Chapter 10: A Distorted Sense of Time

I suddenly thought of many things; when I turned my head to look at the alarm clock, less than an hour had passed

If only it could always be like this. Vivi's voice was drowned out by the sound of firecrackers

Since when has the community's cleaning staff been so diligent, cleaning up the remnants of last night's fireworks so thoroughly early in the morning

Setting off firecrackers early on New Year's Day is a tradition from my hometown. My father, who used to live there, naturally brought this custom with him.

I did not take out my phone during dinner and while watching the Spring Festival Gala, possibly out of a guilty conscience; I didn't even check my messages when they came in

I will go and tidy up the shell casings in the vehicle. The empty shells in the gun mount have accumulated quite a bit in my vehicle as well

Weiwei stuck out her tongue at me after hearing this. I didn't expect that during this visit to our home, Weiwei had already established an alliance with my parents.

In the blink of an eye, I looked at my car, which was exceptionally clean, seemingly untouched by a single shell casing, not even a speck of dust.

Xiao Sa has been quite good to me. Before I could explain, Wei Wei spoke up for me first

"Hurry up, it's time to eat," Weiwei's voice appeared just at the right moment behind me

Putting on my coat, I went downstairs and saw my father setting up the firecrackers over there

Upon arriving upstairs, Weiwei was peeling fruit for my parents, and she always managed to find topics that made them happy

I rubbed my somewhat dazed head and smiled apologetically: "You should have woken me up at two o'clock; I don't know how I ended up sleeping for so long."

In the cleaning industry, nine out of ten tend to be lazy, and it is unreasonable that even my car is not cleaned properly

Perhaps it was because I slept too much in the afternoon; while holding Weiwei to sleep, I felt no drowsiness at all. My mind began to wander incessantly, occasionally recalling that crazy woman, and then I thought of the familiar sense of déjà vu I experienced with Weiwei.

Before I had the chance to dry my hands, I took out my phone. The screen displayed a message without a number. Could it be a reply from the other party?

As for why I cannot articulate it, it may be because I have not been home to sleep for a long time; the environment I have lived in for a long time gives me a strong sense of security

Weiwei seemed to have noticed something about me and leaned in to take a closer look

That feeling is like, if I really treat her poorly or something happens, she truly would not spare me, and it is even possible that she might kill me

Every year during the New Year, my father enjoys setting off firecrackers. He once mentioned that back in his hometown, at least one hundred firecrackers must be set off to fully satisfy the craving for the celebration.

Vivi's face suddenly turned red to the roots of her ears, and she lightly punched my chest, saying: "You are so bad, the door wasn't even closed. What if someone sees us?"

I clearly sensed that Weiwei hesitated for a moment, her body instantly stiffening, but that feeling vanished just as quickly. She turned back, pursed her lips, and smiled at me, saying, "It would be best, otherwise I won't let you off easily"

Without regard for my parents nearby, I directly held Weiwei in my arms and gently said, "I will always be with you"

I was afraid she would see the message, so I turned away and quickly replied with three words: Who are you

Upon careful consideration, something seems amiss. No matter how fast the actions are, with so many people setting off firecrackers this early in the morning, there should be some debris flying over and landing here.

My mother put a slice of orange in her mouth, looked at me and said: "Which nerve is she not right in to have taken a liking to you? You must treat Weiwei well and be considerate, otherwise I will have your father teach you a lesson"

Immediately after, I turned back, completing the entire action in one go, putting away my phone: "So many people are sending blessing messages that I can't keep up with the replies"

Upon taking it out, the screen displayed a text message. Upon opening it, it was still that message without a number.

In my parents' hearts, you are already the daughter-in-law of the Zhang family, so what’s the big deal about a kiss?" As I said this, I leaned in to kiss again, but Weiwei shyly pushed me away.

It was yet another text message identical to the one from last night. I was completely stunned, and upon seeing this message, it felt as if everything around me ceased to exist

I had the intention to tease her, so I embraced her waist from behind. At the moment she turned around in surprise, I lightly kissed her lips, like a dragonfly touching the water.

The tone of this coquettishness makes me feel that there is not only no blame, but rather encouragement.

I was so startled that my phone almost fell to the ground. I hurriedly responded and, after wiping my hands dry, followed her outside

Just as I was thinking about this matter, my mother and Weiwei also came down to help my father set up the firecracker stands.

"Put it outside, it's too noisy in the house and I can't sleep well." Weiwei stretched lazily and poked her head out from the room, seemingly noticing me holding my phone

What are you saying? I do not understand why she would say that

Upon returning to the house, I saw Weiwei standing by the window, gazing outside, with the sound of cannon fire echoing continuously.

Vivi, blushing, sat down next to my parents, looking at me with a provocative expression, as if to say, if you have the ability, go ahead and kiss me in front of them

Buzz, suddenly my phone in my pocket vibrated

After having lunch, I have a habit of taking a nap, but I didn't expect to sleep all the way until 5 PM.

Weivira took my arm and urged me not to worry about the firecrackers. I thought about it and realized she was right; it was the New Year, and having just tidied up, there was a good chance that more firecracker debris would fall on it soon.

I let out a sound and said that my phone was out of battery, so I placed it in the living room to charge

I pressed the power button several times without any response, and I cursed silently in my heart, this damned phone actually ran out of battery at this moment

I do not know what was going on, but when I heard the latter part of her sentence, I felt an inexplicable jolt in my heart, as if sensing something amiss due to a certain dangerous signal

"You slept for so long on your own at https://mhetushucom.com and still blame me for not waking you up," Weiwei said, giving me a sidelong glance and muttering softly.

Vivi merely cast a faint glance at me and did not say much, which finally allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief

The crisp sound of firecrackers echoed continuously, as I covered Weiwei's ears, watching the sparks shooting out from the cannon stands, inhaling the faint scent of gunpowder; the scene filled me with a profound sense of warmth

The sound of firecrackers crackled incessantly, with debris continuously landing at my feet. It was only then that I noticed the entire street of the community was unusually clean, with not even a single piece of firecracker residue in the trash bins

I do not like firecrackers that are too powerful, but since my father is of such an advanced age, I have no choice but to go and help.

I am closest to Weiwei, yet I can still hear clearly what she is saying. I find it strange that this is the second time she has said this. The Weiwei of the past was not so anxious and insecure.

You just woke up. Weiwei has already helped her mother set the dishes on the table

"Look how understanding Weiwei is." It seems that Mom is growing fonder of Weiwei.

It is not true

Just as I arrived at the restroom to wash my hands, I felt my phone in my pocket vibrate twice again

After a long wait, I finally had the chance to look at my phone at night when I went to bed, but the screen remained black.