now, go to sleep early. You have to get up early tomorrow, right?"
Chen Luoqiu had to go to work very early, and Alex didn't want to keep her up and make her go to work looking exhausted tomorrow.
"I can't sleep right now either. I still want to hear your voice a little longer."
Chen Luoqiu sighed slightly.
"Then you go lie on the bed first, hide under the covers and whisper to me. I'll tell you stories to coax you to sleep," Alex said.
"I'm lying under the covers right now. It's a bit hot, so I took off all my clothes. Um, and my bra too. It's uncomfortable to sleep in because it squeezes my chest. I'm taking it off now."
The girl murmured softly. A rustling sound came from the earphone. Alex didn't know if she was doing it on purpose, but a nameless fire began to burn deep in his heart.
His voice almost trembled as he said, "If it hurts, rub it a little. Listen to me, you..."
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