Chapter 11: She Was at Somewhere Safe and Warm
After finishing their supper, Leslie insisted on washing the dishes and the wok. She refused when Calix said the items could be left to Aunt Wendy tomorrow.
"Do you want her to wonder why there're two sets of cutleries and rice bowls?"
Leslie's question made Calix feel silly of himself. He had momentarily forgotten that only he could see her right now.
Surely, Aunt Wendy would ask if there was any guest who came late at night. Calix could lie about it but, he didn't want to.
"...yes, just wash them. Go."
Sighing like an old man, Calix waved one hand, telling Leslie to continue what she wanted to do. Then, he randomly scratched the back of his neck.
Leslie held back from laughing. She gathered the bowls and cutleries before heading to the sink. Along the way, she grabbed the wok and spatula used by Calix.
Soon, water fell from the faucet, submerging everything. Leslie made sure the cutleries, rice bowl and wok were cleaned thoroughly before placing them on the draining rack. The last step was wiping the sink counter.
"I dislike leaving dirty dishes overnight," said Leslie, recalling what she usually did in her previous life, "I prefer my sink empty of anything before going to bed."
Leslie loved to keep everything as neat as possible. She taught Calliope to tidy up her toys after playing and also to make her bed in the morning.
Instead of giving orders, Leslie tried to lead by example. She often started by asking Calliope if the little one wanted to give a helping hand to her mom.
Leslie hoped to instill good behavior in Calliope from a young age. Even though she was a child without a father, it didn't mean she couldn't grow up to be a good person.
Calix was standing next to the kitchen island as he watched Leslie washing the dishes. Her words were spoken softly yet, they were audible enough to reach him.
"Well... my grandma taught me the same," Calix smiled sheepishly, "It's just I'm too lazy to wash the dishes."
Calix didn't mind cooking but, not washing the pots and pans. He usually left them to the maids. The most he would do was put them inside the dishwasher.
"It's okay. If one does the cooking, the other should do the washing."
Calix blankly nodded. He silently looked at Leslie who was wiping her damp hands with a clean towel.
That... aside from him, other people would see the towel moved in the air, right?
Sigh, Calix wondered when rumors about his home being haunted would spread.
Fortunately, only he lived here. Aunt Wendy and Uncle Raymond were not ones to disturb his peace when night arrived.
"W-well, let's go upstairs," Calix pointed to the ceiling. Blinking, a thought crossed his mind, "You. You can just float through the ceiling, right?"
Leslie raised one of her brows, "Do you want to see me doing that?"
"No! Walk with me. Don't float and leave me alone downstairs."
Calix's words enticed Leslie to laugh. Nodding, she covered her mouth.
"Hehe, yes, yes. I won't float ah."
Thus, a human and a soul headed upstairs. The entire mansion was shrouded in the tranquil silence of the night. The lamps of the hallways brightened their paths.
Calix sent Leslie to the entrance of her bedroom. He pointed in a direction further down the hallway.
"Just in case you need to find me, my room's over there."
Leslie smiled, thinking that Calix was genuinely a good man.
Even though this was the first day they interacted with each other, he readily offered a helping hand. All because he was the only one she could depend on.
"Yes, I'll look for you," Leslie opened the door instead of simply passing through it. Looking back at Calix, she said, "Thank you for the food. It's delicious. Oh, and I'm glad you only fainted once."
Calix almost choked. He didn't expect to hear his recently dark past be brought up by Leslie.
Slightly pouting, he whined, "...don't make fun of me."
Chuckling, Leslie waved one hand at Calix, "Hehe, good night."
"Good night, Char— I mean, Leslie."
Slowly closing the door, Leslie's lips were still drawn into a beautiful arc. She was grateful for how smooth things were for her.
In just one day, she was able to communicate well with CEO Xu.
Not only day, she could meet Charlene's family tomorrow night.
Leslie was unsure what would happen during the dinner gathering but, she hoped to get more knowledge as well as Charlene's memories.
Because Charlene and the Li family were not important characters, the novel only had tiny bits of information. Perhaps, they would gain some influence in the later chapters following the marriage deal yet, Leslie hadn't reached those parts.
"Hurm, let's wait for tomorrow."
Shrugging, Leslie told herself to take it easy for the rest of the night. Nothing good would come out if she let herself be in distress.
Glancing around the spacious bedroom, Leslie found Mimo lying on the mattress, right next to Charlene's body.
"Mimo, is Poppy still in a good state?"
Leslie's question quietly echoed inside the bedroom. She slowly approached the bed as the thought of her daughter lingered in her mind.
Mimo jumped to its feet. Its black beady eyes were staring back at Leslie. The fox toy didn't have a mouth but, she felt as if it was smiling to her.
|Poppy is sleeping somewhere safe and warm.|
The light in Leslie's eyes softened. Bending down, she picked Mimo up and gently cradled it in her arms.
"I pray that she'll always be safe and sound until I find her again."
Mimo lifted up both of its front paws. It softly touched Leslie's arms.
|We'll find Poppy, Leslie. I miss her too. I want to play with her again.|
Among all of Calliope's toys, she cherished Mimo the most because it was her only link with her deceased father. Perhaps, it was the reason why Mimo also was so attached to Calliope.
Leslie said nothing anymore yet, the smile on her lips carried her hope. With a slight tilt of her chin, she placed her gaze on the closed French windows.
The moon was bright, beaming all over the night sky.
The spring night air was cool yet refreshing, bringing hope for a new beginning.
This was a new world to her yet, somewhere, her little daughter was kept safe.
For now, it was enough.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
hansora
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Chapter 12: Be a Walking Billboard to Advertise His New Status
The next morning, Calix woke up at a quarter before six.
Following his routine, he changed into a set of sportswear before heading out to the lake in the backyard. He usually went for a quick run before going to the office.
Because Calix ate egg fried rice for supper last night, he felt a bit bloated. He rarely ate anything heavy near his bedtime, but, he felt sorry for Leslie who was hungry.
After a couple of laps by the lake, a slightly gasping Calix stopped. With both hands on his waist, he threw a look at the mansion, specifically at the second floor.
Leslie's room was not visible in this direction. Calix also remembered that he hadn't told her that this place had a beautiful lake.
Well, he only showed her the places along the way to the kitchen. She hadn't explored the entire mansion.
"Haa... I thought I had a long dream," Calix let out a sigh. He casually wiped the dripping sweat from his face, "I really got married ah. And my wife now is a ghost."
When Calix woke up, his mind was still not in a good state. He blankly stared at the empty ceiling, contemplating his whole life before he was reminded of his new status.
Yesterday, he registered his marriage. His wife was the eldest daughter of Rowan Li. She was currently in a coma.
And...
It turned out, he was able to see her soul.
Shaking his head, Calix randomly ran a palm over his right cheek. When he checked his appearance earlier, the swelling had decreased significantly. The stinging was also reduced.
Leslie's words before they parted ways last night echoed in Calix's mind.
"I'm glad you only fainted once."
Calix grimaced, recalling how embarrassing his action yesterday afternoon was. Fortunately, only Leslie witnessed his dark moment.
Trying not to pass out, he slapped himself on the cheek yet, he only got pain. He did faint in the end.
"Urgh... So humiliating."
Calix glanced at his wristwatch. In a few minutes, the hour would change to six-thirty. He usually went to work at half past seven, unless he was preoccupied with an urgent schedule.
"Hurm, time to get ready for work."
The sun had already risen over the horizon, slowly dispelling the darkness in the sky. As Calix slowly jogged to the mansion, the warm golden rays fell on his broad back.
Calix took a quick shower to wash off the sweat. His pick for today was a deep burgundy-color three-piece suit instead of one in dark colors.
The tie was also in the same shade. Only the dress shirt was in another color, a black one.
It was certainly a bold choice but, Calix didn't care. After all, he had just gotten married yesterday. He needed to be a walking billboard to advertise his new status.
CEO Xu finished styling himself before seven. He still had time to eat. Usually, Calix requested Aunt Wendy to make three half-boiled eggs and some sandwiches.
As Calix walked down the hallway, his eyes landed on the closed door of Leslie's room. Humming softly, he slowed his pace before finally he stopped there.
"Should I ask her?"
Frowning slightly, Calix lifted a hand.
Knock! Knock!
Calix waited for a few minutes yet, there was no sign of the door being opened from the inside. Its occupant might still be sleeping.
Pursing his lips, Calix tried again. He knocked louder this time.
Knock! Knock!
"Mr. Calix, what are you doing there?"
A familiar older woman's voice interrupted Calix. Slightly stunned, he turned to look in the direction of the staircase.
"Aunt Wendy?"
The middle-aged woman looked at him strangely. She had a laundry basket in her arms.
"Why are you knocking on the door? Mrs. Charlene can't hear you, right?"
Aunt Wendy's simple question almost suffocated Calix for a moment.
"...right, haha. She can't hear me."
Calix coughed. The tips of his ears slowly reddened.
Urgh... He only tried to be considerate and respect Leslie's privacy but, his action certainly looked so abnormal in other people's eyes.
What a dilemma ah.
Aunt Wendy thought nothing of Calix's weird behavior. Bringing the laundry basket with her, she told him, "Breakfast's ready. You should have it now, Mr. Calix."
"O-okay! See you downstairs, Aunt Wendy. I'll check... on my wife first."
Calix looked at Aunt Wendy's disappearing figure before he rushed inside Leslie's bedroom. To avoid unexpected disturbance, he locked the door.
"I need to be careful too ah," Calix shook his head in disbelief, "Not only her."
While adjusting his necktie, Calix slowly approached the bed. He quietly looked at two figures with the same face lying on the mattress side by side.
"..."
The human body lay flat, unmoving while the soul one curled under the blanket, seemingly enjoying her sleep.
With the blanket covering most of her body, only the top of her head was visible. It didn't seem like she would wake up soon.
Calix blinked, still unable to get used to the idea of her eating, much less sleeping.
"I can't believe this. How could she still feel hungry and sleepy?"
Yet, nothing could be done about it. Calix was not a heartless man. How could he deprive someone, even a soul, of having meals and resting if it really needed them?
Exhaling a sigh, Calix reached out a hand. It hovered in the air as hesitation took over him.
He should wake her up, right?
Instead of directly going to the office without saying anything.
Hurm...
Following his conscience, Calix finally tapped Leslie's shoulder a few times.
"Hey, Leslie, wake up. It's morning already."
"...huh?"
Under the blanket, Leslie was slowly stirred awake. Calix breathed out a sigh of relief while retracting his hand.
"Wake up, wake up ah. I'm going to work now."
"Wait..."
Leslie's slightly hoarse voice muffled through the blanket. She fumbled with the fabric before slowly lowering it down. Her sleepy face was revealed to the one standing by the bedside.
"What?"
Leslie rubbed her eyes. When she looked at Calix, the man suddenly snorted.
"...pfft!"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
hansora
hansora
How handsome CEO Xu will look in his burgundy outfit XD
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