Chapter 15 Mr. Mu Lived Next Door

“Ah!” “What’s the matter?” Michelle asked on the phone when she heard Victoria Tan screamed. Victoria Tan turned around calmly and left the space for the man who was falling on the ground grinning. She asked, “Michelle, are you telling me that you’re hooking up with Jason Lee? Is that him you’re dating?” Michelle said nervously, “Oh, no, no I can explain. I know Frank Lu is a serial cheater, but it doesn’t mean that I cannot date his roommate, right? Jason Lee is an ordinary guy, but he is safe. I think it’s okay for me to use him. Did he come back already?” “Yes.” Victoria Tan listened to him putting on his clothes and replied. “What did you do to him?” “I just opened the door and saw him taking off his pants.” Victoria Tan replied. It’s been happening for two days. She either took off her clothes for physical examination or saw a man taking off his pants. Michelle was shook, “Victoria, you better stay at the hotel! Don’t stay at my house. I have a housemate now. It’s not convenient for me to accommodate you. You better leave my Jason! Goodness, you actually scare him to death!” “You’re the type of person who will throw away your friend for a man, Michelle Zhu.” Victoria Tan gritted her teeth and threw the key on the sofa. Jason Lee had already put on his clothes. Seeing Victoria Tan, Jason Lee stammered, “Well, Victoria, you’re back to Jincheng, huh? I’ll stay at my friend’s house. You can stay with Michelle.” Jason Lee and Frank Lu were roommates. He was always embarrassed to see Victoria Tan after they broke up. After all, Frank Lu was a jerk and Jason Lee still had to talk to Victoria Tan. She suddenly understood. She was not in a hurry and asked, “I heard that you’re away on a business trip. Are you back early for his wedding?” Jason Lee knew who she was referring to. Jason Lee didn’t have a tall built. He looked ordinary. He was turned into even more an ordinary person when he was standing next to Frank Lu and Victoria Tan. After graduating from college, he didn’t practice medicine like most people. Instead, he chose to work in the sales of medical devices. He went places and was currently very busy. He enjoyed it though. “Yes.” he laughed, “Vicky, you know that we’re good friends. I think it’s only right for me to come back and help him with his wedding.” Because of their close friendship, all the students in the college knew Victoria Tan’s nickname, Vicky. All of them including Frank Lu called her this way. However, this nickname was getting unpleasing to the ears now. If there was no Frank, there was no Vicky, right? Victoria Tan didn’t want to be associated with this name again. It was embarrassing. She might pretend like she didn’t know it. Still, she had to smile, “Of course, you guys share a close friendship. It’s only appropriate for you to attend the wedding. I also want to thank you for coming. After all, it’s also a happy event for my family.” She looked around the apartment and was ready to leave, “I’ll see you on the wedding day. I won’t bother you and Michelle. Take a good care of her.” She closed the door and went to the elevator with her luggage. After going downstairs, she stood there wondering where to go. She looked at the people walking around. There were younglings, elderly, and young mother with children. There were always various faces in this place. Perhaps, it was her tendency as a photographer. She liked to observe people, scenery and details, strange environment which made people excited and spooked at the same time. Back in the day when Michelle moved in, she, Frank Lu, and Jason Lee ran wildly on the lawn around the apartment area. It was their last trace of youth. When people were most helpless, they would miss the one who had passed away the most. An hour later, she placed a bunch of flowers in front of a tombstone in Tianping Mountain Cemetery. Her father died early. She was only twelve years old at that time. It was said that a bullet pierced his heart and national flag wrapped around his body when he returned to Jincheng. After being a martyr and a national hero, he lived in legends and stories. The picture on the tombstone looked too young. She didn’t look like her father. She crouched down and told him something, “Dad, I feel like I’m making a big deal out of nothing. You sacrificed your life for a country and I’m dying over my love life. I didn’t grow up like you. I grew up in my time to be me.” “I’ll let myself heal now otherwise I will not be able to face my life. I promise you, just one year. One year and I will take a good care of myself.” Her father looked straight ahead in the photo. His eyes were sharp as knife. He never flinched from all difficulties before him. Victoria Tan hugged the tombstone and bowed her head. The wind in the cemetery was strong. It made leaves rustle like a comfort from another world. After staying for hours, she arrived at Central Park Residence in the afternoon. She’s not so pitiful anymore. Actually, there was a place to go. If she didn’t go back to Tan’s residence, she could go to an apartment bought under her name. It was a starter house for her mother and father after their wedding and now it became a legacy. It was placed under Victoria Tan’s name. Originally, she planned to decorate it after she got married with Frank Lu so that it became a starter house for her and Frank Lu as well. Later, her plans changed. She didn’t want to live here again. She could have just stayed at Michelle’s but she couldn’t. However, staying in the hotel all the time was not the way. It was inconvenient to go in and out. She finally went back to the apartment in the center of the city. Central Park Residence as the name implied was a luxurious and high end place. The security system was strict and only people with identity could come and go. A flat in the eighth floor was perfect. The lighting was very good and the price was the best in the area. She always said that she had nothing left without Frank Lu but it was too melodramatic. The house was enough for her to live. She just hadn’t experience too many setbacks and she was just unwilling. She came out of the elevator on the eighth floor. She noticed a baby faced person with suit and tie. His leather shoes stepped on the floor with a rhythm. He had straight waist and back. His eyes looked straight ahead. There was no smile on his face. It showed that he was trained to be a soldier. Victoria Tan had seen too many people since childhood. Her eyes paid more attention than most girls. Seeing Victoria Tan’s glance, the person was also stunned and even looked back at the house number 801. Victoria Tan didn’t know what he meant. She took out a key and opened room number 802. It was covered in white dust. No one lived there for a long time. All the furniture were covered in dusts. She spent a lot of time cleaning it up. After carefully watching Victoria Tan entered 802, his eyeballs almost fell out. He came to 801 to send materials and camera to his boss. Who knew he would meet this girl here? The world was too small. What would his boss think if he knew that the girl who left him on the street lived next door to Mr. Mu? It seemed that Mr. Mu told him before his boss wanted to win this girl. Was she the future wife of the boss? But, his boss didn’t say anything. Jack Zhou was confused. He didn’t know whether he should report or pretend to know nothing of this matter.