Trafford's Trading Club

553: Totally Different 553: Totally Different Editor: TheSloth A fleeting dream.

The sunlight spilling through the window was a little bit harsh.

After San Er’s eyelids fluttered, she opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw were Xiao Zhi’s sparkling eyes.

Turns out the little girl was lying on her chest, propping her chin up, staring straight at her.

When San Er woke up, Xiao Zhi smiled sweetly and said, “Good morning, mom!”

It had been ages since she slept together with her mother… Probably since she started attending preschool?

Mom had said it was time for her to learn independence.

San Er reached out and tapped Xiao Zhi’s nose, thinking that starting a new day with the very first thing being seeing her daughter wasn’t half bad.

“Mom, why are you smiling?”

“Why am I smiling?”

“You kept smiling in your sleep!

Did you have a good dream?”

San Er recalled what had happened in the second half of the night.

Looking back now, it really was kind of wild… How could she have taken the initiative like that?

What people in town said… wasn’t it exactly this?

A guilty feeling surged up.

San Er instinctively climbed out of bed, ready to get dressed, and said, “Let me make you breakfast.”

“Oh, then I’ll go find Uncle Mark!” said Xiao Zhi, thinking out loud.

But San Er said calmly, “He hasn’t slept all night, don’t bother him.

Come, help mom make breakfast.”

After everything was over, they embraced in silence for about ten minutes, and then Mark quietly left for the courtyard.

San Er didn’t hear any noise until dawn, and figured he’d returned to his room by then.

As she took Xiao Zhi outside, just in time, the door to another room opened, and San Er saw Mark come out, his face blank.

They exchanged a glance.

“I’m going out to check around.

You two stay home, don’t go anywhere.

For today, let’s not do any business.”

San Er nodded quietly.

Mark didn’t smile, just like before… as if nothing had ever happened at all.

They say foreigners are pretty casual about stuff like that, maybe he really didn’t care.

San Er couldn’t help overthinking… she couldn’t suppress all these thoughts spinning in her head.

He’d originally said he’d be leaving today.

Watching Mark’s departing figure, San Er suddenly thought, maybe he really will leave in a couple days.

“Be careful out there!”

San Er blurted it out instinctively, calling after his back.

Mark paused, didn’t turn around, just nodded, and walked out the door.

San Er stared blankly, feeling like something was missing somehow.

Xiao Zhi stared curiously at her mother.

It was the first time she’d heard mom remind Uncle Mark to be careful, so she giggled, “Mom, you and Uncle Mark seem to be getting along now.”

That “getting along” was what Xiao Zhi meant, but San Er heard something different in it.

She waved her hand shyly, pretending to swipe at her, “Go wash your face and brush your teeth!

Or I’ll spank your butt!”

“Wah!” Xiao Zhi ran away, giggling.

It had been such a long time since San Er woke up in the morning to see Xiao Zhi so lively.

…

Meanwhile, off in the distance, Nero put down her telescope and held it out to Luo Qiu, who was standing next to her.

Luo Qiu shook his head.

Only then did Nero shrug and say, “Such great eyesight.

Must be handy for peeping, huh.”

The business was underway, but Nero was inviting him to watch a classic little play she was staging.

Even if she kept saying it was cliché, this Miss Tyrant was getting more and more into it, and there’s no faking that.

“Such beautiful houses.” Luo Qiu was sizing up the buildings in this small town.

This was the kind of Jiangnan Water Town architecture one rarely sees in a big city.

It hadn’t really been developed into a tourist spot yet, so there was not much litter on the roads, making everything feel cleaner.

“It’s a pity.

No matter how beautiful the house is, if the people living inside aren’t good, it doesn’t mean much.” Nero smiled, “You of all people know that, don’t you?”

The boss didn’t reply.

Nero was used to it by now.

She simply hopped up on the Temple of Heaven’s roof wall, sitting cross-legged, looking out, “It’s funny, isn’t it?

If it’s an older woman—a real auntie—who suddenly loses her husband and is left to raise kids alone, everyone says she’s unlucky and are eager to help.

But if it’s a young woman in the prime of her life, it’s not the same.

People still help, sure, but there’s a lot more talk behind her back.”

Nero squinted at Boss Luo, then suddenly asked, “Same situation, just different ages—why do the outcomes end up so different?

I mean, the same situation.”

“Ms.

Nero, are you trying to say something?”

Nero shrugged again, “Just curious.

Which situation do you prefer?

You don’t charge for answering this, do you?”

“I’m not obliged to answer,” Luo Qiu shook his head calmly.

That’s when Nero slapped her thigh and burst out laughing, “Ah right, I can refuse to answer!

Anyway, I wasn’t really planning to buy your answer—ha!”

She got up, stretched, rubbed her belly, “Mmm… Before we get started, breakfast?

There’s a noodle shop nearby that’s pretty good.

My treat?”

Boss Luo shook his head, “Thanks, but someone’s already made breakfast for me.

Well then, see you later, Ms.

Nero.”

“Lucky, huh?

Must be that perfect maid again?” Nero didn’t mind, she even teased, “If I had a woman like that, I wouldn’t want to let go either… Well, see you soon, boss.”

Almost like old friends who’d known each other for years.

No fear of the club, no wariness, not automatically holding prejudices, heck, she even planned to buy him breakfast… Maybe it was just her nature, but this really was the first guest Luo Qiu had ever met who was so… casual.

“Master, did something good happen?”

The maid, prepping breakfast, saw her master return.

She took off her mask, smiling, then asked curiously.

Luo Qiu sat down and replied with a smile, “Our Ms.

Nero just complimented you.”

“Well, thanks to her, then,” You Ye nodded.

And so, boss began to eat breakfast, served by his maid.

…

Anyway, that’s how it goes—every single day!

These two never seem to get sick of it, honestly it’s like they were stamped out from the same mold.

Not that they remember me, oh well, guess I’ll keep hanging here a bit longer—A rant from some utterly ignored, dust-covered entry level guy dangling from the ceiling.

If this place wasn’t so freakin’ clean, Tai Yinzi would really be wondering if there’d be cobwebs growing on him by now.

Go get married already!

Dammit!!!

When are you gonna let this old Daoist down…

…

…

Kuck was wandering through the town, all the way people with curious minds were pointing and whispering behind his back.

But with his iron will, he paid them no mind.

He saw a police officer riding a bicycle, heading down the street on patrol.

Kuck sped up and ducked into a small alley, already calculating his next move.

Last night those guys left in a hurry and didn’t have time to take their tools.

Gasoline should be easy to get.

As for the crowbars, they were brand new, still with the tags—probably just bought.

There are only a handful of hardware shops in town, so tracking them down won’t be hard.

And buying four crowbars at once, especially recently—the shopkeepers should remember.

Kuck was starting to form a plan about what to do next.

“Wanna buy something?

Young man!”

Just outside the alley, an old lady running a street stall called out to him.

Her eyesight wasn’t so great; when she saw he was a foreigner, she grew visibly curious and stared.

Kuck glanced casually, didn’t stop, and walked away.

But after a few steps, he paused, turned around, walked back to the old lady’s stall, squatted down, picked up a hairclip from the rug, “How much for this?”