He could only, in utter dejection, slowly inch himself back under the bed.

When his head was once again hidden by the bedboard,

the heart he’d been holding in suspense finally settled.

This space beneath the bed gave him an immense sense of security, as if he were back home again.

Just then,

the sound of a car engine came from outside, then stopped.

Immediately after, there was the sound of the front door opening on the first floor, followed by a boy’s laughter.

The man and the child had returned.

But Jeffrey didn’t feel like he was finished... In fact, he even felt... relieved.

He even looked forward to being discovered, so he could just rush out;

or, be stopped and beaten by the man; or, perhaps, be caught by the police who would arrive after someone called them.

But no matter what, even a holding cell at the police station would be a thousand times better than this.

A series of footsteps began to climb the stairs,

the bedroom door was pushed open.

Jeffrey’s face happened to be turned toward the direction of the bedroom door.

He first saw a boy’s sneakers—the same kind he’d wanted badly when he was five or six years younger, expensive, and wearing them out would make anyone feel much more confident.

Next,

he saw a pair of men’s leather shoes, very refined—not the kind of refined from shoe polish, but brand new leather shoes.

“Tonight’s performance was really good.”

“But I felt a little sleepy watching it, Dad.”

“Haha, when you’re a bit older, you’ll understand it. How about this: next week, Mom and Dad will take you to the zoo, okay?”

“Really?!”

“Of course.”

“Mom, did you hear that? Dad said he’ll take us to the zoo next week.”

“I heard, I heard. Alright, George, go wash up now, it’s time for bed. Darling, you should take your son to wash up, I’ll go help George make his bed.”

A pair of red high heels walked in from outside.

Jeffrey just felt that the atmosphere in this home was truly warm. If only he’d had such a cozy family before, how wonderful that would have been.

“Alright, alright, let’s wash up. I’ll adjust the radio, it should be time for the financial news.”

The man seemed to fiddle with the radio antenna, and the static that had long blended into the night suddenly grew louder, then disappeared:

“...This is a beautiful nighttime story, isn’t it? Everyone, no matter where they are, has their own companion, and no one is alone.

Alright, thank you for listening to tonight’s Luo Jia Story Hour. Up next is the financial news. I believe you’re about to get rich again...”

From the radio,

soft music began to play, serving as a transition between the two programs.

Get rich... ha, get rich.

Jeffrey just found it laughable. If he hadn’t listened to his friend and sold the house his father left him to buy a stock that was sure to skyrocket, how could he have ended up like this?

At this moment,

the family of three who had been standing at the door—the father took his son to the washroom, and the woman went to the third floor to make the bed for her son.

This was his chance. If he left from under the bed now, dashed down the stairs, opened the door, and ran out, he’d be safe and free!

Jeffrey made up his mind.

He pressed his hands to the floor, ready to push himself up,

when suddenly,

his body

froze.

A scene suddenly flashed through his mind:

Earlier, the woman had come in from outside, returning with her husband and child. But the woman who had been lying on the bed all along—

Who

was she?

Wasn’t she lying on the bed?

So why hadn’t the family of three who just came home seen her?

“Shh.”

From behind his head came a faint whisper, slightly cool, gently brushing the back of his head.

Jeffrey turned his head slowly in astonishment,

and under the bed,

almost pressed up against his back,

he first saw a pair of legs, and then, looking further, a face;

No,

he only saw a pair of legs, and the face between those legs.

Chapter Two: The Departed Care Company

“Splash...”

Brian Carter scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on his face.

After a moment,

he lifted his wet face and looked into the mirror.

Reflected in the mirror was the face of a fifteen-year-old boy.

It had been two weeks.

Brian Carter still hadn’t gotten used to this brand-new face. Every time before looking in the mirror, he would pause instinctively to mentally prepare himself.

He reached out,

pinched his own cheek,

pulled it outward,

then let go,

leaving two red marks on his face.

If only he could tear off this skin in one go, and everything before his eyes, everything around him, everything from the past half month, would shatter like glass, as if waking from a long dream—how wonderful that would be.

Of course, Brian Carter knew that was impossible.

“Smack!”

Brian Carter slapped his own face.

Even though this face looked a lot like a young Leonardo DiCaprio,

when Brian Carter slapped it, he still showed no mercy—in fact, he even felt a bit of pleasure from it?