Following

As evening approached, Gallo purchased a Madeleine Cake from the cafe, carefully wrapped in oil paper; this was something he had promised Lily the night before.

After Stur left in the afternoon, Gallo had received a few more clients.

Hearing the evening six o'clock bell chime from the Campus Clock Tower of the Imperial Industrial University, he packed up his cardboard sign and prepared to head home.

With a heavy sum of forty-three Copper Nil and two Fenso weighing down his pocket, he set off on the road back to Valen Street.

However, no sooner had he left the bustling Lubo Lane and turned into a relatively quiet street than a prickling sensation of unease crept up his spine.

He couldn't shake the feeling that a gaze was lingering on his back, faint yet persistent.

Is it just my imagination?

Gallo slowed his pace, using the excuse of adjusting his collar to cast a quick glance behind him.

Pedestrians hurried by, and there was nothing out of the ordinary.

Everything around him seemed perfectly normal, yet that feeling of being watched from the shadows did not fade.

He reached into his pocket, seemingly casual, and gripped the greasy, blackened one-Fenso coin.

Ever since he had used this coin for divination, Gallo had kept it separate from his other Fenso coins, storing it alone in the left pocket of his jacket.

After taking the coin out, he continued to walk slowly while pressing his thumb against it.

"At this moment, is someone watching me from the shadows and following me?"

He recited the question in his mind and flicked his finger, tossing the coin into the air to the height of his brow before it fell silently into his palm, covered by his other hand.

In an instant, that familiar, isolated chill descended once more, and Gallo forced himself to endure the discomfort.

He quickly moved his hand away... the coin was heads up.

The divination provided a positive answer!

Someone really was following him! The feeling of being watched that Gallo had sensed along the way was correct.

That meant the person had been tailing him ever since he left Lubo Lane.

Gallo's heart sank, but why?

Counting today, he had only been in Lubo Lane for three days and had never had a conflict with anyone.

Gallo pondered for a moment; was it because of the money he had earned today?

He gripped the coin tightly again.

"Is the person's target the money I earned today?"

The coin fell, and he held his breath to look... tails up.

Not for money? This result left Gallo even more confused.

A seemingly frail youth carrying nearly fifty Copper Nil was the easiest target for any criminal.

Gallo couldn't figure it out, but at least the possibility of a robbery was temporarily ruled out, which made him breathe a little easier.

Yet, being followed by someone with unknown motives was more unsettling than a simple robbery.

He quickened his pace, choosing to walk along busy main roads and occasionally making sudden turns in an attempt to shake off any potential stalker.

The feeling of being watched waxed and waned, but it never completely disappeared.

Could it be related to his actions in Lubo Lane? Just as Stur had said, he had become a local celebrity in Lubo Lane.

Photographic memory, speed reading, and the ability to analyze the contents of a book in a very short time—perhaps he was being followed because of these extraordinary abilities.

Gallo tossed the coin again for divination, but the result remained tails.

"Damn it!"

He paused, thought for a short while, and then turned toward the direction of the vegetable market.

"The person's stalking will bring me danger."

For the final divination, if the answer was positive, he would never bring this danger back to his home.

Only if the result was negative would he buy meat and vegetables for the evening before heading home.

It was still tails; there was no danger, which meant the person following him had no malicious intent.

He couldn't understand it. He forced himself to calm down, quickened his pace, and stopped trying to find the stalker.

At the vegetable market not far from home, he bought some fresh mutton from the butcher and the necessary ingredients for a stew from the greengrocer, then walked home while enduring the lingering discomfort.

When he finally turned onto the familiar Valen Street and stepped onto the narrow wooden stairs leading to the attic, the feeling of being watched strangely vanished.

Gallo let out a sigh of relief, speculating that perhaps the dense buildings had blocked the person's line of sight, or perhaps they had seen him reach his doorstep and decided there was no need to continue following him, leaving on their own.

But regardless, his home address was now known to someone with ulterior motives; if he didn't figure out the situation, Gallo would always have a nagging worry that would keep him from sleeping soundly.

Adjusting his emotions slightly, he pushed open the door, and his younger sister Lily pounced on him like a happy little bird.

"Gallo! You're back!" She leaned in close to him, her nose twitching, and she exclaimed in surprise, "It's the smell of cake!"

"Your nose is sharp." Gallo smiled and handed her the Madeleine Cake wrapped in oil paper, then looked at his mother, Aisha, who was sitting up on the bed.

"Why are you so late today?" Aisha asked with concern, her complexion seeming slightly better than yesterday.

"The shopkeeper talked to me again about my salary." Gallo had already prepared his story, and he placed the eight Copper Nil he had counted out earlier on the edge of the bed.

"The shopkeeper said he is very satisfied with my work, so starting today, my daily wage is set at eight Copper Nil."

"Eight Copper Nil!" Aisha and Lily exclaimed in unison, their faces filled with incredulous joy.

"Yes, and that's just the base daily wage. Since I'm the only employee in the shop besides the owner, I'll get a small commission for any books sold based on my recommendations.

That way, my daily wage will increase even more."

He continued, "I also drew an advance on my pay for the next two days, sixteen Copper Nil in total, and bought lamb and side dishes at the market."

After hearing Gallo's explanation, Aisha was not only surprised but filled with delight, repeatedly exclaiming that they had met a kind-hearted shopkeeper.

But they had no idea that this so-called kind-hearted shopkeeper existed only in Gallo's fabrications. Even with a daily wage of eight Copper Nil, after deducting the monthly rent of one Nalang and fifty Copper Nil, Gallo's remaining wages were only ninety Copper Nil. As a living allowance, it was barely enough; they could only afford the cheapest black bread and the most inexpensive vegetables. Yet, his mother, Aisha, saw all of this as a stroke of good luck for the family.

She and Lily could still earn a meager income from the doll-making work, which meant the family could continue to scrape by and survive in Tin City.

Aisha only hoped that her health would improve soon so she could lighten Gallo's burden, and ideally, save enough money to send him back to school.

Gallo felt a bitter pang in his heart, but he kept a smile on his face.

Afterward, he took out the lamb he had bought at the market and said to Lily, "We're having lamb stew tonight; come and help me."

Lily held the oil-paper bag containing the Madeleine Cake, sniffing its fragrance gently without daring to open it, feeling as if she were in a dream.

When she heard Gallo's words, she said, "But I've already made the stew."

"It's fine, just add the lamb and the fresh vegetables into the stew and make a big pot full!"

"Okay! That must be delicious; I haven't had meat in so long!"

The tiny balcony kitchen was suddenly filled with the warmth of home.

The lamb bubbled away in the pot, emitting an enticing aroma. The warmth belonging to their small family dispelled the chill of the attic and the unease Gallo had felt on his way home.

Lily excitedly helped out on the side, chattering away without pause.

Under the dim light of the oil lamp and the company of his loved ones, Gallo temporarily buried the suspicion of being watched deep in his heart.