Chapter 4: Bottle Caps

I silently lamented how fast this woman was running; no, that’s not right, she probably hasn’t run too far. Perhaps she is secretly watching me from some inconspicuous corner.

I held Vivi's delicate little face in my hands, nudging her nose with mine: "That won't do, this time you are celebrating the New Year at our home, we must not let you be treated poorly."

Weiwei then told me that her parents had only greeted her before returning to their hometown to visit relatives, leaving her here to spend the New Year with me

The woman in white slowly lowered her head, and only then did I notice that her left hand was holding a plastic bag, which was dirty on the outside, making it impossible to see what was inside.

"What are you stopping me for?" I looked at him with slight anger, having finally found an opportunity to approach this woman in white

What bad luck, it has only been less than five minutes since I came out, and someone called. Since I couldn't get through, the call was naturally redirected to the manager, who then scolded me.

Once I stepped out, I was at a loss for what to eat. I looked at the restaurants along the way, featuring stir-fried dishes, hot pot, noodles, barbecued food...

Yet I could only see my car parked there, with not even half a figure of the woman in white in sight, and not even a trace of white among the crowd.

"I am leaving now," I said as I opened the car door and got in, thinking that the New Year was approaching and I still had not prepared the New Year goods, which was quite a troublesome task

The woman just now seemed to be looking for me for something, and I finally had a chance to get close to her, but with Xiao Liu's interference, everything has gone down the drain

"Alright, let's go out to eat," I suggested

The ringtone startled me; when I took out my phone, I saw that it was a call from the manager

I felt as though someone was watching me, and instinctively looked up, only to see a white shadow peering out from the window above.

It's nothing, forget it. I sighed helplessly

I walked to the window again and looked down, this time I did not see the figure in white, only my car parked there

As soon as I shifted my gaze away from the gate, I heard the sound of someone knocking on the passenger window.

Having been together with Weiwei for such a long time, our families have become quite familiar with each other, so it is not a big deal for her to come to my house for the New Year

I took a bottle cap out of my pocket; she must have deliberately placed it in my car. But what can a single bottle cap represent

Little Liu

steak

Yes, it is indeed moved over, because from my perspective, looking at her in that white long dress, there is no trace of legs moving at all.

As I went downstairs, I kept murmuring to myself that I must clearly see the appearance of this woman, for I must know her; perhaps she is indeed a relative or friend of mine

No, wait a moment... I immediately pushed open the car door

However, when I got out of the car, I saw that Xiao Liu had already dragged that woman to a relatively distant place, and the woman somehow struggled and ran away.

Suddenly, another figure appeared and immediately dragged the woman in white to the side

What is she trying to do

Turning my head to look, I saw a woman in white with disheveled hair knocking on the car window, her mouth moving continuously as if she were saying something to me from outside, but I could hear nothing at all

It was only then that I came to my senses, rolled down the car window, and saw Xiao Liu, dressed in a security uniform, already pulling that woman to the side.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Xiao Liu's face as he forced a smile and said, "Brother Zhang, what is this..."

I hold this bottle cap in my hand, covered in dust and dirt, with only a faint hint of its original color visible.

a bottle cap

In my recollection, there shouldn't be a steakhouse here, yet Weiwei even mentioned that we have been here several times. I don't remember any of it at all

Wei Wei had a peculiar expression on her face, as if she were still complaining about her parents: "Forget it, just eat at home, I will cook for you."

"Yes, yes, yes, Manager, I just went to the restroom, and I will return to the duty room shortly." As I spoke, I occasionally glanced up at the window, but I could no longer see that figure.

"Let's have steak; we've been to this place many times before." Vivi, who had been silent, suddenly pointed ahead, and only then did I notice a steakhouse in front of us

Her hand tapped on my car window repeatedly, appearing quite anxious. I also noticed that in her hand, which was resting on the car, she was clutching a dirty plastic bag.

As I drove out of the company, I passed the security checkpoint, only to find that even the security guard was not present. I never expected that during the festive season, the security guard would leave earlier than I did

She slowly extended her right hand into the plastic bag, as if to take something out from inside, while simultaneously moving slowly towards the direction of my car

In the blink of an eye, the figure in white by the window and the picture book vanished, as if they had never appeared at all. Just as I was pondering whether it was an illusion, my phone rang

Suddenly, I felt that we had switched places; previously, I stood above her, looking down, but now it was the other way around

Looking around, I also saw half a shadow, and I felt a sense of loss in my heart. Just as I was about to leave, I noticed something on the roof of my car

I apologize, I will take this crazy woman away right now. Little Liu looked at me with a face full of regret

After a long day at work, I did not receive any calls from clients, and the only one I did receive was noticed by the manager

Upon returning to the duty room, everything remained as it was, except for the missed calls on the landline; it hardly seemed as if anyone had been there.

In the end, Weiwei could not resist me, so she sat in the passenger seat while we drove out to find something to eat

Xiao Liu's smile seemed to carry a sense of triumph, but I paid it no mind; my thoughts were more occupied with the woman in white.

I watched as Xiao Liu brushed off the dust from his uniform and walked over. I wanted to catch up, but he suddenly blocked my way, and I saw the woman in white disappear into the crowd.

What happened? I looked at her in confusion

It is strange; this bottle cap should have been left on the roof of my car by that woman in white, right? I was just standing in my current position a moment ago, but what does leaving a bottle cap mean?

Her disheveled long hair hung down, casting shadows that obscured most of her face, making it impossible for me to see her features clearly

Upon returning home, I saw that the house was filled with many goods, yet Weiwei had a look of utter dejection on her face

I glanced at the place where the woman in white had disappeared, feeling a sense of loss as I turned around, only to see a smile on Xiao Liu's face that was strikingly mismatched with his age

Xiao Liu chuckled twice and said, "Brother Zhang, during this festive season, you should also go to bed early to keep your wife company. I need to tidy up here and catch the train."

Forget it, Xiao Liu came to the city to work from the countryside, and he is only a few years younger than me. Hearing him call me Brother Zhang with every sentence, I cannot bear to reprimand him

Running down the stairs in one breath left me somewhat breathless, but I did not stop, all for the purpose of seeing what she looked like

I came to my senses and looked at the familiar window. Isn't that the duty room I am in? How could she...

My intuition tells me that something is about to happen, and it is definitely related to the woman in white. With so many people downstairs, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to shout, so I immediately turned around and ran downstairs.