Chapter 3 Ten Years Ago (Part Two)

Seeing that, Shirley was so shocked that her eyes almost popped out. She pointed at the person on the sofa with the toothbrush and retreated. It was not until she hid behind the table that she dared to make a sound. "Ahhh!" she screamed out of both fear and pain.

The man on the sofa frowned and became impatient. Her behavior was quite annoying. Taking a step towards her, he asked in a low voice, "What is the matter with you?"

Shirley spat out the bubbles in his mouth, stared at him and asked, "Who are you? Why are you in my house?"

Now, his expression softened. He finally understood why she was yelling. Flashing her a smile, he said, "You must be Shirley."

Shirley was taken off-guard once again. 'How does the thief know my name?' she couldn't help but wonder. Perhaps he had investigated carefully before he came here. "Who the hell are you? You broke into someone else's house in broad daylight! I will scream and gather people," she said. Even though she tried to sound confident, one could tell she was afraid. Shirley looked around but realized her mother was nowhere to be found. "Where is my mom? Did you do something to her? I'll call the police if you don't leave!" she wailed.

"Your mother went to the supermarket to buy some seasonings," the man explained. "Don't you know me?"

Shirley stared at him for a while. He had a pair of deep eyes and his eyebrows were of the perfect shape. His firm nose made him look even more handsome. She detected some familiarity, but she couldn't tell who he was. "Who are you? I..."

Before she finished her words, she heard the front door opening. With a bag in her hand, Yvonne Su walked in and saw Shirley standing in the living room. Then she put down the key in her hand, changed into slippers and walked forward. "Shirley, what are you and your uncle talking about?"

Shirley was stunned. It suddenly occurred to her that she had an uncle, Edmund Su, who had been abroad for a long time. Then her face flushed red with embarrassed. She opened her mouth and smiled awkwardly. "Of course, yes. You are my uncle." Then she looked at Yvonne and added, "Yeah, we were just exchanging pleasantries." Just now, she had spoken to her uncle in the most disrespectful manner. And now, she was trying to hide it.

Shirley's mother didn't notice anything wrong. Instead, her focus was on Shirley's condition. "What's wrong with you? You have got bubbles all on your mouth. Why are you standing here with a toothbrush?"

Shirley wiped the bubbles from her face and didn't dare to meet her uncle's eye. She rushed to the bathroom and washed her face. Once she was done, she came out and changed her clothes.

Even though she was ready, she was afraid to leave her room. After mustering up some courage, she made her way to the kitchen. As expected, her mother was done preparing the dishes. Shirley casually asked, "Mom, wasn't my uncle abroad? Why did he come back all of a sudden?"

"All of a sudden? Your uncle came back in the beginning of this year. He had been in B City all this time. He arrived in S City two days ago."

"Why didn't you tell me? If you had informed me beforehand, I would have been prepared." Shirley recalled the awkward incident that had happened just a few minutes ago. If her uncle told her mother about it, she would be in trouble.

"I told you!" Shirley's mother put a bowl of rice aside.

"When did you tell me? How come I don't remember?" Shirley asked, wondering when exactly her mother had mentioned it.

"I told you a few hours ago! I came to your bedroom and informed you he was coming. In fact, you nodded your head and said you had heard it all!" Yvonne Su said in an admonishing tone.

Oh God! It was not until now that Shirley remembered what her mother had told this morning. 'Yes, she had mentioned his arrival, ' she thought. However, she was so sleepy, she barely paid attention to her mother's words. 'If only I had listened carefully!'

"Well, we don't have time to waste. Take the food to the dining table," Yvonne Su ordered as she handed a bowl of rice to her.

Taking over the bowl, Shirley made her way to the dining room. She put the bowl in front of Edmund Su and said with a flattering smile, "Uncle, let's have lunch." 'Please don't mention what happened earlier today, ' she prayed.

Edmund Su raised his head to take a look at her. He noticed she was smiling and her expression of fear which he had seen earlier was gone. Instead of giving her a reply, he simply lowered his eyes and looked at the rice in front of him.

Shirley understood he was unhappy with the way she had behaved. Rubbing her nose, she sat down awkwardly.

Shirley's mother brought three bowls full of soup and they began to have lunch. Yvonne Su kept looking at her younger brother endearingly. She hadn't seen him for a long time, and they had endless topics to discuss about. Shirley let them talk and focused on her food. Most of the topics they discussed had nothing to do with her.

"I haven't seen Shirley for a long time."

Hearing her own name, Shirley suddenly looked up at him. She guessed what he would say next. Deep down, she wondered if she should confess her mistake.

But to her utter shock, he didn't mention what had happened earlier. "I have heard you have joined high school this year. Which school are you studying in?"

"No. 2 Middle School," Shirley answered quickly. She put down her chopsticks and sat straight, letting him know she respected him.

"Good," said Edmund, nodding with satisfaction. "No. 2 Middle School is a good school. Study hard and make us proud."

"Yes, I am doing my best to get good grades." In the next few minutes, he asked her some questions regarding her school.

Shirley enthusiastically answered all his questions. There was a subtle smile in Edmund's eyes which went unnoticed by them. He coughed slightly and turned his attention back to Yvonne Su.

Seeing that Edmund Su no longer looked at her, Shirley took a deep breath. She lowered her head and grabbed the food in her bowl, trying to finish it as soon as possible. If she stayed longer, she feared he might bring up today's encounter. It felt like there was a time bomb in the dining room, waiting to blow. She couldn't take any risk.

Shirley finished her soup and put down her chopsticks with satisfaction. She gently interrupted the two people in front of her and said in a low voice, "I'm finished." After thinking for a while, she added, "I'm going to read books." She glanced at Edmund Su casually, as if to tell him she was going to study. If he believed she was a smart girl, perhaps he would forgive her.

After collecting her bowl and chopsticks, she put them in the kitchen sink. Not bothering to wash them, Shirley walked to her room. She closed the door gently, sat at the desk, picked up a comic book and flipped through it. At the same time, she muttered to herself, "Comic books are also considered books. I didn't lie." A smiled played on her lips.