我要再来一次

Chapter 175 Dream Part VII

Little Xiaolei did her best to act normal before her grandparents. She stayed with them in the living room for a long time before she told them that she was going back to her room to take a nap.

Gladly, her grandparents didn’t keep her and let her go.

Upon stepping inside her room, little Xiaolei locked the door behind her.

The boys were sitting leisurely, spread out across her room. Chen was on her bed while Nine and Ten were sitting on the wooden floor, leaning on the wall.

"Grandma and grandpa are here." She whispered, a little anxious as she sat next to Chen.

"It’s okay, we can use the window to leave." He replied and Xiaolei gasped.

"Mm. We can jump from here." Nine agreed and the girl finally stood up.

"No! You can’t do that!" she exclaimed before she worriedly moved towards the window to block it. Her room was in the attic, facing out over the back yard. For a child like her, it was definitely way too dangerous to jump from that height.

Her worried reaction made Chen laugh quietly. "It’s okay, we can wait here a little bit longer."

"No jumping, okay?"

"Mm. No jumping."

"You guys can take a nap. You three can use my bed." She said but Nine politely refused.

"No, we’re perfectly fine here." He said and little Xiaolei didn’t try to force them because she was already used about these two’s peculiarities. She knew that they wouldn’t listen to her as they only ever listened to no one but Chen.

Letting a sigh out, little Xiaolei walked towards her cabinet and brought out a thick pink bedsheet. She spread it on the floor and asked Nine and Ten to lie on the sheet as she gave them pillows.

Gladly, the boys obediently did as she said when Chen granted them permission by nodding at them.

"I think we better wait for the rain to stop. Grandpa and grandma usually go outside to talk to the neighbors every afternoon so we will wait for a bit longer, okay?" she explained as she sat next to Chen again.

"Okay," was all Chen replied before he lazily laid across the bed. His hands were behind his head and his feet dangled off the bed.

After staring at him, little Xiaolei also laid next to him. They both stared at the ceiling quietly.

"There’s nothing to do in my room at all." She sighed. This wasn’t the first time she let the boys in her room. She once secretly invited them during her birthday and she hid them in here. She sneaked out lots of food from the kitchen and brought them to the attic. That was a fun night for her. Probably the happiest birthday she ever celebrated. There was simply no dull moment when she was with Chen. The days since she met him had been nothing but fun.

"There’s a lot of things to do."

"Hm? Like what?"

"Listen to the rain, take a nap, stare at the ceiling or just talking like this."

"Oh, you’re right." She grinned and then, just like that, the sound of the rain lulled the four of them to sleep.

After an hour, little Xiaolei was awakened by a knock on the door. When she sat up in surprise, the three also rose in an instant. The four of them had messy hair as they looked at each other.

"Xiaolei darling?" her grandmother called out and Little Xiaolei thoughtlessly jumped out of the bed. She headed towards the door and was about to hold the door knob when she paused. She snapped her head towards the three boys and then, she began to panic.

When she saw Chen look at the window, her eyes widened and before she knew it, she rushed towards him, held his hand and dragged him with her as she signaled Nine and Ten to follow.

Little Xiaolei made the three stand by the wall right next to the door.

"Xiaolei? Open the door." Her grandmother sounded like she was starting to worry.

"Y-yes, grandma, coming." After putting her forefinger on her lips as she looked at the three boys, Xiaolei finally held the door knob.

When she pulled the door open, it covered the boys from her grandmother’s view.

"Darling, why are you locking your door?"

"I didn’t notice that it was locked. I was fast asleep."

"Okay, come downstairs. I made delicious cookies."

"Okay, grandma, I’ll just comb my hair first."

The moment her grandmother walked away, Little Xiaolei quickly whispered to Chen to wait for her before she hastily left.

However, time ticked by and her grandparents didn’t let her go. The third time she told them she was going back to her room, her grandfather who was quiet the entire time spoke.

"Xiaolei, many hunters have seen you in the woods not just thrice, but many times since winter." The old man said and Xiaolei’s eyes widened. Her heart started beating erratically with nervousness. "Tell me, why are you going there? What were you doing there?"

Little Xiaolei could see how serious her grandfather was, causing her to become even more anxious.

"I... I am not going there–"

"Stop lying and answer me."

Xiaolei just shook her head. She was completely caught off guard and she was suddenly scared. She was scared that they will not let her see Chen again.

"We’ve been warning you for god knows how many times now. The hunters found some unknown dead bodies again the other day and yet they saw you in the woods again yesterday? Tell me the truth! What are you doing in the woods?!"

"Easy, honey. Don’t shout at her like that."

"Stop being too lenient on her, the villagers are starting to become suspicious of her now. She knew about the killings up there and yet she’s heading out there like there’s nothing happening?"

Little Xiaolei’s fists were clenched into tight balls. She was so nervous and scared as she listened to them.

"Listen Xiaolei, if you go to the woods again, I’m telling you this, I will send you back to Central City whether you like it or not." The old man said. She had never heard her grandfather’s voice this firm and angry before and she knew that he meant what he said.

Shocked, little Xiaolei just sat there, staring at the cookies on the coffee table with disbelieving eyes. ’No, I don’t want to go back. I won’t go back.’ She was screaming in her head.

After a long while, she found herself walking mindlessly towards her room.

When she opened the door and saw that her room was empty, the tears she was holding in, finally fell.