บท 48: "Come with me, I'll give you something."
Alice wasn't surprised that Hurley knew about these developments. As an important figure in the Safe House now, he was among the first to know about any movements.
"Yeah," Alice responded.
Hurley's handsome eyebrows furrowed, and his magnetic voice carried a hint of displeasure. "Why didn't you tell me if you were short of food? Do you know how dangerous it is outside? The Safe House doesn't have enough people, so they recruited from among you."
"I didn't take the risk ," Alice knew Hurley' was concerned, and her tone softened.Alice replied, "I was getting bored at home, so I thought about going outside. Even if I don't join the Safe House on their mission, I still have plans to go out."
Hurley remained silent for a moment, then furrowed his brows and said, "Come with me, I'll give you something."He spoke naturally, as if he and Alice had known each other for a long time. After saying that, he walked away, and Alice could only follow.They arrived at the villa area where Hurley lived, and he took out a thin piece of clothing.
Alice took it, felt it, and looked at him in surprise. "Is this a temperature-regulating suit?"
"Yeah, there are many robbers outside. Wearing too many clothes is inconvenient for movement. Having a temperature-regulating suit can solve that problem," Hurley explained, staring at her face.
Alice tried it on and found that the size of the temperature-regulating suit was just right.
"Why did you suddenly think of giving me a gift?" Temperature-regulating suits were precious, especially in this weather; they were invaluable."Thank you for your contribution to the Safe House," Hurley said, his handsome face expressionless. However, Alice detected a hint of mockery in his words.
Worried about her like this?Alice pursed her red lips and said indifferently, "You're overthinking. I'm not doing it for the Safe House; I'm doing it for myself."She wasn't selfless to that extent. Anyway, she was going out, and there was no clear destination. Following the Safe House team could provide her with supplies, a win-win situation.
Hurley lifted his captivating peach blossom eyes and looked at her approvingly. "That's good. In a world that's almost at its end, there's not much room for sentimentality."
Alice couldn't quite understand him. If there was no room for sentimentality, shouldn't he have parted ways with her after repaying the favor of saving her life?
Before leaving, Hurley gave her a bag of food and advised, "There are ginger and red dates inside, along with beef. Cook them when you get home."
She waved it off, "I have food at home. You've already given me the temperature-regulating suit; I can't take more from you."After saying this, Alice saw a flash of disappointment on Hurley's handsome face.
Was Hurley unhappy because of her refusal?Alice felt a bit puzzled. Wasn't it normal to refuse more items after receiving something valuable like the temperature-regulating suit? Why would he be upset?
After some hesitation, Alice accepted the bag. In that moment, she saw a subtle lift of Hurley's slender eyebrows, as if a cloud had lifted in an instant.
Alice was speechless. Was there really someone who eagerly sent supplies and got upset when they couldn't be given away?
Upon returning home, Alice thought about what was missing in Hurley's villa. He didn't need winter clothing, and he wasn't lacking in food. It seemed like there was really nothing she could send in return.Alice suddenly remembered that Hurley mentioned he was researching temperature-regulating shelters. She retrieved several books from her space, including research on this topic and some other books that might be useful to him. Additionally, she included the USB drive containing various downloaded materials.
Alice didn't intend to study these things to cater to everyone, so these materials weren't very useful in her possession. Alice also took out many snacks from her space, unsure of what Hurley liked, so she just grabbed a variety.
Before leaving, Alice put on the temperature-regulating suit. In no time, she felt warm and cozy. She put on an old coat outside and wrapped herself up tightly, making herself look quite shabby to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
After the extreme cold arrived, most people stayed indoors, only going out when their supplies were running out. The Safe House supermarket opened every three days, and the selection inside was limited. People had to wait for the Safe House team to bring back supplies from the food storage facility.
Previously, they hadn't brought back supplies due to the extremely hot weather, fearing that the rice might spoil and pests might infest it on the way.Fortunately, coal was still barely available, but it required using work points to buy. Those who didn't want to spend this money could go outside to find firewood.
When Alice arrived at the villa area, she rang the doorbell for a while, but no one came to answer. It seemed like Hurley was out. Worried about the items outside freezing, Alice looked around and noticed a slightly open window on the second floor, either intentionally left for ventilation or not closed tightly.
Concerned about the items freezing outside, Alice circled around, didn't find anyone, collected the items into her space, then climbed to the second floor and successfully jumped in. After that, she headed downstairs.The house was indeed empty, and Alice took out the items. She left a note explaining her intentions and clarified that climbing through the window was a last resort.
In the evening, the Allen family returned. Blanche quickly asked, "Is it cold at the factory? Are the facilities operating normally?"
"No problem, the factory has heating equipment installed," Atticus said as he took off his heavy clothes.
Seeing frost on their clothes and eyelashes, Blanche couldn't help but feel distressed. Atticus comforted her, "The road to the factory has been cleared. We'll drive there tomorrow, so we won't be freezing."
Alice shared the news that she would be joining the Safe House team to transport supplies, thinking they would have no objections. However, the whole family unanimously opposed it.
"We have enough in your space to eat for a lifetime. You don't need to tire yourself like this. It's cold and dangerous outside. If you want to work, find a job inside the Safe House," Blanche suggested, concerned about various dangers like robbery or accidents.
"Otherwise, come and be my assistant," Atticus frowned. His position allowed for such arrangements.
Alexander chimed in, "Little sis, be obedient. Don't go outside. I heard there are bears out there."
This wasn't fabricated. One of their factory workers encountered a bear while searching for firewood, escaping by hiding in the snow.
Alice didn't take it seriously and chuckled, "No worries, if a bear comes, we have shotguns."
"Mom, Dad, and brothers, after experiencing so much, I'm no longer the girl who grew up in a greenhouse. For me, these dangers are not really dangerous. I know you all want to protect me, but I don't need it. Please believe in me. I value my life more than anyone and won't take unnecessary risks," Alice said earnestly, looking at them. She couldn't have them worry every time she went outside.
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