Chapter 3 Wade Is Blind

Zoe dragged her heavy suitcase up the stairs. Every time she returned home, she would complain about her parents' choice to live on a higher floor. 'Why couldn't they buy the first-floor apartment?' she thought.

She was almost on the fifth floor and victory was in sight but she needed to stop to rest.

Behind her, she heard hurried footsteps approaching.

Zoe turned around and saw that it was the young man, who lived opposite her apartment.

Zoe had seen the boy with wounds on his face and mud on his body many times. He was walking with his head lowered. He looked depressed today.

The young man glanced at Zoe indifferently through his untidy long hair. His thin, long eyebrows revealed no expression. Turning sideways to avoid her, he continued up the stairs.

'Pretending not to know me, huh?' thought Zoe.

"Hello,"

greeted Zoe with her hands on her waist.

Hearing this, the young man slowly turned around and looked at her. His eyes were gloomy.

"We are neighbors. I'm Zoe Xu.

Don't you remember me?" she asked noting his blank expression. The young man shook his head.

Anyone in her place would have been embarrassed but not Zoe.

Since she was a child, she had been bullied by her brother, Oscar Xu, and that made her develop a thick skin.

"Well, it doesn't matter if you don't know me. Help me move my luggage. We will get to know each other in the future.

Look at me! I'm so tired! As neighbors we should help each other, shouldn't we?"

The young man seemed to be persuaded by her and moved a little. When Zoe was about to express her gratitude, he left without looking back.

Zoe stood still.

What just happened?

He ignored her!

'That naughty boy!' she fumed inside.

"Hello?"

Perhaps it was because the young man's indifferent eyes were too hurtful for her self-esteem, but Zoe rushed upstairs carrying her luggage only to find that he was in front of the door, looking for his key.

Zoe made a face at his back. When she opened the security door to her apartment and entered the room, she realized that there was no movement behind her.

Turning around, she found that the young man was sitting on the floor hugging his knees, leaning against the security door.

It was a very cold day.

After hesitating for a while, Zoe couldn't help asking, "Boy, have you forgotten your key?"

'Such an introverted and lonely guy.'

Fortunately, Zoe didn't hold grudges. She was a sunny, optimistic, helpful person. Waving her hand in front of the young man, she offered, "Do you want me to borrow my phone to call your dad or mom?"

The young man slowly raised his head and looked at her. After thinking for a moment, he stood up and asked, "Can you give me some money?"

Zoe didn't hear it wrong. He didn't want to borrow money. He was asking for her money.

How could he try to rob her in broad daylight?

Zoe was so scared that she retreated into her room and began closing the door. The young man probably understood what she was worried about, so he held the door with one hand and said, "I just want to buy a meal."

"I don't have money, but I can cook," offered Zoe.

The young man frowned.

Half an hour later

Looking at the third empty bowl in front of the young man, Zoe was dumbfounded.

"You..."

"Do you have more?" he asked, holding out the empty bowl to Zoe again.

Zoe was speechless. She emptied the remnants of the egg fried rice in the pot into the bowl and put it in front of the young man. Sitting down across him, she rested her chin on her left hand and looked at him. "Haven't you eaten for a few days?"

"Two days."

When Zoe heard his answer, she couldn't help feeling sad, but suddenly she recalled something and slapped the table angrily. "How can you lie at such a young age? I remember that your mother used to wait for you in the corridor every day for a meal!"

The young man finished his fried rice and stated brusquely, "It's none of your business."

Picking up his schoolbag, he staggered out of the door.

'What an ungrateful boy!' she thought irritably.

She limped out to catch up with him without putting on her slippers. Grabbing his hood, she yelled, "Hey! I was kind enough to help you!"

The young man turned to look at her nonchalantly with his beautiful eyes.

Zoe was shocked by his gaze. She put down her hand awkwardly and said, "You have to tell me your name, okay?" Zoe was worried about the awkward boy. After a pause, when he refused to cooperate with her, she said reluctantly, "Look, you have eaten so much of my rice."

She looked at the young man in anticipation. The latter felt uncomfortable with her unwavering gaze and finally replied, "Rory Jiang."

Zoe realized that he had a clear and unique voice.

If he moved the hair off his forehead, he would look very handsome.

She could tell judging from his voice and his slender fingers.

Zoe watched him as he threw his schoolbag at the door, turned around, and headed downstairs. She shook her head helplessly.

"Nowadays, children are becoming more and more rebellious."

She decided to tell his mom about this when she met her next time.

Zoe's mother ran a restaurant on the snack street in the city center and usually returned home at night. After the emotionally draining date with Wade, Zoe was not in the mood to stay up for her mom, so she went to bed early.

Over the weekend, she washed her clothes and helped her mother at her restaurant. Then she went back to school.

Zoe was in a daze until Wednesday. She didn't have classes in the afternoon, so she decided to nap. She was dreaming about part-time jobs to make money when she opened her eyes and found a black figure standing at the head of the bed.

Zoe screamed and sat up. She held the quilt tightly to her chest and realized that it was Nancy, who was looking at her sympathetically.

"What's wrong?" Zoe asked uneasily.

"I'm sorry. I have some bad news for you," said Nancy.

When her friend said she had good news, it might not always be good, but if she claimed to have bad news, it was one hundred percent bad!

Zoe immediately covered her ears and said, "No, I don't want to hear it."

However, her hands were forcefully removed by Nancy. "Wade is blind."

Zoe asked calmly, "Which Wade? Who is Wade? I don't care if he is blind or not."

Scratching her head, Zoe rubbed her temple and was about to plop back on the bed but was stopped by Nancy, who held her in her arms, and thrust the phone in front of Zoe.

Zoe glanced sleepily at the short message on the screen. It was an invitation to a wedding and Wade was asking Nancy to go with him.

"That's a good thing,"

mumbled Zoe. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she was scared out of her wits because she noticed the name of the sender.

"Wa...Wa...Wade?"

she yelled.

"Why are you so excited?" Nancy quizzed. Zoe slapped Nancy and said, "Tell me what happened!"

"That's why I said he was blind. Why didn't he tell his family that he didn't like you after your date? He didn't contact me that night. So I thought that matter was over."

"What should we do now? Is he inviting you to a wedding?"

Nancy shook her head and said, "Not me. It's you he's inviting."

Zoe was petrified now.

She didn't intend to go to the wedding, but she couldn't bear Nancy's whining anymore. Besides, Zoe had met Wade once, so she couldn't let Nancy go to the wedding. It would be a disaster!

In the end, Zoe was bribed into accepting Wade's invite for a month's dinner.

Going by her previous experience with Wade, Zoe learned that even when she acted like a demon in front of him, Wade didn't even bat an eyelid, which proved to her that he had infinite patience but that might not be the case for his parents.

Zoe gritted her teeth and agreed to make a fool of herself in front of Wade once again.

She had an appointment at nine o'clock the next morning at the gate of the campus. She didn't dare to dress outrageously this time as she had to maintain her image in front of her schoolmates. She chose to wear jeans and a simple T-shirt.

Her wig had been exposed but the frightening makeup was essential, especially the terrifying mole on her face.