“Changed? In what way? Better or worse?” Estelle asked and smiled.
“In my opinion, you’ve changed for the better. In the past, you were strong, but you weren’t as independent. Even when you tried to live without Cristofer, you still leaned on Mr. Mysterious whenever you faced difficulties, seeing him as your lifeline. That’s why it was so hard for you to accept the fact that Cristofer is Mr. Mysterious.”
Estelle, her eyes now open, admitted quietly, “… Yes.”
“In addition, when you were abroad, you could have picked yourself up and started anew. However, Mr. Mysterious’s death hit you hard, and you struggled to move on. Estelle, I’ve been thinking lately whether only those who don’t fall in love can really live carefree lives.”
Estelle was surprised that Rebecca, known for her romantic outlook, would bring up such a topic.
“Perhaps you’re onto something,” Estelle guessed. “People who avoid love might appear invulnerable because they have no emotional attachments. In such a state, they might lead carefree lives.”
“Yes, exactly,” Rebecca affirmed with vigorous nods. However, a thought struck her, and she added, “But in that case, wouldn’t they be incredibly lonely? They wouldn’t care about others, and no one would care about them. Living a solitary life forever might become boring because they’d have no one to share their feelings with.”
Estelle instantly understood the underlying message and asked, “Did Justin ask you to discuss this with me?”
“What? No… No, he didn’t…” Rebecca stammered defensively.
“No? Alright.” Estelle chuckled.
“… Estelle, did I say something that exposed me?” Rebecca asked.
Estelle couldn’t help but smile and replied, “It’s pretty obvious you shared these thoughts to convince me to reconcile with Cristofer. Since you won’t persuade me to reconcile with him, the only plausible explanation is that Justin asked you to relay his message.”
Hearing this, Rebecca seemed a bit flustered. “Oh dear, it’s exhausting talking to clever people like you. One person talks in circles, and the other immediately figures it out. I’m the one left in the dark. Weren’t we just discussing a philosophical issue?”
Seeing Rebecca’s puzzled expression, Estelle couldn’t help but laugh and said, “You’re right. It was just a philosophical discussion. Different schools of thought often have varying opinions on the same matter and can’t always reach a consensus.”
This time, Rebecca understood the point. “So, you no longer harbor hatred towards Cristofer, but you’re not ready to reconcile with him, is that it?”
Sighing softly, Estelle replied, “Rebecca, play me a song.”
“Sure. Which song would you like to hear?”
“‘Love and Hatred,'” Estelle requested.
“Alright. Just a moment…” Rebecca lowered her head to search for the song in the car’s music player. “Found it,” she announced, pressing the “play” button. Soon, the song filled the car, accompanied by the husky voice of a female singer.
As the song played, Estelle thought, ‘You make me fall in love, and later I hate you. You’ve caused me pain. I can’t escape it. How can we ever come back together after that…’
‘What’s done is done. It’s been more than ten years. I’ve tasted joys and sorrows. It’s difficult to tell what kind of feeling I have for you…’
The song’s lyrics were easy to understand. After listening for a while, Rebecca got a sense of Estelle’s emotions. She dropped Estelle off at the Hudson Group and noticed that Justin’s car was no longer there.
“What are you looking at?” Estelle asked.
“Oh, I was just trying to find a parking spot,” Rebecca replied.
“Parking can be tough here, and rush hour is approaching. You should head home,” Estelle suggested.
“But how will you get home after work?” Rebecca inquired.
“I’ll take a taxi.”
“Estelle, why don’t you buy a car? You’re a good driver now, and it’s more convenient than taking a taxi.”
Estelle considered the idea and agreed, “That’s a good suggestion. I’ll buy a car soon.”
Rebecca, pleasantly surprised that Estelle was receptive to her suggestion, said, “Wow, you actually listened to me for once!”
Estelle stepped out of the car and waved to Rebecca, saying, “It seems like Justin left first. You can go home, too.”
“He was here before…” Rebecca suddenly cut herself off, realizing she had accidentally revealed something. She looked at Estelle with an embarrassed smile and asked, “You… You know he was here?”
After a brief pause, Estelle responded in a gentle tone, “I don’t think Justin could rest assured letting you drive here alone.”
Hearing this, Rebecca pouted. “Are you saying I’m a bad driver? I’ve been driving for a long time and never had an accident. I’m actually a good driver. Really.”
Estelle couldn’t help but smile at her reaction.
Rebecca realized explaining her driving skills further was futile, so she changed the topic. “Since you know Justin was here, you probably also know that Cristofer was in his car, right?”
****
After work, Estelle took a taxi back to the Hans’ Residence. It was about ten o’clock at night when she returned. When they got inside, Luke whispered, “Shh. The kids are already asleep.”
Estelle nodded and checked the time, realizing she had come back very late today.
“Must’ve been a tiring day. Did you eat?” Luke asked quietly.
Estelle shook her head and replied, “No. I’ll grab something to eat later.”
“You’ve been working hard; you should eat well for your health,” Luke said.
“It’s alright. I don’t feel like cooking a hot meal,” Estelle replied.
Luke smiled and said, “No need to cook. I’ll heat up some food for you.”
Thinking that Luke had left some food for her, Estelle gratefully said, “Thank you, Uncle Luke. You’ve had a long day, too. It’s late; you should go to bed early. I’ll heat the food myself.”
Luke, who had been looking after the kids all day, was indeed tired. He noticed a light in the study on the second floor that had just been turned off and then turned on again. He smiled with relief and said, “Okay, I’ll go to bed now. You should also get some rest after dinner.”
“Okay. Good night, Uncle Luke.”
Luke headed back to his room while Estelle made her way to the kitchen. When she opened the fridge, she found various dishes like poached cabbage, fried shrimp with corn, and sweet and sour spare ribs. All the dishes were freshly made and untouched, with a good mix of vegetables and meat. Estelle preferred lighter meals, and these dishes suited her taste.
‘Did Uncle Luke ask the chef to prepare these for me?’ Without dwelling on it too much, she heated the dishes and finished her dinner quickly. Then she quietly went upstairs.