Chapter 4
Chapter 4
“Mom, I’m cold.”
Just then, the girl in the back seat began to shiver.
Luo Ying hurriedly unzipped her own jacket. “Here, wear Mommy’s coat.”
The girl had only just turned around when she suddenly screamed. “Mom, you’re bleeding!”
I didn’t see any blood in the rearview mirror, but in that moment, the look on the girl’s face didn’t seem fake.
Old Mu quickly twisted around and grabbed the girl’s arm. “Bleeding? Where? That’s just the pattern on your mom’s clothes. You poor kid, are you scared silly?”
When the girl turned back to look at Luo Ying again, Luo Ying had already wrapped herself back up in her jacket. “Mommy’s fine. What blood? Don’t talk nonsense. But it does seem a little cold in here. The moment I took off my coat, I felt a chill too.”
“Let the girl sit up front.”
I said, “The heater’s stronger up here. She’ll warm up after a while.”
At first, Luo Ying and Old Mu seemed a little hesitant, but the girl was shivering so hard they couldn’t refuse.
The girl and Old Mu switched seats, and she seemed to feel much better almost immediately.
She looked at my face curiously, then suddenly smiled. “Mister, you kind of look like Zhang Fei.”
I laughed too.
She wasn’t wrong. I was born with an unusual appearance: a frightening face and a build far taller and burlier than most people. It was a good thing the girl wasn’t afraid of me.
I handed her the thermos beside me. “Drink something warm. You’ll feel better soon.”
The girl took the thermos and stared at it for a long while.
The thermos I had given her was milky white, with a pink rabbit printed on it and two handles that looked a lot like rabbit ears.
“Mister, your cup is so cute.”
The girl rubbed the two fluffy ears. “I think I have one too…”
“Really? Who gave it to you?” I asked softly.
The girl frowned, as if she couldn’t remember for the moment.
Suddenly, a hand reached over from the back seat.
“Jiajia, Dad will open it for you.”
Old Mu directly took the thermos from the girl’s hands, twisted off the lid, and poured out a steaming cup of red date water.
“It’s red date water. That’s my favorite.”
The girl hurriedly reached out with both hands to take it. But right then, my car ran over something and jolted.
The red date water spilled, droplets scattering onto Old Mu.
The water in the thermos was no longer that hot, yet Old Mu acted as if he’d been burned by fire, slapping at himself while screaming.
The girl hurriedly handed the cup back to me and helped Old Mu wipe the water off his body.
When it was over, Old Mu seemed a little embarrassed. He smiled at the girl. “It’s all right, Jiajia. Don’t drink it for now. The water’s pretty hot.”
My gaze crossed the rearview mirror and met Old Mu’s eyes.
The way Old Mu looked at me no longer seemed as kind and friendly as it had at the beginning. Instead, a strange, sinister chill was gradually seeping through.