The newcomer had been left out.
When Xu Huo came out, he glanced at the armed aircraft hovering almost directly above him. His expression darkened as he boarded public transport.
The vehicle soon arrived near his rental. After getting off, he bought some food. When he reached the building, he glanced at the privacy wall as he always did before heading upstairs.
The mute girl he had rescued hadn't left. He had barely reached the door when she ran out of the woman's apartment next door.
"You still haven't left?" Xu Huo asked. "Have you got nowhere to go?"
The mute girl hesitated, then nodded. She took a step toward him.
"A young girl with nowhere to go and no family won't have an easy time surviving in the West District," the neighbor said from her doorway. "Best case, she'll be sold into prostitution. Worst case, they might take her apart and sell her for parts. Do a good deed and let her stay for a few days. You might even get yourself a warm body in bed."
This time, the neighbor didn't ask him for money. She finished speaking and shut the door.
Maybe the commotion caused by the Surveillance Department yesterday had been too much. No one had visited Xu Huo's rental last night. He opened the door, then looked back at the mute girl still standing outside. "Come in."
The mute girl hurried inside and shut the door, but stayed pressed against it. Her eyes followed him around the room as he moved about. After a long hesitation, she walked to the middle of the room and slowly began to undress.
Xu Huo was taking the food out. He paused when he saw what she was doing and gestured for her to get dressed. "Have you eaten?"