The blonde girl walked out of the house, raised her head, and stared blankly at the sky. A moment later, Li Wei's voice came from behind her.
"The soldiers from Cront and Francis will be here any moment. We should leave."
"Leave?"
At Li Wei's words, the girl gave a bleak smile.
"Where else can I go?"
"Perhaps we could find somewhere to have a cup of tea and talk?"
Li Wei took out his pocket watch to check the time, then gestured to her.
"It's nearly time for afternoon tea anyway."
The girl did not answer, and Li Wei took her silence as agreement.
"Then follow me."
Li Wei turned and headed down another street. The girl followed him without a word, like a lost soul.
Shrill police whistles, soldiers' shouts, and running footsteps echoed around them. Of course, thanks to his "aerial drone," Li Wei could always avoid the soldiers' reckless, aimless searches. Yet that only made everything feel strangely eerie. They walked through silent, deserted alleys while hearing the commotion on the other side of a wall: curses, reprimands, shouts, anguished cries, and more. It was easy to feel as though they had left this world and entered another.
Li Wei reached another apartment, opened the door, and led the blonde girl inside.
The lavish furnishings finally drew a small reaction from her. She raised her head, looked around, and asked in confusion.
"Is this your home?"
"Of course not, miss. I'm only staying here temporarily."
As he spoke, Li Wei went into the kitchen to boil water and make tea. A little later, he returned to the table with a pot of tea and a plate of biscuits.
"Please, help yourself. I think they should taste quite good."
"Thank you..."
The blonde girl hesitated as she