"Just put it by the door. Thank you." Zhu Ying pointed to a spot beside the door and spoke to Li Mao.
"Okay."
Li Mao behaved himself. He did not even step inside, merely leaned in and placed the bag where Zhu Ying had indicated.
"Then... I won't disturb you any longer."
Li Mao bent at the waist and stared up at Zhu Ying like a panther about to crawl forward and hunt.
The utterly sincere smile he had worn moments ago now seemed unbearably fake.
Just as the hunt was about to begin, a baby's cry suddenly came from the bedroom.
"Waaahhh—"
Perhaps sensing her mother's presence, the baby, who had been frightened by the chaotic noises outside the door, began crying her heart out.
Hearing her daughter cry like that, Zhu Ying's attention was instantly diverted.
She did not even bother closing the door. Kicking off her shoes, she ran toward the bedroom.
The ignored Li Mao curled his lips.
The game suddenly seemed boring.
Listlessly, he stepped into Zhu Ying's home and closed the door behind him, sealing that nauseating smell outside.
As though he had returned to his own home, Li Mao found a pair of men's slippers in the shoe cabinet that fit him.
After changing into them, he thoughtfully picked up the somewhat heavy bag of daily necessities and headed farther inside.
On the way to the living room, Li Mao moved as slowly as though he were visiting an exhibition, taking in every detail of Zhu Ying's home decor.
His conclusion was that it was easy to see how much money, effort, and beautiful expectation its owner had poured into the renovation.
Yet despair permeated every corner. The place was empty, like an abandoned ruin of former warmth.
Upon entering the living room,